Thread: Single Pass Shaves Vs Beard Reduction

I think many of us use not two complete passes but when we shave we'll do multistrokes over the same area which has the same effect as beard reduction. Is this the same as two complete passes? No I don't think so. In effect to get a BBS shave you might find some areas require a few extra strokes while others may be BBS with one stroke, one pass.

Originally Posted by hoglahoo

I'm not familiar with progressive beard reduction theory - please, point me in the right direction or give me the cliff notes version? Others may share this question as an introductory toward understanding the difference between this and shaving it all off in one pass

Cliff notes is you perform mutliple light passes in the different directions. Each pass reduces the whisker some nominal amount. This allows you to get a shave as close as possible with the minimal amount od irritation.

Somebody stated that the reason this works with a single edge blade and not say a M3 is because of how the multiple passes in different directions shapes the end of the whisker. With a single blade, at the end, the whisker is shaped like a pencil tip, which feels softer/smoohter longer. With an M3, no matter which direction you shave or how many passes you take, the end of the whisker is shaped like a blunt chisel.

I'm not sure if that answers your question, but that's the best I got. : - )

Originally Posted by Alembic

I'm not sure if that answers your question, but that's the best I got. : - )

I like it, thanks

YMMV!!!!

Given a shave ready edge of course, this is totally up to each person's beard and skin type.....
Also keep in mind experience with actual shaving techniques and experience with what stroke works best with each section of ones face is hugely important

Originally Posted by gssixgun

YMMV!!!!

Given a shave ready edge of course, this is totally up to each person's beard and skin type.....
Also keep in mind experience with actual shaving techniques and experience with what stroke works best with each section of ones face is hugely important

Yep - I agree with that. So when I read something like "a BBS shave is possible in 1 pass", what that might actually mean is "a BBS shave is possible for ME", given all the person specific variables.

Yes, it's possible, I do it most days. This has been discussed here many times. It mostly has to do with what you define as a singel pass.

I guess the difference for me is a servicable shave vs. an outstanding one. With one pass (on MY face with MY beard, I should add) I could have a fairly smooth shave in most areas, would it wouldn't last long before I could feel it growing back. Throw in another pass or 2 and voila - a much smoother and much longer lasting shave.

That being said, back to the definition of BBS....
I personally don't believe in "directional BBS", it either is or it isn't. Anyone who has had a baby can tell you that a BB is the smoothest thing in the world. To be truly BBS it has to be in EVERY DIRECTION POSSIBLE. Therefore, by that definition, I can not say that I really believe in the whole "one pass BBS" phenomenon.

Ok - I think we have lost sight of the original intent of my post.

It has been said time and again here that the strategy for single blade shaving, both straight and DE is beard reduction over multiple light passes.

Then we say BBS is possible with one pass, which goes against the strategy of beard reduction unless somehow multiple passes are being made, and that are just not being called multiple passes based on some body's definition.

By at least my definition, a pass is a full face lather and shaving until all the lather is off. When you re-lather and start again, that is a second pass. When that lather is all off, you re-lather and start again, that is a third pass. Each one of those could be North to south or east to west or south to north or west to east or some combination of all.

But if you lather, make a few strokes without completely removing all of the lather, then re-lather that area and go at it again, I don't see how you can call that a 1 pass shave.

So for those of you that say BBS in 1 pass - how exactly are you making that 1 pass and is it truly 1 pass or are you going over the area multiple times?

I will speak for myself here since I chimed in earlier. I will say, that I think it is impossible to get a true BBS shave with just one pass.

What I said, was that I am able to get true BBS on specific areas of my face with just one pass. I do a slight XTG stroke under my sideburn and on my cheek on my first pass and those areas can get BBS with just that one pass, depending on the razor.

I just don't see that happening on the chin, neck or mustache though. For that reason, I usually, but not always, re-lather and do a second pass.

Well, here's a little video of a guy shaving a full beard on one pass. Personally, it almost looks fake to me, the way the hair just jumps off the face, but I dunno.


straight razor shaving