DUmb...DUmb question..but I need a answer

[dbraz]

Well..just got my Merkur HD today...
Wondering...how do u hold the tip of the razor tightly..and still use no pressure?
Im sorry this sounds stupid..but I picked up the razor and it was really...heavy..
and I was wondering how u shave with NO pressure but grip the razor tight??

[DunEdinRanger]

Grip the razor like an egg.

Just enough pressure to hold it.

[Luc]

You need to let the razor work. The weight will do the shave. Have a look at Mantic's videos http://www.youtube.com/mantic59 and the tutorials on this forum.

[itb76]

I got my first DE razor, a Futur, about a month ago. It's really heavy compared to a cartridge razor, that's for sure! I'd say there's no need to grip it tightly, just enough to control its angle and direction. You'll get used to it in a couple days.

[jbake37]

This helped me alot!

http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php?t=4018

[SiBurning]

I hold them sort of like drum sticks. Lay it over the first joint of the first two fingers, and hold it stable with the opposed thumb. Let the fingers wrap around the stick--the second finger will probably wrap further around. For the first finger--and maybe, but probably not the second--you might be more comfortable not placing the stick directly in the joint, but just above the joint. The other fingers curl more, but without touching anything. For drumsticks, the main thing is to have a balanced grip that acts like a fulcrum, so the stick can bounce freely. You can choke up from the end to balance the weight. Any drummer will tell you you sometimes need to have a rock solid grip on the stick, the trick being to relax the right parts of your hand and wrist so that the stick can move freely. You do not need a tight grip on a razor, but if you're holding it right, and not tensing up, a really tight grip isn't a problem at all,except it's really hard to micromanage the stick with the second finger like that. You can adjust the stick slightly by rocking the second finger, but most of the motion during shaving or drumming is done through moving the wrist. The finger's only for fine adjustment, particuarly for rolling the blade sideways over bumps.

Going against the grain (upwards on my face) I use something like a drummer's traditional grip. Instead of putting the stick along the inner first joint of the first two fingers, I put it in between the first two fingers. The first finger is the same as with regular grip, but the stick sits on the other side of the second finger, just beyond the finger nail. There's a spot half way between the nail and the joint at about 45 degrees between the nail and the side of the finger where the stick rests easily. The first finger actually runs across the stick at a 30 degree angle, while the thumb now sits perpendicular to the stick. The forefinger and thumb don't hold the stick entirely, but sit at about 10 and 2 o'clock, while the second finger holds it in place and maneuvers the stick by straightening or curling, again with the same purpose as above.

To be clear, only the forefinger and thumb hold the stick with any pressure. The second finger is only used for balance. In the up stroke case, it also holds the weight of the head end of the razor. If you retract the second finger, you should still be holding the razor with the thiumb and forefinger, but the head should drop perpendicular to the ground. Unless, of course, you apply a tighter than necessary grip. You can also ease off the pressure so you're balancing the entire weight on the second finger, but it's easier to drop the razor like that.



Apologies if this only works for drummers.

[netsurfr]

Early on when I started shaving with a DE, I held it by the tip based on some advise here. Then I picked up a heavier DE. For that razor, I found that holding the razor closer to the balance point of the razor actually worked better for me. YMMV and all that...

[pablo_h]

Here how I hold it. My arm/hand just moves it lightly, I don't use my grip or anything to hold the weight or apply pressure.
By using a finger at the bottom, the weight is held easily and I can use that finger to lever the razor to 'steer it'.
On the diagram by "appling pressure" I mean holding it to the skin. Using your pointer finger and thumb for grip, and a finger underneath to hold it to the skin means a finer control of grip and pressure.

Image hosting I use not working, so I can't link a bigger picture.
Anyway, pointer finger on the left, thumb or the right, both holding a light grip. Middle finger underneath holding the weight. Because the middle finger is taking the weight, there's no reason to grip with the pointer or thumb tightly.
Light grip means easy to control force/pressure.

[sebnow]

I vote for this to be stickied. As a newbie I didn't even think about the way I was holding the razor. I was basically holding it like a cartridge razor, which is probably why I'm having trouble with "no pressure."

Thanks for the info, I'll try it during my next shave .

[Batman]

I just hold it where it feels natural and kind of lean it, at the right angle, against the face. Then I guide it down or across. For ATG or up strokes, obviously you cant lean it, but at this point, there is less stubble and light pressure, if there is any, is not an issue. Good luck!

[Slade xTekno]

By "no pressure," we mean "no added pressure." The weight (or pressure) of the razor itself is supposed to do the work.

[dpmtherrien]

I don't hold any razor by the tip. For me I hold it right about at the point of balance, and THEN use no pressure. I think you'll have to find what works best for you.

