Shave timing stuff

Hi

I seem to notice that it's much easier to shave 3-4 + days' gowth than 2 days' growth. In fact, it seems that the 2 days' growth is harder to shave than 1 day's growth...

So I am trying to confirm / hear opinions: when is you growth hardest to shave?

Also trying to see what you use in different situations

For me, if hair is long, I go for bigger (6/8 - 8/8) hollows or wedges. If gorwth is medium, I'll pick up a full hollow 6/8 or so, but might do a wedge if I feel like it. Tried a 4/8 frameback on 2 days' and it didn't seem to work that well (bit blunt, but still I seem to need more heft / momentum for this situation). For 1 day's growth, my current favorites are two full hollows - 6/8 Puma and 6/8 Duck.

I was also thinking, is it easiest to shave twice a day to avoid having the rough stubble come out in the first place. Plus, 2 shaves in one day - this sounds so good I feel a bit dirty :roflmao

CHeers
Ivo

Interesting .. Now I am going to have to pay attention to my shaving. I will say 4 days is very satisfying when you see all the stubble in the sink.:tu

How can you guys stand 4 days without a shave? :eek: The most I can do is skip a day, and that's only before Taylor-days.

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Originally Posted by FiReSTaRT

How can you guys stand 4 days without a shave? :eek: The most I can do is skip a day, and that's only before Taylor-days.

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Only my first 4 days in the cast where I couldn't figure out how to shave without standing up.

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Originally Posted by FiReSTaRT

How can you guys stand 4 days without a shave? :eek: The most I can do is skip a day, and that's only before Taylor-days.

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Ilija,

not so easy, I admit, but there are several factors contributing:
1. I am used to not shaving for a week or so for as long as I remember
2. My wife likes me with stubble (I like me with stubble too)
3. If I shave every day it's not as satisfying as when I shave once every 3 days (and results are worse - shave is less smooth, skin is more irritated, etc.)
4. People at work don't care / are used to me

Shaving is great since I switched to straights, and sometimes I shave every day but I generally try to hold on a bit longer. I know I'll enjoy it even more

Cheers
Ivo

I get my best shaves if I shave every other day, daily shaves cause considerable more skin irritation and are therefore less close.
A growth of more thans say 3-4 days requires an extra pass on neck and cheeks.
My cheeks and neck usually get only one pass, moustache, chin and jaw line get 2.

I subscribe to the addage: "A gentleman shaves close and daily". Sorry, I do not have a clue as to whom this quote should be attributed.

However, I will admit that the half dozen or so times that I have skipped a day shaving since switching over to a straight, the resulting shave took less effort to acheive BBS. At the same time, each time I had two days growth I made a conscious decision to select my best razor from my rotation for the shave. Thus, there is some confounding in the experiment; a statistician would say that the observations are not independent of one another so causality cannot be presumed--is it the razor or the two days growth?

Just another data point,
Ed

You and your data points Ed :roflmao I'll actually resolve that one. I noticed that my best shaver performed even better after skipping a day. That's why I skip a day before shaving with it 50% of the time. The results have been consistent.

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Originally Posted by ForestryProf

I subscribe to the addage: "A gentleman shaves close and daily". Sorry, I do not have a clue as to whom this quote should be attributed.

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I'd have to agree - the nature of my 'business' means that I pretty much have to shave every morning. Maybe I can skip a day if I know I'm going to be in the office writing briefs all day.

But when I'm on vacation or whatever and feel too lazy to even shave, then I do have to agree with Rich that seeing the stubble come off is pretty nifty. :)

Skipping a day always results in a better closer shave. If you have a very fine beard it just may take an extra day or so to produce the extra hair that others produce in less time.

So the question is why? I would guess (and its just that) that there is just more hair to cut and a bigger target for the razor rather than that puny little hair sticking up after one day. Hey its the same with mowing your lawn. If the grass is longer you get a better cut and better overall job than if you mow the lawn with little growth. Right? You bet because the Bigspendur says its so!

I too have to shave daily as my boss would frown on an unshaven face. I don't see that as a problem though as I love shaving. I find if my razor is sharp I get a good shave every day.

Except when I'm not working I can't even consider not shaving every day. THe times I skipped a day or more, it did seem that the shave was better.

I've heard this many times and seen many discussions, but there are only two answers that seem to make any sense. One is that the additional growth allows natural oils to be secreted and absorbed, which soften the hair and make it easier to cut. The other is that you forgot how comfortable your shaves are now, and the the results of shave feel better because you're comparing it to that prickly mess, instead of just your daily stubble.

