Long VS. Short strokes

[Stubble]

I keep reading everywhere that you should use short strokes while shaving. All the videos I see they are making little short strokes. I find it easier for me to make a nice long stroke or two, flip the razor and go for one or two more before rinsing it.

Is it bad to take long strokes? I find I get much less nicks and burn if I do it that way than if I try to do a bunch of unnatural (to me) short strokes. Am I missing anything important by taking a long stroke, or is it just a matter of preference? If I'm giving myself a sub-par shave, I'm willing to learn how to shorten my strokes, but if I'm not losing out on a shave too much I'll just keep being a freak.

Thanks for the input.

 

[SIG9]

I've wondered the same thing. Hopefully some veterans will chime in.

 

[Dusty1]

Longer strokes can lead to razor burn because of the contours of your face. Shorter strokes lets you control the head a lot better. Enjoy your shave!

 

[mchad21]

short strokes, but don't use a 'choppy' stroke and never, ever go over a spot that doesn't have any lather.

 

[Kabong30]

I use short. I'm not as experienced, but when I started using longer strokes my shave suffered A LOT. I was having a much harder time getting a decent shave. For me, short strokes led to me being about to focus on the angle of the razor better and my shaves immediately improved again when I got "back to basics".

 

[Uncle Brian]

I always use short strokes due to the changes in hair direction and the contours of my face ... same for every razor I have ever used. Might have something to do with soap and hair buildup in the razor head too ... maybe.

 

[Sir Nicks A Lot]

When I first started with a DE, I was using shorter strokes. I found that it helped me maintain the proper angle with the razor. As my technique has improved over time, my strokes have been getting longer too.

 

[Niles]

Longer strokes can lead to razor burn because of the contours of your face. Shorter strokes lets you control the head a lot better. Enjoy your shave!

+1

 

[swcarter]

I tend to use shorter strokes on the first pass when the beard is longest. On passes 2-3, I find I can use longer strokes. I also use blade buffing on touch up areas.

 

[Antares600]

It's better to use short strokes for your 1st WTG pass. But whatever pass you are making, with short strokes you're less likely to cut yourself or cause irritation.

For subsequent passes I tend to use slightly longer strokes, depending on the area of my face.

 

[Coler]

With long strokes I believe you do run the greater risk of giving yourself burn/irritation or nicking/cutting, because it may be more natural to increase pressure during the stroke or you may be more likely to loose the correct angle during it.

Personally I find long scything strokes to be very effective, particularly with a slant bar during my first (WTG) and second (XTG) pass, although I do use them during the third ATG as well.

 

[ricardo9505]

I keep reading everywhere that you should use short strokes while shaving. All the videos I see they are making little short strokes. I find it easier for me to make a nice long stroke or two, flip the razor and go for one or two more before rinsing it.

Is it bad to take long strokes? I find I get much less nicks and burn if I do it that way than if I try to do a bunch of unnatural (to me) short strokes. Am I missing anything important by taking a long stroke, or is it just a matter of preference? If I'm giving myself a sub-par shave, I'm willing to learn how to shorten my strokes, but if I'm not losing out on a shave too much I'll just keep being a freak.

Thanks for the input.

well I took an art class. You ever paint?
you never take real long brush strokes. the paint fades and your technique on the brush will be off after half a second as the pressure decreases. slightly so.
So, with shaving, same principle. short strokes, controlled, even, and you get the hairs down exactly the same and an even shave. long strokes give an uneven shave in my personal experience.
TRUST me, I used to think the exact same thing you did once.

 

[djm2]

I will be express a different opinion. As long as the "ground you're covering" is reasonably consistent -- as most of our cheeks are, and possibly a portion of the neck -- I think that you can use a longer stroke. Once you start to change direction, or move in tight quarters, then strokes must become shorter.

But the final judge is you. How are your shaves? Are you regularly getting to BBS or DFS with your technique? If so, then your approach works for you, and the opinions of all of us on this board are worth less than a cup of Starbucks coffee. If you are not getting DFS or better, then listen to some of the suggestions made by other persons in this thread.

 

[Doubledgeislife]

I would say if it works for you, do it. I started out short stroking, I do a 4 pass shave. If I cannot get it in 4 passes, I'll do a spot buff and then finish. I find that short stoking for myself personally is just too much fooling around. I do however, make sure I keep it ( The razor ) well rinsed and wet. A study by some of the shaving industry giants says that every body shaves differently, To Paraphrase: A man can get the job done in 20 strokes or 200.
Update: I went and looked it up as fast as I could and the industry suggests that the AVERAGE man executes 120 strokes per shave. OUCH!

 

[kingfisher]

Long strokes are fine, if you can do them correctly. The angle has to change during the stroke.



Personally, I prefer long strokes.

 

[DerekL]

Even with my Mach III (with it's pivoting head to control the angle) I'm finding that short strokes are better. They allow more control over the pressure you apply, and at least for me different face area require slightly different arm motions.

 

[Stubble]

Long strokes are fine, if you can do them correctly. The angle has to change during the stroke.



Personally, I prefer long strokes.

This is what I was thinking. I alter the angle as I go and just listen to the blade to know where it needs to be.

But, if there are this many people suggesting short strokes, I'll give that a go. Just seems harder to get the blade angle right with each reset than it is to just listen to your blade and do what it tells you to do.

The painting analogy makes a lot of sense though. Pretty brilliant.

 

[HUF]

I enjoyed long, sound strokes with a BIC Sensitive skin wherever it was possible. Did not try long ones with an ED though. Bottom line, if you enjoy the long ones and the quality of shaves is good (no nicks, no irritation, DFS every time) why look for a change? Keep them long!

 

[OldSaw]

Both.

I use a combination of long and short strokes. Upper lip and chin get short strokes, other parts get medium strokes and then there are long strokes. Whatever floats your boat.

Now, if you are having problems, then it's time to re-evaluate things.

 

[TopperHarley]

I used to use long, erratic strokes with a Mach 3 before converting to DE shaving. Then I had an incident where I almost shaved half my face off with my Merkur 34C (+Feathers) using a similar stroke...that was my DE inexperience showing, but ever since then I've tended to use shorter, more careful strokes!