Please help - over half a year and still can't find a BBS razor

[HDSledge]

I can't honestly say that I have ever had a true all over the face BBS shave result. Some areas yes, some areas no. If I try to get close in a couple areas I get burn or ingrown hairs. No matter which razor or prep I use it's always an imperfect job.

 

[Hobby Hoarder]

Were you getting BBS from straights?

FWIW, I don't think any razor can be considered a BBS razor; it is the person holding it that determines how well it shaves.

I was only doing one pass with my straight razor and the results were about the same as 3 passes with DE. So not exactly BBS either, but that would be kinda hard with a single pass anyway. I can't tell you why I've never tried more passes. Yep, I'm well aware I'm the most likely reason and not the razors itself, they are all highly praised.

Technique is key to herring great results.

I have never used a Straight, but people who use them do so because.

Straight can do things a DE can my do.

Back to original question have you tried any DE Blade Made in Japan? They are super sharp.

I did try Feather with my Henson and I've rated the shave as 9 (out of 10), so it was definitely among the best. I'm getting similar results with Astra.

I went from DE to shavettes to straights, and now I use all three.

What's the shave like when you try the adjustables at their highest setting? If you haven't tried that, then maybe start in the middle, and move up a level every shave and see what happens.

I don't remember any of the razors you mentioned ever being suggested for their efficiency.

Stop trying mild razors and go with something that is well known for its efficiency. An efficient razor *AND* a sharp blade should do the trick.

Try an R41. When you get past that initial eye opening introduction with whatever blades you've been using, then put a Feather blade in it. If that doesn't give you BBS shaves then the problem is not the razor or the blade.

I've only tried the highest setting once or twice and from what I remember, it usually led to more tugging. I tend to stick around the middle setting; Rockwell at 4 (out of 6) and Progress at 3 (out of 5). This morning, I tried Astra blades and Progress on 4 and it was better than at setting 3.

In any case, I found an R41 on local listing for very cheap, so I'll give it a try.

Stop trying new razors. Pick your favorite and stick with it.

BBS results will find you. You won't find it if you are constantly looking for it.

I have only used the Progress on your list of razors. But based on forum reputation, any of them should work if you stick with ONE.

You don't need another razor to get a BBS, you need better technique.

50 blades? I haven't tried that many in my 15y here. Again, find your most comfortable blade in any given razor and stick with it.

Based on how often you are changing razors and blades, you are never going to achieve a consistent BBS.

Yeah, it definitely seems I've been switching my setup too quickly. I'll only use Progress for a few months now and see how it goes.

As for the 50 blades, that's how many I've bought, not actually tried out yet. A single blade usually lasts me 3 shaves so I'm not going through them so quickly. I bought so many different ones because of not wanting to miss one that might work great for me, and simply for collecting them as well.

Try a Fatip open comb, they do very well at handling my resistive coarse hairs which also grow parallel to the skin, i know exactly what you mean. I wouldnt bother with the Merkur 15C, Merkurs open combs are too mild for this task.

Also check and make sure your shaving soap isnt causing a micro allergic reaction that can cause the skin to be inflamed slightly during the shave.

Fatip seems like a good idea and they're very cheap as well. Have you tried closed comb as well? For just a bit more, I see you can get Fatip with two plates (open and closed).

Too many razors, too many blades.

You need to start over. Eliminate variables.

I don’t like any of your razors. If I had to choose I’d go with the Progress set on “3”. Blades, I’d go with a Personna Lab Blue or one in the Lord family.

Use canned shaving cream for a while. No gel. Shave WTG only, one pass. Rinse off and throw on an alcohol based shaving lotion like Old Spice or Skin Bracer. No pre-shaves, balms, alum or anything else.

Shave like this for 6 months until you can achieve a perfect result everytime. Then we’ll consider changing a variable.

Don’t buy anything.

I've never used gels, I have a few different soaps (Stirling, Proraso, DR Haris) and those seem to be really good. Blades usually glide very smoothly and it doesn't dry out my skin.

Your razors are great. No need to buy any others. It’s your technique - you’re not managing to maintain the correct angle across the contours of your face. Using very short strokes makes it easier. And to learn technique faster I think the best way for me was to feel my face afterwards and focus on the area I did least well; think about a way you could try something different there next shave. And if that doesn’t work, think about another different thing you can try next time, and so on. This way you’re using each shave to experiment and try to learn something new, rather than just doing the same thing all the time and never improving. Your face, your hair, your skin are all unique to you, so you really have to figure out your own techniques.

