Agreed. Shaving should be drama free. BBS is a bunch of internet crap.
I know it’s been asked but
- Thread starter Teejaywiththegoodhair
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I get a BBS shave from every razor in my rotation except the Krona. Just can’t make it work. DFS at best.
You have to answer that question for yourself, because as you can see here, everyone is a bit different. While everyone admits that technique is very important and that if ones technique is flawless, he can achieve a BBS with pretty much any razor, we all know that everyone has one or more favorite razors in his collection, which he enjoys more than the rest.
The most important thing is to find out what works for you and what you enjoy the most, regardless if you chase BBS or have a flawless technique.
The most important thing is to find out what works for you and what you enjoy the most, regardless if you chase BBS or have a flawless technique.
Same here. I've gotten what I'd consider BBS from a few razor/blade combos. It's not even remotely sustainable for me, though. If a guy has extremely a fine/thin beard, perhaps it could be done regularly.
Since it's based on self-reporting, I suspect we all define BBS a little differently in practice.
It also makes me wonder. Did the ideal Midcentury Male who was shaving with his brand-new Tech or Superspeed even know what a BBS was or hold that as a standard to reach? Shaving wasn't a collector's hobby or a recreational activity back then. For a professional man, beards or three-day stubble weren't an option--shaving every day was the standard. I wish my dad was still around to ask. Sigh...
Thank you for give us a baseline of sorts.
I both agree and disagree with the technique issue. I've only been here on B&B for two years now... as of today, since I'm 13 hours ahead of East Coast time in the States at the moment. I've watched a few people struggle with that first razor for a LONG time, trying to force it to match their whiskers and faces.... Then get a few razor recommendations and their struggle was over.
I think the right razor will teach you technique, but the wrong choice can leave you in a lurch. I started out with an AC razor and used it for 5+ months in a row before I bought my first DE razor and added a couple more AC razors.
When a newbie (which you aren't... but we didn't know initially) starts out, if they told the people here what kind of whiskers they have, how dense, how often they shave, etc.... the advice becomes more targeted and ends up fitting the person's needs a tad more. They usually have at least one razor and they can report back its strengths and weaknesses for us so we can make suggestions... It doesn't hurt to know the price range limit as well.
A note about BBS: We have a now 6 month old granddaughter. There is no way my face if ever going to be that soft, no matter what I do. For me, I'm looking for no whisker feel when I apply my post-shave products. I get that with almost every shave, but I shave every other day or so and do a 4 pass shave.... WTG, 2 XTG passes, on in each direction and a 4th ATG pass, with touch-ups as necessary. As my technique has been developing to match my whisker face map, I need fewer and fewer touch-ups.
For me, the razors that fit into that upper level mild efficiency to the lower level medium efficiency range seem to be enough for my old man, grey whiskers... but I think most of us know by now: YMMV. Still, we can find people with the same needs we have and compare notes. That reduces the risks of buying a razor that's too mild or one that's too efficient for our needs.
For me, the razors that fit into that upper level mild efficiency to the lower level medium efficiency range seem to be enough for my old man, grey whiskers... but I think most of us know by now: YMMV. Still, we can find people with the same needs we have and compare notes. That reduces the risks of buying a razor that's too mild or one that's too efficient for our needs.
For me, a 1957 Red Tip and the Game Changer .76 and .84 solid bar razors have been nailing it for me.
ERS4
My exploding razor knows secrets
Now I don't care about BBS.
All I care about is a good-looking razor and having fun shaving.
All I care about is a good-looking razor and having fun shaving.
Could you elaborate why you recommend the SB Flexi over the open comb version.
At some time I plan on getting an adjustable (not right now) so inputs on this is appreciated.
Sure.
The SB version of the Pearl Flexi is a comfortable and efficient razor. I have never used the OC Flexi but what I understood from other reviews is the OC version is way more efficient/blade forward than the SB sibbling. So it's perhaps not for everyone. But again, I haven’t shaved with the OC Flexi, so I might be off.
