Thread: One pass shave?

So last night, I was in a hurry to get into bed for whatever reason , and I decided to go with a one pass shave. With mostly WTG and scything strokes, I got a really nice shave in virtually no time. It was really surprising. I guess I shouldn't be surprised because I remember (vaguely) a thread not too long ago about the one pass challenge that Glen issued.

I'd always been told that a single pass wasn't good enough, but I wouldn't have been embarrassed at all to go out to a business dinner looking like I did after that shave.

I just thought I'd share and see what your thoughts are on a one pass shave.

I've done it in a pinch, but the results were less than adequate. Would certainly not go to work looking that way.

I rarely use more than one pass for a shave anymore

One pass is perfectly presentable for me, and it's quick. It continues to improve with watchful practice

For most of my face, I do only one pass. The exception is my chin area - I've had a goatee on and off so it's the part of my face that I'm least experienced at shaving and I typcially do the chin in two passes. I very rarely shave ATG because it irritates my skin, but I do go XTG in some areas regurlarly.

i could probably get by with one pass with buffing and touch up strokes included but .... I love that warm lather coming out of that Moss scuttle for the second pass too much to deprive myself of it.

I have been doing one pass shaves for awhile now. I do 2 passes every once in awhile. (Like today for instance no reason just felt like 2 passes) but for the most part doing 1 pass shaves has helped a lot with my touch and shaving skill, it also seems to have helped my honing. If I can get a great 1 pass shave from a razor I honed then I know I did a great job.

Originally Posted by red96ta

I've done it in a pinch, but the results were less than adequate. Would certainly not go to work looking that way.

"Less than adequate" is the word.

Sometimes, when I had an early 4:45 am shave and my day stretches late into the evening I do an acceptable two-pass shave 12 hours later.

But single pass?
Don't think so - at least not for my whiskers.



B.

I think one-pass shaves were much more common before the advent of the safety razor and shaving every day. 150-200+ years ago, most men didn't shave every day, and when they did, it was probably usually a single-pass shave. The late Patrick O'Brian, in his Aubrey/Maturin novels, makes particular note of this at various places. Occasionally Stephen Maturin (a man generally careless of his dress), upon being informed that Captain Aubrey has invited a guest onboard ship to dinner, will pass his hand over his face last shaved 2 or 3 days prior, and mutter, "It will do, it will do." And in other places, junior officers expecting a severe reprimand for some fault or oversight are described as reporting to their captain "triple-shaved"--a 3-pass shave, only undertaken on special occassions.

I have really stiff facial hair and I do it every day with a few touch ups on the chin. I am in the military so it must be pretty decent or I would get called out on it.

Originally Posted by Redcane

I have really stiff facial hair and I do it every day with a few touch ups on the chin. I am in the military so it must be pretty decent or I would get called out on it.

I used to get dressed down fairly regularly when I was in the USAF because the electric piece of garbage that was sold to me as "a razor" was wholey inadequate to the task.
I normally do 3 passes and touch up on the neck and chin. If I want a one pass shave, the straight, or any other razor I own, is capable of it. But it won't be as smooth to my hand, and 8 or 10 hours later, I'll need a "real" shave.
Usually, though, if I have time for one pass, two will not take much longer, and the results are much better.