I missed that part of the question, but whatever my angle is, I don't consciously alter it for the various passes.
What is Your Approximate Blade Angle when Shaving With a Straight Razor?
- Thread starter Brutus
- Start date
Think the person with Straight in hand controls angle.
Not sure how long it take to master a Straight Razor, but I am sure it takes lost of time.
Because my age give me unsteady hands. I will pass on trying to a Straight.
Not sure how long it take to master a Straight Razor, but I am sure it takes lost of time.
Because my age give me unsteady hands. I will pass on trying to a Straight.
It only takes a few shaves to get comfortable with it, but it does take many shaves to really get good at it.Think the person with Straight in hand controls angle.
Not sure how long it take to master a Straight Razor, but I am sure it takes lost of time.
Because my age give me unsteady hands. I will pass on trying to a Straight.
I try to keep about 1 spine thickness off of my skin, whatever that works out to being. I can't always maintain that, but I do my best to do so.
In my head I aim for 10-15°, but in reality it's probably more like 20°, and can drift higher around the jawline. Muscle memory and feedback takes over.
My big worry about steep angles (aside from cuts and it not being necessary) is damage to the blade edge...
If you have a 16° bevel and shave at 8° angle, one bevel surface is flat against the skin. When a hair hits the edge, the force is pushing into solid metal. The edge is not forced sideways.
At steeper angles, force on the sub micron-thin edge is directed into thin air. It's asking for the edge to roll.
This isn't even a just question of quantity of force. It's a binary toggle. Either the edge has reinforcing metal directly behind it along the vector of force or it doesn't.
My big worry about steep angles (aside from cuts and it not being necessary) is damage to the blade edge...
If you have a 16° bevel and shave at 8° angle, one bevel surface is flat against the skin. When a hair hits the edge, the force is pushing into solid metal. The edge is not forced sideways.
At steeper angles, force on the sub micron-thin edge is directed into thin air. It's asking for the edge to roll.
This isn't even a just question of quantity of force. It's a binary toggle. Either the edge has reinforcing metal directly behind it along the vector of force or it doesn't.
Slash McCoy
I freehand dog rockets
Degrees, schmegrees. I no longer even pay attention to pass direction. I just shave. If I happen to think about it at all, I run the spine elevated off the skin by about half a spine thickness. A less sharp razor requires a higher spine, maybe a full spine thickness. If you need over 1.5 spine thicknesses to shave, I would say your razor is not shave ready, and you are scraping, not shaving. JMHO.
I have no idea, but very shallow.
With my shavettes (half DE and AC blades) I lift the spine just far enough to engage my whiskers.
With my shavettes (half DE and AC blades) I lift the spine just far enough to engage my whiskers.
I can't get the dang protractor between the razor and my face!
Seriously, I just go for the smallest angle that will comfortably cut whiskers. With a well honed razor on the flat portions of my face that's a very small angle. On the convex or concave places it appears to be a larger angle visually, but at the point of contact it's still a very shallow angle.
Seriously, I just go for the smallest angle that will comfortably cut whiskers. With a well honed razor on the flat portions of my face that's a very small angle. On the convex or concave places it appears to be a larger angle visually, but at the point of contact it's still a very shallow angle.
Inspired by this thread I experimented yesterday, keeping the blade as low as I could. I even tried with the spine touching my face. Aside from the spine bogging down in the lather (making that impractical), everything was good, even going ATG which I normally don't do.
This was a revelation because it never used to work for me, it simply never cut the hairs.
It seems that as your honing improves you should also reevaluate shaving technique.
This was a revelation because it never used to work for me, it simply never cut the hairs.
It seems that as your honing improves you should also reevaluate shaving technique.
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