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How long did it take you to get BBS shaves?

I've been straight shaving for about a month or so with what I'd consider regularity. While I enjoy the actual process itself my results are still a country mile away from a BBS shave. I can get a workable shave and even a DFS on many parts of my face. However after a shave I can (and often do) grab either a DE or SE and make a final pass or so and can still hear it mowing down hair on the vast majority of my face.

While I'm not discouraged by any means I'm just wondering how long it took you guys to get shaves that equaled the closeness you get/got with a safety razor.
 

Luc

"To Wiki or Not To Wiki, That's The Question".
Staff member
72 or 73 shaves I think... That's how it happened in my journal, it took a while but I got there eventually.
 
For me pretty much the first day. Had a dull straight and used that to practice shaving (while still using a DE) and stropping, after a few times I knew about where to stretch the skin and know where my trouble spots would be. Though I was able to shave with pretty good results, in the beginning it would take about 20 minutes just for actual shaving time for 4 passes but now I can get BBS with 3 passes in about 10 minutes.

Just keep taking your time, it takes practice.
 

Legion

Staff member
A couple of months, I guess. I had, and still have a few trouble spots which I need to pay extra attention to to get BBS. Behind my jaw, parts of my neck. But it was BBS for the most part after a couple of months.
 
N

NoelyDeezNutz

3rd shave and LOTS of reading on how to achieve it.

But, I'll preface this with "im not normal" since, I know that I have an addictive personality, and if I want to do something, I will learn EVERY way of doing something, to make sure that I'm doing it correctly and to MY standards.

It's probably why I haven't cut myself through my entire stint of straight shaving so far. (1 month in)
 
I'd say around 4 months for me, at least on a regular basis. I could do down to my jaw line real good but it took me forever to figure out parts of my neck.
 
I am still not 100% there yet after a few months. I tried for BBS in the beginning and paid the price thanks to my inexperience and coarse curly stubble (irritation, rash & bumps) and swore it was overrated. Funnily enough, since then, I've stopped trying for BBS and my latest shaves have bought me closer to achieving BBS than ever before. I think it just comes naturally over time and for some that is a shorter time than for others...

My point being the more I wanted it the worse the shaves got :blushing:
 
Several months.

After about 2 months of straight only shaving I keep seeing my DEs sitting there and I had even gotten a few new ones I hadn't used yet so I started using them some and got away from using straights as much as I should have to get great results. Then I got a 1912 and used it for like 2 months straight because of the crazy easy great shaves I got from it. Now I've come full circle and I'm back to using straights almost exclusively. Through further refinement of technique, trying a few different finishes, and doing my passes different I finally got to getting really good shaves with a straight and fell back in love with them all over again.
 
I am still not 100% there yet after a few months. I tried for BBS in the beginning and paid the price thanks to my inexperience and coarse curly stubble (irritation, rash & bumps) and swore it was overrated. Funnily enough, since then, I've stopped trying for BBS and my latest shaves have bought me closer to achieving BBS than ever before. I think it just comes naturally over time and for some that is a shorter time than for others...

My point being the more I wanted it the worse the shaves got :blushing:

It's funny you say once you stopped trying for BBS you got closer... I did the same today, didn't even do ATG pass and was closer than yesterday with an ATG pass... and I wasn't bleeding today (yesterday I was... quite a bit lol)

Just do what you can, over time you can do more, and eventually you'll get there. I was getting acceptable shaves for leaving the house from day 1.
 
7 months=97 full straight shaves and still no BBS. I consistently get NM-BBS (near miss BBS) and that will do fine for now.
 

Luc

"To Wiki or Not To Wiki, That's The Question".
Staff member
7 months=97 full straight shaves and still no BBS. I consistently get NM-BBS (near miss BBS) and that will do fine for now.

You're almost there, I'm sure! :thumbup1:
 
BBS came quick.

BBS, with no irritation, no ingrowns, no other repercussions, with my own honing... much longer.
To this day, my shaves (and my honing) continue to improve.
 
BBS came quick.

BBS, with no irritation, no ingrowns, no other repercussions, with my own honing... much longer.
To this day, my shaves (and my honing) continue to improve.

This about mirrors my own experience. I could get BBS quite early on but at the price of having a raw face for a day. As I got better at it, it came easier with less irritation, having upgraded to higher end straight has helped a lot as well.
 
It took me 3 to 4 months to achieve BBS. After 1 year now, my focus is on reducing passes from 3 1/2 to 3 and getting faster...
 
I'm focusing on getting DFS and not cutting myself any more... heheh.

BBS is a good ways off for me, but I'm having fun, that's what matters.
 
I just dont worry about any more. Sometimes my entire face is, sometimes its not.

Splashing on my favorite splash on the end is enjoyable no matter what though.
 
A couple of months, I guess. I had, and still have a few trouble spots which I need to pay extra attention to to get BBS. Behind my jaw, parts of my neck. But it was BBS for the most part after a couple of months.

+1. My exact experience.
 
Same here. Maybe in a few months I'll be able to get BBS.

Heheh... it's the little things that I enjoy at this point. When I can wrap my 13/16 around the slope of my chin in 1 stroke... something that seemed like it would break the laws of physics when I first started straight shaving... that makes me feel like a million bucks... or when I get done shaving and there is no blood :thumbup:

When the BBS comes, it comes... I can honestly say that I'm not too worried about it.
 
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