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My First Fouth Pass, First ATG, First BBS ... (Sorry for the long post)

What I used

Edwin Jagger Bulbous Lined (Merkur Head)
Swedish Gillette
Edwin Jagger Medium Silvertip Brush
Castle Forbes Pre-Shave
Nancy Boy Signature Scent Cream
Dirty Bird Brush Scuttle and Lather Bowl
Thayer’s Alcohol Free Lavender Witch Hazel
Spieck After Shave Balm
Anthony Ingrown Hair Treatment

I did not start today’s shave with any intentions of going against the grain nor was I thinking about trying to get a BBS shave. I have been somewhat content with my three pass DFS for several months now. It took me a long time just to get this far and, in fact I had my DE razor for more than a year before I finally used it. I relied on BIC Metal Guard disposables for shaving and concentrated on my lather building, correct angle, and pressure. I know what it really was that kept the DE in its stand though. It was fear of the thing. Thirty years of non-optional beard wearing, interrupted only briefly by repeated dalliances with electric shavers that removed all of the stubble left behind by unguarded clippers, but also ravaged the skin underneath. No shaving regimen started would last more than a few days before my face was a painful mass of red bumps and ingrown hairs. I didn’t mind the beard so much as I hated not having any option except to wear and maintain it. The ladies loved it and complained, sometimes bitterly, when I would mention plans to shave it off for those few days. Then it began to turn gray. At first that was kinda cool too, really distinguished. Then the gray spread and turned white. Not so cool anymore, at least not to my eyes.
I found this site about two years ago and I was convinced that this would work for me. Henry David Thoreau said “Simplify, simplify”. I felt the Zen of wet shaving with a DE. I read, re-read and still read the stickies. From Michael (Leisure Guy) to Kyle to Mantic, I learned how to prepare my beard and how to shave by reducing the stubble. From Scotto and LetterK I acquired my first creams and blades to sample. From my man Htown I learned the single most important word, Patience. Bob Pope, who worked out the design for the Dirty Bird Brush Scuttle with Julie Moore and never thought to have it named after himself, gave me my final nudge to lay down the BIC and pick up the DE via PM. I will always remember those exchanges. There are a host of other members here whose posts have been informative and encouraging to me without their ever knowing it. I think that is the way for many of the members here regardless of their experience.
Imagine a forum devoted to shaving with an old fashioned Double Edge razor and blade having more than 15,000 members worldwide. Imagine that. We can barely find DE blades in stores because the manufacturers would clearly rather see us spending more money on cartridges, or else Swedish Gillette blades would not have been discontinued given the following they had here. There is even a company in San Francisco that is owned and operated by openly and proudly Gay geniuses that has a loyal customer base comprised of everyone from the most liberal among us to those who stand to the far right of Rush Limbaugh. The gentlemen at Nancy Boy make a great product and back it up with even better customer service. But I digress.
After five months of DE shaving, I have been happy in the knowledge that I would forever shave this way. So I set about today as I do on every other day, with a hot shower and my selected cream for the day. I had filled my DB Brush Scuttle vessel with boiling water and left the insert out while I showered. I do this to let the water temperature cool slowly until it is such that it won’t bruise the lather in my brush too much. I am not stingy when I load my brush, which I do by twisting the tips in the tub after soaking it thoroughly and giving it three or four good shakes. I would guess that I get a good Brazil nut sized amount. I add water to the bowl as needed to make my lather and test it between thumb and forefinger as well as by eye for consistency of the peaks. The scuttle insert goes into the vessel at this point and the brush goes into the insert. Time for Kyle’s prep. I use whatever lather remains in the lather bowl for this. The hot towel part used to be tricky, but now I just lean over the sink on my elbows and hold the towel to my face as the water runs. I can drop it back under the tap and wring it out and move it back to my face three or four times that way. By the time I am finished with the prep; my brush is quite warm for the first pass. It actually gets warmer by the time I make my second and third passes. Now, I have been doing a three pass shave for about a year, with the past 5 months comprising my DE shaving experience. I have managed to get a DFS 99% of the time. I always feel smooth skin in three out of four directions and have accepted the fine grit sandpaper feel of my ATG faceturbating.
Today, for reasons that may forever be unknown, I chose to make my first ATG pass, my first fourth pass. This one is for Htown because it was patience that made it possible. I had more than enough lather left in my brush and it was still very warm. With the confidence of Alexander, of Hannibal, of Genghis Khan, I smoothly maintained angle and pressure in a series of short and precise strokes. My warm water rinse and cold water splash were followed with what has become my favorite part of every shave, the Thayer’s Lavender rubdown. I always let my face air dry as I set about cleaning up the sink and putting my tools away. After that I rub my balm of choice in my palms and apply it to a slightly damp face. I generally wait another twenty minutes before the Anthony Ingrown Treatment. It still tingles a bit even after that much time. I was really looking forward to seeing what it was going to feel like today. There was no difference from any other day. Except that I was rubbing my hand across my face in ALL directions and there was no stubble at all. None.
Tomorrow may be different. We will see. But regardless of whether or not my face shows signs of irritation in the morning - I really don’t think it will – I know that I can go ATG now. I know that BBS is achievable, maybe not for every shave; I don’t even think that it is necessary for every shave, but when I want it, I can have it. So can any of you. Everything working in concert and guided by patience will yield this reward.
OK I do apologize for the length of this post. Really, I just had to write this down because the only people I know who can understand the journey are you Gents and Ladies.
Thank you.
 
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Now that you have reached the pinnacle, isn't it a beautiful view! I really enjoyed hearing about your journey, your experiences, and even looking at the equipment you use.

I am humbled that something i said helped(but glad also). Now that you have learned, it is your responsibility to also pass it on to next n00b that comes along looking for help who is frustrated with their current shaves and tired of ingrowns(but I know you will do so w/o being told).

no post is too long that is that informative, honest, and spoken from the heart.


marty
 
What an interesting shaving odyssey you've been on thus far, thanks for sharing, pretty inspiring if you ask me. Good shout outs too!
 
Now that you have reached the pinnacle, isn't it a beautiful view! I really enjoyed hearing about your journey, your experiences, and even looking at the equipment you use.

I am humbled that something i said helped(but glad also). Now that you have learned, it is your responsibility to also pass it on to next n00b that comes along looking for help who is frustrated with their current shaves and tired of ingrowns(but I know you will do so w/o being told).

no post is too long that is that informative, honest, and spoken from the heart.


marty

Marty,
You and many others, known and unknown, have been more instrumental than you know in advancing DE shaving among the uninitiated and in motivating other experienced DE shavers to share what they have taken for granted. We all give our heartfelt thanks to all of you each time we take up the Badger and the Blade.

From another die hard Trekkie and Herculoid fan.

(By the way, I saw the new Star Trek movie in the IMAX theatre yesterday ... and I loved it!)
 
Awesome post, thanks for sharing!

"Only those who have the patience to do simple things perfectly will acquire the skill to do difficult things easily." -Johann Friedrich von Schiller
 
Great post. I really enjoyed it.

I'm about 6 weeks into using brush and lather, and about 4 weeks into using a DE. I was afraid of it, too, but ultimately my curiosity was more powerful than my fear.

About a week ago I decided to shave with a Schick Quattro because I had had a rough DE shave the day before (lots of irritation). I lathered up and got out the Quattro. I began the first stroke, and then put it down and took up the DE. I'm ruined, I think. I'm not sure I can shave with those monstrosities anymore. The only one I still use occasionally (for cleanup) is the Sensor.

Anyway, thanks for sharing your story.
 
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