What is Your Approximate Blade Angle when Shaving With a Straight Razor?

[Brutus]

Recently I bought a Mühle Enthusiast Disposable (DE) Blade Straight Razor.
The Enthusiast feels and handles pretty much like a Feather AC razor, that is to say closer to a “real” straight razor than a Shavette.

Mühle also took great care in protecting beginners by delivering a manual with the razor that is also available online.
What I found odd was that they recommended a blade angle of 30 degrees (no differentiation between WTG, XTG, or ATG) which is much more than what I normally use.

It may be helpful to beginners, if we start a poll as to what angles experienced straight shavers use.

The poll is structured in three groups of possible answers: WTG, XTG and XTG.
Please vote in each group.
Each group offers the following choices: 30-21º, 20-10º, less than 10º.
(This was the maximum number of answers allowed unless I wanted to post one individual poll for each pass.
Of course, it is understood that your answer may not be an exact measurement, but rather the angle that you aim for.

Please do participate, as it may be useful to newcomers to the world of straight shaving.


B.

 

[Legion]

I've never shaved with a protractor on my face, but the simple answer is, with the spine just slightly raised. And by slightly I mean as slightly as your level of dexterity can easily manage.

For me that is the same, regardless of the direction.

Any variation in angle of hair/blade contact is controlled by skin stretching and funny faces pulled.

 

[Brutus]

I've never shaved with a protractor on my face, but the simple answer is, with the spine just slightly raised. And by slightly I mean as slightly as your level of dexterity can easily manage.

For me that is the same, regardless of the direction.

Any variation in angle of hair/blade contact is controlled by skin stretching and funny faces pulled.

Then your answer would be “less than 10º”, correct?

Unfortunately, I was limited by the number of possible answers and could only post three for WTG, XTG, ATG each, the alternative having to post one individual poll for each pass.


B.

 

[Legion]

Then your answer would be “less than 10º”, correct?

Unfortunately, I was limited by the number of possible answers and could only post three for WTG, XTG, ATG each, the alternative having to post one individual poll for each pass.


B.

I guess so, and have added that to the poll.

My gut feeling is attributing numbers to the angle is adding a level of complication that might cause a newbie issues. I'd struggle with trying to shave while maintaining a strict set angle, but that may be my lack of mathematical ability.

That's why my answer is always "Just a little bit".

 

[RayClem]

Generally, I try to shave WTG on my first pass at an angle of 30 degrees. I will reduce the angle to about 20 degrees when shaving XTG. Then when shaving ATG, I try to keep the spine of the razor such that it barely clears my skin.

 

[Wid]

Up to yesterday I really never paid much attention to the angle of the razor. I just shaved

Looking at it yesterday I would guess for the most part 10 to 20°. That goes for all the different directions. About a spines width off the skin.

 

[Darth Scandalous]

Low enough that it doesn't plane off skin, high enough that it glides smooth. Probably slightly less than a spine's width most of the time, but that changes when shaving in and around corners.

 

[Lightcs1776]

I don't always use a SR, but last night I stropped up one of my straights and shaved with as slight of an angle as possible. Only two passes, one with the grain and one against. I have not been able to master going sideways on my neck like I do with a DE. In fact, I still had one spot where I wasn't careful enough and drew blood. It was worth it, as there is just something nice about using a SR.

 

[Ravenonrock]

I don’t know from angles. I do a single pass usually and try not to shave ATG, just my preference. I do know that on some areas of my face, under my nose and curve of my chin, the spine is further from my face, then returns to being a spines width (generally). Low angle, tight angle, not sure what you call it, but it‘s close.

 

[Gamma]

I don't measure angle. I gauge the blade's position by how it's cutting. Different areas of the face, different blades, different attack, etc - all leads to a non-formula method. I go where the blade's cut takes me.

 

[Eastcoast30]

^ agreed. Different parts of the face are treated differently. But if you are using a shavette, you really can't control the angle well, as the degree of exposure is set.

 

[rbscebu]

What follows may overwhelm some beginners to SR shaving.

The shave angle is the angle between the blade centreline and a plain that is tangential to the skin surface at the edge/skin interface.

Assuming a blade bevel angle of 16° (formed without a taped spine) and a flat skin surface, shaving with the blade's spine just touching the surface would give a shave angle of 8° (i.e. 16 ÷ 2). If the skin surface is concave, the same shave angle would be achieved with the spine pressing into the skin. If the skin surface is convex, the same shave angle would be achieved with the spine lifted above the skin.

For simplicity's sake, I will continue assuming that the skin is flat, the bevel angle is 16° and the blade width from edge to top of spine wear is 19mm (about 6/8). This would mean that the blade has a spine thickness of 5.3mm (i.e. 2 x 19sin 8°). In this case, at one half a spine thickness off the face, the shave angle becomes 16.2° and a full spine thicknesses off the face 24.7°. For a shave angle of 30°, the spine would be 1.8 spine thicknesses off the face.

Just to complicate things a little, everyone's face is different thankfully, otherwise we would all look like @FarmerTan. As such, each SR shaver needs to determine the best shave angle for himself, based on what part of his face he is shaving, the grain direction in that part and his shaving style.

 

[Mr Bedlington]

The closer that spine is to my face the better the edge performs, just logic, I aim to cut my whiskers and not scrape them off.

 

[rbscebu]

When starting out. I tell my SR students to start with the flatest shave angle and lightest pressure that just removes the lather from the face. Once that is mastered, they can adjust the shave angle to best suit themselves.

I personally find that the flatter the shave angle, the more forgiving the shave in terms of shave pressure against the skin.

 

[rbscebu]

The closer that spine is to my face the better the edge performs, just logic, I aim to cut my whiskers and not scrape them off.

I aim to cut my whiskers parallel to the skin surface. This gives me the smoothest of finishes that lasts.

 

[Brutus]

The closer that spine is to my face the better the edge performs, just logic, I aim to cut my whiskers and not scrape them off.

Not to highjack this thread, but this is exactly why I never was much interested in the “steep angle shaving” concept that some users of safety razors promote.

Coming from straight razors, it doesn’t make much sense and sounds more like beard scraping than shaving.


But then again; to each his own.


B.

 

[smorgana]

My angle is variable as I shave by feel as the blade goes across the contours of my face.

 

[TSENG]

Reference angle.

 

[Brutus]

Reference angle.
View attachment 1682438

That’s the exact picture I sent to Mühle to convince them to change their 30º recommendation, but it still would be nice if straight shavers could vote in this thread and indicate their WTG, XTG, and ATG preferences (each), so Mühle can see what experienced straight shavers use.


B.

 

[steveclarkus]

My blade angle will change according to where I am on my face at any given time but I keep a tight angle as much as possible. For me, it is simply a matter of feel. I never really watch the angle but I can feel it.