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Is BBS on Neck even Possible?

My hair grows from right to left but a small patch on my left side grows from left to right. My first pass is north to south, followed by a second pass south to north (so both are basically XTG). I then do a touch up pass in a slanted direction (45 degree, like this: /\). Don't know if that makes sense but it gives me a DFS with minimal irritation. I figure it's like an ATG pass, but just not as aggressive..
 
Very rarely for me. I can do it but usually end up with razor burn. It isn't worth the trouble, DFS on the neck is acceptable.
 
My neck has always been a trouble zone. I have never managed BBS there without bad irritation - even though I have mapped meticulously, refined technique, varied my materials etc. I go for a decent/presentable shave and leave it at that. There is always some irritation and some very slightly noticeable stubble - because I have ultra pale skin and a very dark beard. But things are much better than when I used goo and carts. The only time I have zero neck irritation is when I grow a beard!
 
No, it is not. After you've done the hot towel, pre shave oil, 5 passes wtg/xtg/xtg/atg/touch up. Break out the Mach3 and with one swipe you'll wonder, "what the hell did I get myself into."


~Royce
 
I can get a BBS on my face area, but I have yet to achieve anything resembling it on my neck. My neck is super sensitive and prone to breakouts, and my neck hair grows in so many directions that trying to map it looks like a plate of spaghetti. I can get a visually appealing shave on my neck, but if I spend too much time on it I can be assured of a breakout and a mess of ugly bumps. At some point it isn't worth it. I keep my face smooth and I try to find balance on my neck between shaved and breakout free.
 
Holy Moly!! I did it today! 8 got the ever-elusive BBS shave on the neck with no real irritation! Setup was a boar's hair barber brush, proraso green, crown king scuttle, Parker DE, and a "homemade" aftershave balm. Did a four-pass shave post-shower going WTG, XTG in both directions, and then ATG... I don't know if I've ever been more excited about a neck shave!
 
Holy Moly!! I did it today! 8 got the ever-elusive BBS shave on the neck with no real irritation! Setup was a boar's hair barber brush, proraso green, crown king scuttle, Parker DE, and a "homemade" aftershave balm. Did a four-pass shave post-shower going WTG, XTG in both directions, and then ATG... I don't know if I've ever been more excited about a neck shave!
Congrats! I believe you may have achieved something as rare as a unicorn sighting! I'm flummoxed on mine. I have certain trouble spots where I can shave in every conceivable direction, from every single angle, and still not get it perfect. I've started going for "presentable" on the neck. It's disappointing, but at least the breakouts have finally gone away. Maybe one day the unicorn will present itself to me as well!
 
When using my dovo shavette, I am having trouble getting a perfect BBS shave on my neck... my hair seems to grow across so the only way to do full ATG is cutting completely horizontal across my neck, which seems relatively dangerous... even with a WTG, an XTG pass and even a diagonal XTG pass, I still couldn't get a perfect BBS shave... Any advice on how to go about this? Is it even possible to get a full BBS shave on the neck?

Yes it is possible and I get it when I go for a three pass using a DE razor - usually either a Jones shake sharp or a Gillette Black Beauty. If using the Gillette (long handle) I start at 3 and ramping up to 6 and then 9*. I'm not sure I'd attempt it with a shavette or a straight 'though.

*That being said I'm currently experimenting /*looks round nervously in case anyone hears him*/ with a Gillette Guard as a head and neck shaver. I hate to say it but I am very impressed. Sufficiently impressed that I'll continue once the experiment is over. I've found that a two pass shave: one neck to forehead and one forehead to neck using the Guard gives excellent results very quickly and with minimal effort. If I do a third pass using my Jones shake sharp and either a Feather, a Treet Carbon Steel, or Polsilver blade I get BBS for a tiny extra amount of effort and time.
 
