Lots of resistance on ATG - Is this normal?

Hi All,

it's been about two weeks now that I'm shaving with a SR from a lifetime of multiblade cartridges.

I tend to stick to one pass WTG for now. Much less nicks and some decrease in razor burn. Not much difference in shave closeness though...

"I posted this on another thread somewhere but it was suggested I move it here"

So after 2 weeks of SR shaving, I'm slowly trying to do a second and third pass XTG and ATG. I don't find the XTG adds anything to shave closeness, and ATG is where the shave runs into some hard problems:

I get really bad razor burn if I attempt this, particularly the throat area, and also, the razor can't push through the hair, I seem to really have to force it across the grain, which I obviously do not want to do.

I tried leaving the razor flush flat against my skin and bringing it up ever so slightly but not much difference. When I check the sharpness of the blade by running it across a section of arm, it seems to shave it pretty easily, so not sure if sharpness is the issue here...

Any pointers?

Also, besides working on ATG strokes, any other words of encouragement or tips to getting the nice smooth shave that I am after with SR shaving? So far, it takes me twice as long to shave compared to cartridge and I walk out with a 3 o clock shadow after 2 WTG passes...

The first shaves are the toughest. Is your razor properly honed? Until you learn to strop well, you can hurt the edge more than help it. If you want a really close shave, 3 passes are usually needed. Concentrate on getting a great edge on your razor and working on your shaving technique. Send it out to a pro for honing and work on holding the razor as flat against your face as you can. Above all, hang in there. It keeps getting better the more you learn. Stay with it.

IME, I felt a pretty good amount of resistance with ATG passes early on and I don't think it started really clearing up until 30 shaves in or so when it clicked. This isn't to say the shaves weren't bad, they continually progressed in terms of quality and comfort, but ATG specifically seemed to meet much more resistance than DE shaving. A few things that helped. Somewhere in my teens, I picked up a wedge razor. The weight of the wedge allowed me to drive it a little more purposefully across my face and sliced through growth easier. After a few shaves with the wedge, I was able to go back to the hollow with more confidence and better technique, which really helped. Also, I began stropping the blade more. Early on I was worried about damaging the edge, but after reading some journals & people's experience with smoothness, I decided to start stropping 100x (I only had a leather strop at the time). This helped immensly, especially with the hollow.

Do as you are doing and play with blade angle and pressure. Getting the right balance of both will help immensly in this area. Also make sure you are prepping your whiskers enough. I found that lathering with face soap in the shower and letting it sit on my face can help. After the shower I face lather my shave soap before I strop and otherwise prep the razor. This allows for 4-5 minutes for the lather to sit as it is worked up & then sits on my face while prepping. I've found a very watery lather also helps & will wet my brush and take it over the lather between stropping and starting the shave. A really milky-yogurt texture is what I look for. For passes 2-3 (ATG/WTG) my soap coverage looks more like someone spread a layer of elmers glue over my face.

Hi,
We all experienced it. I would recommend to avoid going ATG and stick to WTG and XTG unless your razor is perfectly honed.

Try to introduce a pre-shave in your routine. I use 3P and helps a lot WTH and ATG .....most of all: take your time !

Best Luck

All very good advice above ^^^

Most importantly, hang in there! The day will come that you'll much prefer to shave with a good straight than with other methods. Until that time, ignore the voice in the back of your head asking how this could be better than what you left behind.

With patience and practice you'll have what you're looking for. Until then, more patience and practice.

Thanks for all the advice!

I'm certain it will get better with time. After two weeks I already notice differences. However, today I shaved with my Fusion only because I slept in and was in a rush, and wow, the smoothness and comfort is amazing!

I can't wait for the day that I get these results from my straight!

And my GF can't wait for the day it doesn't take me an hour to shave

Davefrommontreal said:

Thanks for all the advice!

I'm certain it will get better with time. After two weeks I already notice differences. However, today I shaved with my Fusion only because I slept in and was in a rush, and wow, the smoothness and comfort is amazing!

I can't wait for the day that I get these results from my straight!

And my GF can't wait for the day it doesn't take me an hour to shave

Click to expand...

From my limited experience, I believe that all of the effort we put into proper technique carries over whenever we pick up a cartridge again. Now, though, whenever I sleep in I still try to hit a single pass with my Tech and some Dr. Carver's Shave Butter. Quick, slick, and smooth, baby!

Good luck with your journey! I am awaiting my first chance at a straight, and should be tackling it this weekend, hopefully.

So I am pretty new to straight shaving and I am using a Feather AC SS non folding. I have a full beard and only shave my head. all that being said I have never had closer shaves than I do now. After one XTG and one ATG pass my head is smooth as glass. No nicks or cuts after the first shave. I am convinced that you can achieve better results with a laser sharp straight than with any other razor out there.

Great advice, guys thanks. Im in the same boat but was afraid to ask!

Been through that myself. Just keep working on your technique for now and settle for a presentable shave. As your technique improves so will the shaves. Also one very important thing, that for now seems to go against what you're hoping for, back off on the pressure. Also be sure to start with the blade flat against your skin. As things improve, and the shaves get better, you'll find your own correct angle.