What grip do you use?

Hey all, I was wondering how you hold onto your razors while shaving. I don't know if there are any terms regarding your grip on the razor but I use the pinky (in this case ring finger) support grip with open fingers when going WTG or XTG:




As opposed to the closed grip:


I find that with the fingers open it is much easier to change angles to adapt to the geometry of my face.

For ATG, I use a...special grip that I have found works very well because compared to just flipping the hand it does not get in the way of my sight and its just easier and feels more natural to me:




As opposed to the reverse hand grip:




Just thought it would be interesting to know how others were gripping their razors

Hmmmm. In general I use the open grip you show in the first photos. I'm not sure what I use when shaving upward. I like to let my pinky balance the weight of the razor so it rides over my face. This more or less evens out the slight pressure.

I rely less and less on sight when using a DE, but on feel. With my STR8's it is a different matter. If I'm not looking, I can end up with some surprising effects!

Great idea for a thread. I use the one from MRGUYS gem micromatic YouTube video. Very similar to yours I believe. It seriously helped learning how to hold razors correctly.

This is a dangerous thread!

I've been mindlessly gripping my razors, shaving away all happy like, and now you've gone and made me think about what I've been doing without thinking about it...

It'll probably be a week before I can shave again.

Seriously, it's a great idea for a thread. I use (now that I think about it) my thumb, index and middle finger in the manner pictured, but my ring and pinky fingers aren't used at all.

I think the advice I got from my first Marine Corps pistol instructor would hold true with razors as well as an M1911A1 -

"Get ahold of that piece like it was a bird. You don't want to let it go, but you don't want to squeeze it to death!"

I think he used some coarser language and suggested that the bird belonged to a young lady that might look favorably upon me if I held it just as he advised, but you get the idea.

Great pictures, quite helpful to a brand new shaver, I'd imagine.

I grip it like you show in your first two photos, only I hold my pinkie at the base instead of the ring finger.

Good pictures! When I was using a DE, I was holding the end of the handle with 3 fingers.

For DE: I use the same grip for WTG and XTG as you've got in your pictures. For ATG, I have a similarly strange grip - I hold the razor like I would a pencil - so only my index finger is on the top of the handle.

For SE: I use the same WTG/XTG as you, and for ATG, I keep the same grip while just rotating the razor 180 degrees.

For WTG and XTG passes I use the grip you have in picture 1. I rest either my pinkie or 4th finger on the end. For ATG passes I have three fingers on the end of the razor and this assures me of the no pressure rule.

I use the same technique as you, but I actually use the pinky finger for bottom support of the razor knob.

I never actually thought about how to grip the razor. When I first started shaving with a DE I guess I just held it the way that felt most comfortable. I would use my pinky with a longer handle but with the merkur HD I find that I can rest it on my ring finger because the handle is pretty short.

Topgumby said:

"Get ahold of that piece like it was a bird. You don't want to let it go, but you don't want to squeeze it to death!"

Click to expand...

I think that advice can be applied to many things, not just a rifle or a razor. I think it applies to holding a golf club, chopsticks, etc.

May I ask... It seems like you have a good grip with the other fingers, so why do you put your pinky under the end? How does it help? What does it do that you're not doing with the other fingers?

Without the pinky, your grip is roughly the way I tend to hold a razor, even the backhand is similar but without the finger behind the end.

SiBurning said:

May I ask... It seems like you have a good grip with the other fingers, so why do you put your pinky under the end? How does it help? What does it do that you're not doing with the other fingers?

Without the pinky, your grip is roughly the way I tend to hold a razor, even the backhand is similar but without the finger behind the end.

Click to expand...

Well I just find it more comfortable and it seems to feel more balanced for me. It also helps with securing the razor and prevents any slippage. Of course everyone is different so I'm not saying this is the best grip or anything. It's just what works for me and I was curious how other members were holding their razors.

SiBurning said:

May I ask... It seems like you have a good grip with the other fingers, so why do you put your pinky under the end? How does it help? What does it do that you're not doing with the other fingers?

Without the pinky, your grip is roughly the way I tend to hold a razor, even the backhand is similar but without the finger behind the end.

Click to expand...

I use thumb and index almost directly under the head, and pinky under the end. Middle two fingers aren't used at all.

Resting the base on my pinky seems to help stabilize side-to-side motions, and takes away the ability to push down with any pressure on the head.