Random bad shave despite the same gear?

[ButterfaceX]

Yep..it has been a long time since I had a crappy shave. As I remember and has been noted it's root cause was rushing, tired, and the shave was not in the mental zone.
I still play a few different sports and it is the same deal.
I am still working at 66, love what I do and have no current want to retire. I work 3 days a week at home, Tues & Weds I go in...easy 25 min.drive ..
So I normally shave after dinner during the week. Weekends are whenever I want, usually around 11 am with my thiers issard.
Bottom-line for me now, if I don't have the allotted time to enjoy it or the mind is not ready for it...I will skip it...
BFX
We are only human..

 

[psfred]

Happens to me too, usually because I'm in a hurry or not concentrating.

This is also why I don't toss a blade when I get a bad shave -- it's necessary to determine that it is actually the blade and not the user.

 

[Sethology]

Had a better shave today. This is what I get for straying from mdc for so long. Exclusively using mdc for the last year really forced my to learn my razors ins and outs. Switching from it seems to encourage me to just clumsily paw the razor around my face. It's a shame cause I love grooming dept soaps. It feels so effortless. Whereas mdc tells me exactly where I'm slipping up. It sends every slight pain or tug signal to my brain and forces me to correct. This is also, by my estimation, the downside of daily shaving. Shaving once a week, assuming the prep is right, seems to be less delicate of a process as your face and hairs are not sensitized from daily scrapings

 

[Wgg2017]

Shaving once a week, assuming the prep is right, seems to be less delicate of a process as your face and hairs are not sensitized from daily scrapings

Glad you got a better shave today . I agree 100% with the above quote. Just waiting a bit can do wonders for comfort during a shave. Although instead of a week I'd go with about 3-4 days of growth as the sweet spot. Ymmv.

 

[BigJ]

I'm totally with you, @Sethology, sometimes that just happens. There are so many variables - from all the equipment, to skin condition, to attitude, and much more. Any one of those things can make for a bad shave. The good thing is there is always the next one, which will be better. Don't be hard on yourself.

I wish I had the presence of mind to abort a bad shave - just finish that pass and wash up. My problem is that I often let that frustration make the shave even worse. Sometimes I wonder if I'll tire of all the work involved and that it doesn't always go well. I could have a much easier time if I took my easiest razor and just did one pass WTG and called it done. Generations of guys did that. For now, I am enjoying the hobby, even with its frustrations.

+1! There are so many variables! Best to get the occasional bad shave behind you.

 

[abies]

Usually it's because of some change in my skin condition (for example, illness or ambient humidity) that I haven't really considered or adjusted for, variation in razor blades (quality control variation basically), me not being mindful, or some combination thereof.

I really probably should have different soaps or creams or pre or postshaves for when my skin is drier or more oily. I know it happens very predictably with seasons and other factors but I'm kind of in denial about it.

 

[BurnFree]

I'll throw this out there as a convenient excuse: I possibly picked 3 bad blades in a row once, from 2 different tucks of the same pack...in a brand that always worked well for me and no change of routine. Pushed through two SAS shaves and a major loss of confidence! Took a day off, tried another brand for blade 4 (maybe I shouldn't have), which was fine, and then finished the rest of the original pack with smooth sailing. Was it Me? The only 3 duds in a row???

So yeah...prep, software, hardware, operator...stuff happens. Glad to hear you're on the upswing. And there's no shame in enjoying a game of "bumper bowling" with premium soap, otherwise we'd all be doing just fine with straight razors and water.

 

[psfred]

Lots of things can throw you off stride, I don't expect shaving to be any different. There are days I get weepers, cut off skin bumps, and generally just don't enjoy a shave, and most times it's not the equipment. That said, having a Gillette adjustable unscrew itself can be a very bad experience, a loose blade is quite unpleasant.

It happens less and less as I get more practice though.

 

[tejolot3]

Usually, when this happens to me, it's because I blew out the lather with too much water.