Base point for angle

[senor jojo]

Wel, everyone talks alot about the angle of the blade but i'm having doubt about the base point which slides over the skin. I think with all the focusing about angle and pressure i made a bit of a stupid mistake and now i'm starting to doubt it a little. i made a simple drawing to explain it better.

dont laugh at my paint skills :p



I have been shaving as shown with angle line 1, using the topside of the razor to slide over my face rather then the comb. It should be as in angle line 2 right?

I started like that becouse i read so much about blade drag and it seemed safer to use the example 1 way to prevent the blade from digging into the skin.

Now i have some doubts and need confirmation.


The drawing might come in handy with other new users to understand angle better aswell.

Feel free to use or alter the crappy drawing for explaining other things or making examples or whatever you wish to do with it :)

[Haiku]

Now with anything shave related, YMMV, but me, I try to use angle 2 and never angle 1.

Nothing wrong with your computer/drawing skills BTW.

[SMOKE]

Another good way to clearly see what a good blade angle looks like is to place the razor on your arm, with the head flat against your skin. Slowly lower the razor until you see the blade contact the skin. Take a few practice swipes on the arm. This really helped me in the begining!

Regards

[travisbicks]

For me angle two is very mild and therefore my starting point. The closer I approach angle 1, the more aggressive the razor becomes.

[_JP_]

The ideal angle is where the surface being shaved is in contact with the comb, blade, and head of the razor. That would be Angle 3.

[Shave Cat]

I think people get hung-up on specific angles. The correct angle is whatever angle provides you with the best shave. The number of degrees will be different for razors with differently shaped heads.

-Clarke

[Dennard]

Aside from the feel of blade against skin, sometimes I use my shoulder for a reference point. The end of the razor for me is usually aimed slightly lower than the top of my shoulder.

[CoastalKyle]

I'm not sure about this, but it seems like the type of razor could affect which angle of approach you should use.

I've read (and seems true in my opinion) that the blade in the Merkurs have more of a downwards angle, as the blade is bent more. The Gillettes, on the other hand, seem to have more of a flatter blade.

Due to the position of the blade in any razor, using angle 2, the edge of the blade would first touch your face in its most aggressive position (the space between the blade and safety bar is maximized, and the blade is at the most aggresive angle). With the Gillettes, angle 2 would put the blade at an almost perpendicular angle to your face, which could have bloody repercussions. With Merkurs, on the other hand, would be at more of an angle at first contact.

Granted, using angle 1 would be the best way to get a gentler blade angle first, then further adjust to change the aggressiveness. If you want to go the aggressive route first, though, the Merkurs might be slightly more forgiving.

[_JP_]

Aside from the feel of blade against skin, sometimes I use my shoulder for a reference point. The end of the razor for me is usually aimed slightly lower than the top of my shoulder.

One must keep in mind that the angle is relative to the skin that the the razor is in contact with. Keeping it positioned relative to the floor or something else won't work.

[mozart]

For useful discussions about blade angle, check out (in chronological order):

http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php?t=24685
http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php?t=44215
http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php?t=43564
http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php?t=47908


Hope that helps. Best - MM

[jss]

Good thread..

[senor jojo]

although my question was about what part of the razor to primarely slide over your skin rather then about angle, it seems the way i was doing it with the cap touching first and then finding the angle is not wrong as i thought it might have been.

[thirdeye]

Speaking of angles, I find that a 40 to 45 degree angle works well which gives contact to the razor head, blade and just barely the bar or comb. From here you may want to adjust slightly as every razor works just a little diffrent.

[mozart]

although my question was about what part of the razor to primarely slide over your skin rather then about angle, it seems the way i was doing it with the cap touching first and then finding the angle is not wrong as i thought it might have been.

These aspects are related. Also, you never said what razor you are using. For some razors, the edges of the top cap, the blade and the safety bar all lie on one plane, so there wouldn't be any confusion, unless too much pressure is used. If so, all bets are off.

Best - MM

[SMOKE]

Speaking of angles, I find that a 40 to 45 degree angle works well which gives contact to the razor head, blade and just barely the bar or comb. From here you may want to adjust slightly as every razor works just a little diffrent.

+1...As always..thirdeye is 1000% right on the money. Every time you pick up a different razor, you will find the need to slightly adjust the angle..AND...Oh yes...you will have MANY razors, if you don't already!!!!

Regards,

[mozart]

For me angle two is very mild and therefore my starting point. The closer I approach angle 1, the more aggressive the razor becomes.

It should be exactly the other way around (provided the situation depicted in the drawing resembles what your razor gives you). The steeper the angle between blade edge and skin, the more troubles you can expect. Line 2 results in a much steeper angle than line 1.

Best - MM

[travisbicks]

For me angle two is very mild and therefore my starting point. The closer I approach angle 1, the more aggressive the razor becomes.

It should be exactly the other way around (provided the situation depicted in the drawing resembles what your razor gives you). The steeper the angle between blade edge and skin, the more troubles you can expect. Line 2 results in a much steeper angle than line 1.

I apologise for necromancing this thread but I’ve come to realise that Mozart is correct and that the angle I’ve been using has been overly steep and therefore scraping my skin. I’ve compensated for this by using such a steep angle that the blade barely touches my skin and as a consequence the closeness of the shave has suffered.

I can’t believe how long it’s taken me to realise this mistake!

[BroJohn]

Bi-sect the angle formed by line1~line2. *That's* the angle you want.

-- John Gehman