Thread: Necessity of ATG

Hi Again,

With much advice and help from the members on this forum, I've managed to get a really good ATG shave. I really had to map my hair growth as it's somewhat unusual, and I've also found that a pre-ATG stropping helps greatly.

I have found, though, that my beard grows really fast. I shave at night so that I am not in a hurry. I'm not much of a morning person. If I only shave WTG and ATG, I get a CCS and it lasts me until about 10-11am. By early afternoon, I have a noticeable shadow. I'm an IT guy, so I can get away with it on days I don't have meetings or presentations. However, if I do an additional ATG pass, I have a "beginner BBS" shave that looks good until nearly the end of the next day.

I've read some members have great luck doing only WTG and XTG and achieve great shaves lasting two days. Is it just my beard or am I missing something? Do some straight shavers need to do an ATG pass to stay presentable?

Andy

To stay presentable ? Maybe not but we would all have our reasons if we do ATG.
For me it is the best test of an edge I have honed. WTG & XTG is not as big a challenge.

From what I have read some guys really do need the third pass to stay smooth all day, imagine that a heavy dark beard would show through pretty quickly.

I don't think you are missing anything. Beards vary from person to person as to type and how fast they regrow, so the type and number of passes necessary also varies person to person. You just use a shave routine that suits your needs and end purpose.

Bob

This is why a shave the evening before does not work for me.

It doesn't adequately cover the 24-hours from the previous evening until the next evening and I see little reason to have the smoothest face while I sleep and an increasing stubble while I am awake.

I don't even think that I have a particularly strong beard growth; maybe it's just that I sometimes catch myself during the day subconsciously feeling my face to see how the shave is holding up.
And it's just not as good if I shaved the evening before.



B.

Originally Posted by beluga

This is why a shave the evening before does not work for me.

It doesn't adequately cover the 24-hours from the previous evening until the next evening and I see little reason to have the smoothest face while I sleep and an increasing stubble while I am awake.

I don't even think that I have a particularly strong beard growth; maybe it's just that I sometimes catch myself during the day subconsciously feeling my face to see how the shave is holding up.
And it's just not as good if I shaved the evening before.



B.

Yes, shaving the evening before would not work for me either for the same reasons. I don't have a dense heavy beard that shows as blue beard when it regrows but I can only get 10 to 12 hours out of a shave before I feel I need to do another even though the boss says she can't tell. I don't like feeling stubble. All that is after doing a 4 pass shave with a straight razor or Muhle R41 with a feather blade. I guess it depends on what your definition of acceptable is too.

Bob

For me, it's a carry-over from my days of BBS shaves with aggressive DE razors and blades. If I feel beard stubble my S.R. Shaves are incomplete.

Originally Posted by feltspanky

For me, it's a carry-over from my days of BBS shaves with aggressive DE razors and blades. If I feel beard stubble my S.R. Shaves are incomplete.

Question is how long do your shaves last till you feel you need to shave again given a BBS shave to begin with.

Bob

Gentlemen,

I prefer comfortable to perfect, especially on the neck, and shave in three passes. The first pass is always with the grain north to south; the other two passes are a combination of across the grain and against the grain. I shave every morning and my face is pure Hollywood until the next morning. For me, one of the great joys in life is to start my day with a sweet straight razor shave.

Well, when you get to be my age (>65) most of the whiskers are white or gray and I don't get a shadow, I get "highlights" which unless I'm really tan aren't a problem