What's new

The perfect shave

Ok so let’s talk.
The perfect shave.
A mild or medium razor anything from the Baili , Merkur to the Fatip. Lately have been truly amazed at how amazing the Baili razors are. I do not think anyone needs an aggressive razor. Does pretty much the same job as the mild one with a tiny little bit less effort but more irritation.
The best shave is not bbs. It is an only wtg shave. Visually the same as bbs stubblewise but the face looks like it hasn’t even been touched unlike bbs where it looks like it has been repeatedly slapped with a wet newspaper.
Thin aftershave balm. Enough moisture, more astringent.
Technique. Light pressure, neutral angle and short strokes. With proper technique a mild razor shaves as close as an aggressive one and way closer than a cartridge razor.
Boar brush!!! No badger silver tip or whatever which is scritchy and floppy always no matter the break in!!! Also expensive. No synthetic which can irritate your face because of the gel or the ultra thin bristles which can poke in the skin. No horsehair which can scratch your face.
Once broken in after three days of refrigeration the boar brush has softer tips and more backbone than any other brush. Makes the most luxurious lather and has hooks at the ends to catch the ingrown hairs if there are any. Can lather any soap or cream.
Any cream or soap! The more fat inside the better.
Blades! Sharp and smooth. No need to get the sharpest if it is not comfortable.
Bowl chrome! The same as the razor and handle of the brush. Can have also any porcelain or acrylic.
If the razor is gold no silver brush or bowl. We don’t want to mix metals!
After all we are gents.
 
Last edited:
Interesting, as this entire forum pretty much runs on a YMMV engine.
Practically speaking, you are listing what your prefect shave is, based on your experience, and opinion, making it most definitely a YMMV. I could agree with the points I agree on, or counter with those I don't, but that is all just my opinion and experience as well.

I would mention though, that this part isn't opinion or experience based, it is more of a probable, factual thing...
"neutral angle and short strokes. With proper technique a mild razor shaves as close as an aggressive one"
Razors very, and some call for a different angles than others, though there are other reasons, blade gap size alone will alter one's technique. Depending on skin type/sensitivity, a number of shorter strokes rather than one longer one, does cause more irritation for some. You can have all the technique in the world, and I agree in the middling ranges it might not make as much difference, but, a fairly mild razor does not shave as close as an aggressive razor, unless you do one of two things, either (or both) of which can lead to more irritation than just using a more aggressive razor. Either you need a sharper/more aggressive blade, or, you need to make more passes.

Most of what you like technically, would work well enough for me, but not be my perfect shave. Aesthetically, we're on a whole other planet.

(also, to be transparent, 'gentlewoman' as the case may be)
 
Brother Steel,

Thanx for sharing your perceptions.

I essentially agree with most of 'em, except I do find the experience of a badger shaving brush is superior. They can be expensive, but given care and maintenance, they also can easily last for 10 to 20 years of daily three-pass usage.

At the end of the morning shave, we all are servants to YMMV.
 
Thank you for your post. I'm happy to read you know what makes for a perfect shave for you. We are all (or at least some of us are) in pursuit of our own perfect shave. For some, once it is found the particular shaving items remain the same for every subsequent shave. For others, it is about experiencing as many of the delights this hobby has to offer while maintaining high standards for an enjoyable shave. To each their own, we are all right!
 
I do not think anyone needs an aggressive razor. Does pretty much the same job as the mild one with a tiny little bit less effort but more irritation.
I prefer an aggressive razor: less effort/passes to remove beard.

The best shave is not bbs. It is an only wtg shave. Visually the same as bbs stubblewise but the face looks like it hasn’t even been touched unlike bbs where it looks like it has been repeatedly slapped with a wet newspaper.
Good technique will get you to BBS without any irritation. Just keep working at it, and don't chase a BBS, focus on the process not the outcome.
 
