I Start by Shaving Against the Grain...

[njpaddy]

It's like the Seinfeld episode

"If every instinct you have is wrong, then the opposite would have to be right."- Jerry, to George, in "The Opposite"

 

[Go West Young Man]

Well said on the last paragraph. What I cannot abide are those "experts" who feel they must back up their self appointed status by dinigrating my knowledge and experience because it disagrees with what they are promoting. I have been wet shaving with a DE or a straight for longer than most of these people have been alive (I started in 1964) so I am not particularly patient with their attitude. If it takes 4 passes for someone to get a shave they like, and they are happy with that level of performance, then they should be happy. But, don't diss others who have discovered a higher level and are willing to share.

The only person issuing blanket fiats is you...... everyone else pretty much agrees that "if it works for you then it works for you".

 

[dundak]

As I said before, I have seen no objective, scientific explaination of the concept. Given a sharp razor and proper techique, why should a second pass cut any closer than the first?

Folklore (my definition): Something that is often repeated as factual but that cannot be explained by the user.

Because not every hair will be cut nor will they be cut to the same length on a pass. Many factors play into this

1. Not every whisker will be hydrated and swollen to the same degree. i.e some will be harder to cut
2. Some whiskers may deflect fully or partially from the cutting edge due to skin imperfections, varying levels of hydration, angle of growth, diameter of shaft.
3. Your face is not a flat plane where angle and blade contact can be kept utterly consistent through the stroke. Some may say so but I think it highly unlikely.
4. With DE's the gap between blade and guard become filled with detrius, lather, skin cells, cut hairs etc. This can deflect, obscure and hinder the edge from cutting. The same is true to a smaller degree with straights.



Hope this helps.

I agree you can get a good shave in one pass but a lot of members want BBS's and such. And is that one pass shave really one pass when most strokes overlap to some degree? Maybe instead of passes we should say you can get a good shave with one lathering.