The fast shaving thread

[tamahagane]

The following threads

What's your fast, no effort shave?

Some days I know I need a shave but I may be in a hurry for time or I just don't feel like shaving but out of necessity I feel I have to. So on those days I want to use something fast and with little effort. For me the easiest is to use a cream soap with a synthetic brush in a bowl. I believe I...

www.badgerandblade.com

Any Fast Straight Razor Shavers?

What's your secret to getting a fast shave with a straight? I can't seem to get it done in under 15 mins. I do two passes plus multiple touch ups. My problem is that the razor isn't removing hair as efficiently as I would like. I keep having to buff over an area multiple times. If it wasn't for...

www.badgerandblade.com

Fast BBS DE

I have found that most of us on here like to take our time and enjoy shaving. I fall into this category as well. The only issue for me is my 7 month old and my 3 year old as well as a job that requires me to be in very early. This probably applies to a lot of us. I used to get up extra...

www.badgerandblade.com

I still enjoy fast shaves.

I’ve heard people say it can’t be a hobby or a passion if you don’t slow way down to enjoy the process. I disagree with this. I enjoy fast shaves just as much. I enjoy ANY shaving.

www.badgerandblade.com

How long does shaving take for you?

The title says it all. We talk about a moment for ourselves, taking care, a nice multisensory experience... but how long does 'shaving' take for you? Let's say from the moment you've picked and assembled your gear to the moment you and the gear are finished. Not counting time for showering etc...

www.badgerandblade.com

How long does it take it for you to do a three pass shave?

I've been timing myself and it seems to take 30 mins to shave, clean my setup and apply aftershaves, etc.

www.badgerandblade.com

Shower Shaving

Only if I shaved my head or my legs or something more than my face would I shave in the shower. The excessive water usage offends my frugal soul

www.badgerandblade.com

as well as the DFS, SOTD threads inspired me to create a thread for the blitzshavers among us. I understand the majority of B&B members look at shaving as a meditation opportunity, but there are also those among us who are pressed for time. So I decided to consolidate several topics about the duration of shaves into one and adding some comparative (or for the hobbyists: competitive ) elements - therefore I added a poll. There is also another reason for the topic, namely virtually every acquaintance who has discovered my shaving habits discards traditional wet shaving because of the time required. IMHO e.g. DE shaving needn't be slower than a cart for the experienced hand (same number of passes assumed).
To make the results comparable, I think the following criteria would be fair:

1. Measure realistically the whole duration - prep, shaving, aftershave, cleaning the gear as much as you typically do. For instance, if you use a blade for a single use, factor in the time required to toss the blade; if you are an Excalibur member, just the time required to remove the soap residue is fine.
2. Don't compromise on safety or comfort. Finishing in 1 minute while bleeding like a stuck pig is as pointless as a shave leaving you feel like you used ancient Roman technology for your shave. If you chase BBS, so be it, but a DFS is perfectly fine too.
3. When describing your approach, spare some details. Examples: I acknowledge a safety razor will be likely faster than say a SR. Nevertheless I find it interesting to compare the timing of experienced safety razor users to veteran straight shavers'. Furthermore, if you shave only a part of your face/head/other body part(s), please also include this info. The same holds for beard length and density. I think technique plays an important role, so newbies might appreciate insights here as well.

If you think I missed some other important factor on timing, feel free to chime in.

 

[tamahagane]

Let me begin with my shave today:

Setup: Rockwell 6S (R2), Voskhod blade, Weleda shaving cream and AS. Cold water daily shave, no brush, single pass (eraser method). Takes me around 8 minutes in total for a DFS and this is my fastest result so far.

 

[hairless wonder]

If I want/need a fast shave, I can get a SAS with shave butter in a couple minutes. Is it enjoyable? No. Do I look forward to that kind of shave? Definitely not. Is it wet shaving? Not really. Is it fast? Absolutely.

If your friends aren't interested in wet shaving or DE shaving, there's nothing really wrong with that. There's no need to force it on them. Let them treat shaving as a chore that's best done as quickly as possible. Maybe they have other things that excite them and that they'd rather spend their time doing.

As for the rest of us, who happen to enjoy the wonderful world of wet shaving, we'll comfort ourselves in our shave dens surrounded by mountains of brushes, monuments of razors, towers of blade packs, ziggurats of soaps and creams, and lakes of aftershave.

