Thread: Question for the bluebeards

I think BBS probably sets up lots of false expectations for beginners. I mean it's subjective. Once your whiskers have been cut-off, how much closer is BBS anyway? I think the more realistic approach is just cut off the stubble and be presentable. Some shaves will barely meet that standard, others may exceed it. FWIW, even after years of using a straight, sometimes I get that sticky smooth gee that was a great shave feeling and other times its, Meh!...that'll do. Although I suspect most of my shaves are somewhere in between those two extremes. I've kind of gotten over obsessing over BBS shaves. If you've got a heavy beard, you're going to have to shave again tomorrow anyway so why sweat it. As long as the shaves are good, comfortable and leave you presentable and cleaned shaved, who cares about some subjective standard like BBS?

I've also noticed that even on the Meh!...that'll do days, I'm still the cleanest shaved guy at work at 5 PM. It stands to reason that those of us whose genetics (or purely manly studlieness) give us a beard that looks like Barney Rubble are going to have a tougher time of it than those that look like Shaggy from Scooby Doo. Don't sweat the small stuff. I'll take comfortable and fun any day. My recommendation? North-South pass, South-North Pass, rinse, feel around for high spots and touch up as required. Unless you're shaving with a spoon, that should get you in the neighborhood, or at least to the comfortable and presentable standard.

This part I had to do. For the record, I'm probably Barney Rubble plus. My beard begins just under my eyes and stops when it turns into chest hair.

Originally Posted by Grazor

I have a very heavy beard. I soon gave up on BBS and concentrated on technique, trying for up to three passes if it was all going good. Now most, but not all, shaves are very comfortable and smooth. Still learning, and actually enjoy shaving for the first time in my life.

^THIS!
similar experience here. I started working on a DFS rather than BBS and as my technique improved, I started getting BBS on my face (excluding the goatee area) without even realizing. I have heavy beard all over my face and VERY heavy beard on my goatee area, I also have very insensitive skin so doing ATG passes doesn't bother me at all (I also enjoy ATG passes). My experience would have been alot different if I had tough beard and sensitive skin...
Just work on your technique and everything else will fall into place.

I don't qualify as a 'bluebeard' but ..... I can get BBS on 90-95% of my face/neck with routine daily shaving. To get 100% I have to work harder at it than it is worth to me. Talking rubbing the face/neck in all directions to feel for stubble. The 90 to 95% is plenty good enough for me more often than not. Speaking of shaving with a straight or with a Merkur Slant with a Feather. Same results.

I've got a pretty heavy beard, and have about as many straight razor shaves under my belt as you do. My technique is still getting better with each shave. I can get my cheeks and jawline pretty much BBS (feeling with slight pressure, in all directions) but my neck is only "pretty good". At this point I think it's down to getting better at stretching the skin on my weird asymetrically grained neck. At times it's easy to start blaming the razor (it's the only straight razor I've ever had, is it really sharp enough?) but then I feel my near perfect cheeks, and have to admit if it were the razor, the whole shave would be bad. Anyway, after about 3 dozen shaves, I can get a shave that looks perfectly presentable without touching it up with a safety razor. Because I've made a hobby out of shaving, I want to continue improving, but for now, if it looks like a good shave I have to be happy!

My normal shave takes 6 or so minutes and 20 for BBS all over. If I am going to have my face on some other soft places I will go the extra time it takes because I know somebody else will appreciate it. :<0) Otherwise what's the point ? For me to get it all that close it takes against the grain passes and hunting for them. Some passes may be risky and this is where the learning curve comes in. Sometimes I'll use a second razor (freshly stropped) for the final passes.

I shave with straights, shavettes, DEs and the Cobra Classic and I don't get BBS with any of them. I can get 90% of a BBS with a DE (with more irritation than I want), but am much happier with the goal being a DFS. The Cobra gets the closest cut (using the Feather Pro blade) followed by DE, shavette and straights. Why are straight last, because they aren't as sharp as the best disposable blades. I don't get a DFS (at least what I call a DFS) from a straight on my cheeks or anywhere else. I learned using DEs and I ended up using Feather and Super Iridium blades because most blades can't cut the beard around my mouth without pulling. In fact a couple of brands (which will remain nameless) did not pull when they reached my chin, they stopped cutting period.

It has been said that sharpness makes up for some poor technique, but that seems to me to be saying it's tricky to shave with a duller blade. I certainly agree with that. If maintaining your blade at a level of sharpness required to cut your beard is beyond the time and skill level of the shaver, then using a sharper manufactured blade makes more sense. Of course, it is fun to try and build your skill set up to the point you need to achieve your goal. It is just significantly more difficult for those of us with very coarse beards.

I have a heavy beard around my chin and neck. However, my cheek is where I am lucky, strangely, where it is easier to shave. Anyway, after 14 months, my chin sometimes is not 100% but it is fairly close. It took me several revelations to get my chin down. Honestly, I do not think it will get any better but I am content. I do east to west and north to south passes along that area. I am still experimenting some with skin stretching. I am luck to have fairly tough skin.

When I started something that stuck in my head was "100 Shaves"
As others have said its a lot to master and plenty of variables to keep it interesting.
For me is seemed like every 25 shaves there was some incremental improvement, something that I could now do that the week before seemed impossible.
Learning your beard pattern, skin tension, learning the angled blade/sweeping pass and oh yeah, that edge needs to "shave ready" every time.

Many of the breakouts came with a new to me and recently honed blade. It showed up when I was ready to make the next step and viola...a new vote of confidence to keep you going. It also reminded me to focus on stropping (See Glen's tip of the month)

And this is why some of us (Ace, OO) have a spot in the rotation for a Feather (Folding, non folding, KAI, CJB Clone) IMHO not as comfy as most of my regular razors but you will not be wondering if the thing is sharp....

And I do have a heavy beard, as in when shaving with a Cart very early in the AM I am looking pretty shifty 14 hours later....Not so with a straight....

Hang in there...one day soon you will be rinsing your face at the end of the shave and you will get that "excessive face touching" feeling, smile in the mirror and say to yourself..."I get it.."

Thanks a lot for the input guys. I'm just so anal about having a BBS shave against the grain. I'm not getting as bad of burn on my neck and jaw line as I was, but the quality of the shave is really what is frustrating me. I know I just need to relax and go with it and it will come. I need to learn better patience.