Shaving direction for minimal cuts?

[Dizzyfun]

Hello all. I am relatively new to wet shaving. I have been using a Merkur/Adams open comb DE for about 6 months. Last week I bought a Gillette SuperSPeed Red and tried it tonight with a Crystal Blade. Good shave, smooth with no pulling.
The problem I'm having is with shaving my neck. It's rare that I don't end up with cuts. My neck hair grows outward from the trachea upward toward each ear. I shave with the grain but it never cuts close enough. When I try to shave across or against the grain is when I get into trouble.
What can help remedy this problem?

[brothers]

Maybe when you're shaving your neck, you should concentrate on two things, the angle of the blade, and the amount of pressure you might be applying. The head of the razor should be almost flat against the skin, making the angle very small. Also, try to avoid applying any pressure as you draw the razor along. Try to avoid making long sweeping passes. A series of very small strokes, overlapping the last stroke, might help also. And don't rush. Try to go slowly. Hope some of this might help. And welcome to SMF!

[notthesharpest]

Maybe you have to live with the non-close cut.

Maybe if you improve your lather or your other preparation, the other pass will work better.

Try using your wrong hand to shave difficult areas. The change of angle that comes with that switch can make a useful difference.

[bernards66]

Do try some of the suggestions above as cuts are always a result of poor technique, not direction of beard growth or other factors. Best of luck and be persistant and you'll 'get it'.
Regards.
Gordon

[jww]

Many - if not all of us -- at some point in time had similar problems. You have very good recommendations from our friends above, when they suggest that technique rather than equipment is the source of your difficulties.

I will add anther point. Sometimes the notion of getting a perfect BBS shave all over drive us to behaviours which are counter to proper technique. This urge can happen to anyone from the newest newbie to the experienced shaver. For example, when I started back with a DE razor, I put far too much pressure on the razor when shaving my neck. Rather than letting the razor do the work, I would dig and gouge with the intent of getting every little whisker down there. Over time I learned to focus on the points already raised, and once I figured it out -- which only took 3 or 4 shave, btw -- it was "Wow, I finally got this thing down". But -- even after that realization, a little hubris set in, and I found myself taking a day or two off from shaving because I had forgotten to go easy.

Best of luck -- and keep at it - the only way to develop proper technique is through practice. You may lay off a day or two here and there if you go to hard at it -- but don't give up.

[Crazy_Nate]

Hello all. I am relatively new to wet shaving. I have been using a Merkur/Adams open comb DE for about 6 months. Last week I bought a Gillette SuperSPeed Red and tried it tonight with a Crystal Blade. Good shave, smooth with no pulling.
The problem I'm having is with shaving my neck. It's rare that I don't end up with cuts. My neck hair grows outward from the trachea upward toward each ear. I shave with the grain but it never cuts close enough. When I try to shave across or against the grain is when I get into trouble.
What can help remedy this problem?

Your beard (at least neck area) sounds very similar to mine. From my chin to Adams apple, my beard grows downward and slightly outward. Upward below the Adam's apple. The sides both grown outward and at a very acute angle to the skin.

Here's some advice that has worked for me. Don't try to shave your neck too closely - a cut up / bumpy neck is less presentable IMHO. If you can't manage to get the hairs to cut going with the grain (and I have a hard time here both from neck geometry and how flush the hairs sit to the skin), try something in between with the grain and cross the grain. For me, this motion is upward and outward. Short strokes may help catch those hairs a little better without irritation. Consciously remind yourself to use no pressure. It's hard when the razor doesn't catch the stubble as you like, but you can usually get around that with additional technique - either changing the blade angle or the cutting direction.

Oh, and 2 passes max on the neck! I may do more on the rest of my face, but, in the interest of saving my neck, I've found that I am much more comfortable if I consciously limit how much I shave.

[Squire]

Diz, cuts are usually a product of haste so if you slow down a bit that should solve the problem.