Gentlest Stroke?

[rhinoyahoo]

Hey Gang,

I'm curious about what makes the most gentle stroke with a DE razor. Say, after a previously harsh shave, or maybe an extra sensitive part of the face.

I think the stroke is made of three components
- Pressure
- Speed
- Length

Pressure seems the easiest...the softest pressure is the gentlest. Some talk about "anti-pressure" when using aggressive razors and blades, i.e. Slant w/ Feather

Speed - Is the gentlest the fastest...like removing a band-aid? Or is slower more gentle?

Length - Does taking shorter strokes give you a more gentle stroke? Or do longer strokes give you more gentleness? Seems like longer strokes make it harder to maintain proper blade angle, across our multifaceted faces.

Thoughts...ideas??

Thx,
Jim

[mantic]

I generally suggest a one-inch stroke at a half-second pace to start with. Then adjust to your liking.

--Mark

[mozart]

Pressure: that's easy enough. Less pressure = more gentle, up to the point where nothing is achieved

Speed: I think, not too fast and not too slow is perfect What does that mean? If too slow, cutting is very difficult unless a slicing motion is used (try that with a sharp knife and a tomato). Too fast, and one loses control.

Length: I actually enjoy long strokes. Short strokes means one has to constantly set the blade against the skin, which is dangerous as it can lead to nicks (at least in my hands). I find the start of a stroke to be one of the most, if not the most, treacherous part.

Other factors I can think of:

Blade angle: The blade should not scrape too much along the skin, and it should also not cut into the skin

Razor orientation: a slanted orientation results in a more efficient cutting action

Best - MM

[Magnulus]

Blade angle is critical. On sensitive skin you don't want the wrong blade angle and you want a very light touch- on a heavy razor you might even want to keep some upward (away) pressure on the razor.

[ouch]

I generally suggest a one-inch stroke at a half-second pace to start with. Then adjust to your liking.

--Mark

Chugging along at a measely 0.11 mph, how do you ever finish a shave?

[Markus]

First pass is the whole way til the grain changes direction, and a bit slower strokes
Second xtg with maybe 3-6cm and good pace
Third as second
Fourth buffing with superquick short strokes

Pressure probably increases (very)slightly as I go along.

[FloppyShoes]

I find the best results come from no pressure (only the weight of the blade). The stroke length is entirely determined by the area being shaved (for me) and is reated to the curvature of the skin and the beard density. Finally, my prefered speed is as fast as possible without getting careless. Keep the strokes fast, but deliberate. Cheers.