how do you measure shave quality?

gil3591 · Post by **gil3591** » Mon Nov 15, 2010 8:38 am

ok, so we all know what bbs is but are we on the same page when we say we have achieved it? for example,, after my shave, i can draw my hand down my face (wtg) n-s and feel bbs. however if i draw my hand south to north i feel stubble under the jaw line. if i do 6 or more passes with my razor in that area i will eventually feel bbs atg but at a price. my question is: at what point does one declare a satisfacory shave? feeling wtg or atg? what is your "test" direction?

Blue As A Jewel · Post by **Blue As A Jewel** » Mon Nov 15, 2010 9:47 am

For me, the test of BBS is against the grain - in fact, when I ask my wife to feel the smoothness of my face she automatically goes against the grain as her test...

KAV · Post by **KAV** » Mon Nov 15, 2010 10:09 am

When my Peter Pan shadow decides I'm fit to be seen in public with.

JarmoP · Post by **JarmoP** » Mon Nov 15, 2010 10:48 am

Byt the tingle (or rather the lacking tingling) of the AS splash.

I can of course test the closenes from the usual tough spots after shaving by feeling if any stubble is left (too much) with the hand in ATG direction.

fallingwickets · Post by **fallingwickets** » Mon Nov 15, 2010 10:50 am

mine is wtg

clive

notthesharpest · Post by **notthesharpest** » Mon Nov 15, 2010 10:57 am

I test against the grain, because it's a more accurate test; but I only test for "good enough for me", not for perfect.

Balance is the key.

jww · Post by **jww** » Mon Nov 15, 2010 11:07 am

Blue As A Jewel wrote:For me, the test of BBS is against the grain - in fact, when I ask my wife to feel the smoothness of my face she automatically goes against the grain as her test...

+1 -- on both direction, and the wife-test. I sometimes get my 20 yr old daughter to check it if my wife isn't available. Both have the same level of tolerance of BBS.

desertbadger · Post by **desertbadger** » Mon Nov 15, 2010 12:44 pm

notthesharpest wrote:I test against the grain, because it's a more accurate test; but I only test for "good enough for me", not for perfect.

Balance is the key.

+1....the proper technique along with the right razor/blade combination will almost always result in a DFS or better.

Regards,
David

marsos52 · Post by **marsos52** » Mon Nov 15, 2010 2:32 pm

my judge of shave quailty is how long my shaves last...

of course i also include the ATG rub..and the after shave tingle thing too..

i have had shaves that pass the ATG rub and the tingle thing, but sometimes the length of time the shave lasts is not to my liking..

i'm happy with getting a good 12 hours before i feel and/or notice regrowth.. sometimes i get a long longer than 12 hours and sometimes less.

thats how i judge
marc

Squire · Post by **Squire** » Mon Nov 15, 2010 3:25 pm

Agree with marc on the 12 hour rule.

marsos52 · Post by **marsos52** » Mon Nov 15, 2010 4:05 pm

only one difference from me to you with the 12 hour thing..

i wait another 12 hours to shave and you shave every 12 hours

your my hero as always,,Squire

marc

gil3591 · Post by **gil3591** » Mon Nov 15, 2010 5:56 pm

i'll just chime in again and say that i have no idea, what so ever, on how to get bbs under the jaw with only three passes and/or a touch-up. i can dial the progress or especially the futur up high enough to do the job but "tingle" will not describe the sensation when i apply the aftershave. it's more like pouring listerine on an open heart wound regardless if there's blood or not. i've decided to accept the stubble rather than feel the effects of a shave for hours after the fact

kronos9 · Post by **kronos9** » Mon Nov 15, 2010 7:37 pm

My shave is good/excellent if I didn't remove skin and managed to get the whiskers down to nearly invisible. What's a little roughness ATG? Guess I'm in the DFS crowd.

bernards66 · Post by **bernards66** » Mon Nov 15, 2010 9:09 pm

Same as the two Davids above. I still look reasonably well shaved the following morning, but am never totally BBS on the neck felt ATG. In order to get that I would have to accept some razor burn...which I am not willing to accept. As David said, "balance".
Regards,
Gordon

rsp1202 · Post by **rsp1202** » Mon Nov 15, 2010 10:26 pm

I guess I'm one of those honest-to-gosh sensitive skin types that Murray talks about, as even the best shaves leave me tenderized to a small degree. I learned the hard way when using megablade cartridges that BBS ain't worth what it's cracked up to be, so now I stay away from those, multi-passes and high-alcohol aftershaves, and though I'm still prone to rushing through a shave every so often with the resultant breakdown in technique, most times I manage to look and feel not like a bum.

bernards66 · Post by **bernards66** » Mon Nov 15, 2010 10:30 pm

Ron, "...not like a bum..." is good. Carry on.
Regards,
Gordon

merkri · Post by **merkri** » Tue Nov 16, 2010 1:35 pm

My primary criterion for a good shave is how the shave feels to me while I'm shaving. I.e., just the right scent for my mood, with the right feel of the razor, etc.

Most of the time that's enough, in that when I'm done the shave is almost always good enough for me. However, in terms of the finished shave, I look for the feel of any whiskers leftover one way or another. I'm not sure about the ATG or WTG--to me a good shave should leave me not being able to tell the difference, and I tend to check both ways. I also look by sight for any rogue hairs, which I tend to have on my neck sometimes because they're outliers in terms of area of growth.

Any stroking of my face by my wife just adds bonus points. She's not always around when I shave, though, so I can't count on it.

marsos52 · Post by **marsos52** » Tue Nov 16, 2010 4:18 pm

gil' i have found over the years, it doesnt matter if one uses a more aggressive razor or a mild razor,, and it doesn't matter if you raise the setting on a adjustable..

with in time,, and it may be a long time too.. you can achieve the same shave from any razer ...

i beleive a adjustable isn't just made so one can set it for a closer shave,
be to adjust to for the best shave for that person and his beard

so increasing the setting past where you really need it to, is not going to help you in getting bbs and just getting rid of some missed or left over stubble

just it just a matter of time till you will not have a problem giving those areas cleaned up the same as the rest of your beard.

marc

95% · Post by **95%** » Tue Nov 16, 2010 4:57 pm

Gil, have you tried the "Shaving Made Easy" method? This is the 1904 manual published when we all used straight razors. (Yes, I was around then. I KNEW King Gillette. King Gillette was a friend of mine.)

The manual emphtically advises that lather be applied only to a dry face. Water, especially if hot, softens the whiskers, which then lie flat against the skin so that the blade glides over them. But a dry, lathered face causes them to stand up stiffly against the blade so that it efficiently cuts them. This method works better for me, not only under the chin but all across the bearded area.

drumana · Post by **drumana** » Tue Nov 16, 2010 5:15 pm

I measure my shave quality mainly by how it looks. I shave with two passes and then give a look see in the mirror. It's a quality shave if:

- I enjoyed the shave experience
- I look well shaved
- No irritation (felt and/or seen), no redness, no weepers, no patches of beard left over.
- In general my skin looks and feels healthy

I pay no mind to the BBS thing. In fact, I'm probably borderline against BBS.