A simple explanation will do

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bflotom2
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A simple explanation will do

Post by bflotom2 »

Back Story

I have been wet shaving since I was in the uterus. Except for short flirtation after college (“I didn’t inhale”) with electric it’s been wet all the way. A few years ago I began DE shaving. At first everyday then as things became more hectic once or twice a week; on weekends mostly. I have tried to reach everyday status but an early morning flight for a meeting would occur and then I would back slide to my Sensor in the shower.

Today’s plot

Recently I was bored and was surfing the net when I came across Mantic's videos. I was caught by the 10-minute shave video. The next morning I tried Mantic's techniques; short 1-inch strokes across like a typewriter and moving down followed by against the grain 1-inch strokes going up. Following clean up I applied witch hazel. I experienced one of the best shaves ever; very close. All day I was touching my face just to experience how close the shave was. Now I must admit that I did back slide one day to the Sensor in the shower but I continued Mantic's short strokes. But even with using the Sensor it was a close shave. My usual technique was North to South full length runs (ear to throat) followed by east to west (ear to nose).

Inquiry

Why does the short stroke of Mantic's result in a closer shave then my usual long runs? What is it that makes the short stroke so much more effective? My long runs are not that long because the razor fills with soap and whiskers before I reach my chin. But the short 1-inch strokes are so much more effective. I’m shaving 6-7 days per week with the DE at the sink since I discovered the new technique. I might just pull out the President for a trial
Regards,
Tom
notthesharpest
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Post by notthesharpest »

I'm not sure.
Constant re-adjustment of the angle? Speed of stroke is different? Razor is always wet, having just been rinsed? You're constantly paying attention which you were not doing so perfectly before? ...
bernards66
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Post by bernards66 »

Tom, I've been shaving with a DE since 1964 and I've always used short strokes. I picked it up from watching our barber shave customers with a straight razor ( my dad used an electric so I had to pick technique up on my own ). With a short stroke one has more control and consistancy; over the angle of the blade and over the pressure. Plus, if you lightly stretch the skin, which I do ( another thing picked up from watching the barber ) one can keep a short cutting area flatter than you can your whole cheek.
Regards,
Gordon
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Post by brothers »

Several short strokes in the place of one long stroke works, in my opiniion, better because you're actually going back and covering the same area more than once. That's my story, sounds logical, and I'm sticking to it. I'm glad it works for you!
Gary

SOTD 99%: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, soaps & creams, synthetic / badger brushes, Colonial General razor, Kai & Schick blades, straight razors any time, Superior 70 aftershave splash + menthol + 444
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desertbadger
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Post by desertbadger »

Since it works for you and you're happy with it, you might try what is sometimes reffered to as the Cary Grant method. Short over lapping strokes. Very effective and IMO, enjoyable! YMMV and all that.

Regards,
David
Regards,
David
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KAV
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Post by KAV »

Carpenter's adage ' measure twice, cut once.'
A Viking king had a great longship built. The court went to admire it and someone had hacked big slices into the gunnels with a axe.
Enraged he demanded to know who ruined his ship. The shipwright stepped forward and confessed. The King made to kill him on the spot. Shipwright asked only that the carpenters adz the gunnels down to remove the scars. King agreed, and his ship was even more beautifull.
the carpenters had ignored his plans and planed a far simpler flat topline.
Treat your face like a dragon ship, not a packing crate
marsos52
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Post by marsos52 »

i to have used one inch short strokes since i began de shaving in the 70's
i have also tried the long stroke etc etc

but i have always found the short strokes best and a bit faster

and much better than the back stroke haha

marc
bflotom2
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Post by bflotom2 »

Thanks to all of you for your input. Like Marc said it is faster. The speed comes from not having to hold the blade angle for as long a stroke. And remember that's what I was after by viewing the videos, a quicker shave. Not that I don't enjoy the shaving experience, its just the world awaits. but frankly most morning I would just as soon it keep waiting
Regards,
Tom
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Trumperman
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Post by Trumperman »

Tom,

I, like Gordon have been shaving since 1964 and learned the same way he did. I would go on Saturday mornings and watch my father get a shave by the local Italian barbers. Short strokes were the order of the day. My belief is that shorter strokes cut more of your whiskers vs the long stroke which is more consistently against your face. The long stroke misses a lot of the whiskers compared to the short strokes which are constantly bombarded by the razor coming down in contact with the hair shafts. Think of it as doing short strokes with a rake compared to raking with very long strokes. You'll pull up more leaves with the shorter stroke. I think you will get the idea.

Keep practicing and you will get it!

Regards,

Bill

I'm sorry this post had nothing to do with Vikings but I don't think they ever raked leaves. Well, except for Leaf Erickson.
Don't think......shave.
merkri
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Post by merkri »

I also wondered if more stuff collected in front of the blade with a long stroke. When you lift it and start again, even if you don't rinse it, I'd imagine it would shift the lather and hairs on the blade just enough to expose fresh clear lather. Eventually you have to rinse and start over.
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Racso_MS
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Post by Racso_MS »

Think of it as buttering a piece of toast. If you put butter on the knife and try to smear it on in one stroke, what do you get. If you use short strokes, the butter is more evenly spread across the toast. Sort of an odd analogy, but similar enough in nature to make my point. :D
Best Regards From the Deep South...
Remember; It's Not A Race, It's Your Face...
And As Always, Enjoy Your Shave...
(Racso) Oscar...
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jww
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Post by jww »

Like some who have already responded, I have been using short strokes as part of my technique right from the get go. That's how I remember dad doing it, so I saw no reason to do anything else. When I came back to DE shaving, I tried the long stroke a few times, but found the short stroke served me the best. It seems to give me greater control.
Wendell

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bflotom2
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Post by bflotom2 »

I think Wendell has it. Short strokes give more control and as others have said going over the same site more then once also gives a closer shave.
Well I'm on the road for a few days, which means no DE but I'll still use the short strokes with the Sensor in the Dopp kit.
Regards,
Tom
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Magic learner
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Post by Magic learner »

Rememebr when you first started DE/Fixed head razor shaving, you were taught to treat your face like Diamond? That is to say your face has lots of small relatively straight facets. So if you know each section of your face, adjusting the razor angle and stroke length for that facet works better.Far better anyway then long cutting strokes where you are making small adjustments in your arm/wrist, trying to emulate the face contouring movement of a cartridge razor.
The road to success is always under construction . . .
95%
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Post by 95% »

I use somewhat longer strokes than the gents who have commented. On my first pass, for example, I'll do two strokes between the cheekbone and the jawline. Since my razor is a multiblade, I carefully avoid shaving the same patch of skin more than once. In other words, once the razor has removed the lather, I don't return and reshave that part. Instead, I re-lather twice and repeat the first pass, varying the direction. This system pretty much catches all the whiskers without my ever moving the blades across bare skin.
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CMur12
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Post by CMur12 »

I use short strokes during the first two passes, where I am attacking thicker growth. For the last (ATG) pass, longer sweeping strokes work best for me.

- Murray
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jww
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Post by jww »

The ultimate shaving advice any of us can give is ----- ymmv.

You do what works best for you in the end.
Wendell

Resident Wool Fat Evangelist & anglophile. Have you hugged a sheep today?
brothers
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Re: A simple explanation will do

Post by brothers »

bflotom2 wrote:I have been wet shaving since I was in the uterus. . . . I might just pull out the President for a trial
Reading literally, these phrases make me smile. :lol: :lol:
Gary

SOTD 99%: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, soaps & creams, synthetic / badger brushes, Colonial General razor, Kai & Schick blades, straight razors any time, Superior 70 aftershave splash + menthol + 444
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