Straight razor shaving: by sight or feel?

[hank_rearden]

i nicked myself twice already using sight. I use reading glasses, am slightly far-sighted. with feel, i'm on the money, even with a "modestly sharp" knife (like an endura zdp 189 at 10 degrees per side.) the only thing i have to glance at the mirror is where the blade ends are touching. i think it has to do mental conditioning. when i have nothing to daydream about during the day, i mentally go through the motion of shaving, using a finger and without a mirror.

 

[David Martin]

Some guys need to see it and some guys go by feel. When shaving with a straight I nicked myself too. More so when using a very sharp knife. THe conclusion I came to was a curved blade knife is not good for shaving. I had to meticulously execute the beganning of each stroke. It was there that I began saving my skin. Plus, there is a learning curve and it takes time. I had to shave for months inorder to get good at it. Nor could I hurry things. DM

 

[gadgetgeek]

For me, its a bit of both. Some folks recommend sticking to the easy parts of the face for the first while, and finish with your normal method. It takes some time. One thing I've heard helps is to not death-grip the razor. either way, it takes time.

 

[Magnaminous_G]

I rely on feel quite a bit when shaving. On the ATG pass on my upper lip (mustache area), I sometimes even close my eyes so I'm not distracted by trying to see what I'm doing.