Secrets to the WTG-only shave?

[Kyle Hyde]

I've heard of a lot of people that only do WTG straight shaves, and I saw Joel do one in his video. What is the secret to getting a presentable shave with only one WTG pass? I am new to straight shaving and I tried going XTG and ATG once and tore my face up. So until I get better, I need to only use WTG passes. However, I can't get a presentable shave with only WTG. What's the secret? Steeper angle? Scything?

I have coarse curly hair, but I don't have a thick beard.

[sproosemoose]

I am pretty new, but I think it's mostly angle, having it cut the hairs close and multiple passes.

[O.G.]

The secret for me at least is to use the Milady's Barbers Manual that shows the shaving order a barber would take to do a normal straight shave that only needs touch ups. With it you move in a set of stages cut to clear the face of stubble. Some strokes will not be WTG especially with the chin area as the manual shows an XTG pass but the hair is more resillent and I haven't had any problems when I have done it. That may be a solution or you may do a WTG and two opposite XTG passes which is what I currently use with only a a fractional percent of irritation.

[holli4pirating]

I typically shave only WTG, though I also go XTG around my chin. It's really just a matter of having a good razor and proper technique. You should aim to shave such that when you run your fingers along your face in the same direction you moved the razor you feel BBS. IE if you shave WTG, when you run your fingers WTG over you face it should feel totally smooth.

[mdunn]

practice.

Its a combo of the right ammount of pressure angle and direction.

[Seraphim]

I typically shave only WTG, though I also go XTG around my chin. It's really just a matter of having a good razor and proper technique. You should aim to shave such that when you run your fingers along your face in the same direction you moved the razor you feel BBS. IE if you shave WTG, when you run your fingers WTG over you face it should feel totally smooth.

This is my conundrum. I can achieve this condition, but it is unsatisfying to me. BBs in one direction is not BBS enough for me, although it is a much less irritating/harsh to the skin than the ATG pass.

[holli4pirating]

This is my conundrum. I can achieve this condition, but it is unsatisfying to me. BBs in one direction is not BBS enough for me, although it is a much less irritating/harsh to the skin than the ATG pass.

The much less irritating/harsh is what seals the deal for me; my skin can't take ATG. Maybe its my technique, but given that I cannot shave with cartridges without wrecking my face, I'm happy to be able to shave as close as I can with a straight.

[Seraphim]

The much less irritating/harsh is what seals the deal for me; my skin can't take ATG. Maybe its my technique, but given that I cannot shave with cartridges without wrecking my face, I'm happy to be able to shave as close as I can with a straight.

If I go ATG I get a super BBS that lasts a long time and then I can skip the next day, which allows skin recovery time.

So, I can either do everyday WTG only, not get a "true" BBS, but be able to shave again the next day (also HAVE to shave again the next day, as it is not as close...), or go ATG, get super BBS, but the skin doesn't like the shave 24 hours later (plus there's not much to shave 24 hours later...).

Oh, the choices one must make!

[MajorBurnz]

You guys who can get away without an ATG pass are lucky.

My hair is thick and black, so with a WTG-only shave I still look like I haven't shaved. It may feel BBS in the WTG direction, but it looks like I haven't shaved properly. I only get a 'presentable' shave if I do the XTG and ATG passes as well, at which point it's a BBS shave in every direction.

Also, while my face may still be semi-smooth the next day after a thorough shave, it looks quite bad because of the thick, black hair - so a shave is still necessary.

On the weekends I sometimes do a WTG-only shave with my Feather AC (which is the sharpest razor I have), and I'm fine until the afternoon, when I again have too much stubble - but I don't care much then. If I go out in the evening then I do another WTG pass in the evening.

Anyway, regardless of what razor I use, (straight, DE, SE), I can't get away with a WTG-only shave.

[honed]

With my limited experience with straights I've noticed some differences.

I can get away with a WTG & a XTG (N->S & nose to ear) & look very smooth, just the tiniest amount of stubble left, nothing anyone else can see.
If I do a sole WTG, it still leaves me better shaved then most of the guys in the office. (But hey, not much competition there, electrical/cartridge type of fellas all of them.)

If I do the same with a DE, even with a slant&feather, I have a slighty visible stubble, a light shadow, OK, but not really close. I need one more pass to get a DFS.
Why? No clue, must be something in the way the straight adjusts to the skin.
And then, like I said, I consider myself somewhat of a newbie with straights but I have very long experience with DE.
For reference I have a very coarse beard & light, fair skin.

[Chimensch]

I'm addicted to BBS and a 1-pass WTG shave just wouldn't do anything for me. In fact, I do 5 passes every day. As for those who say that they can't go ATG without irritation, I think that the cause is more likely technique (not stretching, too aggressive an angle), honing method or prep (or a combination) than it is your skin.

