What's new
The Shaving Cadre

Welcome to The Shaving Cadre, a forum dedicated to gentlemanly discourse about wet shaving and other topics of common interests. Membership is always free so register today and join in the fun

Amazing Shaves: Is it the razor, blade, soap, day of the week, or a gift from god?

Luecke3262

Luecke3262

“I am the Grail Razor Hunter”
Hobbyist
1614098805606.pngHi all, you know sometimes it feels like the planets align and you have a near religious experience during a shave. Your shower and preshave have gone just right. The music or lack of sound is just to your liking. The soap/cream love the amount of time you’ve bloomed them and your brush is perfectly hydrated/or not. You’ve added just enough, but not too much water to your lather and the consistency is epic by every iteration you’ve ever experienced. The straight razor is keen and smooth or the DE blade is just right. Your passes are efficient, careful, and clean with no weepers, cuts, or burn. It’s a perfect shave!
You are so happy that this shave has gone just perfect that you decide to use the exact same setup tomorrow! THE SHAVE IS GARBAGE or just subpar. All things being the same, the dog drug something nasty inside that you had to clean up, the baby had a blowout, your coffee was cold, or you stubbed your toe. Any number of things could have thrown you off and the shave just was not right. Now you’ve cut yourself and have weepers all over, how the hell did this happen???
Technique and patience? This has been my thought from the beginning. Yeah, we’ve all heard, “no pressure and take your time,” but sometimes it just doesn’t go right. I can often have a great shave with subpar software and edges, but I can also have a horrid shave with premo products and hardware, but having a bad day with poor concentration ruins the shave.
Every day is a new day and most of us have stubble to shave, so you can always pull yourself up by your bootstraps and try again for that epic shave.

Now for the for the question, is it your technique? Is it everything? What is your trump card when wet shaving or what is the thing that makes those legendary shaves for you?

Matt
 
The biggest variable has got to be technique, right? Some days you're just in the zone, and other days maybe you're zoning out. You may not feel like you're zoning out, but if your focus is just a bit off, it could affect your shave. OR, maybe you're focused too much. Maybe you're trying too hard to replicate a previous good experience that you end up going the other way?

Personally I think it's the moon cycles, the Coriolis Affect, gravitational pull, eddy currents, the Aurora Borealis, and the shifting of the earth caused by Bigfoot stomping around, all rolled into one!
 
I find when I feel a "perfect shave" coming on I have to ignore it, and just let things finish themselves out, or then the "over thinking" kills the vibe.
 
I like to realize it was a perfect shave after the fact, because for it to be perfect, I had to be so “in the moment” that I didn’t think about it at all. It’s a great feeling when it happens. Makes the whole day awesome.
 
Have you ever had the "perfect shave" while using a sample and then went and ordered a full bottle/jar/tub/etc. of the product. Only when you get it in and use it, it is like "meh, that was just OK, but not great"?
 
Agreeing with most that technique plays the larger portion of making a good shave. Like most other things though, it’s not quite that cut-n-dry. Technique can overcome a lot of shaving barriers or at least greatly improve your chances of a good shave...but it’s also your tools, how well you know them, hair and skin type, prep, daily temperament, etc.

It’s all connected man! It’s a conspiracy!
B1C60F0E-A378-4EB0-A7E5-2BDF19EB5FDF.gif
 
My most favorite shave is when the 26mm+ knot retains some heat, the lather is perfect and smells great, and the first pass edge takes off 99% of the stubble and feels so soft and ephemeral. Followed by a shower beer and then some great ASL.
 
wayne1963 said:
My shaves always go good
Click to expand...
So are mine. But I think the intent here is not what separates good shaves from bad shaves..... it's what separates the good shaves from the amazing shaves. The elusive shaves that make you leave the bathroom saying wow, that was a great shave! The shaves that make the angels sing and make you go, man I don't know what I did different today, but I wish I could do that everyday. So, what is that difference? What changed that shave?
 
I think this might be related to something I'd posted a week or two ago about rotations.

It just might be that picking up a new razor in your rotation gives just that little bit of extra alertness which can lead to a shave of the amazing variety.
 
Spider said:
But most of those will not vary from one day to the next.
Click to expand...

GearNoir said:
For some I suppose, depending on lifestyle and den options. That would not be true for everyone however.
Click to expand...
I'm one of those that it will vary for. Not so much the tools and equipment, but the skin and hair. My whiskers are so wiry and my skin changes from dry to sahara so randomly that I never know what I'm getting into.
I have had wet CBL lathers dry on my face before completing a single 2 minute DE pass when shaving directly (Like less than 3 minutes directly) after my shower and a new feather blade in a tech will tug and be miserable.
Other days I can take 10 minutes with a straight that needs a touch-up and still get a comfortable shave.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top