S-N not for me

[TheYoshi]

Ok admittedly this is only my second week with wet-shaving. Today things went fantastically well in general. Very smooth pretty much everywhere and no burn or anything (thanks largely in part to Kyle's excellent post)...

So then I thought I'd try a little S-N action on my neck and get that final pass of smoothness. It didn't hurt at all while doing it but after rinsing and such I started to notice some redness, yep good old fashioned razor burn. It's fading fairly fast but still, don't think I'll be going against the grain again anytime soon.

 

[ada8356]

Ok admittedly this is only my second week with wet-shaving. Today things went fantastically well in general. Very smooth pretty much everywhere and no burn or anything (thanks largely in part to Kyle's excellent post)...

So then I thought I'd try a little S-N action on my neck and get that final pass of smoothness. It didn't hurt at all while doing it but after rinsing and such I started to notice some redness, yep good old fashioned razor burn. It's fading fairly fast but still, don't think I'll be going against the grain again anytime soon.

I probably waited about month before and true against the grain shaving... and then I started in small areas before applying to the whole face.

 

[mark the shoeshine boy]

back into wetshaving for two years now and this weekend, i couldn't do a s-n pass...i am trying out a new soap and oops...i am having a bit of a problem with it...

but just be patient and tack your time about it.

Read about Kyle's holding the razor and no or very little pressure....it takes times to laern and then sometimes like me, i still screw up...

mark the shoeshine boy


be sure to visit the barbershop section....it's the fun place to be...

 

[PortsmouthDavid]

FWIW -

I have used DE razors in wetshaving for a very long time.

FWIW - I basically never use the S-N pass because it roughs me up too much. I only do S-N in a couple of areas of my face that just won't submit with other passes, and even there I do it only after having gradually reduced the beard with N-S and E-W passes.

You might consider skipping the S-N altogether for awhile, and just do gradual beard reduction with N-S and E-W. I find if I make multiple passes that works best.

Hope this helps!

David

 

[Leisureguy]

My S-N pass went much more smoothly and easily after I started using the four-pass method. YMMV, of course.

 

[jduffy]

Ok admittedly this is only my second week with wet-shaving. Today things went fantastically well in general. Very smooth pretty much everywhere and no burn or anything (thanks largely in part to Kyle's excellent post)...

So then I thought I'd try a little S-N action on my neck and get that final pass of smoothness. It didn't hurt at all while doing it but after rinsing and such I started to notice some redness, yep good old fashioned razor burn. It's fading fairly fast but still, don't think I'll be going against the grain again anytime soon.

I thought this same thing until I started using the Gillette Tech razor I picked up at an antique store. This thing is so crazy gentle that I can actually do a SN pass no problem. With my Merkur Long Classic, no freaking way, at least not yet anyways.

 

[letterk]

Have you tried an almost S-N pass? On a few areas of my neck where a true S-N pass just never works, I rotate by about 10 degree and don't have any troubles.

 

[jmhUT]

FWIW -

I have used DE razors in wetshaving for a very long time.

FWIW - I basically never use the S-N pass because it roughs me up too much. I only do S-N in a couple of areas of my face that just won't submit with other passes, and even there I do it only after having gradually reduced the beard with N-S and E-W passes.

You might consider skipping the S-N altogether for awhile, and just do gradual beard reduction with N-S and E-W. I find if I make multiple passes that works best.

Hope this helps!

David

Agreed. I am assuming that the S-N pass is 100% against the grain. You would be surprised at how many of us have a different grain pattern. While there are plenty of men who can pull off the against the grain pass I would venture that the majority of us cannot and have given up trying. The punishment is just too great for that last bit of stubble, which I admit is maddening to leave uncleared. I, like David, have had great success replacing the against the grain pass with a couple of across the grain passes.

FWIW I do three passes, the first is with the grain, the second is across the grain (sideways) and the third is across the grain (diagaonal, between sideways and against). In this way I can avoid the against the grain irritation and get a shave that is only moderately inferior in closeness.
Cheers,
Jeff

 

[Jim]

TY
I have noticed your reports of progress in the last weeks and it gratifying to hear about. Keep up the good work reporting- you are helping out a lot of newcomers along the way.

 

[TraderJoe]

Pardon me, but what does YMMV stand for?

 

[Leisureguy]

YMMV = Your mileage may vary --- i.e., different results for different people.

Here's a useful site for things like this: http://www.acronymfinder.com/

 

[TraderJoe]

YMMV = Your mileage may vary --- i.e., different results for different people.

Here's a useful site for things like this: http://www.acronymfinder.com/

thanks buddy

 

[Jonnybc]

I never shave directly against the grain anymore, I think the pulling action is quite damaging. If I watch closely white dots seem to appear momentarily just where I've shaved. As Letterk says, going diagonally across the grain (even by just 10 degrees) is a lot more comfortable than directly against the grain.

Shaving against the grain gives you a close shave but with a bit of perseverance you can get just as good a shave without putting your face through hell.

 

[rtaylor61]

Once again we are back to the "Direction" of shaving. During the past year I have posted multiple times about this. In fact, I have posted that using the N-S, S-N, E-W, and W-E suggestions should be banned. This is not rocket science. First, rub your face. Feel the drag of your beard? Rub your face in all directions. See how your beard grows in different directions in different places. Now, replace all of the N-S sh*^ with "with the grain, across the grain, and against the grain". The goal is to reduce stubble with each pass, not to totally eliminate stubble with each pass. Learning this little tidbit will have you shaving on each pass in different directions. And it will have you learning to eliminate irritation. What was the quote from "Fast Times at Ridgemont High"? "Read it, learn it, live it"!

Randy

 

[guenron]

Once again we are back to the "Direction" of shaving. During the past year I have posted multiple times about this. In fact, I have posted that using the N-S, S-N, E-W, and W-E suggestions should be banned. This is not rocket science. First, rub your face. Feel the drag of your beard? Rub your face in all directions. See how your beard grows in different directions in different places. Now, replace all of the N-S sh*^ with "with the grain, across the grain, and against the grain". The goal is to reduce stubble with each pass, not to totally eliminate stubble with each pass. Learning this little tidbit will have you shaving on each pass in different directions. And it will have you learning to eliminate irritation. What was the quote from "Fast Times at Ridgemont High"? "Read it, learn it, live it"!

Randy

Well Mr. Spicoli...
Perhaps you need to rethink your approach to this new campaign?

 

[rtaylor61]

Well Mr. Spicoli...
Perhaps you need to rethink your approach to this new campaign?

No. But the pizza will be here soon!

Randy