Ok so let’s talk.
The perfect shave.
A mild or medium razor anything from the Baili , Merkur to the Fatip. Lately have been truly amazed at how amazing the Baili razors are. I do not think anyone needs an aggressive razor. Does pretty much the same job as the mild one with a tiny little bit less effort but more irritation.
The best shave is not bbs. It is an only wtg shave. Visually the same as bbs stubblewise but the face looks like it hasn’t even been touched unlike bbs where it looks like it has been repeatedly slapped with a wet newspaper.
Thin aftershave balm. Enough moisture, more astringent.
Technique. Light pressure, neutral angle and short strokes. With proper technique a mild razor shaves as close as an aggressive one and way closer than a cartridge razor.
Boar brush!!! No badger silver tip or whatever which is scritchy and floppy always no matter the break in!!! Also expensive. No synthetic which can irritate your face because of the gel or the ultra thin bristles which can poke in the skin. No horsehair which can scratch your face.
Once broken in after three days of refrigeration the boar brush has softer tips and more backbone than any other brush. Makes the most luxurious lather and has hooks at the ends to catch the ingrown hairs if there are any. Can lather any soap or cream.
Any cream or soap! The more fat inside the better.
Blades! Sharp and smooth. No need to get the sharpest if it is not comfortable.
Bowl chrome! The same as the razor and handle of the brush. Can have also any porcelain or acrylic.
If the razor is gold no silver brush or bowl. We don’t want to mix metals!
After all we are gents.
Not criticizing, but your post is the most subjective post I've ever read on B&B!
It's completely based on what obviously works for you.
Absolutely nothing of what you wrote works for me at all, Lol!
And trust me I've tried it!
 

Tirvine

ancient grey sweatophile
"This will lead to that" is a maxim that works for the speaker and, possibly, for others, but there is no certainty. Therefore, just rave about the experience you had, and others will rejoice for you. BTW I like mixing metals, use no bowl, enjoy badgers, etc. When I have shared what I used others have shown appreciation. I don't expect them to take my route but always welcome company.
 
Brother Steel,

Thanx for sharing your perceptions.

I essentially agree with most of 'em, except I do find the experience of a badger shaving brush is superior. They can be expensive, but given care and maintenance, they also can easily last for 10 to 20 years of daily three-pass usage.

At the end of the morning shave, we all are servants to YMMV.
Ymmv is our servant. ;)
 
I prefer an aggressive razor: less effort/passes to remove beard.


Good technique will get you to BBS without any irritation. Just keep working at it, and don't chase a BBS, focus on the process not the outcome.
BBS or not, 5 o clock shadow hits. With bbs it is two hours later. You still need to shave again for an evening event. It is much less irritating and time consuming when you don’t chase it.
 
My shaves must result in BBS or near BBS or else I feel like a bum and a failure. YMMV.

But I get what you're saying. If you want to shave every day, it's probably best to only shave WTG.
 
Interesting, as this entire forum pretty much runs on a YMMV engine.
Practically speaking, you are listing what your prefect shave is, based on your experience, and opinion, making it most definitely a YMMV. I could agree with the points I agree on, or counter with those I don't, but that is all just my opinion and experience as well.

I would mention though, that this part isn't opinion or experience based, it is more of a probable, factual thing...
"neutral angle and short strokes. With proper technique a mild razor shaves as close as an aggressive one"
Razors very, and some call for a different angles than others, though there are other reasons, blade gap size alone will alter one's technique. Depending on skin type/sensitivity, a number of shorter strokes rather than one longer one, does cause more irritation for some. You can have all the technique in the world, and I agree in the middling ranges it might not make as much difference, but, a fairly mild razor does not shave as close as an aggressive razor, unless you do one of two things, either (or both) of which can lead to more irritation than just using a more aggressive razor. Either you need a sharper/more aggressive blade, or, you need to make more passes.

Most of what you like technically, would work well enough for me, but not be my perfect shave. Aesthetically, we're on a whole other planet.

(also, to be transparent, 'gentlewoman' as the case may be)
Gents shaved mostly wtg and with mild razors in the 50s. Their faces looked always perfectly clean shaven. And I suspect that they had even denser beards.
In fact they were always aware not to overshave or shave too closely.
I think same applied to the LADIES of the time who looked always at their best.
 
Gents shaved mostly wtg and with mild razors in the 50s. Their faces looked always perfectly clean shaven. And I suspect that they had even denser beards.
In fact they were always aware not to overshave or shave too closely.
I think same applied to the LADIES of the time who looked always at their best.
Anxious to hear how someone who reports to have been born about 1995 (27 years old) knows so much about the “50s”.
 
Interesting, as this entire forum pretty much runs on a YMMV engine.
Practically speaking, you are listing what your prefect shave is, based on your experience, and opinion, making it most definitely a YMMV. I could agree with the points I agree on, or counter with those I don't, but that is all just my opinion and experience as well.

