After just under 3 months of DE shaving, I've reached the point where I am getting irritation free BBS shaves on a daily basis. I realized that this morning as I was completing my shave, when I thought to myself "This is BBS, but that's not as exciting as it used to be." Not that apathy has consumed me, but it is becoming an expectation that I will get BBS out of my micromatic setup.
As you progress as a wetshaver, the standard for shaves gets higher and higher. Part of that, for me, was learning to accept bad shaves when trying something new, and not taking a dozen passes to get a perfect shave while using equipment that was inadequate for my beard growth. Getting past the mentality of striving for BBS on a daily basis, in my case, was the key to getting BBS on a daily basis. It seems counterintuitive, but when considering that the largest part of getting a good shave is doing so without ripping the skin from your face, the importance of "irritation free" becomes more clear. Thinking outside of the box at its finest, accepting paradoxes that make your life more difficult, but tend towards a long term goal.
On the subject of thinking outside the box, the addition of passes designed for my specific growth pattern was the most important step in my daily BBS routine. As it turns out, I have a multigrain face. Not that tasty whole wheat bread, but on my cheeks, half of the stubble grows N-S, and the other half grows at a 45 degree angle to the N-S grain. Adding a 45 degree pass cleared that up. Furthermore, the addition of one final "light as air" pass got me the extra 10% of the way from DFS to BBS. This pass uses so little pressure that the razor can some times leave my face completely, causing me to have to return to a certain area. I achieve this by holding my razor so that it can pivot freely via gravity, while tilting my face so that my face just so that it touches the razor at the right angle. this eliminates the shortest of hairs. As far as pressure goes, there is a time to use a mild amount, but the final pass is best served with zero pressure. My theory is that the pressure, no matter how slight, bends your skin inward, giving a less than ideal blade angle right where the blade meets the skin. While this can eliminate most stubble, it leaves a very small amount on your face, just enough to keep me from BBS.
The most important factor, for me, was not improving my technique. Finding equipment that works with my skin and my beard was an early priority, and a correct instinct. Technique plays a big roll in finding the right equipment, as it is impossible to judge a razor/blade combo without having consistent technique, but the technique required for different razor/blade setups varies, so balancing the development of both repertoire and equipment is paramount. For me, it was a GEM micromatic open comb with a walgreen's GEM Personna blade. Perhaps the is a better combination for me out there somewhere, but I could try a hundred razors before finding it. When I first shaved with this razor, it was love at first pass, and I trusted that instinct. As a result, I found my daily shaver a lot earlier than expected. As I said, I put my priority in equipment, simply because being rooted in a specific setup is a better way to develop good form. I am still learning how to tame the Micromatic, but now that I have found a shaver that agrees with my easy-as-hell-to-irritate skin and grizzly-coarse beard, and my desire for a very shiny, gold plated razor. (okay, that last bit is unnecessary, but it's a nice bonus)
As you progress as a wetshaver, the standard for shaves gets higher and higher. Part of that, for me, was learning to accept bad shaves when trying something new, and not taking a dozen passes to get a perfect shave while using equipment that was inadequate for my beard growth. Getting past the mentality of striving for BBS on a daily basis, in my case, was the key to getting BBS on a daily basis. It seems counterintuitive, but when considering that the largest part of getting a good shave is doing so without ripping the skin from your face, the importance of "irritation free" becomes more clear. Thinking outside of the box at its finest, accepting paradoxes that make your life more difficult, but tend towards a long term goal.
On the subject of thinking outside the box, the addition of passes designed for my specific growth pattern was the most important step in my daily BBS routine. As it turns out, I have a multigrain face. Not that tasty whole wheat bread, but on my cheeks, half of the stubble grows N-S, and the other half grows at a 45 degree angle to the N-S grain. Adding a 45 degree pass cleared that up. Furthermore, the addition of one final "light as air" pass got me the extra 10% of the way from DFS to BBS. This pass uses so little pressure that the razor can some times leave my face completely, causing me to have to return to a certain area. I achieve this by holding my razor so that it can pivot freely via gravity, while tilting my face so that my face just so that it touches the razor at the right angle. this eliminates the shortest of hairs. As far as pressure goes, there is a time to use a mild amount, but the final pass is best served with zero pressure. My theory is that the pressure, no matter how slight, bends your skin inward, giving a less than ideal blade angle right where the blade meets the skin. While this can eliminate most stubble, it leaves a very small amount on your face, just enough to keep me from BBS.
The most important factor, for me, was not improving my technique. Finding equipment that works with my skin and my beard was an early priority, and a correct instinct. Technique plays a big roll in finding the right equipment, as it is impossible to judge a razor/blade combo without having consistent technique, but the technique required for different razor/blade setups varies, so balancing the development of both repertoire and equipment is paramount. For me, it was a GEM micromatic open comb with a walgreen's GEM Personna blade. Perhaps the is a better combination for me out there somewhere, but I could try a hundred razors before finding it. When I first shaved with this razor, it was love at first pass, and I trusted that instinct. As a result, I found my daily shaver a lot earlier than expected. As I said, I put my priority in equipment, simply because being rooted in a specific setup is a better way to develop good form. I am still learning how to tame the Micromatic, but now that I have found a shaver that agrees with my easy-as-hell-to-irritate skin and grizzly-coarse beard, and my desire for a very shiny, gold plated razor. (okay, that last bit is unnecessary, but it's a nice bonus)
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