Touching up with foil shaver

[rduke]

Hello,

Before using a straight razor myself, I loved to treat myself to a professional hot shave experience. I received one from a very skilled Russian barber in Brooklyn, and after the shave he used a foil electric shaver to take it down to BBS. I was shocked that it was so effective, it felt smooth even rubbing ATG.

I think I can get it that smooth with a straight going against the grain in some spots, but as I'm still learning it comes with risks and some spots are harder. I currently touch up as needed with my DE but somehow I knick myself more with the DE than with the straight, probably because I'm rushing by that point.

Anyone have any knowledge, experience or opinions to share on foil shavers or other touch up methods for straight shaving?

 

[Saloogie]

Funny, my Russian barber in Queens (there are a lot of Russian barbers in NYC now) swears by his electric razor as well. He swears he can get a BBS with it. I'm going there tomorrow, so I'll find out what brand these strange Rooskie barbers are using.

BBS will come with your straight razor eventually. I'm fairly new, but I catch one fairly regularly now. I do still nick myself in spots, and I still have trouble areas, but it's becoming better almost everytime. I wouldn't worry about chasing the BBS with an SR yet and I wouldn't bother touching up. Unless it's a real bad shave, nobody will notice it except you when you run your hand across your face. This requires patience I'm afraid.

 

[Kyle89]

Hey neighbors! Would love to know more about these barbers.

 

[Gamma]

BBS straight shave requires BBS shaving skills and BBS quality edge honing skills.
There are no tricks, no short cuts, no fairy dust or silver bullets.
There's no shame or crime in touching up any shave with whatever tools necessary, so whatever's clever.
I used Braun foil shavers for years, Norelco triple header gizmos too. With the right prep and that electric shave stuff they did ok.

 

[Saloogie]

Hey neighbors! Would love to know more about these barbers.

Growing up in NYC, throughout the 60's, all my barbers were German and then as poofy blow dried hair became a thing for men, the "hairstylists" were Italian. Barbers were out.

The Germans were just old school barbers, with no blow dryers in sight. They only had once choice in haircuts - the regular. Lol. As the 70's and 80's rolled around, the Italians pretty much took over and they were real hairstylists and far more creative. But they're pretty much all retired now and gone and now the Russians have pretty much taken over there shops. My Russians are all very good barbers and they really care about giving you a good cut. They're obviously well trained and I'm happy they came here. Most seem to be from Uzbekistan which might not be part of Russia anymore, I'm not sure. Good dudes. We also have some cool hipster barbershops around that look nice and old school and I might try one someday.

In NYC, and maybe some other cities, you can see how different ethnicity's and immigrants take over certain business's at different times in our history.

 

[rduke]

Hey neighbors! Would love to know more about these barbers.

Hi!

I'm actually on the west coast of Canada but I have friends in NY. Barber on Pearl was where I went, in dumbo. The first chair is the owner and he's been there a while. I've gone to him on two different trips for a shave, and would return for sure.

 

[rduke]

Funny, my Russian barber in Queens (there are a lot of Russian barbers in NYC now) swears by his electric razor as well. He swears he can get a BBS with it. I'm going there tomorrow, so I'll find out what brand these strange Rooskie barbers are using.

BBS will come with your straight razor eventually. I'm fairly new, but I catch one fairly regularly now. I do still nick myself in spots, and I still have trouble areas, but it's becoming better almost everytime. I wouldn't worry about chasing the BBS with an SR yet and I wouldn't bother touching up. Unless it's a real bad shave, nobody will notice it except you when you run your hand across your face. This requires patience I'm afraid.

Thanks!

Honestly I was shocked, I've never experienced a smoother face.

 

[Brutus]

…a very skilled Russian barber in Brooklyn, and after the shave he used a foil electric shaver to take it down to BBS. I was shocked that it was so effective, it felt smooth even rubbing ATG.

While there seems to be no universally agreed-upon definition of what constitutes a BBS (Baby Butt Shave), I can assure you of one thing: you won’t be able to get one with a foil shaver unless you set your bar for a BBS ridiculously low.

You can’t get one because it is a FOIL SHAVER, where the cutting action of the razor takes place on the inside of the foil and leaves at all times at least a beard growth as thick as the foil standing*.

Of course, that is my personal interpretation and everyone is welcome to disagree with me (and try to defy physics).


