Thread: How often should I do a 3 pass straight shave?

Yep, I'm pretty much in the 2-pass camp as well. My skin is too tender for 3 usually. I do WTG & XTG during the week for work, since people there don't line up to rub my face. On the weekends I'll add an ATG just to show off for my wife, since I DO want her rubbing on me.

Steve

Two passes with lather, WTG, ATG w/XTG on the chin and stache areas. It's actually possible for me to start with ATG on most of face, but I'm kind of hacking through it all in that case, which is harder on the edge and the face. I tried the "slicing motion" and, well, I got sliced pretty good. My face is too rough and tends to filet with that technique, so, no slicing/threshing type motions for me...

Certainly no less important than "how many passes" and perhaps MORE important is how keen the razor edge is for your face. I score my "best razor" by how it does on the first WTG pass. My best razors can pull off an SAS or DFS on the first pass, and BBS with the second is achievable with VERY LIGHT pressure, a spine-width angle and easy long strokes from the neck to the sideburns with my two or three best ones. Other less-ideal razors take shorter strokes, slightly steeper angles and more care so the pressure doesn't abrade the skin too much.