Thread: Becoming a one pass shaver

It is very interesting reading everyone's different procedures and shaving styles. We all differ in the ideal shave. When I started shaving with a straight it was always 3 passes as recommended by the elders and general population on SRP. That was the thing to do. I did that until I found what worked best and that turned out to be a 2 pass wtg and xtg. BBS. I did this for a year and a half. More recently as the edges I have been producing have improved I am finding myself doing one and done wtg. It seems to give me a dfs and never any irritation or ingrown hairs, red bumps, itchy spots. I have come to enjoy this. It just goes to show how we change so much in such a short amount of time. A once over I go.

True dat Scott.
My second passes these days are more to savor the shave and lather rather than out of necessity.
DFS is more than sufficient for the day, and gives you whiskers sooner to deal with anew..

I usually just go one pass now that work is really tuning up and I am super busy! I still prep the same but don't want to take the additional time to do the second and third pass. The shave, as you mention, is still great
When my free time increases I might go extra but time will tell!

I used to do 2 passes religiously (3 gives me irritation) but after all these years it is more frequently 1 and call it good.

If I shaved everyday, I would do a one pass. However, my skin is a little too sensitive for that, especially with a naniwa 12k finish. I may be able to pull it off with a coticule finish, which I will be putting to the test this week. Typically I do 2 passes on the cheeks and 3 on the rebar that grows on my neck.

Originally Posted by S0LITARYS0LDIER

It is very interesting reading everyone's different procedures and shaving styles. We all differ in the ideal shave. When I started shaving with a straight it was always 3 passes as recommended by the elders and general population on SRP. That was the thing to do. I did that until I found what worked best and that turned out to be a 2 pass wtg and xtg. BBS. I did this for a year and a half. More recently as the edges I have been producing have improved I am finding myself doing one and done wtg. It seems to give me a dfs and never any irritation or ingrown hairs, red bumps, itchy spots. I have come to enjoy this. It just goes to show how we change so much in such a short amount of time. A once over I go.

Pretty much a one-pass shaver myself. Sharp allows that. If I obsess a little then it's a 1.5 pass. N-S followed by E-W just on the cheeks.

One pass...NEVER!!!

As MikeB52 says, savor the shave, I always do three, and frequently, I'll drag it out for a 4th "cleanup" pass with a final WTG all over pass....just feels so nice once that lather is warm, nice brush in hand, and a fine razor, want to enjoy the peace for as long as I can. Only problem with doing a four pass shave then is it's a good two days before I can shave again....

This is another example for me of it being about the journey, not the destination...shaving for me is no longer a "task", I make it an "experience", and try then to treat the rest of my day like that. Enjoying the moments that make up our lives.

I started doing three plus passes and have it down to generally two passes. If I am doing stuff that gets me away from shaving for a week or so then it is sometimes two and a half. I have tried to work out how to get a one pass multi direction shave that leaves me with a dfs that is close comfortable and passes muster with the wife, however I have not yet arrived. Perhaps in time. As long as I have zero irritation and a close shave I'm happy happy happy.

One well mapped multi-directional pass with a well honed razor =


I have been and continue to be for the last 36 years using a SR only about the comfort

My minimum straight razor (or DE for that matter) shave is one and one half passes, the extra half being attention to the "chinstrap" area (where a football helmet chinstrap would contact). One pass would leave me with a ghost of a goatee that would haunt me at work.