Yeah, given how many razors I've tried, the only common theme is me Thanks for your tips, I'll keep them in mind on my next shaves.

 

[idjekyll]

OP's problem is as classic as ever. The overthinker. Do not discount that not everyone can get a proper 100% BBS. I gave that up long ago when I realise that the hairs on my neck grows flat to the skin. I can get BBS there but I'll be sore the rest of the day. You can't win em all.

 

[Calyx]

I have never had a BBS shave and I'm satisfied with a DFS. My whiskers grow in so many weird directions I'd burn my face up trying to achieve a BBS.

 

[GTTony]

As for the 50 blades, that's how many I've bought, not actually tried out yet. A single blade usually lasts me 3 shaves so I'm not going through them so quickly. I bought so many different ones because of not wanting to miss one that might work great for me, and simply for collecting them as well.

I'm too new to wet shaving to give advice but I tend to agree on getting a consistent technique down first. Just curious, you said that you journal your results. Have you stuck with just one blade that gives you good results for any extended period of time and noticed better results for the first shave with a new blade vs by the 2nd or third? I both head and face shave and pretty quickly noticed that I couldn't get a really comfortable or close shave after more than one, maybe 2 shaves. Now I just bin the blade after one shave that included both head and face. If you are sometimes doing 20 strokes over a tough area and not getting a good results (assuming good technique) maybe your bade is getting dull. Twenty strokes with a a dull blade wont't every get better.

 

[Mammutlesto]

That's also my opinion. Stick to a single combination of one of your razors, I would say either your Progress or your RR German slant and one blade and keep using those for a few months. I personally don't strive for BBS that's why I only do two passes but if you really need to get to a BBS you should go with three, WTG, XTG and ATG + some buffing, particularly on your chin and jaw line.

 

[Goblin]

Technique is key to herring

 

[WThomas0814]

View attachment 1983888

I thought the key was pickling.

 

[Iridian]

I've started DE shaving last summer (came from straight razors) and while I loved trying out different blades and razors, I'm getting a bit frustrated as I still haven't managed to find a perfect combo for me.

Hello, I couldn't get the wanted perfect result with my Mühle R89, a recommended and highly regarded razor that also often gets recommended for beginners.

I got a R41 instead and this thing rocked. I tried Feathers, but the best combo were Polsilvers.

To put it bluntly: TRY AGGRESSIVE RAZORS. You already can handle straights, you will still find them easy and forgiving.

Suggested razors, just those coming to my mind:

Mühle R41
Yaqi Top Aggressive Slant
Timeless Slim OC
Blackland Blackbird OC

The first two aren't overly expensive.

 

[Jamolay]

View attachment 1983888

 

[efsk]

BBS is overrated. How long does it last, when your beard is growing constantly? You can have a BBS at 06:30am, but by the time you arrive at work at 08:00am it is gone. What you want is a nice, pleasant comfortable shave, that gets rid of a beard evenly everywhere.
Comfortable and pleasant are WAY more important than BBS.

 

[profusion]

The one thing no one has mentioned is your shaving angle. Stick with a single razor and blade combination, and work on your angle of attack until you get good results. Every razor likes a little different angle, but I've generally found that a shallower angle helps me--as a bonus a shallower angle is a little more forgiving of pressure, since you're slicing and not scraping.

If you're going truly ATG, you should be getting close to BBS no matter what. It's usually razor burn that is the problem with ATG, not closeness. Are you stretching your skin as you shave? That might help the hairs "pop up" a little more.

I would say just practice with a single combination. Getting the angle correct and consistent takes practice. No way around it.

 

[WetShaveVet]

Wet shaving for over 40 years here. Like others I rarely get an all-over BBS and that's ok. I can if I really want to. I just enjoy it but it isn't a hobby, it's what I do. Every day, well 6 days a week anyway. Relax, work on your technique, and enjoy it. It will come.

And you don't need to buy more aggressive razors either. The one I might suggest you try is a Schick Injector. After all this time this has been a revelation for me. Cheap and easy.

 

[catchacoolbreeze]

Half a year and you are frustrated? I waited 10.

All my hair grows at an angle and is almost flat against my skin. The problem is a hard one to solve. I would focus on rigid razors, good clamping, or little blade reveal to give the blade more stability.

 

[showard]

Take the Henson mild, load an Astra SP, go with the grain, across the grain, then finish by relathering/ buffing those problem areas. Mainly with those tools it becomes picking a soap or cream that has enough residual sickness to allow experimenting to determine which direction to attack those weird problem areas

 

[cpcohen1945]

I shave daily (WTG, XTG, ATG) and I want a BBS shave. I've used an electric Braun Series 7 before and it actually managed to give me perfect shaves with actual BBS, not just visually. So my skin should theoretically handle it, but I'm really struggling getting the same results with DE razors.

