Not sure what I'm doing wrong ATG!

[McBlade]

In general sharp blades should work better with coarse hair, particularly in a mild razor. I say "in general" because the razor can also be a factor. Even a Derby Extra can give me a decent shave in a shavette.

Maybe get a Maggard slant head to help hack through the undergrowth? If you do try a more aggressive razor start off with a very light touch and experiment - carefully! - to find the best head angle.

You could also try going against the grain at an angle instead of direct. The more you knock down the stubble the easier it gets. To stick with 3 passes, try the 2nd pass at a slight angle (if you can) and then the 3rd at a steeper angle. That might get you there.

The right razor head, with the right blade, and the right touch will give you a great shave once you find them.

 

[skibik]

I have a medium course beard and have a hard time achieving BBS, but then I don't strive to get it because if I go for it then it takes a 4th pass and I end up with bad irritation. Okay, with that said another thing is I can't seem to get anywhere near BBS with a mild razor. It took me at least 4 months to work into ATG pass, with my neck the whiskers seem to grow in various directions so I do my first pass as I normally have always shaved. My second pass on my cheeks I now go straight ATG but on my neck I kind of go 45 degree angle from the first pass. I do a third pass on my neck 90 degrees from the 2nd pass, basically making an X with the second and third pass. When I am going for BBS I will squeeze out the lather from the brush and smear it around on my neck and feel for the areas that need more work and while stretching slightly I light buff or use short strokes on these areas. It is usually above my adam's apple and under my chin on each side.

As far as razors go I use my Slim adjustable on 5 for most of my shaving, 9 for the first pass if I have grown it out for a week and back to 5 for the rest of the passes. I have not used any of the modern SE razor and only have a Schick Injector J1. I also love that razor for clearing off a week old beard because of the rigidity of the blade but it is such an aggressive razor I have a hard time using it for more than the main pass. If blade chatter is a problem then maybe trying one of those SE that use artist club blades might be worth a try. I think there are a couple choices that don't cost that much to give them a try.

Only thing that gave me a closer shave was my Remington foil electric razor. I got BBS all the time when I used it but it made my face itch so bad I had to stop using it years ago.

Good luck.

 

[KrstGor]

Geofatboy ends his videos with that last sentence!

I'm a big fan of Geo, so I like to qoute that sentence

 

[xiletero]

I think most have mentioned good options.
Ride cap
Runny lather (slick)
Open comb razor..... that Fatip Open Comb Slant (maggards) is really good; V3A is also good
If the razor skips....that's when one will have an "accident". Schick injector from the bay, those are sharp and rigid blades.
Just checked A...on has the Schone razor back in stock....that is a smooth open comb good and efficient razor! Inexpensive

 

[uderp]

Thank you all for the replies, I'll try a few things out and let you know how it goes!