What exactly is BBS?

[flyman]

The way I see it, BBS is a term that has been tossed around rather casually at times. According to my understanding, a BBS shave is one in which every square inch of my face is as smooth to a light touch as a baby's bottom in 360 degrees of direction. After a shave, I check various parts of my face for any remaining stubble. According to my understanding, there are a few circumstances in which a perfectly good DFS narrowly misses BBS, or a BBS narrowly misses being a DFS. Here are some of them:

1.) BBS on all parts of the face except...: Not a BBS shave

2.) No stubble left, but feels like fine grit
sandpaper in one direction: Not a BBS shave

3.) BBS in all directions, but when skin is
stretched you can feel whiskers: BBS shave!

4.) BBS in all directions, but when heavier
pressure is applied, whiskers can be felt: BBS shave!

I may be getting a little tedious about it, but I think a true BBS shave should be the holy grail of shaving. As I said once before, like bowling a perfect game. Fact is, the definition seems to be a little vague. Am I wrong?

[gull]

BBS does get tossed around a lot and I've read how some get such a shave with only WTG and XTG passes

I agree with your definition. BBS means your face is smooth no matter which direction you feel your face.

[ama015]

Good thread.

I agree. BBS is the ultimate shave, and that includes all of your face. To reach that perfect shave I have to use at least 3 passes with touchups. After a while you get to know your difficult places to shave, and I give those places special treatment.

When I say BBS I mean just that. I don`t want to feel anything touching my face in any direction.

[flyman]

At my stage of the game, the best shave I have had was 3 passes and touch ups. I still haven't got a BBS shave! I have gotten it all with the exception of the real estate right on either side of the adams apple. For one thing, at my age the skin gets a little loose down there.

One thing though, each pass I make is not strictly WTG, ATG, XTG. Within each pass I make several follow up strokes in different directions. Using this method, I have mastered getting a DFS in one pass.

[souschefdude]

I have noticed, in my pursuit of a BBS, that under my jaw line I'll still feel stubble during the shave, after a WTG XTG and ATG. I'll give up because tenderness is starting to get the best of me. But then after, after the post shave routine, cold water,EveryMan Jack menthol, face balm, post shave strop, and 2 fingers of bourbon poured, I run my finger over the problem area and Viola, no stubble!. Any else ever have that experience?

[flyman]

Absolutely!

My post shave routine: Cold water rinse, Thayer's Witch Hazel toner, Lucky Tiger vanishing after shave with menthol and mint, Nivea AS balm for sensitive skin.

About an hour after the post shave my skin has had enough time to relax and I get the best result.

[Tuxedo7]

I have noticed, in my pursuit of a BBS, that under my jaw line I'll still feel stubble during the shave, after a WTG XTG and ATG. I'll give up because tenderness is starting to get the best of me. But then after, after the post shave routine, cold water,EveryMan Jack menthol, face balm, post shave strop, and 2 fingers of bourbon poured, I run my finger over the problem area and Viola, no stubble!. Any else ever have that experience?

Hey Sous ... You are not unique in your experience. My opinion on this (and you know what opinions are like), is that if you have prepped your face well (post shower, good lather, etc.), the hair has likely expanded with the warming and absorption of water. This leaves the hair slightly lengthened. Once your shave is complete, the face is splashed with cool water, and astringent/alum block applied, and your face is given some time, the hair shrinks back to it's natural length ... and if you've shaved pretty well, that is either at, or maybe even just below the skin surface.

I've actually gotten to the point that I kind of know what my face/stubble feels like during the shave, so that I have an idea when to stop chasing the BBS (in spots) ... as I have yet to get BBS completely on my chin or right under my nose.

[Bodach]

At my stage of the game, the best shave I have had was 3 passes and touch ups. I still haven't got a BBS shave! I have gotten it all with the exception of the real estate right on either side of the adams apple. For one thing, at my age the skin gets a little loose down there.

One thing though, each pass I make is not strictly WTG, ATG, XTG. Within each pass I make several follow up strokes in different directions. Using this method, I have mastered getting a DFS in one pass.

Let's set the stage...

John Doe shaved in the morning before work and considers his shave to be a PGS.

If I walked up to John Doe and stood a comfortable distance from him, would I see stubble here and there and think he just did a poor job of shaving?

Same exact setup, but now John Doe thinks he had a DFS, does the answer change?

As many of you have said BBS is the holy grail of the shave, meaning it would be perfectly smooth if your wife or girlfriend were to rub her hands over your head/face. At what point does the shave break down enough that it looks "sloppy" from a business point of view--I.E. you can see it and it looks bad. DFS, PGS?

Bodach

[souschefdude]

One of the better recent shaves I had was before a cousins' wedding last weekend. I was not trying for BBS, just trying to not leave any weepers, didn't want to bleed all over my collar, plus all my relatives who knew I started str8 shaving recently would have been all over me if I showed up bloody. I made 2 passes only, and got a DFS. not quite BBS, but not far from it.
Moral: relax and enjoy, don't chase the BBS.

Be the shave.

[Alembic]

At what point does the shave break down enough that it looks "sloppy" from a business point of view--I.E. you can see it and it looks bad. DFS, PGS?

When I was M3 shaving - that would have been about 6 hours and I looked like I forgot to shave.

Now it's 10 hours for PGS, 14-16 hours for DFS, 20-24 hours for BBS.

Hell yes it's worth the effort.