The History of Multiple Pass Shaving

[GBinOZ]

I was browsing some threads on how many passes members make when I came across this comment by bladebuff:

"According to my Father back in the old day 40's, 50's or so, one pass and touch ups was a normal shave. When I told him guys do 3 or even 4 passes, he commented "why would you do that, shaving that much would cause irritation".

Now I don't want to start yet another thread where members relate how many passes they employ. I'm just wondering if back when Gillette released his Double Ring, did his customers, and the straight razor users, employ multiple passes, did they achieve a DFS or BBS with one pass, or did they aim only for a socially acceptable shave? I'm talking about self administered, not barbershop shaves.

All historical fact, speculation and comment gratefully received.

Cheers, George

 

[nuclearblast]

One pass BBS, yeah right ... [emoji12]

We're obsessed, that's the reason. I've always done a ATG pass even when I used carts, now that my technique improved I get away with WTG, XTG and touch ups on the trouble areas.

It's not a BBS shave but most of the time is a DFS+ without irritation and it's perfectly good enough for me.

 

[ahntu]

I have wondered about this. It's hard to find any evidence of people shaving more than one pass. Another member, I forgot who, said he did WTG, XTG at the same time(one pass) as he went because that's the way he was taught. This is perplexing. What if we've been doing it all wrong?

 

[DrAwkward]

I have no actual information, but I only attempt one pass on those rare occasions when I use a straight. Also, when I sat for a barber shave, he basically did a one pass shave.

 

[rlsinaz]

I only had one real barbershop shave. It was a single pass with the grain.

My Dad did one pass with the grain using his Schick injector.

And back then, 5 o'clock shadow wasn't a phrase reserved for electric razors. If my Dad went out in the evenings, he shaved again before leaving.

Back then, as now, most guys shaved because they had to. A 5 minute shave bordered on a luxury. 10 minutes shaving was almost unheard of...guys knocked off a shave and went to work. I can still get a good 5 minute shave, as in about Mach 3 level. If I want Bare Baby Butt shaves, then the time goes way up. And FWIW, the only real barbershop shave I ever indulged in wasn't anything to write home about. It was irritation city with multiple nicks.

 

[Mad Hatter]

I imagine that their priority was then much like mine is now. Get out the door quickly and make sure your presentable.

 

[sub vet]

As one who started shaving about '55 I can tell you that one pass with a touch-up was the norm and I only did a touch-up if it was a special occasion like a date. If you watch some of the old Gillette commercials you will see the blade actually drawn in an arc that mimics the jawline contour, the upper and lower lip areas were usually shaved straight across and the neck was usually shaved bottom to top all regardless of hair growth direction. What is occurring today is more of an obsession than a necessity since blades today seem to be to be sharper than those back then and can easily produce a DFS in one pass with an occasional touch-up.

Of course the one major advantage many of us had was a total lack of any serious training, we were generally self-taught armed only with some goop, a razor and little bits of toilet paper. It's amazing how too much training (critiquing) can take a lot of the natural instinct, fun as well, out something as simple as shaving. Honest, it isn't mystical it's simply shaving.

 

[dionesius3]

I used to watch my grandfather shave and he did two passes, one WTG using the Gillette slide, and one quick ATG then he rinsed and perhaps touched up his chin and lower neck. The touch up was just wet face no lather.

this was in the late 1960's to early 1970's. It was before I started grade school and I stayed with them when mom was working.
grand pa used a Super Speed at first but he had changed to a Schick injector the last year of his life. He said it gave a better shave and was cheaper.

my dad used a Gillette black handle adjustable up to about 1975. And then he switched to the Gillette Atra or Trac II and later he went to the Gillette Goodwill disposable razors. Dad did two pass shaves like his dad and just water for touch up if he did touch up at all. He wore a long mustache that extended down to the chin and further sometimes.

He he kept that till he was in his late 60's and then went clean shaven for much of the rest of his life. The last year he wore the mustache
up untill he died. I started shaving at around 15 or 16 and my first shave was with dads old super adjustable. A very bad experience.
then I used Trac II carts for many years. Then went to the Goodwill disposable which is what I used up to July of this year.

i never did two pass shaves, I always did one pass ATG and called it good enough. Very seldom did I shave everyday, and the reason was the irritation and razor bumps I would get if I did. I spent most of my life with a clean shaved face about three times per week and a heavy five o'clock shadow the rest of the time.

But now I have learned better, and I shave EVERYDAY, and I don't stop till its BBS and I don't get razor bumps, irritation, or anything of the sort. It took about 5 weeks to get to BBS shaves and then once I figured out how to get one I do it everyday.

 

[GBinOZ]

I have no actual information, but I only attempt one pass on those rare occasions when I use a straight. Also, when I sat for a barber shave, he basically did a one pass shave.

Doc, did your barber achieve BBS with that 1 pass, and was it with a straight?

I do 3 passes with my Feather Artist Clubs. I get BBS if I increase the angle but that results in irritation and burn. At a flat angle I only achieve DFS after 3 but it is comfortable. I've often wondered why KCG didn't go with the replaceable blade in a straight like the Artist Club.

