Against the Grain

[AJS]

Quick question, is it impossible to get a BBS shave without going against the grain, or should I blame my general ineptitude?
My go to shaving rig is as follows: Merkur Futur set to 4, Merkur blades (still waiting on the feathers) Kent BK4 (still losing bristles) and DR Harris Almond shave cream. Prep by washing my face and splashing it with warm water for a few minutes (hot towels on the rare occasion when I have time) I do two N-S strokes followed by a NE-SW stroke and if I'm feeling brave a SE-NW stroke. I still dont get BBS doing it this way. I think a large part of the problem could be the paucity of my preparation and I have still been unable to get a good angle on the blade cosistently, but should I be able to start the day with a BBS face without going S-N, or am I chasing an impossible standard?
Warm regards,
AJS

 

[Kyle]

AJS,

As your prep and consistency of blade angle improve, so will your shave. As far as getting BBS with a S-N (or against the grain) pass, I suppose that depends a lot on your whiskers. Also, there is nothing saying that a uniform S-N pass has to be made on the entire shaving terrain. It can be used in more of a T/C fashion.

Good luck, and keep us updated.

 

[mrob]

I would echo Kyle's comments above (no surprise there ). The SN pass is probably crucial to obtaining the BBS finish we are all looking for*, although as I recently posted, for me it is the across the grain pass that "gets" most of the beard reduction done. I also get good results by blade buffing/T&C on the 3rd and 4th passes, which does incorporate a lot of SN strokes.

If you're using an adjustable razor, try dialing it way down for the against the grain strokes and see how that works for you. Combined with proper blade angles, perhaps a less aggressive setting would reduce both your anxiety and potential for cuts/nicks.

Above all, hang in there! It sounds like you are doing extremely well, and enjoying the process. The product will come in time, and be all the more sweet when it does.


* It is interesting to me how our shaving expectations change once we start this pursuit. Prior to wet shaving mania I tacitly accepted the fact that my shaves would be just OK, and actually accepted a fair amount of stubble as a normal occurrence. Definitely NOT the case now, and ironically, the pursuit of the BBS shave can actually lead to some irritation as I go over the same areas waaaaay too many times.

 

[ouch]

* It is interesting to me how our shaving expectations change once we start this pursuit. Prior to wet shaving mania I tacitly accepted the fact that my shaves would be just OK, and actually accepted a fair amount of stubble as a normal occurrence. Definitely NOT the case now, and ironically, the pursuit of the BBS shave can actually lead to some irritation as I go over the same areas waaaaay too many times.

No truer words were ever spoken.

 

[roughrider]

Great advice.

 

[JMT]

Definitely NOT the case now, and ironically, the pursuit of the BBS shave can actually lead to some irritation as I go over the same areas waaaaay too many times.

I have the same disorder. I call it OPTM syndrome. One Pass Too Many. It never fails to give me terrible razor burn on my neck. However when I experience this it is ususlly due to an across the grain pass, not a S-N pass.