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Very quick post- small change in technique- small difference

After almost 3 years on this forum I finally decided to take advice I first saw almost 3 years ago. I used small, controlled strokes this morning. Up till now I've used one slow continuous stroke. This makes a bit of a difference. I always thought that it'd be difficult to maintain the head angle going back and forward, but I found it wasn't a problem. Small point, small difference but they all add up.
 
After almost 3 years on this forum I finally decided to take advice I first saw almost 3 years ago. I used small, controlled strokes this morning. Up till now I've used one slow continuous stroke. This makes a bit of a difference. I always thought that it'd be difficult to maintain the head angle going back and forward, but I found it wasn't a problem. Small point, small difference but they all add up.

I too have changed a step in my shave. I perform a modified blade buff. The modification makes it slower instead of the fast buff. I like it on the tough areas.
 
Short strokes work best for me too. Sometimes on my second and third(if I do one) pass, I will lengthen the stroke.

For me, it's just the opposite. I use long strokes going WTG and shorter strokes going XTG or ATG. I think it is because I just view the WTG pass as an opportunity to mow down the growth a little. The XTG and ATG are used to really get the job done.

Maybe I should reconsider how I do the first pass.
 
And my morning routine is about to get better! For the last year and a half I've been using only a '40s S/S with an Omega 31064 and local Chinese blades which are ok at best. About 3 months ago I posted about a package my father sent over, in which he ignored my request for Feather blades ansd instead bought "really shiny" ones recommended by...a tobacconist!
Well the package got to China but as it contained a pressurised container of shaving goop (which my dad sent in well-meaning ignorance) it was delayed, queried, lost, found and then sent back to Scotland, while a note was sent on to my address to say this had happened. A month later it was returned to my office as it wasn't allowed BACK onto a plane to get it home again. But, I now have a mint Muhle Pinsel R89, a mint Omega No. 48 and 50g of Mick McQuaide's Plug to smoke! The blades turned out to be....aaargh Merkurs! The foam will be used to clean my razor. I've asked him to send me 30 Feathers at the end of this month. Hopefully this'll happen. I suspect that compared to the local blades the Merks might be better, but I'm seriously glad to have a more agressive razor again.
 
I use a mix of short and long. Long on the sides of my face and neck, short in areas that have greater rates of change and difficult spots, like (for me) the upper lip.

-jim
 
I did this change as well (blade buffing) recently and saw the same improvement..
one other change I did that seems to take care of the " not applying to much pressure " part is..when i hold the razor i take the index finger out completely..
so when i hold the razor my index finger is dangling in the air not touching anything..kind of like drinking tea with the pinky out..but reverse it..
i find with this grip, i can't put too much pressure even if i want to and the angle is found automatically as the razor is always naturally falling foward..
no razor burn..well almost none..my alum block tells me ever so slightly that i am not there yet 100%..
looking forward to the day when I rub the alum block and it feels just the same as a cube of ice :)
 
I vary as well, but maybe not quite as much. Mostly short, overlapping strokes for me but long strokes on some areas, mainly cheeks. The short stokes are very useful for areas of high curvature, as well as areas that have really stiff hair (like the chin).

I use a mix of short and long. Long on the sides of my face and neck, short in areas that have greater rates of change and difficult spots, like (for me) the upper lip.

-jim
 
+1 on short strokes--YMMV. I find them to be helpful as a corrective if I start to apply too much pressure and slip into an inappropriate blade angles, such as when working through especially tough parts of my beard.
 
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