Achievement Unlocked: One Pass Straight Shave

[huntmol]

Never even thought about trying this until I was inspired by Joel, but today I finally achieved a one-pass BBS shave!

Joel was definitely right, the sharper the blade the easier this is to accomplish. Today I refreshed the edge on my 6/8 full hollow TI New Forging (review pending) with 10 passes on a Shapton 30k. Followed that up with a full stropping regimen - 50 linen, 40 latigo, & 30 horsehide.

The shave was really great - one super smooth WTG pass. I found that the key is to use a ton of short, quick strokes, and do careful blade buffing around the chin or other tricky areas.

Anyway, just thought I'd share. It was a nice feeling of accomplishment. For most shaves I'll probably stick with my more laid-back 2 or 3 pass regimen, but every once and awhile I'm sure I'll go back to the one-pass method, just to prove to myself that I can do it.

 

[heirkb]

You did one pass WTG and got a BBS shave in all directions?
I've gotten close to that (DFS), but never a full BBS. That's pretty impressive actually

 

[Moe]

Thank you for sharing what worked for you. I'll definitely give it a try.

 

[holli4pirating]

I can never get totally BBS, but I get what I call directional BBS - meaning when I run my hand over my face in the same direction I made my passes, I feel BBS. If I get a really good shave, I'll get Cross BBS - meaning I can run perpendicular to the shave direction and feel BBS.

 

[huntmol]

You did one pass WTG and got a BBS shave in all directions?

I was actually thinking about clarifying this in the post, so thanks for bringing this up! To be honest, the way my beard grows I never go for BBS, since it just destroys my face. In fact, I can't even shave ATG because of my ridiculously coarse beard. So my BBS is really more of an extremely close DFS... [EDIT: Refreshed the page and read John's post, where he explained this much better than I ever could!]

I can never get totally BBS, but I get what I call directional BBS - meaning when I run my hand over my face in the same direction I made my passes, I feel BBS. If I get a really good shave, I'll get Cross BBS - meaning I can run perpendicular to the shave direction and feel BBS.

Not much else to say except +1, that's exactly how I would define it. In those terms, I'd say that the shave I achieved was X-BBS (smooth in 3 out of 4 directions)

 

[JPM]

Congrats! I'm definitely not up to trying that yet. Maybe another 6 months of straight shaves or so.

 

[chfair]

you had to post this thread didn't you....
so of course i just gave this a go.

DFS by most anyones standard, hardly BBS but nice smooth feel WTG for the most part. very little irritation (my neck hates unidirectional shaves) and it has been a while since i face lathered it was nice to revisit.

 

[holli4pirating]

What does DFS stand for?

 

[Sputnik]

DFS stands for Damn Fine Shave. Holli, of all people, you had to ask? You're pretty much a plank owner here!

What does DFS stand for?

 

[holli4pirating]

DFS stands for Damn Fine Shave. Holli, of all people, you had to ask? You're pretty much a plank owner here!

I spend the vast majority of my two shaving years elsewhere, and I have never even seed DFS until I started reading here again, within the last few weeks.

Thanks for clearing that up for me.

What is a plank owner?

 

[Sputnik]

Oops... sorry: 'Plank owner' is a Navy slang, which means 'a founding member'.

I spend the vast majority of my two shaving years elsewhere, and I have never even seed DFS until I started reading here again, within the last few weeks.

Thanks for clearing that up for me.

What is a plank owner?

 

[Mr. Scruffy]

You did one pass WTG and got a BBS shave in all directions?
I've gotten close to that (DFS), but never a full BBS. That's pretty impressive actually

I can never get totally BBS, but I get what I call directional BBS - meaning when I run my hand over my face in the same direction I made my passes, I feel BBS. If I get a really good shave, I'll get Cross BBS - meaning I can run perpendicular to the shave direction and feel BBS.

I was actually thinking about clarifying this in the post, so thanks for bringing this up! To be honest, the way my beard grows I never go for BBS, since it just destroys my face. In fact, I can't even shave ATG because of my ridiculously coarse beard. So my BBS is really more of an extremely close DFS... [EDIT: Refreshed the page and read John's post, where he explained this much better than I ever could!]

Not much else to say except +1, that's exactly how I would define it. In those terms, I'd say that the shave I achieved was X-BBS (smooth in 3 out of 4 directions)

you had to post this thread didn't you....
so of course i just gave this a go.

DFS by most anyones standard, hardly BBS but nice smooth feel WTG for the most part. very little irritation (my neck hates unidirectional shaves) and it has been a while since i face lathered it was nice to revisit.

