Thread: Is a perfect shave possible wtg

You can actually get a great bbs shave if you only rub your face in the direction that you shaved, which in your case is WTG. You can get pretty close all over with a little diagonal deviation, but really the ATG or XTG is needed. In most cases, you get a pretty clean looking shave with just the WTG pass, just not the same as that sticky smoooove that you get with the other passes and touch up where needed.

Have fun,

Lynn

Well, this morining I tried xtg on my cheeks after a wtg pass. I found that there is a quite a difference, so thanks guys. But it still wasn't the holy grail that was looking for so I decided to grow a pair and try atg on one of my cheeks after repreping my face( very very very well ). And to my suprise it was damn near perfect. I ran my fingers every which way on that cheek and cannot feel any stuble!. So I guess I need to practice more and more until I can go xtg and atg on my entire face to find that elusive "Perfect shave". Thanks again.

This is an interesting question to me, mainly because, from my perspective BBS isn't the reason I would pursue Straights over some other form of shaving. BBS is and can be a very nice result of shaving with a straight razor. However the enjoyment and satisfaction I receive while shaving are my main reason for going to all this trouble.

That being said, 80% of the time, I shave WTG. I get nice clean shaves WTG and am happy with the result. I suppose the quality of the shave, in terms of how close my whiskers are cut to the skin may be similar to what I got from using those throw away Gillette razors. (But then again I cant say. I always grew a beard so I didn't have to shave so much.) However all similarities end there. The amount of control possible with a Straight is simply not achievable with a cartridge razor. My shaves are now totally free of irritation. Gillette unfortunately couldn't give me that kind of shave. I would rather have a irritation free face, that is clear and radiant over simply a closer shave any day. I am not down playing BBS. I believe it is possible to achieve a BBS, irritation free shave with straights. I just cant do it.....yet.


Have an excellent day Gentlemen,
Matthew

I agree with commiecat and Lynn and Matthew....I mostly shave WTG and come about 97-98%BBS.Just focus on comfortable for now and BBS will come with time and experience.As long as you look good and feel good,that's what's important for the time being. I think too many guys get obssessed with BBS and expect perfection too soon. "They can have my straight blade when they can pry it from my cold dead fingers HA ! ~Moi~

I have been impressed with how much my WTG passes have improved. At first, doing all three, W-X-ATG still left a lot to be desired. Now I'm doing WTG/XTG and then a little ATG in spots with a very fine, nearly BBS result. I have also noticed that the first pass, the WTG pass, is getting better and better.

It has occurred to me that while shaving twice a day was a burden and chore with canned cream and disposables, that maybe doing WTG in the morning and then having a little shave-break in the afternoon for another WTG pass might be worthwhile, since straight shaving is so much fun!

I am shooting for two passes as my goal. A good WTG pass, and then a hybrid pass that mixes directions to get the best results on different parts of my face.

I also find that the oblique stroke, or so-called scything stroke--whether these are the same or different I don't care!--is essential to getting the most out any pass.

For what it's worth: I call a stroke where the razor edge is held at a slight angle to the line of the stroke "oblique," and a stroke in which the razor pivots somewhat, with the toe sweeping in a circular manner a "scything" stroke.

Both of these definitions are likely wrong, though both strokes are great. We love to fight here about the names!

An experienced WTG shave can only yield a DFS for me. But I have never settled for it when a little more effort yielded me a BBS shave.

Pabster

Most of the time, and I mean excepting weddings and funerals, I do two passes WTG,XTG. For those rare times(and occasional new razors) I will Throw in ATG for the BBS. This usually costs me a few ingrowns no matter what I do.
That being said, the two pass usual, plus touch ups passes my wife's inspection.
Ed
quicknicker

I'm a two pass shaver, I go one with and one against. This gives me BBS. I would, by choice, not be bothered with BBS, but being a full-time Dad of three, with the youngest only a few months old, I find it necessay to save the babys face from rash causing stubble.
My beard isn't too heavy though, which helps, or maybe it just doesn't look heavy with all the grey that's in it.


Mick

I can get a one pass BBS shave on my cheeks by going XTG only, but I have to go WTG and XTG on my neck and then usually do some tidying up afterwards as well to get truly BBS.

I just shaved and on my final pass went atg above my jaw line. I gotta say, going atg has a completly different feel and sound to it, made me a little nervous. But after, my face was SMOOTH, no razor burn too. Thanks guys.