I haven't read the whole thread, but I have a heretical suggestion:

. . . If the Braun electric does what you want, keep using it.

Why keep trying DE combinations that don't work as well ?

IMHO, after what you've done, you are completely entitled to say (or write):

. . . "I tried DE shaving, gave it a good chance, and it didn't work as well, for me, as a Braun electric."

Not all shoes fit all horses.

. Charles

 

[cpcohen1945]

I will make a suggestion that is a bit out there, keep an open mind. It is stupid simple. I am assuming a three pass shave. Use a different razor on each pass. I recommend mid aggressive razor on 1st pass, with the grain. Second pass: mildest razor, against the grain. Third pass: aggressive razor, against the grain. I know, sounds crazy. Try it, what do you have to lose?

Two of the razors on the list (the Merkur Progress and the Pearl Flexi) are adjustables:

. . . You could do all that with just one of them, by adjusting the blade gap between shaves.

But (as I wrote above), I think that if he's got a proven way to get a BBS shave with an electric razor, he should keep using it.

. Charles

 

[loco95]

BBS is overrated anyway, easy consistent irritation-free DFS is what I aim for. IMO

 

[Lane101]

I've started DE shaving last summer (came from straight razors) and while I loved trying out different blades and razors, I'm getting a bit frustrated as I still haven't managed to find a perfect combo for me.

The razors I've tried so far:

• Henson Mild
• Parker SemiSlant
• Merkur Progress
• Rockwell 6C
• Leaf Thorn
• Pearl Flexi
• Razorock German Slant

I won't list all the blades, but I bought over 50 different brands (both popular and obscure) with every possible coating there is.

I actually keep a shave diary where I rate all of my shaves. There are slight differences depending on the blade, but of the bunch, I'm getting consistently good results with Leaf Thorn, Merkur Progress and Rockwell 6C. I've already sold all the rest as they were worse. Anyway, that's the problem though, I'm only getting good results.

I shave daily (WTG, XTG, ATG) and I want a BBS shave. I've used an electric Braun Series 7 before and it actually managed to give me perfect shaves with actual BBS, not just visually. So my skin should theoretically handle it, but I'm really struggling getting the same results with DE razors.

As you can see from my list, I've tried "normal" razors, adjustables and slants, and nothing has gotten me a close shave where you don't feel the stubble anymore. There's always a bit left, especially on the neck area.

I think part of the problem is that my hairs don't grow upwards, but they seem to come out at a sharp angle, basically parallel to the skin. This makes it very hard for the blade to cut the hairs without damaging the skin as well. I can do 20 short strokes over the same area, hear the cutting/scraping sound, but the hairs never go completely away. If I press harder, it does catch a lot more hairs, but my skin can only take one or two such shaves before it flares up. It also seems I have quite strong/hard hairs, as even the sharpest blades are tugging under certain directions.

Anyway, I started looking into open comb razors, as that's the only thing I haven't tried so far, but I'm reading mixed thoughts. Merkur 15C seems to be considered a mild OC, so that's my current potential buy. Would something like that work for daily shaving?

In any case, I would love to hear your thoughts on what else can I try?

Welcome back, looks like you tried a lot of razors since your prior posts last fall focused on your Pearl Flexi. Recommend you walk us though the details of your technique including pre-shave prep, soap/cream uses and how you prepare lather followed by more specifics on how you shave including details on the shave angle. Also what is your beard hair like, thick and wiry or thinner and sparse for example.

With the right technique at least some of the razors you currently own should be capable of BBS shaves. Even a mild razor, like my King C. Gillette, delivers BBS shaves with the right technique that, for me, includes extra touch up passes using the "riding the cap" (high angle of the handle to facial skin) technique.

My recommendation would be to go back to one of your adjustables, like the Rockwell 6C, and use the most aggressive setting or plate you can safely shave with and then focus on technique including great lather and, most important of all, razor angle.

For me I get great BBS shaves from my Rockwell T2 adjustable, Weishi 9306 Long Handle and even my King C. Gillette with the extra effort/technique per the above.

Good luck!

 

[Brewster]

BBS is overrated. How long does it last, when your beard is growing constantly? You can have a BBS at 06:30am, but by the time you arrive at work at 08:00am it is gone. What you want is a nice, pleasant comfortable shave, that gets rid of a beard evenly everywhere.
Comfortable and pleasant are WAY more important than BBS.

This is the way.