Thread: DBBS and XBBS (and ABBS)

These are some abbreviations that I have been using, and I find them rather helpful.

DBBS - Directional BBS

Directional BBS is when your face feels BBS when rubbed in the direction you shaved. If you shaved WTG and, when running your hand WTG on your face, your face fells BBS, you have achieved DBBS. Any shave ready razor, used with proper technique, should yield DBBS.

But DBBS means more than just "in the same direction." Imagine you were to assign number values to the traditional WTG, XTG, and ATG directions - 1, 2, and 3 respectively. DBBS would imply that your face feels BBS when you rub at or below the value you shaved. So XTG DBBS would also feel BBS WTG. ATG DBBS (which should just be plain old BBS) would also feel BBS XTG and WTG.

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XBBS - Cross directional BBS

This is when your face feels BBS when rubbed across the direction you shaved. But, drawing on the number scheme above, that would have to be one notch higher than the direction you shaved (otherwise it's still DBBS).

For example, if you shave WTG and your face feels BBS XTG, you have XBBS. Or, if you shave XTG and your face feels BBS ATG, you have XBBS.

With a really great edge and really great shave technique, I can get XBBS.

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ABBS - Against BBS

I suppose that if you could shave WTG and feel BBS ATG, you would have ABBS. This is something I have never experienced. I guess this would really be the ultimate shave. Perhaps it is what we all aspire to with our obsession over the sharpest, smoothest edge and the closest shave.