Against the grain pain

What blade are you using? I find that I have problems with fuller blades on ATG pass. Might be worth changing the blade and see how that goes...
 
What blade are you using? I find that I have problems with fuller blades on ATG pass. Might be worth changing the blade and see how that goes...
So far ATG shaves I've tried Feather, Astra SP, Gillette platinum, Gillette 7 o'clock (yellow), permasharp and Personna platinum. Ive no idea if they are classed as fuller blades or not to be honest but all have the same issue.
 
So far ATG shaves I've tried Feather, Astra SP, Gillette platinum, Gillette 7 o'clock (yellow), permasharp and Personna platinum. Ive no idea if they are classed as fuller blades or not to be honest but all have the same issue.
Gillette Yellow, Permasharp and Feathers are on the sharper side... Not sure what to say.. Feathers are a no go for me. Try some Wizamets if you can get them... They are smooth and sharp for me...
 
Buffing is basically a back and forth motion with the razor that has the razor going over some of the same area repeatedly in a short time span.
j-hook is a motion where the razor head's movement 'draws' a J.
Take a look at Mantic's video on the topic:

For me, the Gillette slide or, alternatively, slanting the razor head ~45 degrees yields good results, especially with milder razors.
Also, I have touble going ATG on the neck - I generally don't. If I do, I perform a pass that's sort of a hybrid between XTG and ATG first, and then go ATG with the razor head slanted using super short motions, usually about half a centimeter, buffed slightly, so that I do maybe 1 step forward, half a step back. With a razor that clamps the blade near the edge, I usually ride the top cap (handle is pretty close to perpendicular to my skin in that case). With a razor that isn't like that (e.g. an EJ/Muhle/Timor head), I often can't do it because of too much blade flex even when riding the cap, but with some of them, riding the comb can work.
I also find that the best prep for me is a half-hour run and a bit of a work out. :)
One other thing I reckon I should mention - the soap/cream and lather can make a pretty big difference for me. On the neck, I do best with a rich lather that has a nice sheen to it, sometimes a thicker, pre-sheen lather, too.
 
Buffing is basically a back and forth motion with the razor that has the razor going over some of the same area repeatedly in a short time span.
j-hook is a motion where the razor head's movement 'draws' a J.
Take a look at Mantic's video on the topic:

For me, the Gillette slide or, alternatively, slanting the razor head ~45 degrees yields good results, especially with milder razors.
Also, I have touble going ATG on the neck - I generally don't. If I do, I perform a pass that's sort of a hybrid between XTG and ATG first, and then go ATG with the razor head slanted using super short motions, usually about half a centimeter, buffed slightly, so that I do maybe 1 step forward, half a step back. With a razor that clamps the blade near the edge, I usually ride the top cap (handle is pretty close to perpendicular to my skin in that case). With a razor that isn't like that (e.g. an EJ/Muhle/Timor head), I often can't do it because of too much blade flex even when riding the cap, but with some of them, riding the comb can work.
I also find that the best prep for me is a half-hour run and a bit of a work out. :)
One other thing I reckon I should mention - the soap/cream and lather can make a pretty big difference for me. On the neck, I do best with a rich lather that has a nice sheen to it, sometimes a thicker, pre-sheen lather, too.
That's great. Thanks for that information. Food for thought going forward. Ive accepted ATG wot happen for me so all other avenues will have to be explored.
 
I had problems with ATG strokes too. What solved them:
1. Better (i.e. slicker, more protective) software and preparation. Did you try Tabac or MWF? Those are the classics for a reason.
2. Stiffer razor, eliminate the dreaded blade chatter. I'd suggest trying an AC razor, b/c the shaving technique is similar to DE razors, unlike GEM or Injector systems.
 
I had problems with ATG strokes too. What solved them:
1. Better (i.e. slicker, more protective) software and preparation. Did you try Tabac or MWF? Those are the classics for a reason.
2. Stiffer razor, eliminate the dreaded blade chatter. I'd suggest trying an AC razor, b/c the shaving technique is similar to DE razors, unlike GEM or Injector systems.

I have both those soaps but haven't used them extensively yet. Probably use Tabac today with a PAL and see how it goes. AC razor? Whats that in simple terms :LOL:
 
If you're really keen for ATG, see how you fair with a non-Russian blade, say, Treet Platinum. To save some pain, maybe just do cheeks for a few days, adding in neck and finally face.

Buffing and J-Hooking had me laughing. Advanced techniques. Right. One technique which might help improve your WTG and/or XTG passes is the Gillette Slide and it goes back to the very beginning of safety razors. Also, tighten up your razor fully so as to lessen chance of micro-chatter. It's not something you feel much on vintage Gillette, but it is there with razors like the R89, etc.

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Final thought, consider a slant razor. The Merkur 37C is a lot milder than it used to be and now a very effective daily shaver. The torsion probably entirely negates the possibility of micro-chatter and the slant effectively gives an alternative to the Gillette Slide by doing the WTG and XTG in one go ... sorta.
 
The Gillette Slide looks like a recipe for disaster to me, although it is effectively the same as using a slant razor i guess.

I might try it (very slowly and carefully tho !!!!!!!!!!!!!!)
 
The Gillette Slide looks like a recipe for disaster to me, although it is effectively the same as using a slant razor i guess.

I might try it (very slowly and carefully tho !!!!!!!!!!!!!!)
I'd be very careful of the slide, first couple of strokes, brilliant! Confidence goes up.... Disaster!
Very short light strokes are the way ahead. Don't get too engrossed in the semantics. Blades, soaps, razors: There lies madness, I went down that rabbit hole.
In all probability, ATG ain't for you. Find stuff that works and stick with it. For me its a mild razor and a sharp (ish) blade. As your technique improves, so will your shaves.
 
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