Against the grain is sure fire irritation, breaking out, and cuts for me. I always go with the grain.
At this point in my life, I'm confined to shaving every other day to preserve the integrity of the skin of my neck - collared shirts are a bitch. Unfortunately, I also grow a lot of facial hair, so that means 2/3 of the time I look like I should have shaved.
On the occassions that I've had a barber shave me with a straight razor, they shave with the grain, then re-lather and do it again against (and across on the neck). This results in a really great shave. It doesn't work when I do it myself. I've got a straight razor, but I'm not really good enough at sharpening it. That's a shame, because I enjoy the process more with the straight razor - regardless of the results.
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Cogito ergo spud -- I think, therefore I yam
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