Is a perfect shave possible wtg

Hey guys newbie here, I have been doing my research through all you guys and I'am baffled on how much information is here. Understanding it all is a pretty daunting task. I just wanted to know if it is possible to get a baby butt smooth shave only going wtg? I get a pretty decent shave and haven't cut myself yet ( knock on wood... many times ) but it is only slightly better than my gilette throw aways. I was thinking im getting average shaves because I ONLY shave wtg. I understand common mistakes made by newbies are, blade ins't sharp, razor is junk, or techniques blows. I,m hoping the problem is my technique of only going wtg. What do you think?

I can get nice and smooth using with- and across-the-grain passes. More importantly, the shaves are free of irritation and that should be your focus.

Definitely get your WTG passes down with your beard growth mapped so that it's acceptable and then start trying across and against and see how your skin responds.

Much of it depends on the kind of beard you have. If you have a thick heavy beard that grows straight out or you have peach fuzz you probably can easily get a BBS shave with minimal maneuvering. If you have the kind with different growth patterns and swirls and all that you will have to use differing strokes to handle the problem areas.

Of course this all assumes you razor and skills are up to the job and your prep is top notch.

A perfect, BBS shave going WTG only? I don't think so, unless (as thebigspendur pointed out) you have a peachfuzz beard. That's not to say that you couldn't get a serviceable shave going WTG only.

That being said if you're getting better shaves WTG than you were with a Bic disposable you're doing fairly well. A dull razor and poor technique doesn`t sound like it`s a problem here. Try XTG and see how you like it.

I have a thin wiry beard and am prone to ingrown hair, so I only shave WTG and XTG. This leaves me very smooth with no irritation and no ingrown hairs. I would rather have very smooth and no irritation vs. BBS and ingrown hairs, as I like to shave everyday!

One pass BBS... not yet
But my one pass shave is much better then my three pass was six months ago

WTG is usually good for the first or even a second pass, but to get to BBS you really need to add at least XTG if not ATG. For my beard it takes WTG then ATG to get the best shave.

Try XTG first. :medvl:

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by thebigspendur

Of course this all assumes you razor and skills are up to the job and your prep is top notch.

---

Big +1 on the razor and skills. For me personally I have to say yes and no. Sometimes I have been able to get it. OTOH, one pass for me isn't one stroke of the razor. It is a stroke immediately followed by a second stroke on the same turf. Maybe a third. The 1905 booklet said never go against the grain.

It says only do one pass for a DFS and if you want bbs do another pass but WTG. So I tried that and sometimes it worked and sometimes it didn't. There are days where I've gotten it with one pass as described above but more often than not it is one pass and call it good for a DFS or do the second pass.

As TBS said, if your whiskers are coming out swirly and in different directions that is another issue. The whiskers on either side of the hollows of my windpipe and the knob of the chin usually require a touch up after the one pass even when Im doing the one pass and call it good type of shave. Varied stretching techniques on that area too. It ain't easy. :)

Thanks guys, I think ill dabble with xtg for a few days on the side burns and cheeks to see if its any better. I agree that comfort should be the main concern but i just thought i would get better results by practicing without having to go xtg or atg but i guess not. My beard is kinda heavy, so from what some of u said it sounds like xtg might be a good idea to start with.

I only do three passes always. And usually it's different than most.
People have their methods, mine works perfect for me.
After I get out of the shower I don't dry off my face. I always have my soap (or cream-depending on whatever I want to use-cream is faster to lather, but my soap gives a more soft feeling after the shave all day) ready and my brush and after shave as well.
I usually but not always use pre-shave oil, I have some AOS pre-shave oil but I make my own and use that everyday or when I use oil at all. It's pretty much just castor and extra virgin olive oil.
I lather up on my face and then I put on my socks and stuff lol
Then I start to shave. The first time I go across the grain (xtg), then against the grain (atg), and finally with the grain (wtg).
Everyone has their methods but like I said, this works perfectly for me. BBS shave and no nicks or scratches. I used to have a pretty thick mustache but the way I shave, it looks like hair never grew on my lip :P the reason I shave with the grain last (again everyone is entitled to their own opinions), is to prevent ingrown hairs from when I shave across the grain. In return, a perfect BBS shave with no irritation, razor burn, or ingrown hairs. :)

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~:medvl:

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.

I was doing a two pass wtg & atg getting a super smooth shave. Then the attack of the dreaded ingrown hairs.
Went to one pass wtg and some touch up. What I have found out, to get a great shave with one pass wtg. I have to have a very good edge on the razor and pay extra attention to proper skin streaching on each stroke.
Afterwards I feel BBS running my fingers wtg, xtg and very little stubble in spots atg. I think that is about the best that can be expected.
When you start just shaving wtg only, you will see how sloppy you were before going wtg because you were falling back on the other 2 passes.


Silver2

:rant:

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Silver2

I was doing a two pass wtg & atg getting a super smooth shave. Then the attack of the dreaded ingrown hairs.
Went to one pass wtg and some touch up. What I have found out, to get a great shave with one pass wtg. I have to have a very good edge on the razor and pay extra attention to proper skin streaching on each stroke.
Afterwards I feel BBS running my fingers wtg, xtg and very little stubble in spots atg. I think that is about the best that can be expected.
When you start just shaving wtg only, you will see how sloppy you were before going wtg because you were falling back on the other 2 passes.


Silver2

---

yeah if there is someone in the house or I wake up late i do two passes as well (xtg then wtg) :P congrats on your new baby! Glycerin shave soaps will make your skin feel so smooth for hours after a BBS shave! ;3