What made ATG shaving work for you?
- Thread starter catchacoolbreeze
- Start date
I started shaving ATG in 1962 and once I got my technique down pat I got great shaves but I didn't get BBS till I changed from Gillette to Wilkinson Sword blades. I think that when I was using the Gillette blade in my Slim it was the wrong blade for me, giving me a bit of a razor burn but when I changed to the Wilkinson Sword there was no razor burn and got a BBS often. My personal opinion would be to march the blade to the razor to get that sweet spot, in order to shave ATG comfortably. I don't think shaving ATG is for everyone.
Riding the cap is what does it for me, mostly. Prep is right up there too. I'm on 33 shaves with a GSB, still smooth as silk. But if my mind wanders..... bad things happen, lol.
This video by Geofatboy really helped me learn the riding the cap method.
For me:
- very efficient razor, like R41, Timeless Bronze OC .78, Karve OC E plate, MMOC, 1912
- very sharp blade, Nacet, GSB, Yellows, GEM PTFE
- very sloppy lather, plenty of added water
- minimum pressure, comes with weeks/months of practise to get it just right
- shave carefully, take your time
- very efficient razor, like R41, Timeless Bronze OC .78, Karve OC E plate, MMOC, 1912
- very sharp blade, Nacet, GSB, Yellows, GEM PTFE
- very sloppy lather, plenty of added water
- minimum pressure, comes with weeks/months of practise to get it just right
- shave carefully, take your time
Yes, I like the sloppy lather equation. Thanks.
I agree with ya except I need a nice thick lather. Sloppy didn't work for me. I tried.
I've never had an issue shaving ATG. I figured out in college that the only way I was ever going to get a clean shave was ATG and I've never stopped. Cartridge, injector, DE, doesn't matter, neither does shaving in the shower without soap.
I had a beard for many years, but always shaved my neck. Been clean shaven except the moustache for about 15 years now. Haven't shaved my upper lip since 1976 or so though.....
I had a beard for many years, but always shaved my neck. Been clean shaven except the moustache for about 15 years now. Haven't shaved my upper lip since 1976 or so though.....
For me the biggest factor was time and experience, getting good lather was a big part of it, again experience. after that starting with mild razors, and having the mindset of not having to have bbs on those places on my face like under my chin or parts of the neck area was important. I learned that not going directly ATG helped, so if east to west was directly against the grain for me, I went southwest and northwest and got pretty close without too much rash and blood, in other words crisscrossing that area with a very light touch.
Is that the way you still do not going directly against the grain?
So in other words you basically did a modified XTG pass...
For me I've never been successful in doing an ATG pass on my neck with any razor until I shaved for the 1st time with my Timeless Ti95SB. It just became effortless and finally without any type of irritation or problems...
I have the same opinion about my ATT SE1, but a can’t imagine trying that razor my first year shaving wow
Overrated, yes, because there is always tomorrow.
My Timeless Titanium .95 OC is hands down the best for me. Another BBS 2 pass WTG and ATG head shave with a few pickups.
That's all good info. Cuz I'm over here taking notes, pretty much below the jawline (for me) it's going to have to be those hybrid xtg and work on technique with these Timeless razors.
Anybody??
I've always shaved ATG with no issues from when I used a cartridge to a DE. My first ever DE shave I went 2 passes, WTG and ATG. No issues. I'm blessed with an average beard with hairs that aren't curly. I always make sure that the angle is as shallow as possible for the ATG strokes so that the blade is skimming along. Great BBS on the sides of the face. Neck takes some work to avoid irritation as its hard to hit the exact correct angle for both blade and beard. There's a couple of spots on either side of my adam's apple where ATG is east to west , and west to east.