Cheers, George

 

[Porgy Tirebiter]

When Dad was wet shaving, up until the early 70's I don't recall his shaves lasting longer than around five minutes. A can of foam and a TTO. I'm guessing no more than one pass, tops. I've never seen him not clean shaven, even today at 89 years young. But shaving is what you did everyday, and if you didn't, you were a damn dirty hippie and/or out of work. If I were to ask him how many passes he did, I guarantee he'd give me the are-you-nuts look.
I'd say today's BBS fixation is because of the better products we have. Better soaps/creams, better pre-shave prep, and above all, better information. Mind you, the idea of "face mapping" would result in that are-you-nuts look from Dad.
Odd...we're the generation obsessed with the hurry up mentality, where instant gratification just isn't fast enough. Dad would take five minutes to shave...and his kid takes well beyond double that.

 

[DrAwkward]

Doc, did your barber achieve BBS with that 1 pass, and was it with a straight?

...

Shavette. The shave experience was fun, but the shave was barely socially acceptable. Not BBS, not DFS, not CCS. I could do better with a Gillette Techmatic (if I had 3 passes).

 

[Jaybeez]

We're obsessed, that's the reason. I've always done a ATG pass even when I used carts, now that my technique improved I get away with WTG, XTG and touch ups on the trouble areas.

It's not a BBS shave but most of the time is a DFS+ without irritation and it's perfectly good enough for me.

+1 ... exactly

 

[DucS2R]

My dad taught me how to shave and I am 63. He always shaved with a Gillette Old from WW1 that he got from his dad (which I still have) and I shaved with a super adjustable which I lost. He instructed me to shave with the grain, one pass, with a second against the grain pass if I had a date. Tried it once and my face broke out. Since I am no longer a teenager I usually do a two pass, I seldom do a three pass, seems like overkill for someone my age [emoji17]

 

[GBinOZ]

Shavette. The shave experience was fun, but the shave was barely socially acceptable. Not BBS, not DFS, not CCS. I could do better with a Gillette Techmatic (if I had 3 passes).

That's a bit disappointing. I've read that the best shave achievable is from a Turkish barber using a straight - that's on my bucket list.

My dad taught me how to shave and I am 63. He always shaved with a Gillette Old from WW1 that he got from his dad (which I still have) and I shaved with a super adjustable which I lost. He instructed me to shave with the grain, one pass, with a second against the grain pass if I had a date. Tried it once and my face broke out. Since I am no longer a teenager I usually do a two pass, I seldom do a three pass, seems like overkill for someone my age [emoji17]

Wow. A Gillette Old Type from WW1 - what a great heirloom. I'm 66 and have my grandfather's straight from WW1 but a honing professional told be the edge couldn't be revived. I have a collection of pre-WW1 Single Rings and I love 3 pass shaves with them.

My grandfather shaved with straights into his 80s and then grew a beard. He couldn't abide the new fangled razors. I remember watching in my pre-shaving days and I don't recall any more than one pass (but that was along time ago) and he always looked very presentable - don't know if he would have passed the BBS test though.

Cheers, George

 

[Adam B]

My dad did one pass WTG and touch ups with a Gillette TTO of some variety. I wish I would have known enough to ask him about safety razor shaving but I went straight to cartridges and canned gel as a teenager. He passed away when I was 20, so unfortunately I'll never know dad's shaving secrets.

He shaved every day but Sunday. I remember feeling his face and it not being particularly smooth, a DFS, but never BBS. He always looked smooth and irritation free though.

 

[DucS2R]

My dad had my grand dad's WWI razor because he used straights. I remember as a little kid loving to hang out in my grand dad's bathroom because of the smells, he had his brush and shaving mug on the sink and razor in the medicine chest (as we used to call it). I would love to know what he used, but it smelled great. Pic is of my dad's Old and my wife's dad's WWII tech. Guess which one was used the most?

 

[Mickey Oberman]

WTG and XTG at once.
I must try that.

 

[Boge]

There was a thread a few months back with a link to an old codger master barber who said they NEVER shave against the grain and advised against it. I agree. The few times I did it I had major ingrown hairs. I do a one pass WTG and then on my jowls I do an extra pass bottom to top that is a combo of WTG & XTG. Works for me. After all, the hair will be back tomorrow.

 

[santamariasteve]

Your questions focuses on when Gillette released the double ring razor, which would be in the pre-1920's. The question in impossible to answer first hand, 'cause those guys are no longer shaving or living.

I'm inclined to guess that back then it was one pass WTG and a second pass ATG for a serious shave. A non-serious shave would be one pass.

One more point. Would a 2 pass shave twice a day, morning and evening = a 3 or 4 pass shave once a day? I'm inclined to say Yes. What say you?

 

[Vespasian]

In the fifties, my father shaved every morning with a Schick injector. He did one careful pass with touch-ups. I like my two-pass method better. It doesn't beat up my skin, and I am getting BBS shaves 90% of the time. Touch-up maybe half the time, if pass two don't quite do everything.