Define: BBS

[niftyshaving]

A BBS is defined by me when my gal touches my face and says "Baby... ".
An non-BBS is when she says "too scratchy no smootchie".

[cromagnum]

I rarely get a BBS shave. I have about 10 to 15 min for the whole shave thing, and that leaves 2 spot that have a unidirectional rough spot, with the grain you can not feel stubble but xtg you can. The chin and the jaw line. If I keep trying different angles I will get them smooth, but this greatly increase the chance of a weeper. My face is no longer 18, so that baby smoothness is long gone, nicks are rare but weeper are common if I keep at it. Which is nother thread is you ask me, how ofter to you get weepers.

Crom

[kipper]

The ultimate test is a fluffy round makeup remover cotton pad thingy. If you rub it across your face, and none of the fibres catch - you're there.

Still waiting for that to happen, though, blasted jawline and all that.

That would really be the perfect test for a BBS shave.

[radaddict]

C'mon guys. We're men! Strike a match against your face. If it lights, you're not BBS!

[niftyshaving]

C'mon guys. We're men! Strike a match against your face. If it lights, you're not BBS!

Have ya ever struck a match on glass?
It works, just do not do it on a good window.

[welshwizard]

From the definitions offered I guess most of you guys don't have kids.

[niftyshaving]

From the definitions offered I guess most of you guys don't have kids.

Hmm... any guy that has a BBS face is odd to say the least.
A BB is soooooooooooo verrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr much softer......
Nothing any MAN that shaves can do will ever get close. Nothing.
no how, no way....

[Ryan82]

This might ruffle some feathers here (it shouldn't), but think that the term BBS is widely overused at SRP. After some reflection over the year-and-a-few-months I've been shaving with a straight I've come to the conclusion that BBS is an approximation of the PERFECT shave. Think about it, Baby Butt Smooth; the very term describes absolute smoothness over the entire face and neck in every possible direction. Sounds like perfection to me, and probably the kind of perfection that only a small fraction of members have ever achieved

One term that is more widely used on other wet shaving forums is DFS (or Damn Fine Shave for the uninitiated), and I'm not sure why it isn't used as commonly here. Is it that we SR shavers strive for the ultimate perfect shave every time? Doubtful. I think it's more likely that our definition of BBS is somewhat lacking. For example, many members claim to get BBS from a combo of WTG and XTG. That's not to say you can't get a fantastic shave with those two passes, however since you will not get absolute smoothness without a complete ATG pass you can not truly say you are BBS.

I don't see why there's shame in a DFS. Isn't it still damn fine? Does your face have to be perfectly smooth every time? Definitely not. Personally I only go for BBS (or at least my closest approximation of it ) on very special occasions as I will be tempting the almost-inevitable irritation that comes with it. The rest of the time a DFS sounds just fine to me.

[Frankenstein]

One term that is more widely used on other wet shaving forums is DFS (or Damn Fine Shave for the uninitiated), and I'm not sure why it isn't used as commonly here. Is it that we SR shavers strive for the ultimate perfect shave every time? Doubtful. I think it's more likely that our definition of BBS is somewhat lacking. For example, many members claim to get BBS from a combo of WTG and XTG. That's not to say you can't get a fantastic shave with those two passes, however since you will not get absolute smoothness without a complete ATG pass you can not truly say you are BBS.

I don't see why there's shame in a DFS. Isn't it still damn fine? Does your face have to be perfectly smooth every time? Definitely not. Personally I only go for BBS (or at least my closest approximation of it ) on very special occasions as I will be tempting the almost-inevitable irritation that comes with it. The rest of the time a DFS sounds just fine to me.

Well, this is why I started the thread. I noticed some people saying they were getting great shaves - then describing some kind of strange technique that wouldn't give a BBS shave, while some others were saying they got BBS while saying there was still some stubble on certain areas. I suspect if you know the angles, have a soft, light and confidant touch, know the strokes you need to do for each area, have a sharp razor and don't get distracted while you're shaving it's quite easy to get a BBS shave.
Personally, my shaves range between BBS and goddam awful - with either cuts, irritation, or serious razorburn because generally I'm a careless shaver - always have been and will continue, quite happily, to be. However, like most people here, I'm sure, if I want to get a DFS or BBS shave I can - it may just take a little longer, require a little more thought, or a little less forcing the blade.