[Groundhog]

Dbraz, you've got some great answers here, but I'll throw in my 2 cents.... I hold the razor like you'd hold a little bird that you didn't want to get away, but didn't want to crush. As far a pressure, that depends on the razor/blade combo, but generally I allow the weight of the razor dictate how much (if any) pressure I apply.

BTW, there are no dumb questions here, unless you're planning on starting a thread to inquire if anybody shaves their "nether regions". One more of those and I'll take a hostage.

[Gringo]

I don't think this is a dumb question either. I've been shaving with a DE for almost a year now. Last shave was so extremely terrible and painful that I started questioning myself what I was doing wrong.

Therefore I started watching Mantic's videos all over again (all of them) and going through all the beginners tutorials and guides... That's when I found out I was almost holding the razor like drumsticks, but not entirely. My index finger is on top, instead of my thumb, allowing for an increase in pressure on the not-so-flat surfaces, such as the jaws and the neck; the area's sometimes covered in blood after a shave.

I agree with Kyle in his beginner's guide: the way you hold your razor does really make a huge impact on your shave and it's often overlooked. It's good of you to ask for guidance instead of hurting yourself for a year or more (like I did) for over a year, haha.

[BatNastard]

I use Kyle's second grip. I used to use the drumstick grip above but the HD just ripped me up that way (it worked great for superspeeds, though). I've found it's a little bit tricky to keep the pressure off when going ATG, but very worth it.

I guess my thumb and middle finger balance the razor by resisting movement in those directions. ATG is more against gravity for me, though.

[SiBurning]

A few additional observations from someone that's spent too much time thinking about (drumstick) grips, practising them, and teaching others to do the same.

One trick to learning is to find the right practise exercises. I suggest you grab your DE, remove the blade, and practise all of the grips mentioned in the thread. Don't concentrate too much on the fine details. You should be working out the fine details by developing your own grip. Everyone has different dexterity in their fingers depending on what they've done in the past with their hands. Your grip is also likely to change depending on which razor you're using, and what you're doing with it, so try out a few of your favortie razors. Go throughthe motions of shaving different parts of your face WTG, XTG, ATG, whatever. You might prefer a few different grips for shaving different parts of your face and/or at different angles. Find what you're comfortable with, and practise. Then put in a fine blade and let the show begin. Oh, and break a leg.

I think the main principles are to have

• a stable fulcrum, and
• a way to fine tune the angle.

A stable fulcrum can be done many ways, but you need to find something that's comfortable. It's the second part that seems difficult and varied.

Here's Kyle's page for reference.

Kyle's first grip is all fulcrum, with no adjustment. It seems to cater to those with limited finger dexterity. Or amazing two finger dexterity.

Comparing Kyle's second grip with my first grip, the difference is in which finger makes the fulcrum and which does the adjustment. It's pretty clear to me that the forefinger is more suited to the fulcrum. This would make the drummer's grip theoretically superior. A second problem with Kyle's second grip is the adjustment is on the same side of the fulcrum as the razor head. This requires an almost perfectly stable fulcrum to make fine adjustments. You can demonstrate this to yourself by holding the razor with just the thiumb and either the first or second finger. With which finger can you to move and rotate the razor more precisely and comfortably? I'm guessing 90% say it's easier to adjust when the first finger forms the fulcrum. Even so, the problem with the drummer's grip may be insurmountable because fewer people probably have the requisite dexterity in their middle finger to do fine adjustments, while they will have the dexterity to do a lesser level of adjustment with the forefinger.

pablo_h's grip seems nearly ideal. It seems to improve on both Kyle's second grip and the drummer's grip by placing the actual fulcrum on the third finger, allowing the thumb and forefinger to control fine movement and rotation. It does seem to hover in that in between space, allowing you to control the positioning either by rocking and rolling the thumb, or by adjusting the middle finger. The only small issue I can find is the possibility of the back end of the razor slipping off the middle finger when adjusting with the forefinger, but that seems a small risk. Otherwise, the ability to control the razor is quite natural. When I try choking up on the razor using this grip, it seems to end up like the drummer's grip, with the razor end resting on my ring finger. This seems to be the most stable and flexible position of all. I think there's enough fingers on the handle with this grip to allow most people to comfortably adjust it. By extension, wrapping another finger should make it even easier to control. Try it.

The traditional drummer's grip (my second picture above) is exactly the same as holding a pencil. If you can't see this, pretend the razor is a pencil and the head is the point. Grab it like a pencil, then when you get the feel, move your grip down the handle.

[pablo_h]

As far as the grip I mentioned earlier, that's what I use for the smaller lighter razors like techs and news.
I forgot to mention that I also use another grip with both the pointer and middle finger on one side, thumb on the opposite, and the ring finger underneath to support the weight and adjust pressure and angle. I normally use this three finger plus thumb grip for long handles, heavy razors or TTOs.
Same style of holding a razor upright from near the end, just an extra finger for grip.