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Gentlemanly restraint from BBS

Ron R

I survived a lathey foreman
Ron -- what number do you usually set your FB on? And are you a "set it and forget it" guy, or do you move the setting up and/or down during the shave?
Hello Fred--With the Fat boy I have been setting it at 7 and forget about it -but today 2 passes at 7 and a clean up a 5. My Gillette slim I will set it a 5 and each pass go up 1 notch so it varies.
 

Flintstone65

Imagining solutions for imaginary problems
Hello Fred--With the Fat boy I have been setting it at 7 and forget about it -but today 2 passes at 7 and a clean up a 5. My Gillette slim I will set it a 5 and each pass go up 1 notch so it varies.
I do something similar with my Slim (3-5-7). I've got a couple of Fat Boys, but haven't tried one yet....both don't adjust well and need to be serviced. My Slim and "Black Beauty" work flawlessly, but every time I've been unlucky with the FB mechanics.
 
I’m patting myself on the back, got a nice close shave today without chasing BBS. The closeness was delivered by a fresh Feather split between a couple half blade shavettes and a relatively new blade (third shave) in a Gillette NEW LC, a naturally close shaver.

Shower prep, a rubbed in Cremo base layer and redolent warm Arko bowl lather all contributed to a great shave. BBS in all the easy places and DFS over most other territory. I am getting good at not chasing/buffing/attacking on the recalcitrant 5%.

Next, I may have to admit that blades are inexpensive enough to simply change out when I’m longing for a closer shave.
 
I’m patting myself on the back, got a nice close shave today without chasing BBS. The closeness was delivered by a fresh Feather split between a couple half blade shavettes and a relatively new blade (third shave) in a Gillette NEW LC, a naturally close shaver.

Shower prep, a rubbed in Cremo base layer and redolent warm Arko bowl lather all contributed to a great shave. BBS in all the easy places and DFS over most other territory. I am getting good at not chasing/buffing/attacking on the recalcitrant 5%.

Next, I may have to admit that blades are inexpensive enough to simply change out when I’m longing for a closer shave.
Bold call using a Feather in a half-DE blade shavette.
 
Clocked in with a 2 pass OCtober shave. Following up on yesterday’s blade epiphany, I banked my Rapira Platinum Lux after 5 shaves when it didn’t really perform on the neck. Before I would have just buffed the neck and its whorls into submission. Now tomorrow’s new blade will have a little extra work to do. Maybe I’ll make some progress reducing the backlog of untried blade brands by Thanksgiving.
 
Another day of no chasing which for me means no ATG at jawline and lower neck. I'm totally happy with my shave. Still three passes but I'm getting better and doing XTG. And instead of an ATG I'm doing a bit of a diagonal dance. Why suffer? :)
 

Flintstone65

Imagining solutions for imaginary problems
Today's shave was not a great one, but that was really due to me using a new-to-me lather catcher. This one has some aggression issues that require a better technique than I used....so after 2-passes and a tiny touch-up on a visibly missed patch of stubble, I ended up with a kind of close (more SAS than DFS) and not very comfortable shave. Aside from technique, the blade may have had something to do with it....a de-spined GEM SS PTFE in a plastic wedge adapter. I need to get those wedges sharpened.
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Flintstone65

Imagining solutions for imaginary problems
Okay, I'm just going to say it: I am REALLY glad @Tanuki started this thread. I've learned some things in the few short shaves I've been doing this:

1. I really need a XTG pass....especially when my I've let my beard go past 30'ish hours. I've been experimenting with a WTG pass, then a ATG/XTG (with XTG only in the really sensitive areas); and I seemed to be guaranteed a weeper or two, or some irritation in places I've haven't had to worry about for a long time. I had started this exercise with WTG and XTG, then stopping (no touch-up), because I thought I could get a smidge bit closer (ummm not BBS, really....truly...just a little closer, I swear :07:) -- and the results have been closer, but they have defeated the purpose (at least for me) of the GRFBBS.

2. These types of exercises -- a break in routine -- really help to improve my shaving technique.

So I am in for the long haul, and last night's shave is the last of the ATG shaves for me. Here's the Sheraton I used with a feather and LEA Mentholated Cream with a Yaqi 24mm Purple Haze brush....oh and then a pass of the alum block to stem the bleeding and some witch hazel then moisturizer to calm the things down. It wasn't a blood-bath of a shave, but it's always disappointing to have a shave like you did when you first started this path.
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How are the rest of you faring?
 