OK, I feel much better now about my straight shaving progress. I do WTG, XTG and ATG passes. After 8 weeks of daily straight shaving (yes, Sat and Sun too) I was starting to get frustrated because I'm not getting near BBS like I could with my 1946 Aristocrat.

I am DFS/BBS WTG 99% face and neck. Not as close XTG on my neck but still very smooth on my face. ATG on the neck is hit or miss (mostly miss) and also smooth on the face. I am getting better on my chin except for right underneath where I have a super scar from splitting my chin open at least 8 times when I was a kid.

I have a stable of sharp razors honed by Max, Henry, Paul and Dylan. I even have the razor used by Joel in his video (honed by him, of course). I may be new at this, but I think BBS in all directions with a single WTG pass is highly unlikely.

 

[Magruder]

Since I started working on this, I've been able to get a good shave more quickly than I did before.

I can envision getting a decent shave in a single pass. But not by going WTG! One pass, XTG, yes. Two passes, including ATG (or almost ATG), yep.

But one pass WTG, BBS? Or DFS? I'll keep working at it, but I'll tell you, I can take off a lot of whiskers going WTG but I am nowhere near BBS.

 

[c0ry]

200 Gamerscore!!!

 

[heirkb]

I can never get totally BBS, but I get what I call directional BBS - meaning when I run my hand over my face in the same direction I made my passes, I feel BBS. If I get a really good shave, I'll get Cross BBS - meaning I can run perpendicular to the shave direction and feel BBS.

I was actually thinking about clarifying this in the post, so thanks for bringing this up! To be honest, the way my beard grows I never go for BBS, since it just destroys my face. In fact, I can't even shave ATG because of my ridiculously coarse beard. So my BBS is really more of an extremely close DFS... [EDIT: Refreshed the page and read John's post, where he explained this much better than I ever could!]

Not much else to say except +1, that's exactly how I would define it. In those terms, I'd say that the shave I achieved was X-BBS (smooth in 3 out of 4 directions)

I have a similar experience to you guys. I actually switched to straights from DEs to see if it could make the difference to getting me a full BBS. So far, with the few ATG passes I've done, some areas have actually gotten a BBS in all directions and how easy it was actually surprised me.
Usually though, my best shaves get me, as Dylan describes, cross-directional BBS.
Today, I tried the small, quick strokes approach and got my best straight shave yet. A very very good DFS, as huntmol descibed in his post, with only one WTG pass. I was ready to try for a true BBS with an ATG pass cause I was loving the shave and the mentholated lather...I must have gotten too cocky, because while picking up my razor, I grabbed the scales and the blade swung around and put a large, profusely bleeding cut in my thumb (cut all the way through the skin to the nail on the side! Dylan's edges are pretty damn sharp). It's doing better now and the shave was still very very good, so not a big deal.

 

[holli4pirating]

I must have gotten too cocky, because while picking up my razor, I grabbed the scales and the blade swung around and put a large, profusely bleeding cut in my thumb (cut all the way through the skin to the nail on the side! Dylan's edges are pretty damn sharp). It's doing better now and the shave was still very very good, so not a big deal.

I make them like that for your face, not for your hands (or the floor...). Man, I just might have to come and place your razors under protective custody...

 

[O.G.]

Im there with you. My feather ac with a nice light j-hook on the cheek to chin cleans ALL hairs in one swoop. The chin, well I got a soul patch so skipped it. The neck with a nice feather blade I get everything off in one yes one pass. It all was achieved after I started washing my face in cold water and lifting the feather like a traditional straight I got superior shaves. These two variables caused my whickers to give up completley. In one pass I was doing the work of two. The j-hook came from the barber Miladys textbook that showed barbers how to do a quick shave. I follow that and it works it really works. I keept warm lather and no steam towel. I first warm up my Oster kettle. After it turns off I let my brush soak 'till its cool and not steaming. I wash my face in cold water then pat dry gently. I put on coral skin food. I shake my brush a C&E super to get the excess water out gently. I build my lather, Trumpers Rose in my Barbershop mug. I apply my lather for like a minute then brush down. Then I massage my lather in for like a minute. After that I paint just one thin even layer and then a shave. One pass and the hairs are gone. I've done it with a feather ac guarded blade and even with the average blade this morning. In about two to three weeks when the average blade (the Pro.'s) gets to the end of its life I'm going to try the Super Pros and see what the difference is. Im guessing an insanely close shave that will take a few days to come back. For aftershave I use Thayers rose and kiehls ecalyptus moisturiser.

Thanks B&B I never would have done it without the knowledge gained here.

If anyone is still having issues with there shaves I also noticed that my lather was to thick. You really don't need much if you massage it in.

 

[JPM]

Glad it is working out for you.