Pull your skin when shaving

B

Badger

Senior Member
Razor is great (executive outlaw and plenty aggressive enough to peel off skin or cut me if I push too hard), settled on Bic blades after trying 6 different brands (really good shave 1. Even better 2 and 3 then bin. Better than the others by a fair way for me ) , good brush (will be treating myself to more expensive later but current is good) , really enjoy making enough thick lather for about 4 shaves and is really silky on skin. ARKO soap. Using executive shaving pre shave oil which smells nice too. Not convinced it does much but am trying to only change one thing at a time so will stick with it.
I have been stretching my skin all kinds of directions to try and catch the bristles. Maybe because I’m 155 years old and have lost some collagen but I find I can get what feels like a really close shave and then, when I release the tension, it’s not so smooth. After the shave that I really enjoy, I’m finding rough patches at lower neck and jaw line.
Is this the same for others and should I just be happy with a decent shave and accept the BBS Isn’t going to be a thing?
 
B

Badger

Senior Member
TobyC said:
Chasing BBS is a fools errand IMO, just get a comfortable, enjoyable shave and enjoy yourself, don't make it a chore.
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Thanks Toby. I’m pretty much there already. Switching from cartridge to DE has made it far more of a pleasure already. Chasing BBS would spoil that unless there’s a fix. Just asking in case you guys have some tips to pass on.
 
adrian ivanovici

adrian ivanovici

Forum GOD!
Badger said:
Razor is great (executive outlaw and plenty aggressive enough to peel off skin or cut me if I push too hard), settled on Bic blades after trying 6 different brands (really good shave 1. Even better 2 and 3 then bin. Better than the others by a fair way for me ) , good brush (will be treating myself to more expensive later but current is good) , really enjoy making enough thick lather for about 4 shaves and is really silky on skin. ARKO soap. Using executive shaving pre shave oil which smells nice too. Not convinced it does much but am trying to only change one thing at a time so will stick with it.
I have been stretching my skin all kinds of directions to try and catch the bristles. Maybe because I’m 155 years old and have lost some collagen but I find I can get what feels like a really close shave and then, when I release the tension, it’s not so smooth. After the shave that I really enjoy, I’m finding rough patches at lower neck and jaw line.
Is this the same for others and should I just be happy with a decent shave and accept the BBS Isn’t going to be a thing?
Click to expand...
BBS with just 2 passes is a dream. You might get one with a razor like outlaw standard...but at that point you need all stars to be aligned: blade is perfect, water is not hard, your lather is brilliant, your angle is at all time ideal, your skin is not puffy and Merkur is in retrograde. What I am saying is that for a BBS you need 3-4 passes...even with the mighty Outlaw.
I have come to realize that wet shaving is about the process and the routine off it, so why rush it to only 2 pass shave?
I started shaving 3-4 passes regardless of the hardware. 1-2 passes is only if i am really in a rush.
 
R

R181

Grumpy old man
adrian ivanovici said:
BBS with just 2 passes is a dream. You might get one with a razor like outlaw standard...but at that point you need all stars to be aligned: blade is perfect, water is not hard, your lather is brilliant, your angle is at all time ideal, your skin is not puffy and Merkur is in retrograde. What I am saying is that for a BBS you need 3-4 passes...even with the mighty Outlaw.
I have come to realize that wet shaving is about the process and the routine off it, so why rush it to only 2 pass shave?
I started shaving 3-4 passes regardless of the hardware. 1-2 passes is only if i am really in a rush.
Click to expand...
I agree and the more you try for a BBS shave in one or two passes the more irritation you are likely to get. If you are in that much of a rush, why not just grow a beard.

Bob
 
SeanC

SeanC

Forum GOD!
adrian ivanovici said:
BBS with just 2 passes is a dream. You might get one with a razor like outlaw standard...but at that point you need all stars to be aligned: blade is perfect, water is not hard, your lather is brilliant, your angle is at all time ideal, your skin is not puffy and Merkur is in retrograde. What I am saying is that for a BBS you need 3-4 passes...even with the mighty Outlaw.
I have come to realize that wet shaving is about the process and the routine off it, so why rush it to only 2 pass shave?
I started shaving 3-4 passes regardless of the hardware. 1-2 passes is only if i am really in a rush.
Click to expand...
R181 said:
I agree and the more you try for a BBS shave in one or two passes the more irritation you are likely to get. If you are in that much of a rush, why not just grow a beard.

Bob
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I'm afraid I must respectfully disagree. Using a decent soap and blade with an efficient, but not aggressive razor, and more importantly learning about my face and not rushing, I can pull off a BBS about 50% of the time with two passes plus touch-ups.

It took a few years of practice and finding the most appropriate hardware and software, but it is achievable. I don't however 'chase' per se. If results are a bit off, which happens quite often, I just move on learning any lessons that might emerge.
 
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R

R181

Grumpy old man
SeanC said:
I'm afraid I must respectfully disagree. Using a decent soap and blade with an efficient, but not aggressive razor, and more importantly learning about my face and not rushing, I can pull off a BBS about 50% of the time with two passes plus touch-ups.

It took a few years of practice and finding the most appropriate hardware and software, but it is achievable. I don't however 'chase' per se. If results are a bit off, which happens quite often, I just move on learning any lessons that might emerge.
Click to expand...
Like I said, if you are trying for a BBS shave every time in one or two passes which you are not actively trying to do as you accept about a 50% success ratio. Nothing wrong with that at all. It is beginners who actively try or expect a BBS shave every time that my comment was more directed to. They expect too much too soon.

Personally, I do four passes because I enjoy the process of shaving with a DFS as a result and the odd BBS. Nobody but the shaver will ever know or care if it was a DFS or BBS shave.

Bob
 
Twelvefret

Twelvefret

Forum GOD!
I am surprised no one mentioned beard mapping. For me, a two pass while addressing my hair growth direction allows for a good result, even a BBS most of the time. When I first got into this I was touching my face all the time. Fortunately, that habit has passed.

Air filled cheeks is the only skin stretching for me.
 
G

giova1949

Forum GOD!
R181 said:
Like I said, if you are trying for a BBS shave every time in one or two passes which you are not actively trying to do as you accept about a 50% success ratio. Nothing wrong with that at all. It is beginners who actively try or expect a BBS shave every time that my comment was more directed to. They expect too much too soon.

Personally, I do four passes because I enjoy the process of shaving with a DFS as a result and the odd BBS. Nobody but the shaver will ever know or care if it was a DFS or BBS shave.

Bob
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I'm perfectly agree with you. Also because (and this many forget) every face has its beard. If the beard grows - especially below the chin line - almost parallel, but I really want to see who can get a 2-step BBS. There are people (a few, or at least a minority) whose beards grow nearly 90 degrees, even on their necks, and then pontificate about how good they are at having a 2-step BBS.
 
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