Another benefit - I’m using the time and attention I used to spend chasing BBS to do more prep and to experiment with the details of my prep routines. As I improve my prep I get closer shaves without paying the irritation/redness price.

I’ve tweaked post-shave a bit. I use a witch hazel splash more frequently. Alum has become optional. I don’t need to do an irritation assessment, but instead it gives me an opportunity to pat myself on the back.
 

Flintstone65

Imagining solutions for imaginary problems
Another benefit - I’m using the time and attention I used to spend chasing BBS to do more prep and to experiment with the details of my prep routines. As I improve my prep I get closer shaves without paying the irritation/redness price.

I’ve tweaked post-shave a bit. I use a witch hazel splash more frequently. Alum has become optional. I don’t need to do an irritation assessment, but instead it gives me an opportunity to pat myself on the back.
I should probably try to do more (or at least something) for pre-shave, or at least experiment with it more. I just splash some cold water on my face and it's off to the races. I gave up using the alum block a while back and now I only use it for persistent weepers....I found once I stopped using the alum and just splashing on witch hazel, my skin was happier.

I don't do any post shave really (other than Thayer's Rose Witch Hazel) -- my LOTH is not a fan of most scents -- although she likes the menthol one I do use (Krampert's Frostbite) -- it's got a coniferous scent along with the menthol. And she's fine with Krampert's Bay Rum. I find those 2 to be face nourishing and not heavy or cologne based, and the scent is mild to gone after about an hour or two. Both her dad and mine were substantial users of Old Spice, Brut, Aqua Velva, etc....and if I try anything cologne based or something with a similar scent profile, it is neither appreciated or accepted.
 
Still in. Talking myself out of going back over areas near the chin over and over had been the hardest part, but I've managed.
 
Did well with the restraint today - really wanted to “touch up”. Instead, I tossed the blade and promised myself a nice new Feather tomorrow. Face is feeling great!
 
One thing I've been focusing on more during this time of no BBS chasing is mapping the direction of hair growth. I find doing a sort of diagonal to the grain pass, which I like to call DTG, works well, so I do that instead of an ATG pass. Shaves are taking me a bit longer now but you know what - no irritation. Winna winna chicken dinna!

As far as pre-shave goes, I don't use an oil, I usually use whatever residual hair product I have on my hands at the time is. So for me that's a little bit of Vitalis or Tres Flores brilliantine. And warm water of course. I shave after my shower so my face is pretty well hydrated.
 
I shave after my shower

Absolutely the best prep step for me.

I did use a fresh Feather (and a fresh Gem PTFE) today. Fast, very close, and comfortable two pass shave. My November restraint plans are shaping up!
 
Quiet around here. Not even the devil has an advocate. A restrained atmosphere.

I am holding fast to my pledge. I did put in an order that included 100 Feathers, but I will shave with them in a highly restrained manner.

Touch up, you are dead to me.
 
Quiet around here. Not even the devil has an advocate. A restrained atmosphere.

I am holding fast to my pledge. I did put in an order that included 100 Feathers, but I will shave with them in a highly restrained manner.

Touch up, you are dead to me.
Still in and thoroughly content with my restraint :) It's harder than one may think to avoid the hunt. But once you do - whew - it's a load off. At least for me. And did I mention more comfortable?! I just dealt with the irritation before figuring it's the trade off for a BBS. But really, I'm fine with feeling a little stubble when I run my hand over my lower neck or jaw line ATG. The sun still rises in the morning!
 

Flintstone65

Imagining solutions for imaginary problems
I'm still here -- OCtober and some other "shaving duties" were keeping me busy -- I have never been so happy to see a month end....the shaves were nice, but it was more work keeping up with OCtober than I anticipated. Nevertheless, I have stayed with the GRFBBS -- 2-passes and NO "Perfunctory Touch-Up". Okay, I did slip and do a slight touch-up when I realized that I had an untouched patch of stubble (don't know how I missed in two passes), but that was it!

Here's another lesson-learned: even though I'm only doing 2-passes, I still need to go slow and maintain technique. I was trying to discover a way to "shave quickly" (sort of like I used to with a cart), but whenever I think "I'm in a hurry and just need to knock this out", I end up having to dam up the rivers of blood with alum. So yesterday I had a nice, unhurried shave with a truly spectacular soap -- Cyril R Salter Wild Rose (a generous sample sent to me by a good friend) -- and the results were so good that I thought I had accidentally hit BBS. 6 to 8 hours later, I realized it was more a DFS, but it really was a Darn FINE Shave.

So my restraint holds and I'm actually enjoying the learning/re-learning process!
 
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