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3 pass shave. Yes or no.

Relatively new to DE shaving and using an Edwin Jagger closed comb razor. I'm shaving 5 times a week and at the beginning of the week I do a 3 pass shave and all other days a single pass shave.
Is the 3 pass shave the best way to go or just the single pass.
 
That depends on you. I like a triple pass. I cannot get a smooth enough shave otherwise. I grew up doing a single pass, so I know I can get by with it.

A few years ago a fellow worker asked me if I didn’t have to shave. It was 3:00 in the afternoon. I laughed and explained how I shave that gets super close, so I don’t have a 5:00 shadow.


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"It depends"

This is going to come down to a personal judgement call...

It's going to depend on how close you want/need to get and on how much irritation you're getting from a 1/2/3 pass shave.

If what you're doing is giving you satisfactory results (for you!) then there's nothing inherently wrong with it.

As you gain more experience and skill, you may be able to do more passes without irritation (if that's even the reason you're not doing more now!) but nothing says that you have to.
 
As others have hinted at it tends to be an individual thing and it might take a little time to find your particular individual thing.
With a milder razor I usually have to make 3 passes plus clean ups but with a more aggressive one I can get away with 2 passes. That said, 3 passes still work out better but it took me a while to develop the skill to do that without irritation.
There is no universal right way, but there are plenty of wrong ways...
 

Lefonque

Even more clueless than you
I am partial to 3 passes as are some here but it depends on you. I am certain other people will post their opinion. There are no defined rules it is up to you and the shave you are happy with or how your skin and facial hair respond. The beauty of it is you decide what is best for you.
 

EclipseRedRing

I smell like a Christmas pudding
It is a personal thing but I usually do three passes. Sometimes I enjoy it so much that I could take the blade out after the third pass and do another few passes. I don't care how close the finished shave is as long as I look presentable. I enjoy the tradition, preparation, and the relaxation of shaving; it is the process that is important to me not the end result 👍
 
There are no set rules. You should perform the passes required to get the results you want, without getting a lot of irritation or damage. As your technique gets better, you’ll get better results with each pass because you’ll know your whisker growth pattern and wield your razor more effectively (angle and weight of the razor).
Take your time and enjoy your shaves.
 
After 50 years of shaving, I've come to the conclusion that whatever works for you at a given time is what is best. For years, I did a quick single pass shave, and when in a hurry, it was in the shower with bar soap. As I learned to enjoy my shaves more, my technique improved, and I had more time, I went to more leisurely and longer shaves. I've used many different types of razors, blades, soaps, brushes, all seeking an easier path to my ideal shave. BTW- I don't count passes, I feel for stubble. If there's enough stubble left and I have the time, I go after it; if not- it'll be there tomorrow. IMHO the goal is the closest shave that remains comfortable at your skill level is what to seek. Irritation, shave bumps, and nicks, are not fun and interfere with my enjoyment of the day as well as the next shave, so I avoid them as much as possible.
 

rockviper

I got moves like Jagger
I lather twice, but actually perform a pseudo 3-pass shave.
pass-1+2: lather & shave NS and also ears->nose when my NS is finished per cheek
pass-3: lather & SN
 
I tend to do a 3 passes on my neck, as the first 2 still leave a substantial amount of stubble. It took a little bit of figuring out how it all grows to be able to safely and confidently ditch the 4th pass, unless I'm going for BBS or all the stars have aligned and it's all going perfectly that I just want to keep it going.

But that's me. Some can show stubble a picture of a fresh Feather and be smooth. Others, it doesn't matter how many passes, they'll still have shadow. As everyone else said, it comes down to you and your personal preferences and circumstances.
 

linty1

My wallet cries.
Its a very much depends? For me I usually go for 2-3 passes, 4 and I have to wait too long to shave again (3-4 days) and I just like shaving in general. Also it depends on how careful I was the previous time, if I mucked something up and have a few blemishes etc, then I'll just one pass it if I need to and shave less frequently (depends on if I'm working). Just to let things settle down. But usually that doesn't happen and I can just 3 pass. Which is just a long and confusing way to say it doesn't matter, just go with what feels comfy.
 
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