Multi-Pass Shaves. More Aggressive First, More Mild First, or the Same Throughout?

[Vaporstang]

I am sorry if this topic has been beat to death, but I have only seen a passing reference to the subject here. If doing multi-pass shaves what do you want to use for the first pass, second pass, third pass, etc.?

• Start with milder and work your way to more aggressive?
• Start with more aggressive and follow up with milder?
• Do you keep it the same throughout?

I suppose WTG, ATG, XTG might play into it. Maybe number shaves on the blade also?? Beard growth???

 

[Tanuki]

I’m going to lurk.

I have yet to dial in an adjustable game plan. Slim and Schick is what I have.

I never changed plates mid shave with my Rockwell 6C when I had it. If I change on my Karve, it happens early in the shave, only because I realize I have the ‘wrong’ plate loaded.

 

[Cool Shave Luke]

If I have time and want to go for the closest shave possible I’ll generously prep with my preshave oil and use my slim adjustable at 7 with Feather blade WTG then ATG. Then dial up to 9, reapply preshave and slowly, carefully, stretching skin and short strokes go XTG. Love the flexibility of an adjustable

 

[Hannah's Dad]

When I’ve used a FB or Slim or Toggle, I would start high (9) on the first pass, then adjust down to a milder 2nd and 3rd pass. It just seemed logical to seek greater efficiency on the first pass. I no longer have adjustables.

 

[kingfisher]

I have always started with a more agggessive setting and dialed it down for subsequent passes. Just makes the most sense to me.

 

[Vaporstang]

When I’ve used a FB or Slim or Toggle, I would start high (9) on the first pass, then adjust down to a milder 2nd and 3rd pass. It just seemed logical to seek greater efficiency on the first pass. I no longer have adjustables.

I have always started with a more agggessive setting and dialed it down for subsequent passes. Just makes the most sense to me.

That's how I have been doing it with my Merkur, and it makes sense to me also. But I saw a B&B post (I'll never be able to find it), where they talked about reversing it. Which made me wonder....

 

[THall]

With all my adjustables, I start high WTG, keep it there XTG and drop down several settings ATG. Settings used and razor depends on the person. As a rule of thumb, I go as comfortably high as possible WTG and XTG.

 

[xiletero]

Higher first pass, might decrease for 2nd and for sure if I do 3rd then I drop 2 clicks AG

 

[dmshaver]

My thinking, when using an adjustable, is to start mild & get progressively more aggressive with each subsequent pass.

 

[Cphobes]

I tried changing between passes and never really noticed a difference. I set my Parker Variant on one setting for both passes, slightly aggressive at 3.5/4 on the dial.

 

[THall]

My philosophy for dialing down ATG is simply to get a very soft, irritation free and long lasting BBS without paying for it for daily shaving.

When your technique is down, you should be close to BBS by the end of the second XTG pass starting out at the high settings. That third, ATG pass allows for your skin to be much softer using the lower setting.

Obviously keeping the same high setting throughout all passes will remove hair and will get you to a BBS also, but my thinking isn’t just hair removal but how soft my skin feels dialing down after that last pass.

My Super 84 and Gibbs are so smooth, I jump ATG on the second pass and get the same result.

 

[musicman1951]

Quite a few variables here, but when I used an adjustable I would dial down the third (ATG) pass slightly. There was hardly any hair left and that lessened the possibility of irritation with ATG.

Eventually I ended up just leaving it at a comfortable setting, and then I went to 3 piece razors.

 

[BigJ]

I leave things the same for each of my ’standard’ three passes. KISS works for me!!

 

[Peterv1]

Depends on how many days of growth for 1 or 2 days I usually do a 2 pass with my merkur 34c for 3+ days I use the progress on setting 4, 2 and sometimes a clean up on 1

 

[kingfisher]

For those of you who dial the aggressiveness UP through the passes, can you explain to me why you do it that way? Is there a thought process that has made you think that would be the best way? Just trying to learn and to hear alternative opinions. Thanks.

 

[mr_houston]

I have a dual comb that varies in gap by side.

Generally, I start aggressive and then back down for touch ups, where I am doing tricky moves in tricky areas. My classic example is sideways on my neck, which is ATG in certain areas.

 

[Lord NSIC]

Assume you're addressing the use of adjustable razors versus using 2-3 different razors with different shave qualities for each pass (i.e., Gillette Red Tip WTG to knock it down, Flare Tip XTG, and then using a Blue Tip or Tech ATG/clean-up). As for adjustables, 6-9 for the first pass and then dialing down to a 4 for the next pass normally gives me near BBS without going for a third pass. But if I do, I'll leave it at 4 or dial it down further because there isn't that much left for the ATG pass.

 

[Vaporstang]

For those of you who dial the aggressiveness UP through the passes, can you explain to me why you do it that way? Is there a thought process that has made you think that would be the best way? Just trying to learn and to hear alternative opinions. Thanks.

I have not done it this way, but my logic would be that on he milder first pass you are "clearing the forest" so to speak, with minimized irritation. The next, more aggressive pass would be close without whiskers clogging the blade with overall irritation the same or maybe less.

Now I will have to give it a try....

 

[emwolf]

I've tried all ways of shaving with an adjustable. The one that works for me is mild at the first and progressively more aggressive.

 

[Invicta]

One setting throughout works for me as a daily shaver. The first pass removes more stubble than the final pass but still get a very close shave by the final pass. If I was to vary the setting it would be a larger blade gap to start because the first pass removes more.
What I find useful is varying the setting to suit the blade but still a fixed setting for all passes.