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By Popular Demand-The Four Pass shave

Now for pass two. The strokes in Q1 and Q2 are going to be one half of the letter V, i.e. in Q1 from the top of the area near you left ear to the bottom of the area near the chin. We do a series of strokes paralleling this first one until we have completed the quadrant. Caution, you must keep the skin taut or you will be in danger of cutting yourself at this point Before moving on to Q2 we do a stroke where you gently lift the cheek and run the razor along the skin that was just on the jawbone (until you just raised it by raising your cheek) from under the ear to the center of the chin. Q2 is done just as Q1 but from your right ear to the right of your chin, etc. Caution, you must keep the skin taut or you will be in danger of cutting yourself at this point Finish Q2 just as you did Q1, but from the right end of the jawbone to the center of the chin, lift the skin and keep it taut so that the razor does not grab any extra skin. Q3 and Q4 are shaved with a series of horizontal strokes, Starting with Q3, up under the jawbone by the left ear you will stroke to the centerline under your chin. Follow this stroke with a series of parallel strokes ending at the centerline until you reach the bottom of your whiskered area. Now we move on to Q4. Repeat the same process as Q3, but from the right to the left. Once finished Q4 we shave the moustache. Taking care to keep things taut, work with a series of very slightly angled strokes from the outside of the lip on the left to the filtrum. Then work with a series of very slightly angled strokes from the outside of the lip on the right to the filtrum completing the moustache with a single North-south stroke to shave the filtrum. Shave the chin in the same fashion as the moustache, left to center, right to center with slightly angled (each side describing a half of a V) strokes.

For pass two, when you do the V, is your blade facing the direction of motion or parallel to the floor as in the 'Gillette Slide' as per http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TQco5PWc2JU
 
As grain patterns are very different for each person, can someone please help clarify this for me? Is the intention of the 4-pass shave to be WTG, XTG, XTG (opposite direction), ATG?

If I were to follow the prescribed 4 passes, then pass 1 would be XTG & I'd start ATG as early as pass 2. I'm thinking that this would not be ideal. For me WTG is pretty much horizontal from the center line (nose) out toward the ears. I think the 4 passes best for me would be...
1. Center line out toward ears horizontally.
2. N-S
3. S-N
4. Ears toward center line horizontally.

Does this sound about right for the spirit of the 4-pass shave?
 
Awesome.. Just tried it.. worked like a charm.. I still need to fine tune my own basic skills such as using the weight of the razor etc., but I am confident I will get there with this four pass shave. Thank you!
 
For pass two, when you do the V, is your blade facing the direction of motion or parallel to the floor as in the 'Gillette Slide' as per http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TQco5PWc2JU
Parallel to the floor. Mantic calls it the Gillette Slide, Dr. Chris calls it leading the point, I sometimes identify it as shaving the "V". Sorry it has taken forever to get back to you. I lost track of this post on B&B years ago when it was removed from STICKY status.
Best wishes for the Holiday Season.:biggrin1:
 
Thanks Harry ( Mr. scruffy) for resurrecting this thread in another post....this is great info for newbies or anyone that has difficulting getting a close, irritation free shave.
 
I've been using my DE razor for a few weeks now and just tried my first Four Pass Shave (tm) today. WOW. Very close, very comfortable, no nicks. I'll be doing it whenever I've got the time!
 
Nice to see this get bumped. It's a very good approach in its own right, and a great starting point for developing one's own sequence.
 
Tried 3 passes yesterday using this technique, it was OK, tried again today using the full 4 pass and its the closest DE shave I have had. Great advice, thanks !
:wink2:
 
This is still one of the BEST informational postings in the history of B&B. I would urge you newbs to go back into the archives and look at a number of Ron's posts. The French shaving soap reviews he put together under one post were must reads. I wish Ron would post more.

Cheers Todd
 
Some excellent info in this post. This is pretty much the method I use and learned on my own. . . after 10+ years of wet shaving, much blood loss, and irritation.

If only B&B was around when I started.
 
I had not been using the slide/the V, but instead was going XTG with the razor perpenicular to the growth.
Tried this once a week ago and now I'm hooked.
Minor modifications - cant go completely N-S in first pass as that is almost ATG on my neck. I reverse pass 2 and pass 3 to also make accomodations for neck growth patterns.
So far so good.
thanks!
 
I don't know who the original author is but WHOEVER it is I sure like it. Am somewhat new to using straight razors and tried this method today for the first time and I am very
pleased with the results. So thanks to the author(s)!
 
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