Switching hands with side of face

[Lereas]

Again, I'm asking questions before I've even got my straight in the mail (thank you once again, Larry!), so maybe I'll answer this myself when I actually try.

Anyway, I've read a lot saying that you should shave your right side of your face with your right hand, and left with your left hand. I know that to each his own and you should do what is best for you, but does anyone have advice on if I should try switching over hands and practicing that way? When I shave with my DE, I always hold the razor in my right, dominant hand and use my left to pull skin. There are some times, especially on ATG, where this is a little difficult, but I just don't feel I have the control necessary in my left hand. Is it just practice to get it there?

 

[Troggie]

To get the feel and train muscle memory I would use a Butter knife and practice to see how it feels. I know personally I use only my dominant hand but that is because of a shoulder issue I have on my non-dominant side.

 

[sffone]

It takes a little practice to be able to use your left hand, but practice does pay off and it's well worth it. The more often you use your left hand, the easier it gets and after a while it becomes second nature -- you do it naturally and you don't even think about it. For me, using my left hand makes shaving with a straight so much easier. I strongly recommend that you learn to use both hands -- it will make it so much easier to shave difficult areas.

 

[Chimensch]

I shaved with my right hand only for 28 years, so I don't think there's anything wrong with it. When I found the forums, I started to experiment and can do about 80% of my WTG and XTG passes with two hands. I never did try to go ATG with two hands and have no interest in trying. Using two hands did solve a problem I had, which was getting the area just under my jaw line on the left side. I got BBS shaves but, when the stubble started to come out, it came out in that spot first, which told me I wasn't getting exactly the right angle. Switching hands solved the problem but I didn't understand the cause of the problem until afterwards. I think that if I had understood what the problem was, I might have solved it with my right hand too.

 

[luvmysuper]

Believe me, when you first pick up and hold that straight it's going to feel weird and strange no matter what hand you're using.
It's a brand new thing and a new learning curve. The hands have to learn what to do and you'll be surprised at how quickly the non-dominant hand picks it up.
Some strokes are much easier when you can switch hands so it's well worth it to learn.

 

[Lereas]

Thank you for the advice! It certainly sounds like as long as I'm learning from scratch, I should learn to be ambidextrous when doing so.

 

[taffy]

Good luck with the left hand, been shaving now with a straight for a few months and the left hand is still a no no

 

[jtrops]

Anyway, I've read a lot saying that you should shave your right side of your face with your right hand, and left with your left hand. I know that to each his own and you should do what is best for you, but does anyone have advice on if I should try switching over hands and practicing that way?

I use both hands, but I don't remember making a concerted effort to do it. It kind of evolved, and one day I realized that I had been using my "off" hand as much as my dominant. As you said, to each his own, but for me it makes it much easier to shave using both hands. If you are going to practice passes with a dull razor, or butter knife, why not practice with your bad hand too?

 

[bran]

Taffy...I was thinking the same thing. I can see some major issues for me with a left handed shave. But for sake of future ease I make an attempt.

 

[Pumpkin]

Believe me, when you first pick up and hold that straight it's going to feel weird and strange no matter what hand you're using.
It's a brand new thing and a new learning curve. The hands have to learn what to do and you'll be surprised at how quickly the non-dominant hand picks it up.
Some strokes are much easier when you can switch hands so it's well worth it to learn.

+1 on Phil's advice

I'm only at about 35 shaves, with a straight, so I'm still learning. However, I think making a conscious effort to start from scratch using both hands, has definitely paid off. Already, I'm not noticing any major differences in the quality of my strokes whether I'm using my dominant (left) hand or not...it certainly avoids problems with obscuring my view with my elbows.

 

[Defend Tacoma]

Great question! I ordered my first straight from Larry today and was wondering the same thing! Thanks...

 

[Woodash]

Moisten your non-dominant hand slightly and run your fingers across an alum block and you'll have a good, confidence-inspiring grip. Well, you'll have a good grip, anyway...