I would mention though, that this part isn't opinion or experience based, it is more of a probable, factual thing...
"neutral angle and short strokes. With proper technique a mild razor shaves as close as an aggressive one"
Razors very, and some call for a different angles than others, though there are other reasons, blade gap size alone will alter one's technique. Depending on skin type/sensitivity, a number of shorter strokes rather than one longer one, does cause more irritation for some. You can have all the technique in the world, and I agree in the middling ranges it might not make as much difference, but, a fairly mild razor does not shave as close as an aggressive razor,
Anxious to hear how someone who reports to have been born about 1995 (27 years old) knows so much about the “
Time machine. Jbg.
Like there weren’t any people to talk to older than me.
Anyway if this post bothers someone so much let me know so I can erase it.
It is only shaving after all.
 
Time machine. Jbg.
Like there weren’t any people to talk to older than me.
Anyway if this post bothers someone so much let me know so I can erase it.
It is only shaving after all.
Also movies and documentaries,etc.

Chiming in on the ladies side of things... Body hair wasn't as much of a taboo. This of course might have changed for the rich and famous, but the average factory girl wasn't trying to get a BBS shave on her legs, and possibly might not be doing underarms at all.

Also, nylons were much thicker then, and so perfectly shaved legs to go into ultrasheer stockings wasn't a thing. I imagine that women that went bare-legged except of "liquid nylons" (sort of cream fake tan) or "paint on seams" (nylons had seams, nylon was scarce in the war years, draw on a seam to fake you are wearing stockings) probably made more effort to make sure they had as close a shave as they could muster.

To consider, not all poor people, or women, had access to shaving supplies on a frequent basis. Even today that holds true, as someone that knew enough struggling students making cartridges last until they, or the blade, screamed. Also culture, not so much today, but in my student days, knew a number of women (and no, not all immigrants or strident feminists) that didn't shave their undearms very often.

To be fair, it was more the 40s and earlier when body hair was less of a thing. By the 1950s, in part because of post war boom, and mass marketing, there was more emphasis on hair removal. On the whole, it was an on-going push from the 1800s forward, with some strange pathways of evolution, sanitization, stigmatization of hair, etc. This applied to men as well, as the 'hairy man' was touted as brutish/uncivilized, and women were 'masculine' or 'unsanitary'. Which was an odd switch, because prior to that, there was also a lot of upset that many indigenous people with less body hair, that explorers/naturalists considered very uncivilized. As the saying goes, you can't win for trying.
 
I've been shaving longer than many forum members have been alive, and I've probably never had a so called 'perfect' shave. But I've certainly had many many satisfactory ones. :biggrin1:
One of the things I've learned since joining this forum, is that there is no right or wrong, when it comes to shaving. It's what works for you. It's interesting reading someone's post about how they love a blade, soap, etc, that I don't care for, or vice versa.
Shaving is one of life's personal things, and we are so very fortunate to have such a variety of shaving paraphernalia to choose from, and the freedom to use them as we see fit. :thumbsup:
 
I've been shaving longer than many forum members have been alive, and I've probably never had a so called 'perfect' shave. But I've certainly had many many satisfactory ones. :biggrin1:
One of the things I've learned since joining this forum, is that there is no right or wrong, when it comes to shaving. It's what works for you. It's interesting reading someone's post about how they love a blade, soap, etc, that I don't care for, or vice versa.
Shaving is one of life's personal things, and we are so very fortunate to have such a variety of shaving paraphernalia to choose from, and the freedom to use them as we see fit. :thumbsup:
For me a perfect shave is that of perfect closeness. Not too close but not having a shadow either. Face should feel like you haven’t even shaved. Like the stubble just disappeared. It should look smooth and spotless like a movie star. That to me is a perfect shave, not bbs.
 
"This will lead to that" is a maxim that works for the speaker and, possibly, for others, but there is no certainty. Therefore, just rave about the experience you had, and others will rejoice for you. BTW I like mixing metals, use no bowl, enjoy badgers, etc. When I have shared what I used others have shown appreciation. I don't expect them to take my route but always welcome comp
I am just sharing what works daily and works for real imo. Without overthinking and combining blades and this and that. After 10 years of wet shaving 7 of them daily and experimenting I came to this conclusion. I can shave with anything having rhino skin. Can achieve bbs daily no problem even with an r41. Electric razors work great for me so do carts. Never ingrown rarely irritation. But here I want to eliminate ANY chance of irritation or cuts or whatever daily with the option to shave again in the evening for events. Also a shave that takes minimal time and looks as good as a bbs. Btw mixing metals is the biggest no no in my world sry.
 
Top Bottom