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Is this the goal?

Hi I am a noob with a question. I began wetshaving because canned goo + Mach3 + Aqua Velva equalled terrible irritation. The idea of an ideal shave hadn't occurred to me until I started frequenting this and other shave forums. But now I wish not only to save my face from irritation, but to attain the perfect shave.

From what I can figure the goal of wetshaving is the ability to attain a Baby Butt Smooth or BBS shave every day taking only one day off per week, with very little or no irritation.

Is this accurate?

Thanx,

Harkonnendog
 
Yo Dog man,

First of all welcome to the board; you're shaving life will never be the same!

While there is no single goal or end to this, you are correct in that we all strive to achieve a BBS shave, free of irritation. At the same time, it's great to finally enjoy a chore that previously we all approached reluctantly.

Over time, many of us are finding the real end goal is to be the first person on the planet to collect the entire world's resources of shave creams, soaps, aftershave balms, colognes, and brushes.

This of course will take some time
 
ouch said:
Taking off one day a week? Why on Earth would I do that???:confused:

That's what I was wondering, I was thinking of going to shaving twice a day so I can try out all the paraphernalia I have acquired.:biggrin:
 
Gordon, the Duke of Silvertip, explained the goal of shaving this way. "To obtain a shave that looks good and feels good." Since I don't have a thick, heavy beard, I'm able to turn out a BBS smooth shave pretty much at will. But often at a price. I learned to accept that I don't have to have the "perfect" shave everyday, nor is achieving it necessarily good for my skin.

Randy
 
The goal? That is a personal question. For me, wet shaving was the acceptance that it is all right to have some quality me-time where I could enjoy the ritual, smells, etc. of a time-honored tradition. Yes, I can get a BBS shave, but that is almost secondary. Finding quality shaving was a life-changing event for me, since it led to an introspective look into how I wanted to present myself to the world in terms of appearance, etc., instead of a throw-it-together approach of pure utility. Life is short, after all. We may as well enjoy every second, even a potentially mundane task like shaving.
 
Scotto said:
The goal? That is a personal question. For, wet shaving was the acceptance that it is all right to have some quality me-time where I could enjoy the ritual, smells, etc. of a time-honored tradition. Yes, I can get a BBS shave, but that is almost secondary. Finding quality shaving was a life-changing event for me, since it led to an introspective look into how I wanted to present myself to the world in terms of appearance, etc., instead of a throw-it-together approach of pure utility. Life is short, after all. We may as well enjoy every second, even a potentially mundane task like shaving.
Well spoken, sir. My shaving journey parallels yours, though BBS isn't quite secondary for me yet. :biggrin:

-Rich
 
I am not overly concerned with getting a "smooth as glass" shave. My main concern is pampering my skin while keeping it irritation-free. I have learned to really enjoy the relaxation of wet shaving and the fantastic scents on offer from higher quality soaps/creams.

I also love the "old school" feel of wet shaving. While society constantly tries to speed everything up, I think people have lost the pleasure that can come with slowing things down.
 
Scotto said:
The goal? That is a personal question. For me, wet shaving was the acceptance that it is all right to have some quality me-time where I could enjoy the ritual, smells, etc. of a time-honored tradition. Yes, I can get a BBS shave, but that is almost secondary. Finding quality shaving was a life-changing event for me, since it led to an introspective look into how I wanted to present myself to the world in terms of appearance, etc., instead of a throw-it-together approach of pure utility. Life is short, after all. We may as well enjoy every second, even a potentially mundane task like shaving.

This pretty much sums up my feelings. Well said Scotto.
 
Very well stated, all.

One of the things I've found about 'wetshaving' is that the whole ritual has opened up other areas of personal grooming which I previously ignored. I've started taking better care of my skin, in general. I think wetshaving lends itself to that, for sure.

My routine used to be: Shower (where I bathed, washed hair and shaved), apply deodorant, brush teeth, apply body lotion to arms and face. No wonder my face was always dry and peeling in spots :bored:

Now, I shave after the shower and take my time, rather than haplessly banging the Mach3 against my face in the shower :eek: This has definitely helped my skin's appearance and condition, not to mention being able to obsess about acquiring a host of shaving items :lol: :tongue_sm
 
Scotto said:
The goal? That is a personal question. For me, wet shaving was the acceptance that it is all right to have some quality me-time where I could enjoy the ritual, smells, etc. of a time-honored tradition. Yes, I can get a BBS shave, but that is almost secondary. Finding quality shaving was a life-changing event for me, since it led to an introspective look into how I wanted to present myself to the world in terms of appearance, etc., instead of a throw-it-together approach of pure utility. Life is short, after all. We may as well enjoy every second, even a potentially mundane task like shaving.

Hark:

What Scotto said BUT....I gotta have that BBS shave as an end result!! Thankfully, I don't have a heavy beard and can get there relatively easy. I absolutely love the entire experience but that BBS grand finale is what I'm looking for every day!! I do four passes with a little blade buffing thrown in for good measure. BBS baby!
 
Lots of great answers!

For me, wet shaving is a way to receive a "tailored" shave everyday. Some days I must have light-bulb smoothness. On other days, I just want to knock down the tall weeds. With a hand-made lather and a DE, I can achieve whatever results I desire and not be stuck with what Gillette or Schick have dictated to be the best. Along with the "custom" shave, I get to enjoy better skin and a myriad of fantastic products.
 
In my case, the BBS shave is only incidental, though of course a well-groomed face is one pleasant result. I actually enjoy taking the weekend off and letting my skin recover (my neck still gets a touch raw by Friday).

For me, it's the pleasure of acquiring and mastering a new skill. Sure, the "BBS without irritation" shave is what I'm looking to get as an end result, but what I'm really wanting is "mastery of the art of shaving". To paraphrase someone (not sure who, or what the original subject was): "if you want a perfect shave, first become a perfect shaver and then do what comes naturally".

For example, I was pleased to get my brush and cream; I was much happier when I finally got the knack for producing good lather. I was happy to get my Merkur HD "hefty classic"; I was happier to master the diagonal stroke which shaves my neck closer with less irritation. In my case, it's less about gear acquisition, and more about learning everything and mastering it.

(er, not to say that I'm above gear acquisition... today my wife saw some Proraso shaving soap on sale and grabbed it for me ... I was a happy little fellow. After all, most of the fun of gear acquisition is learning how to shave best with it...)
 

ouch

Stjynnkii membörd dummpsjterd
Scotto said:
You didn't expect such philospohical answers, did you. :biggrin:

It's not Prolegomena to Any Future Metaphysics, but I've come to expect philosophical responses to almost any post in here.
 
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