 

[Luc]

Using both hands is not easy and very un-natural at first. I never used both hands with a DE.

With a straight, it was stranger for ~10 shaves and then it gets better and more natural. Now I don't think about it anymore.

I use my right for the right and left for left. The only exception if when I go ATG on my cheeks, I need to do ear-to mouth, it's easier to use my other hand to "pull" the razor instead of "pushing" it.

 

[Lereas]

I find it somewhat interesting that when I look at that old 1906 book about shaving I found someone had posted here, it has the user keep the razor in their right hand the whole time. Then again, this is back when kids got smacked on the wrists for writing with their left hand, too!

 

[luvmysuper]

I find it somewhat interesting that when I look at that old 1906 book about shaving I found someone had posted here, it has the user keep the razor in their right hand the whole time. Then again, this is back when kids got smacked on the wrists for writing with their left hand, too!

We could have someone come over and smack your right wrist every time you use it for a left handed stroke if you like!

 

[FiveOhNine]

I tried the true ambi for a few months and found this works best for me (right-hander):

1.WTG, Right-side = Right hand
2.WTG, Left-side = Left hand
3.XTG away from mouth, Right-side = Right hand
4.XTG towards mouth, Right-side = Left hand
5.XTG away from mouth, Left-side = Left hand
6.XTG towards mouth, Left-side = Right hand
7.ATG, both sides = Right hand

My general rule of thumb is never push the blade, only pull it, if that makes sense. I guess what I mean is that I'm always trying to move the blade towards the shoulder (of the arm, of the hand) holding the razor. My only exception is ATG, where I found my right just works better in all situations. In this case, I'm always 'pushing' the blade away from the shoulder, no matter what, so I just went with what felt comfortable.

Most of the time I go 1,2,7....but just for reference I listed the others. HTH.

 

[sanfranciscian]

I can't speak for the one handed approach, since i only have been at it for a couple of months i forced myself to use both hands from the start and feel very thankful for that.it really did not take all that long to feel very natural to me. like chimensch states above i think it gives you better access to angles you will need. It must have been a whole different game before this internet thing came along. Good luck,have fun!

Ian

 

[Chimensch]

I can't speak for the one handed approach, since i only have been at it for a couple of months i forced myself to use both hands from the start and feel very thankful for that.it really did not take all that long to feel very natural to me. like chimensch states above i think it gives you better access to angles you will need. It must have been a whole different game before this internet thing came along. Good luck,have fun!

Ian

That's the truth! All I knew was what was the salesman at Chicago Cutlery told me when he sold me a Dovo and a strop. He said it was "shave ready" from the factory. I came back twice complaining that the razor was ripping up my face and maybe wasn't sharp enough and the salesman told me I was nuts. Fortunately, there was a customer the second time who said, "He needs a hone". Over the salesman's objections, I bought a Swaty barbers hone. At the time, a "hone" was a barbers hone. For the next 28 years, I shaved on my own and really had no other contact with other straight shavers. A little over two years ago, I landed on SRP and immediately aroused the ire of the powers-that-be by stating that I had been shaving for 28 years with a barbers hone and there wasn't a need for all this other new-fangled stuff. I actually still think that a barbers hone is the easiest, cheapest way to maintain a razor but, on the other hand, I am now saturated with information about the myriad other ways of doing it and, in fact, I don't use a barbers hone anymore. There is certainly value in trying different methods and techniques but there is also value in just choosing method that works and sticking with it for a while. Unfortunately, "I've been shaving for a long time and get great results" isn't very interesting to read on a shaving forum. One irony of the Internet forums: it was posting my shaving video that got me banned from SRP. It makes no sense at all unless "the powers-that-be" just don't like competition.

 

[Lereas]

...Which part of that got you banned? Looks like a good walkthrough of Straight shaving to me.

 

[gaj90027]

...Which part of that got you banned? Looks like a good walkthrough of Straight shaving to me.

+1 I don't get it either. I don't have time for more than 1 forum and don't go over to SRP except to look at the classifieds. Why would they do this?