Shaving does not only remove stubble but also a thin layer of dead (and if you nick yourself live) skin. The longer you haven't shaved the more time your skin has had to recover. The fact that alcohol and adstringents sting when applied immediately after shaving but not when applied one or more days after shaving demonstrates the fact that shaving has uncovered nerve endings that normally are covered by an intact skin. The more recovered the skin the better it can handle a shave. 24 hours may just not be enough time for the skin to recover.

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Originally Posted by Kees

Shaving does not only remove stubble but also a thin layer of dead (and if you nick yourself live) skin. The longer you haven't shaved the more time your skin has had to recover. The fact that alcohol and adstringents sting when applied immediately after shaving but not when applied one or more days after shaving demonstrates the fact that shaving has uncovered nerve endings that normally are covered by an intact skin. The more recovered the skin the better it can handle a shave. 24 hours may just not be enough time for the skin to recover.

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This is, of course true, but my answer was provided with the asumption that regardless of how you shaved you would be careful not to produce any effect other than normal exfolliation, which should produce no more than a slight tingle.

If you are prone to irritation, shaving less often will always result in more comfort. But if you are prone to irritation it is best to shave as non-aggressively as possible, which means taking more passes to reach the skin or shaving with fewer passes, but more often.

I think Ed has been reading John Bridges! I agree, a good shave daily that is close is preferred. However, after going over a year without missing a day, it is nice once in a while to take a day off. I think my face appreciates it, and if I am not going to be in public, then I will skip a day.

RT

Quote:

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Originally Posted by FiReSTaRT

How can you guys stand 4 days without a shave? :eek: The most I can do is skip a day, and that's only before Taylor-days.

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i'll second that. i thought the whole point of straight razors was to be clean-shaven.

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Originally Posted by cyrano138

i'll second that. i thought the whole point of straight razors was to be clean-shaven.

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Certainly - for some people. Ans some people just like to shave every day.

For me the whole point of straight razors is that I enjoy them a lot as objects and also love the act of shaving with one.

This does not at all mean that I have to like shaving every day. I also enjoy a little stubble on my face. Much like this: I love meat, but also like vegetarian meals. I enjoy shaving so much that I would shave pretty much every day, but for now my skin, growth, and skills combination does not seem to allow this comfortably. I would rather shave less often and enjoy this than shave every day and not enjoy it. If I need to shave for work - then I'd do it. Maybe then my skin will adapt, and my skills will allow this. For now - I'll shave whenever I feel like it.

Cheers
Ivo

Every day if I need to or not, just because I enjoy it...twice a day if I have worked on a new razor and can't wait until the morning to find out if it is "shave ready"

Sick...but fun:D

Dave

When I started shaving I only needed to do it every other day. Since I was using an electric, that was fine by me. Then there were a couple of years of denial until I finally realized I needed to shave daily to look presentable for work. Since I hated shaving with the electric, thought DEs were dead and disposables started to get excruciatingly painful an hour or so after the shave, I decided to give SE shaving a try. The best decision of my shaving career. Now I actually enjoy my shaves! Even though due to relatively light color of my facial hair, the closeness of the shaves and looser standards of the day, I can get away with shaving every other day again, I just don't want to skip my pleasure.

Probably the only times I've shaved on a daily basis were when I was a bald headed trainee at Fort Benning and when I started str8 shaving in earnest. It only took a short while to back off to my current three times a week in part because of the irritation, especially on the neck and chin. Of course I could probably go back to daily shaves now that I'm better at honing and stropping and have more than a couple of razors in the rotation but three times each week works for me so I'll stick with it. If, on occasion, I have something going on where being clean shaven is a must I just make sure to skip shaving the day before.

I guess I'm an "old hippie"! During my college days, I shaved once a week. Once I got a "respectable" job, I shaved daily except on weekends. But once I learned to shave properly (with a DE), I went for over a year without missing a day. Now I shave daily and only skip Sunday once in while. But I do have to admit, even with missing a day, the "second day shave" seems much closer. I never miss more than one day, but I would think for men with beards that grow quickly, after a few days, a trim with scissors or an electric trimmer might be in order before applying a razor, whether it be a straight razor or a DE.

RT

Well, skipping a day or three has worked great for me. Now I am wondering if I should try shaving twice a day - not because I need to. I just will enjoy it, and it might actually be easier... don't give the hair chance to grow