 

[RookieGuy]

Realistically, about 7-10 minutes depending on the brush/ soap combination. That's from turning on the water to applying aftershave. Now, I have a full beard, so I'm only shaving about a quarter inch below the cheekbone up and about halfway under my jaw down. And shaving right after a shower means no preshave.

 

[Ron R]

3 passes and clean up all done with one lathering to reduce time!(8-12 minute shave)

I know that every one has time constraints & luckily some do not most of their time(retired). If you are the type that is very active or late riser and want a good quick shave and like just the DE method there is a way. The best way is just use some Gillette shaving gel Goo and fill a plastic bowl (or let the tap trickle)with water wet the face with water & hand lather like you normally would. With one hand you will shave and the other will be the dipping water hand. The objective is to only shave a small area(2X2> inches), you would do WTG first while wetting the hand after 1st pass to pull a little lather and re-activate the slickness for 2nd pass XTG in this 2X2> inch area. Third pass will be if you do ATG will be done by dipping the free hand in the water and reactivating the dried slickness and pulling a little lather in from the unshaven area if needed and Braille feeling the skin if a clean-up is needed and onto the next small unshaven area. You Don't need shaving gel or foam and could use a brush and soap but you have clean up that follows losing time. This method will cut your time easily in half or greater. I HAVE DONE this over 14 times to test for those rushed days that pop up from time to time.
I like the re-lathering method after each pass, but we all have different time constraints and I'm retired and have lots of time to share a little knowledge on saving time.(Lots of times I mentioned time ....... I won't waste any more of your time of this subject any more

.)
Have some great shaves

 

[BigJ]

1. After shower (prep).
2. Build and apply lather (with a fast and easy soap, like Haslinger or Cella-2/3min)
3. One WTG pass (period!-3-min)
4. Cold water rinse (30 sec)
5. AS (whatever comes to hand, less than 30 sec)
(Less than 7 minutes, but NO FUN!)

Then, get out of the door!

 

[chinmusic82]

I use a small brush, Simpson’s Berkeley. So lathering takes me about a minute. I Always face lather.
Single pass wtg plus touch ups and I’m done.
Brush wash and razor rinse takes 30 seconds? Another few seconds for aftershave application.
All done in 3-4 minutes max.

 

[Tanuki]

I usually take my time with a shave. But I always have my fast shave items in the cabinet.

When I want a shave and have no time:

>Start faucet, grab injector razor and cream
>Splash hot water on face (left hand)
>Tiny amount of Barbasol Sensive tube cream rubbed in, keep left hand slippery. Could use whatever tube cream is in cabinet. Return tube to shelf.
>Shave with injector razor in right hand.
>What it takes to hit CCS (1 pass ATGish, minor buffs)
>Hot water rinse razor, put on shelf
>Hot rag quick face wipe

Done in less than two minutes.

 

[BobbyB]

I am a twice retired Federal Employee. I am in no rush to go anywhere in the morning these days--outside of an instant emergency. Therefore, I take my time an enjoy each day's shave.

 

[OkieStubble]

I probably, take more time getting my shave gear out and then cleaning it off and putting it back up then the time it takes for the actuall lathering and act of shaving. I find my beard doesn't need alot of presoak time with water, or a bunch of time sitting underneath a lather before I start my shave.

Most often anymore, I shower at night to be clean before I hit the sheets to go to sleep; and then shave in the morning at the sink. Once my gear is laid out, a quick 5 seconds of splashing warm water on my face & neck, then swirling a brush quickly on whatever soap I chose for the day,then maybe 30 seconds to a minute to face lather?

The lather sits on my face maybe 1-2 minutes, while I am picking up my razor, getting the towel ready on the side of the sink? Once I begin the actual shave? Maybe 1-2 minutes on the first pass, a quick 5 second splash of water again to rinse, before picking up the brush again and mopping on the remaining lather on the brush for the second modified pass? Then another 1-2 minutes for that second modified pass? a quick 5 second rinse with cold water?

So a math guesstimation would be 5 seconds splash to wet face + 30 seconds face lather + 2 minutes first pass + 5 seconds rinse + 15 seconds to mop on lather from brush + 2 minutes modified second pass + 5 seconds final rinse + 5 seconds to towel dry face? Total: 6 minutes and 45 seconds.

And that's not rushing, it's taking my time and casually going about shaving. Add in more time for the set up and after care maintenance of shave gear and aftershave splash.

