Making "The Leap"

[franz]

With my current equipment, technique, and prep, I am able to consistently achieve very good, irritation-free 3-pass shaves on par with DFS. I am now experimenting with ways to increase the quality of my shaves in order to break the "BBS barrier." (Mainly, I am trying different blades and working on my ATG technique, which is weak.)

My question is: What allowed you to make "The Leap" from merely good, close shaves to excellent, BBS-type results? Can you pinpoint something specific in your experience that kicked your shaving up a notch, or was it the slow accumulation of lots of practice? Or something else entirely?

Awaiting your wisdom.

 

[Longsword]

the slow accumulation of lots of practice?

That.

Unless 3 shaves aren't considered slow/lots of practice?

 

[drews50]

That.

Unless 3 shaves aren't considered slow/lots of practice?

+1 for taking your time and practice, practice, practice

 

[Codfish]

I bought an open-comb razor, and because there were comb-marks on my face, learned that I had been using a too-shallow blade angle all along. I re-learned it, and have been having excellent results with all my razors ever since.

Codfish

 

[BladeRunner001]

1. Lather quality
2. Spend enough time to achieve better prep
3. Skin stretching
4. Angle/Pressure
5. Time and practice (and patience)

 

[HoosierTrooper]

Three words. Nineteen twelve Gem.

 

[Wetshavemike]

For me it was ignoring peoples ranting about different products. Instead of following the trend, I took an honest look at what I had and worked with each product until it performed as good as possible. I realized I bought a lot of expensive stuff, yet the cheap easy to find stuff worked as good or better, yet I moved on before I gave it a chance. Keep it simple, and find the best in the stuff you have. Then you will know what is better and why! Some products are better then others. If what you have doesn't work, you need more time with it.

 

[CptBlueBear]

Practice and thinking about what you are doing. Keep evaluating your technique - which sounds like what you are doing - and not letting yourself develop any bad habits. That's the key to getting perfecting any mechanical skill.

 

[Wingnut]

1. Lather quality
2. Spend enough time to achieve better prep
3. Skin stretching
4. Angle/Pressure
5. Time and practice (and patience)

This. Couldn't have said it better myself.

Once your technique is honed and will permit it, might I also suggest giving a more aggressive razor a try? A slant, open comb, or SE can do wonders in skilled hands (and much damage in unskilled ones!)

 

[bvance554]

three words. Nineteen twelve gem.

+1

 

[franz]

Thanks for your comments and suggestions. I find it interesting how easy it is to settle for merely "good" when there is almost always some aspect of your routine you can improve on or tweak, thus (potentially) leading to "great."

 

[closer]

Assuming you are using good products, and have good prep, I would focus on optimizing each pass. What I mean by that is, on each pass, you will achieve beard reduction, but some areas will be cleaner than others. When you rinse your face after each pass, run your hands over your face and feel the remaining stubble. Next time, work on optimizing that area: blade angle, stretching, pressure, whatever it might take. If you keep tinkering with and optimizing the results on each pass, you will optimize the final result of the shave.

 

[dpmtherrien]

Gotta be the practice, and the improvement in technique.