Really dumb question

[volleykinginnc]

Gents,
On my 7th straight razor shave so here's a dumb question. I know that there are countless threads around shaving with both hands so I'm giving it a shot as I would like to learn the best method.

So here's the dumb question....as an example when I shave my right cheek I hold the razor with my right hand to hold the razor and the left loops over my head and pulls the skin up. Obviously it's reversed for my left hand.

Just watching the Chimesch video above when he shaves the right cheek he hold the razor with the left hand and pushes the skin up with his right hand.

Again, I'm just figuring this out so please post back what you do and please no posts of "just do what's natural" as nothing right now feels natural.
Thanks,

 

[Rollie Juddernaut Fingers]

I would say that you should use what yields the best results, natural or unnatural. After all the most "natural" thing would be to let it grow, but the cons with that are clearly too great to deter you. However, just like hitting a baseball or adding vibrato to a guitar string, or even writing with your dominant hand, repetition will eventually breed comfortability and a "natural feeling." So, you needn't worry, you will become accustomed to it.

As far as stretching the skin around the cheek is concerned, it will mostly have to do with your face. I, do not even bother to stretch my cheek, as I have a very narrow jaw line. What this requires me to do, is really focus on stretching the skin around my neck, and my chin.

I say try it all ways. Try it with your mouth closed and not stretching if your face is Aquiline. If your face is square or round, I wouldn't do this.

My dad always said you should push your check out with your tongue to get rough spots.

Another way which avoids useing your left hand would be to open your mouth like your saying "Oh".

You have tried stretching by pulling up, another way would be to pull down underneath your cheek, towards the floor. (Grasping either your lower cheek, or just beneath your side burns, or your neck, or under your jawline, and stretch it that way).

As long as you get the hairs shaved comfortably, it should be fine. Let me know how it goes.

 

[volleykinginnc]

I would say that you should use what yields the best results, natural or unnatural. After all the most "natural" thing would be to let it grow, but the cons with that are clearly too great to deter you. However, just like hitting a baseball or adding vibrato to a guitar string, or even writing with your dominant hand, repetition will eventually breed comfortability and a "natural feeling." So, you needn't worry, you will become accustomed to it.

As far as stretching the skin around the cheek is concerned, it will mostly have to do with your face. I, do not even bother to stretch my cheek, as I have a very narrow jaw line. What this requires me to do, is really focus on stretching the skin around my neck, and my chin.

I say try it all ways. Try it with your mouth closed and not stretching if your face is Aquiline. If your face is square or round, I wouldn't do this.

My dad always said you should push your check out with your tongue to get rough spots.

Another way which avoids useing your left hand would be to open your mouth like your saying "Oh".

You have tried stretching by pulling up, another way would be to pull down underneath your cheek, towards the floor. (Grasping either your lower cheek, or just beneath your side burns, or your neck, or under your jawline, and stretch it that way).

As long as you get the hairs shaved comfortably, it should be fine. Let me know how it goes.

So just out of curiousity, when you shave your right cheek do you hold the razor with your right or your left hand and do you reverse on the left cheek?

 

[JeffE]

Others will howl, but this whole idea of shaving with the non-dominant hand is kind of suicidal. I know that there are a few gifted individuals who can handle it, but when I put a razor in my non-dominant hand and hold it up to my face, I'm lucky not to cut my nose off.

Try this instead. When you are shaving the side of the face that the same as your dominant hand, and you are shaving against the grain (that's when all of the problems come up), grip the razor just at the spine and hold it between the thumb and the first two fingers. Don't try to get your hand completely around the tang, because it won't work from that angle. Instead, if you can just get used to holding the razor at a different spot sometimes when the clearance isn't as good, you can shave your entire face, in any direction, with just the dominant hand.

Good luck!

 

[JPDyson]

So, shaving the right side of your face is natural for you, and you're right handed, so the heal is toward your nose and the toe toward your ear, right? That's the typical "same side" stroke. In Chimensch's video, he does an "opposite side" stroke, shaving the left side with the right hand, heal toward ear, and toe toward nose.

Trying it his way just "feels wrong" to me. It must feel right to him, because he does BOTH sides that way! I fear that my ear gets in the way of getting right up to my sideburn area. Maybe I'll just grow Joel-burns.

 

[volleykinginnc]

That's right; however, the reason why I asked for opinions is that I have found from sports that there generally is a way that makes the most of body mechanics and is consider "good form" and if you learn it early by coaching (or reading forums) then as muscle memory sets in you see better results....a good example is if you have ever watched someone do a lay up going off the wrong foot it generally doesn't yield as a good a result as the classic leave off the left foot style.

 

[MaritimeFanatic]

I shave exactly the way you described and it feels fine. I can't quite get my arm/wrist straight as Chimesch does, so I have never tried. It just feels wrong.

Right Side: pull skin up with left hand (over the head) shave with right hand.

Left Side: Pull skin with right hand, shave with left.

Happy Shaving

 

[natchez]

I actually do it one way then the other. First pass down the cheek- same hand as cheek, second pass from ear to chin -opposite hand to cheek, third pass up with opposite hand. Never really thought about body mechanics, just learned as I went and it seems comfy. It actually took me a few minutes to figure out what I actual do.

 

[RF1963]

So here's the dumb question....as an example when I shave my right cheek I hold the razor with my right hand to hold the razor and the left loops over my head and pulls the skin up.

That's what I do. I'd guess I'm on my 60th straight shave and by now that feels natural. I don't swap hands when I shave my left cheek, just use different approaches/angles etc and it all now feels natural.

 

[Woodash]

That's right; however, the reason why I asked for opinions is that I have found from sports that there generally is a way that makes the most of body mechanics and is consider "good form" and if you learn it early by coaching (or reading forums) then as muscle memory sets in you see better results....a good example is if you have ever watched someone do a lay up going off the wrong foot it generally doesn't yield as a good a result as the classic leave off the left foot style.

What you may not be accounting for is the fact that everybody has a different growth pattern, and good form for me may have nothing to do with what you need. I shave with both hands. It helps me handle the areas and detail that I need to. It wasn't initally easy, but now it feels like second nature. You just have to figure out your own road map, even with good form coaching. I think you'll be surprised when something clicks in.

 

[Luc]

It depends which pass I'm doing.

WTG-XTG I'm sticking to left hand on left side and right hand with right side. When I go ATG, it's easier for me to pull the razor instead of pushing it. So I go with my left hand on the right side and right hand with left side.

 

[Brownbear]

Not a dumb question at all. I did my 7th shave this morning as well and I have similar questions. I shave my left cheek with my left hand WTG and XTG but can't figure out how to do ATG without feeling like I'm going to slit my throat.

And the detail areas around my chin and mouth don't seem feasible regardless of the hand I use.

I have found that doing my cheek and neck with my offhand hasn't been much more awkward than using my dominant hand, they both felt awkward as hell at first. I tried shaving my cheeks with the razor heel on the ear side (I have a spike point razor and I'm always a little concerned that I might give myself two earlobes) but it didn't work out well at all.

So all these posts about how various guys are doing this are really helpful to me.