 

[PintoPlain]

Arise from bed and strop razor, about a minute. Soak boar brush as I shower circa 10 minutes (but excluded from timing for this purpose). Load brush and face lather, first pass 3 minutes maximum. Relather and second pass, rinse and dry blade, quick strop on linen. Another 3 minutes. Total time prep and shaving is usually 6 or 7 minutes with a straight, and due to lack of practice about the same with DE.

As an aside, I used a DE on Tuesday for the first time in over a year. Coincidentally, I had my first shaving cut on Tuesday in over two years. I'll stick with straights, they're safer.

 

[steveclarkus]

Four and a half minutes for a two pass shave with a straight razor. No touch-up. First lathering not included in time.

 

[KW Driver]

my shaves are post shower. my speed shaves are soaking the brush when I hop in the shower, face lathering and a single ATG Gem pass, rinse, clean, and done. a couple, 3 minutes.

a three pass straight shave is still about 10 minutes. pre/post stropping lathering, shaving, clean up. and that's not rushing. wet the brush as the shower warms up.

 

[tamahagane]

Inspired by @steveclarkus and this youtube video, I managed a 5 minute shave today. New record!
I used a Gillette Rubie (Excalibur contender) + Florena shaving cream + brush. Turns out a shaving brush and a fast comfortable shave don't exclude each other. I just need to remember to brush ATG rather than in a circular motion, just as effective and twice as fast.

 

[FarmerTan]

If I want/need a fast shave, I can get a SAS with shave butter in a couple minutes. Is it enjoyable? No. Do I look forward to that kind of shave? Definitely not. Is it wet shaving? Not really. Is it fast? Absolutely.

If your friends aren't interested in wet shaving or DE shaving, there's nothing really wrong with that. There's no need to force it on them. Let them treat shaving as a chore that's best done as quickly as possible. Maybe they have other things that excite them and that they'd rather spend their time doing.

As for the rest of us, who happen to enjoy the wonderful world of wet shaving, we'll comfort ourselves in our shave dens surrounded by mountains of brushes, monuments of razors, towers of blade packs, ziggurats of soaps and creams, and lakes of aftershave.

It's no wonder that you are hairless, my friend!
Interesting thread. My own shaves have changed: I grew a goatee starting in November, maybe slightly sooner than that... It is BORING not shaving the typical, "trouble spots."

Also, since my chin and under my nose is now hairy, my lovely WD doesn't notice how bad my neck and cheeks look! So I only shave about once every 4 days to a week.

I'd say it's about 5 minutes less time now, because I still prep as long as I ever did.

 

[rbscebu]

....
Also, since my chin and under my nose is now hairy, my lovely WD doesn't notice how bad my neck and cheeks look! So I only shave about once every 4 days to a week.
....

Love is blind. She may not notice but we do. You look like a scruff! Get back to daily shaving with a SR.

 

[FarmerTan]

Love is blind. She may not notice but we do. You look like a scruff! Get back to daily shaving with a SR.

YOU are just the kick in the pants I needed my friend. Tonight. I have a Doctor's appointment tomorrow! Can't have him "committing" me!

 

[hairless wonder]

It's no wonder that you are hairless, my friend!
Interesting thread. My own shaves have changed: I grew a goatee starting in November, maybe slightly sooner than that... It is BORING not shaving the typical, "trouble spots."

Also, since my chin and under my nose is now hairy, my lovely WD doesn't notice how bad my neck and cheeks look! So I only shave about once every 4 days to a week.

I'd say it's about 5 minutes less time now, because I still prep as long as I ever did.

Are you covering up part of your handsome face with facial hair? Why would you deprive the world of such glory? I say, remove the goatee and let your handsome face be seen unencumbered once more!

 

[bjm]

If I'm really pressed for time, I'll skip the shave; there's no sense in ruining a perfectly good shave by rushing it. If I'm pressed for time two days in a row, I'll adjust my schedule; obviously I'm not allowing sufficient time for those things I truly enjoy. And if I'm asked about my facial hair, I explain I'm considering growing a beard and it's the first day; of course that decision will be nullified as soon as I have access to my shave gear. Be well and stay safe...

 

[Yuritau]

If I ever need a shave and it MUST be fast, I'll just use my electric clippers. Hasn't ever happened yet, and I have no plans for it, but I wouldn't ever rush a DE shave.