Where we moved to after my retirement, we have quite a few old-school barbers that regularly give shaves and none of them ever completed a shave with an electric.

Another observation; over the years, I have tried many old-school professional barbers in different locations and found that none of them shaved as close as I shave myself, which is not surprising to me, because no one knows the pattern of my beard growth better than me.



B.


* The thickness of the remaining stubble is in my experience worth a few (3-4) hours of beard growth after a true BBS shave with a blade gliding over the skin.
I.a.w., the best you can hope for after a shave with an electric is the same feel as 3-4 hrs after a BBS shave with a straight razor or a (neutral or positive blade exposure) DE razor.

 

[Saloogie]

Hello,

Before using a straight razor myself, I loved to treat myself to a professional hot shave experience. I received one from a very skilled Russian barber in Brooklyn, and after the shave he used a foil electric shaver to take it down to BBS. I was shocked that it was so effective, it felt smooth even rubbing ATG.

My barber uses Stylecraft Rebel foil razors.

He swears by them and I have to say they do one heck of a job. Very close to BBS. Probably the best electric I've tried. They didn't seem very special to look at, and even felt a bit cheapish, but apparently they run at higher rpms, and he says that's the difference.

 

[5whiskey]

While there seems to be no universally agreed-upon definition of what constitutes a BBS (Baby Butt Shave), I can assure you of one thing: you won’t be able to get one with a foil shaver unless you set your bar for a BBS ridiculously low.

You can’t get one because it is a FOIL SHAVER, where the cutting action of the razor takes place on the inside of the foil and leaves at all times at least a beard growth as thick as the foil standing*.

Of course, that is my personal interpretation and everyone is welcome to disagree with me (and try to defy physics).


Where we moved to after my retirement, we have quite a few old-school barbers that regularly give shaves and none of them ever completed a shave with an electric.

Another observation; over the years, I have tried many old-school professional barbers in different locations and found that none of them shaved as close as I shave myself, which is not surprising to me, because no one knows the pattern of my beard growth better than me.



B.


* The thickness of the remaining stubble is in my experience worth a few (3-4) hours of beard growth after a true BBS shave with a blade gliding over the skin.
I.a.w., the best you can hope for after a shave with an electric is the same feel as 3-4 hrs after a BBS shave with a straight razor or a (neutral or positive blade exposure) DE razor.

I tend to agree. I've never mucked around with electric razors much, but I did have a backup cheap battery powered Braun foil razor on deployments in the Marine Corps. By cheap I mean super cheap... $9.99 cheap. That's the closest shave with an electric I've ever had. Like it rivaled an XTG (but not a true ATG shave) with my Mach 3. The ATG shave with the Mach 3 was also an epiphany for me at the time, my dad never used anything other than disposable Bics and he taught me to do a single pass. My beard is much thicker than his was though, and i never had a real good shave until i was forced to in the Marine Corps. Either way, that Braun amazed me at how close it could shave. Cheap as it was, it was not super durable. The foil usually had a hole in it within a couple months.

All that went out the window when I picked up a good DE and learned a real wet shave. Week 1 results surpassed everything else I'd tried. SR shaves are tough to far surpass a very good DE shave. You have to learn to hone it right, strop it right, then actually use it right. But it's rewarding when you get there.

 

[Brutus]

The ATG shave with the Mach 3 was also an epiphany for me at the time, my dad never used anything other than disposable Bics and he taught me to do a single pass.

That’s the thing; I believe that one can get a close shave with cartridge razors if one applies lessons learnt in DE or straight shaving:
- 2½ or three passes,
- some pre-shave prep.
- concentration.

I am certain that most cartridge shavers use only one pass, at best with a few touch-ups, have virtually no pre-shave routine, and shave without paying much attention.
That explains to me the typically inferior shaves these shavers are getting, but then again these shavers are merely following what the commercials tell them.


Don’t misunderstand me, I am no fan of cartridge razors and don’t suggest anyone should abandon DE or straight shaves, but when I travel and have to stay in a transit hotel near an airport and can’t be bothered to claim my bags and check them in again, I can get close and comfortable shaves from Trac II/G II, Atra/Contour, or Sensor compatible (meaning: not Gillette) handles and cartridges. Out of principle, I will not spend money on any later, or original Gillette cartridges for that matter.


Using cartridges is not much fun and does not give me the close shave that I aim for, but the results are at least acceptable.


B.