Question about BBS-

[gssixgun]

I really don't chase a BBS much I chase comfort, but here is a trick I learned that works well for when you want to chase BBS

Clear water final pass, relaxed face no stretching, using a very very light touch, that gets me the closest shave when I go for it


That's it, my only contribution that I can offer hehehehe

[Badgister]

With one wtg pass, I get a smooth face with the grain and that is close enough for me. I am not concerned about delaying the appearance of the 5 o'clock shadow. No matter how many passes and how bbs I can get, I still need to shave the next morning.

[MisterMoo]

Getting it glass smooth "down" is monstrously easy. Getting it smooth "up" is the tough one.

"...down along the underside of my jawline..." means (for me) that stretch below the jaw between ear lobe and chin. If we're talking about the same stretch of real estate I guess grain directions vary. All I know is Womble's been barbering professionally for 55 years and he knows where to find proof of technique in a New York second.

[edhewitt]

Down along the underside or up? Getting it glass smooth "down" is monstrously easy. Getting it smooth "up" is the tough one.

Depends which side of my jaw I try. LHS is smooth down, RHS is smooth up.

[10Pups]

I really don't chase a BBS much I chase comfort, but here is a trick I learned that works well for when you want to chase BBS

Clear water final pass, relaxed face no stretching, using a very very light touch, that gets me the closest shave when I go for it


That's it, my only contribution that I can offer hehehehe

This works very well for me also. Especially if I don't wipe but just rinse the lather off. It seems slicker than with the lather on and really gets it smooth.

[Ryan82]

I've never heard of the CC test. Tell me more.

The credit card test is when the CO or DS, while inspecting the troops, pulls out a credit card and runs the edge along the soldiers' faces, especially ATG. If he hears any sound other than smooth skin it's considered a failed inspection.

[BobH]

That CC test must be an Army thing, never suffered that in the Navy. I fear that we would have all failed especially the hands with the beards.

Bob

[Phrank]

This works very well for me also. Especially if I don't wipe but just rinse the lather off. It seems slicker than with the lather on and really gets it smooth.

I'm going to try that when I shave today!

Second run with the DD Goldedge...wasn't really knocked out with the first shave with it, so have used the CrOx, the white paste on the linen, and several good sessions of stropping over the last couple of days.

Beautiful razor, it's also probably down to the fact that it's a new blade for me, seemed to tug and pull a bit the first go round.

edited to add: Shaved again with the DD, I think this blade hates me! I have received more cuts and knicks from this blade then I've accumulated all year!! Decided to use the training I received on the coti, got a slurry, ran the blade about 20 laps a side, then another with just water, then the CrOx, then the linen, and then the strop.

I noticed that when I was using the coti, that the heel of the blade was producing a dark color in the slurry, this went away after a few laps. The blade was honed not long ago and stored properly. Anyhow, after the session on the coti, oiled it up and put it away for another time. Impatience and frustration are not good emotions to have in this sport. Think I'm going to take a week or so off and let me face completely heal up. For all I know, the cuts were the result of me shaving over not quite healed previous nicks and cuts. Going to go back to an old standby after healing is complete.

Don't want to be on the forum six hours from now with a twisted, splinter of a blade left !! haha.

So I will leave this, for another time, and a better mood

[Jimbo]

I was thinking about this yesterday (uh oh). In theory there's no reason why a straight razor cannot give a shave as close or closer than any other kind of razor - it's just an edge touching the skin at the base of a whisker, after all.

Personally I think the secret has to be in the stretching and I'm at a complete loss for an explanation as to why a no-stretching final pass gets some people BBS - perhaps their skin is naturally tauter than mine??

But I would have thought that getting to know your beard growth patterns and stretching so as to raise the hair upright would be the most logical (and safe) way to achieve a very close shave. I think that, for whatever reason, a lot of people stretch up or down only and don't utilise sideways or other angles very often. And I have noticed that there's been a bit of a drop off in advice surrounding mapping beard growth, although that just could be me not paying attention. It used to be a very common piece of advice back in the day.

Anyway, like I said before, BBS doesn't really matter to me - I feel there is a dramatic diminishing return on investment for me trying to achieve it. However, if that's what you want I think the only real way to get there is getting to know your beard growth, stretching, and lots of practice.

James.

[OCDshaver]

I was thinking about this yesterday (uh oh). In theory there's no reason why a straight razor cannot give a shave as close or closer than any other kind of razor - it's just an edge touching the skin at the base of a whisker, after all.


James.

I've found that it comes down to being able to position the edge to properly engage the hairs. After having mapped out your beard growth, the next step is figuring out how to hold the razor in the various areas so you can take advantage of this knowledge. A DE or cartridge razor is often more agile when it comes to shaving in various directions. For me, the only way to get that BBS shave is with a good ATG pass. If you can't position the blade for a true ATG pass, you probably won't achieve the BBS shave you might be chasing. Mapping the beard is important but useless if you can't position the razor properly.