How many passes to get a baby but smooth with no irradiation?
Printable View
How many passes to get a baby but smooth with no irradiation?
Your face or mine? That is a serious answer that changes with time, humidity, diet, shave product, and skill.
The old salts say that a three pass shave will do a bang-up job. BBS to say it.
Not stated is the amount of strokes used for different areas of the face and neck during one lathering/ pass.
So, If you are getting a good shave, the latherings and passes are suited to your face and beard type. If not try a wetter lather, more detail strokes during the pass and see what improvements come about. Six months of work should give you repeatable BBS shaves if your razor and products are in good shave ready condition.
~Richard
There is n magic number, it really depends on your experience level and the razor. And BBS really dnt what you should be trying to get when starting, go slow and learn the skills. I can get my shave n 2 passes no problem, but you maybe 10. After a 100 shaves or so with a razor whose edge is ready you will get the shave your wanting. Tc
As others have said, this is different for everyone.
I never really chase a BBS shave anyway. For me comfort is the real reason I moved to straights. I very rarely do more than two passes. My hair grows quickly and a BBS soon disappears anyway. For me it's all about enjoying the experience.
Everyone will have their own story here and in time so will you.
Just take your time and enjoy the shave.
BBS is overrated in my opinion. If you manage to get that with no irritation, you are good to go. If all you get that day is a DFS (damn fine shave), you are still good to go! Go outdoors and enjoy the day in all its wonders and glory.
Mike
I can get very close with a two pass + some touch up. I never really go for a true BBS anymore
With my best edges I get a perfect BBS in 1 multi directional pass and yet another for touch ups. If I am in a hurry I don't bother with touch ups and am guaranteed a superb shave just a few stubble short of BBS. As long as I am not in a hurry I always shoot for BBS + no irritation. There is no point in obtaining a BBS in spite of your face/neck. You can always shave tomorrow and can replace everything except your face.
If you just shave your face/neck and everyday try to improve sooner than later you will be getting a BBS shave with no irritation more often than not but it seems if you chase it you don't improve as quickly because you are irritating your face and neck and a BBS is really impossible with scrapes, scars, and bumps right?
A few weeks after I started I went for a BBS shave, it took 6 passes. To say my face was irritated would be an understatement.
About a year later, BBS happened on its own after 3 passes.
I'm a few years in now and occasionally I get bbs with only 2 passes.
Don't chase the BBS and it will come to you in time.
I can get a passable shave in one multidirectional pass, I can get a dam fine shave in two passes and in two passes with a little touch up I can get BBS or BBS with irritation on my neck, it is a very very fine line between BBS and irritation for me. I rarely attempt BBS, because very few can tell the difference between a DFS and BBS, and that very few is two, my wife and I. No one else gets to stroke my face and inspect my shave.
If we go back to the early straight razor shaves, there were some shaves that I only got as close as a multi blade, there were a few shaves where I got as much irritation as I got with multi blades, there were some that were amazing that left me touching my face a lot. Gradually they all became much much closer than the multi blades, they all are much more comfortable than the multis.
I always wear a lead vest to prevent irradiation. Sorry, I could not help myself!
Yeah I chased the perfect shave for a long time when I started out. As soon as I stopped chasing bbs, the shaves got better and better. Part of what makes it so enjoyable.
I noticed you are asking about different hones etc. Send a razor out for a pro hone, well worth the money.
Sent from a moto x far far away
I stopped using my uranium straights because I hated the irradiation I would get from them ;)Quote:
Originally Posted by Wayne1963
Couldn't help myself either
I gave up on BBS. I get a DFS at 2 passes and with a little touch up. I tried and tried to get BBS but it just never happened. I've gotten very close to it but its not worth it. After a few hours I got stubble again and sense I shave at night before bed, Its not worth the efort. Some say it will come some day. When it does, I'll be happy. But for now, Damn Fine Shave is good enough for me!
