Difficulty Starting the Stroke

Guys

Having read many post, and watched many videos I'm still getting irritation on the lower part of my neck, about 1 inch either side of the centre (sides of Adam's apple). I have carefully checked the growth direction and it appears to grow outward and upward slightly.

I have found that by lots of prep (shaving now taking an age), and careful WTG strokes I can shave most of it irritation free, except for one issue..... Where I put the razor head/blade down to start the stroke I get irritated spots, not quite nicks or cuts, but red blotches.

What advice can people give for techniques to help me put the razor down on the skin and start the stroke without causing irritation.... obviously it's a sensitive patch of skin, and around the Adam's apple I have very little fat to act a as a cushion.

I'm sure the has been discussed but can't find anything through searching.

FYI, using Futur with TOBs cream... am waiting on a DE89 to be delivered to see if that helps, I find the Futur a tad clumsy.

I think you're probably using a little too much pressure. Don't think about shaving too much... just make the blade glide on your skin. Imagine you're just wiping lather off. With the right angle, your blade will cut right through the hair with no need to press down. For your adam's apple, I just pull the skin to the side and shave it normally. A little tug to the right, shave, a little tug to the left, tug. Another method is to "swallow and hold it in", but I find that a little bit difficult.

If you are absolutely certain your prep is good, you might want to try your routine with cold water. The razor will feel like it's tugging a bit on the first pass but this is absolutely normal.

Also, try your futur on the lower settings.. that's a pretty aggressive first razor.

Tried the cold for a couple of day... outch.

I have the Futur backed down to one at the moment.

May try tugging the skin away from the Adam's apple and see if that helps me.

Welcome to B&B. Can't help with the Adams apple area as I have plenty of padding there, but stretching and pulling the skin to another area is very helpful. In fact, it's essential in using the straight. As you are just starting, there are so many things to concentrate on-angle, pressure, direction, etc.-and the tendency is to set the razor on the face, adjust angle and then begin to move the razor. Likely you apply just a bit too much pressure at first but then immediately "lighten up". Eventually, as it becomes second nature, you'll be moving the razor forward with no pressure just before you touch your face and it won't be such a problem. It will take a little while to get there, but the journey itself is still fun!

I have the same issue from time to time. Keep in mind that Im still a newbie myself, but my advice, for what it's worth, is to do four basic things:

1) VERY light to no pressure

2) Use just the right angle so the blade is just skimming the shaving cream against the skin..this can be really difficult to perceive that magic 30 degree angle when shaving the base of the neck, so maybe try turning your body slightly and when you look in the mirror, you'll be looking at the side profile instead of looking square and flat at the front of your neck, and yoh should be able to see that you're getting the proper blade angle much more easily.

3) Before you even start to go at the WTG pass on your lower neck, gently ring out the inner lather out of your brush from the bottom up, and apply that creamy super slick super moist lather into your beard in the afforementioned trouble spots. This will allow for the best possible softness and glide with the lather you made.

4) Dont rest the blade on your skin before you start to adjust your handle angle. You might get away with it on your cheeks and even your upper neck, but a sensitive spot like your lower neck around your adams apple is much less forgiving and yoh will agitate or even puncture the skin, causing irritation and redness. Rest the saftey head against your skin, then slowly lower the handle until you think the blade is almost flush with the plane of your skin. Then start your WTG stroke.

Do not use excessively slow strokes, especially in that area. All you'll end up doing is bending the hair over as you make your pass--instead of cleanly cutting the hair--and you'll be scraping the skin. Use short, light, quick and deliberate strokes. With a good blade angle, you will cleanly chop the hair with minimal disturbance to the follicle, and hopefully minimal irritation.

First, welcome to B&B.

Your post reminds me of a friend who asked to try my 2011 Muhle R.41. When he started shaving with this aggressive razor (and keep in mind the Futur also is aggressive) he placed the razor on his neck almost with a chopping motion - even though he did not realize it. The result was that when he started to shave on his neck he ended up with nicks, cuts, and irritation on the place where he initially put hie razor. So, be gentle when you place the razor on your neck.

I've followed the advice provided.... switching to a DE89 made a huge difference, after a couple of weeks with this my neck looks normal again.

I did today try the Futur again, and again I have razor burn and red marks where the stroke starts... not as bad though. The answer would be to stick with the DE89, but I am strangely determined to master the Futur, partly because it provides a very close shave, and partly because I know is a good test of how good my technique is.

Just keep practising.

Try starting the stroke with the blade off your skin then just after the razor starts moving gently touch down.

I have troubles with the "touch down" method myself. I have tried this method and found that I would occasionally nick myself. Instead, I put the razor on my face in an area where there is no beard stubble which allows me to begin the stroke without friction. I use short strokes, overlapping the strokes into the already shaved area so I can continue the frictionless starts with each stroke. YMMV of course.