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The most important aspect of a great shave

The question was, "What is the most important aspect of a great shave?"

One way of interpreting the question is what is the most important thing to look for when judging a shave. I say no blood. There is no such thing as a Bloody BBS.

Another way of interpreting the question is what is the most important thing to do to get a great shave?

My answer: 500 consecutive days of shaving with a single setup that works well.

Then there is the emotional answer:

A great shave starts with great WMS lather.
 
Technique is tops for sure. After that I would rank them as:

Soap
Blade/Razor (I think these go hand in hand because they need to be complimentary)
Brush
 
They're all important. Absolutely have to start with good prep. I shave after a hot shower. You need a good soap or cream and it needs to be worked in a lather who's consistency is the proper mix of product to water for the best slickness, cushion and post shave feel. You then need a good razor for your type of beard and a good blade that works well in that razor and with your beard type. Then, and this is incredibly important, you need really good technique. This includes not only your ability to find the proper angle for the razor on your face but I include mapping of your beard as part of the technique. What you do after the shave is somewhat less important like balm and aftershave but they are still important. But they are meaningless without everything that comes before it. Just my two cents.
 

Esox

I didnt know
Staff member
I use no pre shave or post shave products. I can have a decent shave with any razor I own or have owned and any soap including Dawn dish soap, no brush needed with Dawn by the way haha.

I'm with @kingfisher. Technique trumps the rest.
 

EclipseRedRing

I smell like a Christmas pudding
When judging my shave the final closeness of the shave is of no importance to me as long as it is socially acceptable. I have zero interest in BBS. I read here often that there should be no burn from alum or aftershave following a successful shave but I could not disagree more. I insist on is a big post shave burn from an alcohol based aftershave and I am quite prepared to over shave, or suffer skin irritation to achieve it. My technique is such that a good burn is guaranteed and for me that is good technique. So, I agree with this who say that technique is important. If there is no burn then for me the shave is a huge disappointment and I may just as well grow a beard. 👍
 
I have come to enjoy the ritual. The anticipation followed by the execution. The mindful selection of the different elements involved in an enjoyable shaving experience. Its a solitary endeavour that often brings great satisfaction. Just sayin...

I'm right there with you. I enjoy the solitude and concentration immensely. Not to mention the contemplation of what products to select for use.
 
As someone with a tough beard and sensitive skin, I cannot get a great shave unless my preshave routine is good (but I do not use a specific preshave cream), my razor blade is sharp and smooth and properly secured in an appropriate razor, I produce a properly hydrated lather from a great soap using a suitable shaving brush, and my shaving technique (angle and pressure) is excellent. Thus, I consider all of those factors to be equally important as a deficiency in any siungle one of them will result in a less than great shave. However, I would say that over 90% of my shaves are near BBS and irritation free, which is my definiition of a great shave.
 
My humble opinion, the most important is the razor and blade we will use (each has its own set).
the rest is secondary. I was able to shave my ordinary hand soap during my time, that is a long time ago ... the effect and comfort differed only from the chosen razor and blade model, the rest was less significant.
 
For me after starting with a clean wet face and rubbing on some stick type shaving soap, all that is needed is a good blade holder/blade combination.

So I'll say:

#1 - razor/blade
#2 - shaving soap/cream

I don't see the need for a brush or after shaving product.
 
IMO it's a combination of important elements.
Prep: Hydrating, thus softening the beard (personally I just use water)
Blade: The Sharpness, Comfort suited to the coarseness of the beard
Lather: Slick, cushioning, and Hydrating soap in important to keep beard hydrated and help glide the blade
The razor I don't feel is as important as above, with a mild razor like a Feather or Gillette Old Type Tech or a more aggressive razor I get an excellent shave with a sharp blade. IMO it's the blade in the razor that is more important than the razor.
 
I think intervals between shaves plays a large part of getting a great shave. For me 18-20 hours minimum between shaves
 

Chandu

I Waxed The Badger.
I've been able to get DFS with any razor, soap, combination I've used. I like a good brush, but it's not necessary for a good shave. It does increase my enjoyment of the shave but I get the same end result with or without it. Same goes for lathered soap. Brushless or goo work too. So I think it's mostly motor learning technique. Some razors are more or less with our current technique.

Prep is certainly nice, but I can overcome bad prep with technique which wasn't the case a year ago.
 
I think intervals between shaves plays a large part of getting a great shave. For me 18-20 hours minimum between shaves
Kind of cut myself off mid thought. 18-20 hours between shaves minimum for me with setup. 24 hours is probably optimal for most people myself included. But if I’m using an Israeli Personna red blade in either my Gillette heritage or EJ Kelvin the optimal interval is probably around 36 hours
 
I just returned to SR's after a three-month hiatus exploring vintage Gillettes (which I love). My technique for
developing a thick, slick lather evolved considering during this period. In addition, before I went back to SR's, I spent considerable time making sure that my razor was properly honed and stropped. However, I would say that my SR technique had gone seriously south due to lack of practice (I guess SR shaving is not like riding a bicycle). My conclusion after a few nasty episodes of razor burn and not a few weepers: all things being relatively equal, technique (specifically blade angle and amount of/lack of pressure) trumps everything.
 
"The most important aspect of a great shave" ..... very simple ! The sublime enjoyment of the entire experience.
Prep, soap (or cream), brush, razor, blade, after shave, and balm .... all components working together to create
wonderful harmony ! For me, it's impossible to pick a single aspect, as they all work hand in hand to allow me
to have one wonderful shaving experience after another !
 
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