And thanks to Roy for pounding it into my head. There was a lot of irritation from trying.
Like many of you I am no longer pursuing a Bbs.Not worth the stress and irritation. For me I get pretty good Shave on my left side of my face after 3 passes and a touch up. On a whole I get a dgs
I used to do what I call, whisker chasing around my mouth & chin area. Got some severe irritation doing that. ( right pass, left pass, north pass, south pass over and over..)
Now, I don't do that.
3.5 passes, the .5 is touch up.
BBS every shave now, but it takes me around 65 minutes. I'm retired and nothing else to do... I zen out and lose track of time, to which I don't care. :shrug:
My daily shave consists of two passes, about thirty minutes from first wash to final rinse. IF after those two passes I have any stubble remaining I will use the same razor the next day and try again. If after that shave I can detect any stubble it's back to get a touch-up on the hones. I have had some professionally honed razors that removed all my whiskers in one pass, I am not able to duplicate that on my own... yet.
I'm a 4 pass shaver. I have a tough beard growing in all directions so if I try a 2 or 3 pass shave for BBS it a lot of irritation. I can now do 4 passes and get BBS without irritation, I go for reduction each pass.
Two and a 'clean up' pass with a good straight razor edge. One WTG, one ATG, rinse and dry face, touch up the neck with super light pressure and a dry face.
Cheers, Steve
I'm assume you're asking about how to get a certain kind of shave, and not how to make a baby (baby but smooth?), so here's the answer to the former:Quote:
Originally Posted by bigman
https://i.imgur.com/JWwgeX1.gif
For me the answer is 2.5 when I feel like it. As others mentioned, there are just too many variables at play to be able to come up with a general formula
Each man is different regarding whiskers. For me I try to do it in 3 passes. And maybe a touch up. I find I get a closer shave on my right side of face. If I do 4 passes I get some irritation on my jaw line and neck.
I'm with Gasman, I gave up on BBS quite awhile back just not worth the trouble, I do two passes which consists of one WTG and the second is a como od XTG/ATG and call it good, i have tried 3 passes plus but always get irratation especially right under my chin, I am guessing it's just a sensative area as i use no pressure but it still haunts me so I shoot for DFS and am good with that.
Aloha!
I typically don't deliberately chase BBS. I do my first pass WTG and depending on mood, time, temperatment, razor feel, I do the 2nd X-grain on the cheeks and chin and lip, and against the grain on the neck. Sometimes if I really want a BBS for whatever reason (special occasion) I grab my Jagger DE with a Feather blade for a cleanup pass after the straight shave just to "mop-up". Yes, I can mop-up with my straight, but I'm talking deliberately chasing a BBS shave here. If I really want to chase that super BBS feel, nothing seems to get it done better than first two passes with my straight, then a cleanup with a Feather blade in my Jagger.
Those Feather blades in the right razor for your skin type and preference really can shine, but as a straight lover, I always seem to stick mostly with a straight blade.
I usually get a DFS (damn fine shave) with all of my straight razors and that's good enough for me.
As mentioned earlier YMMV is the key here. Diet, weight, skin type, blades, razors, soaps, etc. all have an effect on shaving. I've been able to do a DFS with two passes of my straight. Many would call that good and move on to aftershaving treatment.
The art of shaving has many rabbit holes. 1 pass or 3 passes, DE or straight or shavette or a combination of these, there are mny choices depending on what is a priority to you that day - or what you are in the mood for. When I use a Shavette, I typically do ONE pass with the shavette, and 2nd with a DE as I find that I cut myself on 2nd or 3rd pass with a shavette trying to go X-Grain or Against-Grain.
Whatever you deside.....Have fun and enjoy!
-Zip
What is a BBS? I agree with the 2nd post; the one from Geezer.
BBS = Baby Butt Smooth
Cheers, Steve
The quickest way to BBS is to stop trying to get them. When your trying for BBS most people will use more pressure. Less pressure is the key IMO.