How Many Passes Do You Take?

I do what I call 2 1/3 passes. But I also go over the same area 2x at times because I still have lather in place after the first stroke.

WTG-XTG-ATG (adjusted angles for my beard)

" Don't torture yourself Gomez; that's my job." My first real GF was a Chicana named Terry/Theresa with blue black hair in a sixties beehive rumored to contain hidden razors for protection. From what? We used to drive into the Old Pass Road and take a short hike to this boulder to watch the shimmering lights of the San Fernando Valley. We encountered a very stoned Patricia Krenwinckle  one evening demanding we pay to use 'the family's rock.' It wasn't a razor, but a small Italian stiletto folder that came out with Terry screaming ' I cut you up B! ' as Krenwinckle fled to the ranch and all the lights and sound of music went dark and silent,  coyotes laughing at the scene under a huge harvest moon. We left in the morning fog projecting the scent of  purple sage and the mist made her hair reflect a thousand micro droplets like a Shakespeare fairie. Pretty thing and she broke my heart moving with family to Colorado.

A woman like that you hang on to if you can. I can see how that has stayed with you.

Glad this was posted as I had a similar question so hope it's okay to add this. I consider a pass to be one that I lather my face. So I usually do 3 passes with a clean up pass or 4 passes with a cleanup pass.

The added info I was wondering about is how many times you go over the same area without relathering. If I were to say I do a 3 pass shave the assumption is that the razor only comes into contact with my face 3 times. In reality for me I might go over the same area 2 or 3 times on a a single lather which is why residual slickness is important to me. So for me there are sections of my face that may be gone over 8-10 times.

Is this the same for others or am I the exception. The saving videos I have watched seem to show going over the same place multiple times within 1 pass (lather).

I try not to go over the same spot without lather to avoid the irritation but if I'm using an open comb razor there is often nice rows of lather left behind after the initial pass and that allows me to go over again once or twice without irritation. I have a few funny areas like on my right cheek, when I do the XTG pass from centre to ear it gets most of the beard but from about mid-point forward the hair grows in the opposite direction requiring a XTG pass the other way. I don't bother re-lathering with the brush for these situations but rather dip a finger into my lather reservoirs which would be either my ears or the area on the bottom of my neck where the lather went on beyond the line that I shave. I'll just scoop some up and spread it over the trouble spot to avoid irritation. I think from the comments of other members on here its clear that many go over more than once on the same pass. Just play it by feel, you'll know if you overdid it and then you'll' eventually get a feel for what you can get away with.

These days I do three passes with some buffing in the chin area. Direction for the third pass is determined by the razor. My beard grows like a crescent in neck, so I can only go truly ATG with razors I find really good for me. When I am using some vintage razor(as I don't find them comfortable) or testing a new razor my ATG pass is more like a ATG XTG mix.

With straight I can only do two passes without risking irritation(I suppose that will change with better technique).

I can do two passes (WTG, XTG) with any DE razor with similar level of comfort and efficiency. So it is the third pass that acts as a litmus test for razors.

I shave at evening, so time isn't that big of a deal.

Three passes--with, across, and against--if I want to be BBS. Like you, I have spots where the beard is iron and grows at angles. Touch ups on those places will follow the three passes.

Some shave gurus advocate stopping at two passes--with and across. They say that three passes is just too rough on the skin. They're probably right. Still, I like to be BBS so I usually do three passes.

A few days a week, though, to give my face a break, I'll do two passes with touch ups for a DFS.

Most of the time, I'll do three passes...WTG, XTG, ATG and then a clean-up on my neck, chin, and jawline.

But I have to admit, after reading this thread I may need to change this up. I have been wet-shaving for just over a year and during that time, I've had more razor burn than I had in 25 years of using a disposable (although I never went ATG or even XTG with a disposable). And despite that burn, I absolutely love and look forward to my shaves. This thread has shined some light on my current technique/procedure. It just seems that the BBS or close-comfortable-shave is not always attained by everyone. And I have known for awhile that it isn't necessary and I shouldn't be "going for it" every time. So it is really nice to read others don't get that BBS or CCS shave nor is it a goal when they start the shave.

Chasing a baby bottom-smooth shave has caused problems for many wetshavers over the years. Perhaps we are so trained by TV commercials. A good shave should be irritation-free. Who wants to be uncomfortable? Once comfortable, non-irritating shaves are achieved, they can be tweaked to make them closer. Eventually some practical limit will be reached, and there you go. You have optimized your shaves to get the best results possible. From what I have seen, it is easier to go from comfortable to close than from close to comfortable. And if the shaves aren't BBS, you can still get good, satisfying results.

I found this video very helpful, and it is what reinforced for me what I wrote above.

https://youtu.be/YKg5r_JkgQA

Most of the time, I'll do three passes...WTG, XTG, ATG and then a clean-up on my neck, chin, and jawline.

But I have to admit, after reading this thread I may need to change this up.  I have been wet-shaving for just over a year and during that time, I've had more razor burn than I had in 25 years of using a disposable (although I never went ATG or even XTG with a disposable).  And despite that burn, I absolutely love and look forward to my shaves.  This thread has shined some light on my current technique/procedure.  It just seems that the BBS or close-comfortable-shave is not always attained by everyone.  And I have known for awhile that it isn't necessary and I shouldn't be "going for it" every time.  So it is really nice to read others don't get that BBS or CCS shave nor is it a goal when they start the shave.

FWIW,

I only did two WTG passes during the first year of my traditional shaving. I tried this kind of shaving only because after moving to Northeastern USA I was having serious shaving issues specially during winter. So getting comfortable shaves was a priority for me.

Not trying to lecture you, but as a fellow wetshaver, I can say this: think of getting BBS as a journey, a rather long one. Not something you have to get today. Take care of your face as you only have one. Beards - they come and go

As a retiree, I generally take my time and enjoy my shave. I usually do 3 passes: WTG, XTG. and ATG except with my neck where I will do all three passes WTG. Sometimes I need a little cleanup. Now that I have the time, shaving is a real joy for me. I take my time and and enjoy it . I didn't feel that way when I was working and using carts and had to be in a hurry.

Most of the time, I'll do three passes...WTG, XTG, ATG and then a clean-up on my neck, chin, and jawline.

But I have to admit, after reading this thread I may need to change this up.  I have been wet-shaving for just over a year and during that time, I've had more razor burn than I had in 25 years of using a disposable (although I never went ATG or even XTG with a disposable).  And despite that burn, I absolutely love and look forward to my shaves.  This thread has shined some light on my current technique/procedure.  It just seems that the BBS or close-comfortable-shave is not always attained by everyone.  And I have known for awhile that it isn't necessary and I shouldn't be "going for it" every time.  So it is really nice to read others don't get that BBS or CCS shave nor is it a goal when they start the shave.

Chasing a baby bottom-smooth shave has caused problems for many wetshavers over the years.  Perhaps we are so trained by TV commercials.  A good shave should be irritation-free.  Who wants to be uncomfortable?  Once comfortable, non-irritating shaves are achieved, they can be tweaked to make them closer.  Eventually some practical limit will be reached, and there you go.  You have optimized your shaves to get the best results possible.  From what I have seen, it is easier to go from comfortable to close than from close to comfortable.  And if the shaves aren't BBS, you can still get good, satisfying results.

I found this video very helpful, and it is what reinforced for me what I wrote above.

https://youtu.be/YKg5r_JkgQA

Great video - those words resonate "It might not be the closest possible shave but its comfortable shave " - I think most of us would choose comfortable over close although close and comfortable is the objective.