Those passages from the manual, while sagely, are generalizations. Each man must find his own best way through.

My small beard is stubborn and I usually do a kind of once over. Once the first pass is done, I merely wet my face with water for the ATG pass. There is enough lubricity remaining from the previous lathering to get me through well. Contrary to what the manual says, I experience the most irritation from not shaving.

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