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Holy Moly!! I did it today! 8 got the ever-elusive BBS shave on the neck with no real irritation! Setup was a boar's hair barber brush, proraso green, crown king scuttle, Parker DE, and a "homemade" aftershave balm. Did a four-pass shave post-shower going WTG, XTG in both directions, and then ATG... I don't know if I've ever been more excited about a neck shave!
Isn't it nice when things go as one had hoped ? :)
 
Fully agreed. My neck is happier with me these day, but the perfectionist is a bit rankled. I think we need an adjustment of terms. Suggestions?
how about a "BWC" Best We Can shave where it's basically just that you hit the point where you know it can't get closer without sacrificing irritation.. it isn't going to be the kind of standardization as the others but on the neck it's better than nothing :tongue_sm

Yes it is possible and I get it when I go for a three pass using a DE razor - usually either a Jones shake sharp or a Gillette Black Beauty. If using the Gillette (long handle) I start at 3 and ramping up to 6 and then 9*. I'm not sure I'd attempt it with a shavette or a straight 'though.
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yeah, I definitely have given up on a BBS neck shave with my shavette or straight alone. I have found that since my hair grows with the grain horizontally from my left to my right, there isn't enough real estate to fit the shavette or straight in there which leaves me in pieces. The Parker OC DE that I got from [MENTION=61531]shave/brush[/MENTION] in a very generous PIF got the job done with an Astra SP, which means I'm now forever in his debt lol

Isn't it nice when things go as one had hoped ? :)
It makes for a beautiful few hours at the very least... full disclosure, I had to force myself to stop necksturbating (pardon my shaving French) since pushing my fingers against the grain so much was starting to get uncomfortable lol :bored:
 
how about a "BWC" Best We Can shave where it's basically just that you hit the point where you know it can't get closer without sacrificing irritation.. it isn't going to be the kind of standardization as the others but on the neck it's better than nothing :tongue_sm





It makes for a beautiful few hours at the very least... full disclosure, I had to force myself to stop necksturbating (pardon my shaving French) since pushing my fingers against the grain so much was starting to get uncomfortable lol :bored:

BWC sounds like a good description to me.

You want to be careful not overindulge in necksturbation it'll make hairs grow on the palm of your hand:straight:
 
BBS is hands down the stupidest concept these boards foist on impressionable newbies.

Seriously, no one but you will ever know that for a brief couple hours your beard was marginally shorter than otherwise. In return for that meaningless event that exists only to let you brag on the internet, you risk irritation and cuts that'll ruin your whole day.... And be visible to everyone in the room.

Get s good shave today. Try to get a better shave tomorrow. That's all you should worry about.
 
BBS is hands down the stupidest concept these boards foist on impressionable newbies.

Seriously, no one but you will ever know that for a brief couple hours your beard was marginally shorter than otherwise. In return for that meaningless event that exists only to let you brag on the internet, you risk irritation and cuts that'll ruin your whole day.... And be visible to everyone in the room.

Get s good shave today. Try to get a better shave tomorrow. That's all you should worry about.

LOL :lol: to be fair, I love to brag on the internet! :lol:
 
I struggled with this for a couple of weeks, but finally seem to be getting BBS on the neck with a Weck Sextoblade (probably similar difficulty compared to a dovo shavette). My neck hairs grow side-to-side, and of course that's a motion that you can't do directly ATG with the wide straight hair shaper blades. However, I seem to be hitting the hairs well enough now for BBS with a J-stroke that goes 45 degrees from ATG. It took a lot of trial and error, and I'm still learning and shaving very slowly with the straight, but I'm finally getting BBS now. However, as they say, everyone's face is different. I've never had nick or weeper problems on the neck area, and if your skin is such that you do, I could see it being really difficult and not worth it to go for BBS there (or switch to a DE to finish it).
 
i don't get a BBS shave on my neck, but i do get the whiskers pretty much unseeable, and i don't cut up my adams apple. the rest of my face is usually BBS.

there's always a plan B.
 
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