Ok gents, in your best Yoda voice, try the following: Come to you, the BBS will, when you stop trying so hard. Relax, and be one with the razor, and find the BBS you will.
Ok gents, in your best Yoda voice, try the following: Come to you, the BBS will, when you stop trying so hard. Relax, and be one with the razor, and find the BBS you will.
I shave for a BBS finish every shave and have had one for virtually every shave in the last 2+ years. The length of that BBS finish depends on the razor used. In the case of a Gillette Tech, 6 hours. My Fatip Grande 12 hours and my GEM MMOC, typically 14 hours but as long as 19 hours. The only time I dont have a BBS finish is when using an under performing soap or blade.
However, after a quick search for a thread with such a topic I didnt find one, so, fair enough and challenge accepted. I'll start a thread tomorrow and drop a link here for those so inclined.
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Chasing a BBS finish can and usually will, lead to frustration. Learning what will let you have it, effortlessly even, is the hard part.
The pursuit of the BBS is the pursuit of the excellent. It is a blending of technique and skill, plus hardware.
I understand restraint against mere hoarding and stockpiling, sure. But this? This is like swearing off Charles Dickens to devote a year of reading to Deepak Chopra or L. Ron Hubbard.
It simply isn't done.
I'm in.
Full disclosure, I never chase BBS and never go ATG, but despite that I sometimes get carried away and overshave certain areas.
So for me the pledge will be to leave well enough alone and not overshave.
Despite all the grousing in this thread, it seems like a reasonable goal to me.
Hmmm, well well well.....
I am happy to read that everyone has had a great GRFBBS shave so far, so far.
The thing is, when we shave, we all set out to have a close, smooth shave. I mean, that is the point of shaving. The closest, smoothest shave is a Baby Bottom Smooth aka BBS (or if you will, a Baby Face Shave, Smooth as Silk, Porcelain Highway to Smooth Town).
Now when you abandon the attempt towards the "Best a Man Can GET" (not Be, that was dumb and should be cleansed with fire) you are altering your normal shaving routine and editing out certain passes or touch-ups you have practiced and trained to perform.
Its self censorship plain and simple. It is you stopping you from being the "Best a Man Can GET". I think you all are giving up on yourselves way too soon, I believe... No, I KNOW you have it in you to go further, go higher and BE THE "BEST A MAN CAN GET"!!!
Have A Great One Everyone!!
note: (I am using an old add slogan that is sexist, etc. but its Gillette who seems to think women and others need a "special" razor named "Ladies" so you can tell its a special razor. I apologize to anyone insulted by my lampooning its usage, but its up to Gillette to apologize for all their sexist comments and adds, past and present, towards men, women, and all others).
But wait you gotta do it AFTER the restraint challenge so those of us who restrained can then take any insight we gained in the month of restraint and apply it to the pursuit of the BBS. We can’t do both at the same time. Not even Yoda can do that
Probably still don't qualify as a Gentleman
Structurally, I have this set up so that I have to refute @SucKO ’s advocacy. So...
I posit that that I must shave to engage life fully, to experience the full gamut of human emotion. So...
Inspired by @Flintstone65 ’s use of medieval torture instruments, but having a smaller range of OC danger at hand, I devised the following shave, guaranteed to discourage BBS-chasing. In fact, to make BBS an impossible dream. So...
Vintage beyond the call of duty:
Yesterday I finally pulled the trigger on a shiny object that attracted my eye months ago. It came with 9 wrapped Blue Blades and two open Blues resting in the head. I accepted the challenge.
Safety first:
View attachment 1027111
I shaved pass 1 with the sterilized open blades. The older, thicker blade had date code E3. The thinner blade with dispensing arrows was coded E2. For pass 2 I unwrapped another thick blade coded E3. Like Christmas morning!
Shave spec sheet:
Gillette 1914 Pocket Edition gold shell
Gillette Blue Blades - two older E3s, one newer (dispenser type) E2
Palmolive menthol cream, face lathered
modern Williams Mug, lathered on the puck
Ever-Ready boar, with original knot and featuring some lovely Lucite
pottery Old Spice mug
alum
homebrew alcohol based AS, in an ‘heirloom’ 4711 bottle
What an aesthetic and historical experience. Without any prospect of BBS.
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So... The open blades slid smoothly and definitely cut some stubble. The newly unwrapped blade went DFS on the cheeks, but SAS down on the neck. I did not chase anything! Barely noticeable sting from the alum and AS. Sorry, @MrBeez !
Day 1 - stayed off the Porcelain Highway to Smooth Town, took the byways and backroads of Shaving Adventure.
Thats a nice ABC!
I stopped chasing BBS recently after a some irritation after a careless shave. Sharp comfortable blade and got carried away. After that I just started shaving WTG so that my skin could recover. Sure the 11 o'clock shadow appears earlier but I get a decent enough result. Some of the blades that won't go ATG comfortably give a really good, smooth WTG shave.
Ok so I did pretty good this morning on the restraint. For me I’m doing this to really focus on getting the best shave I can without going ATG on my lower neck and at my jaw bone. That’s where the irritation sets in with ATG. I really focused on very little pressure too and very little touch up. The result? Well clearly not BBS but a happy feeling face. To anyone but myself I looked totally clean shaven. When I rub my hands over my neck and face I can tell where there are whiskers but in the mirror you can’t tell.
My goal is to basically get back to working on technique the when @SucKO starts that thread for BBS I will hopefully be in a better place to do that. But for now I am not giving myself the pressure of the BBS chase.
Happy Friday all!
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