[Magruder]

This thread from a year or so ago had some good info from one of our members who gets near-BBS from a single WTG pass.

Scroll down to post #11.

[Slartibartfast]

I think there is a difference between getting a "presentable shave" and a BBS shave.

One WTG pass and no one but me knows my face is not totally BBS. But i cant stop at that... I always do an ATG pass w/ some touchup.

[robbert]

I don't understand how a wtg-only shave is not representable.

I used to do the full WTG-XTG-ATG shave everyday, but my neck didn't agree.
I've switched to a single WTG shave with my straight and with my DE's.

Sure, it's not smooth when you feel in all the different directions and yes you can see some stubble (also have dark & thick hair), but it's still 'even' looking if you understand what I mean.

Is it a cultural thing? Or do you have specific jobs that require it? It's an interesting thing that I've discovered since joining B&B and I would like to hear what you guys think.

[Woodash]

Interesting thread to be resurrected.

This is my conundrum. I can achieve this condition, but it is unsatisfying to me. BBs in one direction is not BBS enough for me, although it is a much less irritating/harsh to the skin than the ATG pass.

I think there is a difference between getting a "presentable shave" and a BBS shave.

One WTG pass and no one but me knows my face is not totally BBS. But i cant stop at that... I always do an ATG pass w/ some touchup.

This is how I view it as well. I can shave WTG only and meet the criteria of BBS only along that direction, and while it is presentable for work, etc., I still feel 'half-shaved'. When I first started straight shaving, my first impression was 'why is this not working?' Well, it was working, but just not to my expectation after only one WTG pass.

For me nowadays, it's WTG and XTG for a quick one (shave...) and out the door. Better yet is WTG and ATG and I'm at or close to BBS. If I'm going to the opera or
something (), it's 3 pass all the way...

[fccexpert]

I would opt for the one pass Natural Shave(tm). This will probably not be 100% WTG (depending on how your beard grows) but it is the approach that gives the least irritation and the least chance of cutting yourself. Providing your razor is sharp, you will get a great shave.

[Seraphim]

I would opt for the one pass Natural Shave(tm). This will probably not be 100% WTG (depending on how your beard grows) but it is the approach that gives the least irritation and the least chance of cutting yourself. Providing your razor is sharp, you will get a great shave.

What is this Natural Shave you speak of, Kemosabi?

[global_dev]

What is this Natural Shave you speak of, Kemosabi?

I am not positive but i have seen Fccexpert mention it quite a bit in comparison to method shaving technique... however since he states it may not be 100% WTG, i don't really get it right now either..

To the OP, 2 of my razors (of 12 right now) have such a different shaving result on the 1st WTG pass, i think there is something to that i regards to my beard. I don't want to call out the actually companies, but one was honed by a "honemeister" and the other I honed myself.

what type of grind and size razor, maybe how honed?...not so much interested in the brand, but go ahead and post it...

[fccexpert]

What is this Natural Shave you speak of, Kemosabi?

In essence, it is using a natural motion in shaving rather than forcing an unnatural action on your muscles. You can also think of it as an ergonomic shave. The basic principle is that when ever you try to force an unnatural motion, you are more likely to cause problems, a less than perfect shave, razor burn, nicks, cuts, etc.

For me, the natural motion is first and foremost, dominant hand only (right hand for me). The strokes are:

Down and toward the center on the sides of my face.
Down and toward the ears on the sides of my neck.
Straight down in the center of my neck.
To the center and down on the chin (there is a fairly pronounced curve to the stroke here).
Down on the upper lip followed by a touch-up stroke from the corner of my mouth to the center.
Down on my lower lip to the chin.

The natural stroke almost alway has some curve to it since there is a natural tendency for the wrist to rotate as you move blade along the path of the stroke.

Given the way my beard grows, this results in the following:

XTG/ATG on the sides of my face.
ATG on my neck.
WTG on the upper and lower lip, with an XTG touch up on the upper.
XTG curving to ATG on the chin.

There is a natural stroke to stroping and honing as well, but guess what, it comes out to be the classic X pattern.

[mikromicke]

I tend to vary between only WTG and WTG with XTG and usually get very good shaves from it. I have pretty course beard that can look unshaved even though it's closely shaved. My lieutenant in the army forced me to shave several times some morning but eventually gave up

To get a close shave from only WTG I'm doing a lot of skin stretching, doing more of a scything motion and make sure that the razor is very sharp. It's a remarkably difference in the smoothness of the shave if the razor is sharp vs very sharp I've noticed. The only place where I can't get a smooth shave with one pass is the chin and I usually have to fix that with either a XTG or ATG pass.