However, if you are into OC adjustable razors, the Parker Variant OC is a safe bet imo. Very comfortable, very efficient and flawlessly crafted. The combs are rounded which helps for smoothness. This is why I chose these two razors for a recommendation.
Cheers!
Timeless Slim 0.5 OC and Mühle R41 can enforce a BBS.
And some people of course can't get a BBS with any razor. That was my nasty entry for today. But I will help my grandma in the afternoon to make it good.
And some people of course can't get a BBS with any razor. That was my nasty entry for today. But I will help my grandma in the afternoon to make it good.
Thanks for the clarification! And yes, your recommendation makes sense. Flexi and the Variant are the 2 adjustables that are locally available and at a reasonable price and the ones I have my eye on as well!
For what it is worth, I am also interested in the Parker Variant OC and GUESS it is the better one of the two. It also visually appeals a bit more to me.
First of all, there isn't a silver bullet in DE shaving in terms of razors that give a perfect BBS. I have been at this game going on 10 years and I have dialed in on 5 razors that I rotate through. Each razor can give a BBS in theory, but some have different strengths than others and every razor has a blade it just works better with. And some soaps work better than others soaps. Not just in glide and protection, but also in moisturizing. And then there are not just the immediate BBS considerations, but also how your skin feels long-term.
And all of these factors will be different for almost every single person due to their skin sensitivity, their beard type, growth direction, etc.
I probably went through 20-30 different razors over the years to arrive at my current 5 and I'd bet somebody else could have gone through the exact same razors I did and ended up with 5 totally different ones. Here's what works best for me currently:
Blutt SB .67 - Gillette Silver Blue
Carbon Shaving OG - Gillette Silver Blue
Timeless SB .68 - Rapira Platinum Lux
Charcoal Goods Everyday - Gillette Permasharp
Wolfman WR2 SM .95 - Rapira Platinum Lux
If I want to go super-close because I shave early and have a long work day...I can use a Personna Red blade in the Blutt or Charcoal. But most of the time, I am going for low drama.
In all honesty...tinkering with all this is the fun part of the shaving journey. No short cuts and no silver bullets IME.
And yes...to get a comfortable BBS, you will need to develop good technique.
And all of these factors will be different for almost every single person due to their skin sensitivity, their beard type, growth direction, etc.
I probably went through 20-30 different razors over the years to arrive at my current 5 and I'd bet somebody else could have gone through the exact same razors I did and ended up with 5 totally different ones. Here's what works best for me currently:
Blutt SB .67 - Gillette Silver Blue
Carbon Shaving OG - Gillette Silver Blue
Timeless SB .68 - Rapira Platinum Lux
Charcoal Goods Everyday - Gillette Permasharp
Wolfman WR2 SM .95 - Rapira Platinum Lux
If I want to go super-close because I shave early and have a long work day...I can use a Personna Red blade in the Blutt or Charcoal. But most of the time, I am going for low drama.
In all honesty...tinkering with all this is the fun part of the shaving journey. No short cuts and no silver bullets IME.
And yes...to get a comfortable BBS, you will need to develop good technique.
Heh, heh..."YMMV." In all seriousness, I'm going to say what others have said, but adding a quantifier- technique is 85-90%. The other 10-15%, for me, is tool-dependent. There are a couple of blades, and a couple handfuls of razors that simply don't work well for me.
Some that consistently perform above my technique:
Some that consistently perform above my technique:
- Occam Oren
- Bullgoose Asylum-Paradigm McMurphy
- Barbaros TR-2
- Blackland Osprey
- Gillette Rocket HD
- '50s Brit Aristocrat (don't remember off the top of my head)
- Karve D plate
- Tradere SB
Timeless Ti .68 solid bar with a Personna med prep: easiest perfect shave in my book.
What are we looking at?
ERS4
My exploding razor knows secrets
It was a novelty razor brand from the 1990s called "Cintika".
Although it is a Trac II specification, I will use my own modified parts to convert it into a DE razor.
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