Twenty some years ago I was drilling 3/8 holes in some kind of nasty tool steel on a Matsuura. Old German toolmaker named Dieter walked by, watched me pecking like a woodpecker for a minute, then just said 'let the chip break itself.' Pulled the peck cycle out right there. Took me a while to trust it but he was right. Those old guys have a weird instinct for when pecking is just wasting time and vibration.

You mentioned guys coming back complaining about clipper burn on the crown area where the hair swirls - that's actually something I've noticed too but never had anyone else point out. So here's my real question: have you ever tried using a foil shaver specifically going against the grain on those tricky spots like the crown and the base of the skull? I ask because I know some guys swear by doing a quick pass with the grain first then against it, but I've had mixed results with that method. Seems like no matter what I do I still get some irritation around the occipital ridge no matter what tool I use. Just curious if you've found a trick for that specific area with foils that actually works.