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I know it’s been asked but

EclipseRedRing

I smell like a Christmas pudding
I am in my late 50s and have ever had what I would consider a bbs shave, not once, never. I can always feel bristles somewhere if I stretch the skin and feel against the grain. It must be about me and my technique, or my lather, my prep, or the phase of the moon, or maybe bbs is a load of old nonsense which is simply not possible for some people, no it's definitely my technique.
 

musicman1951

three-tu-tu, three-tu-tu
A daily BBS is waaaaaaaaaaay easier if you have the right razor/blade for your beard - but that has nothing to do with brand. I do have a razor that's simply too mild for my beard and I absolutely cannot get a BBS with three passes - and I'm not even going to try 6 passes. It's more about technique than equipment, but equipment can matter.

There are shavers with beards light/average enough to get a BBS with just about any razor/blade. The other end of the spectrum are shavers with beards like wire who can only get a BBS with a very aggressive razor and a Feather blade - which only lasts for one of their shaves.

There are quite a few razors now with extremely high quality control and better materials (at a commensurate price tag) that are wonderful instruments - but they still need to be used with good technique and you can still easily get one with the wrong level of aggression.

My suggestion would be to post the razors you have used that worked well for your face/beard (including the blades) and then ask for suggestions. We have enough shavers here who have experienced multiple gaps and can offer good ideas. I'd include a budget if you have one.
 
Technique
 

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Pretty Much Stated by other great members!​


Just adding & highlighting >

“It's not the wand, it's the wizard.”

& "The wand picks the wizard!"

The unicorn razor is : Finding the Best Shaving Best Overall Practices for your face, Shaving Smart, Patience, Adaptability, Technique & Skill, Understand your face / stubble mapping, & Enjoyment, Experience .

Focus on learning and not just focusing on Hardware and Software.

BFX
 
New razors and new wetshavers are always appearing! What’s your razor of choice for a an almost always guaranteed bbs?
Since you ask ... currently, the Karve Overlander. For me, it's super gentle but delivers the efficiency that matches my technique.

The mythical BBS shave comes from technique, not the razor.

The first thing every new DE shaver should do is master the shaving angle of the razor and learn to shave with their arm and not their wrist. Don't chase BBS ... you'll shave your skin raw. It's only after many, many shaves and refining your technique will you ever get close to BBS.

For me, the refining of my technique came from the hours after the shave, feeling the whiskers as they grew in. And trying to figure out how best to get the razor cut them away.
 
I’m new to the forum not wetshaving haha personally I can get a bbs with muhle r41 though stingy but no irritation, focs little less stingy, and the slim at 8. All done wtg atg and touch ups. I was curious what worked well for others, personally the red tip didn’t equate well for me nor did the techs. Red tip just felt raw (r41 is similar but I can get to bbs) and the techs too mild.
 
Like others have said, it's about technique. I don't chase BBS anymore. I do a one-pass shave unless I'm getting ready for a special occasion (fancy restaurant, going to a wedding, symphony). Then it's two passes and call it good. But my go-to razor is the Schick Krona.
 
I'd avise you to invest a couple of minutes to learn about your growth pattern first. A BBS shave needs an ATG pass (for me, that is), so you should have a proper understanding of your beard growth first.

After having established a better understanding of your growth, try perhaps an adjustable razor...

The safety bar version of the Pearl Flexi or the open comb version of the Parker Variant offer an excellent value for money... add a sample pack of different DE blades and you are done!
 

Chef455

Head Cheese Head Chef
I am in my late 50s and have ever had what I would consider a bbs shave, not once, never. I can always feel bristles somewhere if I stretch the skin and feel against the grain. It must be about me and my technique, or my lather, my prep, or the phase of the moon, or maybe bbs is a load of old nonsense which is simply not possible for some people, no it's definitely my technique.
I think it's a cosmic injustice that @EclipseRedRing does not get a BBS shave during an eclipse. I will be monitoring his situation on 4/8/24. (That's the next solar eclipse visible here in North America. Hence ya'all should be amused.)
 

WThomas0814

Ditto, ditto
I am in my late 50s and have ever had what I would consider a bbs shave, not once, never. I can always feel bristles somewhere if I stretch the skin and feel against the grain. It must be about me and my technique, or my lather, my prep, or the phase of the moon, or maybe bbs is a load of old nonsense which is simply not possible for some people, no it's definitely my technique.
100% correct. Chasing BBS is what makes people go elsewhere. I have gotten BBS, but had to skip the next two days of shaving. Unless my definition of BBS differs from others...
 
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