One Man's Optimal Shave: The 2/2/2

Good Morning Gents-

I get the sense that most members on here are more experienced/knowledgeable than me, but I thought I'd share anyway.


I had a great shave this morning. It was enjoyable from start to finish and I ended up BBS/DFS+ with zero irritation even on my very sensitive skin. It's really great how you feel in the morning when starting the day off with a shave like this.

Wet Shaving seems to me like Golf or Fly-Fishing: there are so many variables that there's always room for improvement. That's part of what makes it a fun hobby. And the fact that you get the chance to improve every day.

Unlike some, I haven't been systematic in my approach to optimization, so it's taken me a while to reach what for me is almost a repeatable process. I call it a 2/2/2 shave.

I thought I'd share my formula:

1) Using glycerin soap as a pre-shave.

A light layer with a splash of water, and only partially rinsed off. To give credit, I cribbed this from Michael Ham. I think it both soften/hydrates the hairs and also functions as a bit of an uberlather -- spiking the lather with glycerin for some extra slickness.

2) A two pass/two razor/two blade shave:

For the first/WTG pass: a more aggressive razor with a less aggressive blade. For me this is a Wolfman DC standard gap and Gillette Platinum.

For the second/XTG-ATG pass: a milder razor with a more aggressive blade. For me this is a Muhle/EJ 89 or Razorock BabySmooth and a Feather.

That's it! Somehow the combo of a very sharp blade with a milder/more forgiving head works really well for me when going ATG, especially on my neck. For those of you who have neck issues going ATG, I can also wholeheartedly recommend the RR BabySmooth. Something about its curved head and unique blade angle seems to work really well when making down-up ATG strokes, especially on the concave curves and hollows of the neck and chin.

In general, I believe the keys to a good shave are technique, good prep/lather and using the sharpest blade possible. The epiphany for me was finding the right combo of blade sharpness to fit head design.

Hope this can help others on their journey!

Yep I've been done chasing the dragon for a long time now.

surfshaver Glad you have found what works for you and for sharing your routine.

My problem is greed. I know I should stop but I keep trying to get as close as possible instead of just being happy. I have never had what my definition of a true BBS is and I know I never will but damn if I don't keep trying. I was an electric razor user before with a once over in the shower once or twice a week with a cartridge razor to get the stray whiskers that the electric would miss. It's been 3 years now since transitioning to traditional wet shaving and while I have used a cartridge razor many times I have not pulled out the electric razor once. Maybe I need to to try it again to see how close I was actually getting with it and then maybe being happier with what I now consider not a very close shave at all.

surfshaver Glad you have found what works for you and for sharing your routine.

My problem is greed. I know I should stop but I keep trying to get as close as possible instead of just being happy. I have never had what my definition of a true BBS is and I know I never will but damn if I don't keep trying. I was an electric razor user before with a once over in the shower once or twice a week with a cartridge razor to get the stray whiskers that the electric would miss. It's been 3 years now since transitioning to traditional wet shaving and while I have used a cartridge razor many times I have not pulled out the electric razor once. Maybe I need to to try it again to see how close I was actually getting with it and then maybe being happier with what I now consider not a very close shave at all.

Wolverine, I know what you mean. I feel like I went through my "BBS or Bust" period a while ago. Part of wetshaving zen I think is learning to accept the limitations of one's skin. If I do 3 passes+ to try to get truly BBS everywhere, I get razor bumps on my cheeks and lasting irritation on the sides of my neck. Trying to get completely BBS is an almost irresistible challenge, especially for those of us who are a little OCD and/or type A. For me part of my journey was realizing I could get 90% of the result in total comfort, while 100% would leave me with lasting discomfort (and not a good appearance!).

surfshaver Glad you have found what works for you and for sharing your routine.

My problem is greed. I know I should stop but I keep trying to get as close as possible instead of just being happy. I have never had what my definition of a true BBS is and I know I never will but damn if I don't keep trying. I was an electric razor user before with a once over in the shower once or twice a week with a cartridge razor to get the stray whiskers that the electric would miss. It's been 3 years now since transitioning to traditional wet shaving and while I have used a cartridge razor many times I have not pulled out the electric razor once. Maybe I need to to try it again to see how close I was actually getting with it and then maybe being happier with what I now consider not a very close shave at all.

Wolverine, I know what you mean.  I feel like I went through my "BBS or Bust" period a while ago.  Part of wetshaving zen I think is learning to accept the limitations of one's skin.  If I do 3 passes+ to try to get truly BBS everywhere, I get razor bumps on my cheeks and lasting irritation on the sides of my neck.  Trying to get completely BBS is an almost irresistible challenge, especially for those of us who are a little OCD and/or type A.  For me part of my journey was realizing I could get 90% of the result in total comfort, while 100% would leave me with lasting discomfort (and not a good appearance!).

That is probably the best, but hardest lesson learned: Knowing my limitations.

Unfortunately, I seem to show some signs of OCD. I can't win!

I can never imagine finding the one "zen" approach to shaving. Even with the variables removed and clear defined parameters in place, I still find other things brought to the forefront. Namely, Myself. My needs change daily and my wants are just as quirky. Case in point, my worst shave experience is with a voskhod blade. Yet I didn't throw the other two blades I have in inventory out! I probably will throw them on the EJ again, just to be a glutton for punishment. lol I guess thats what makes this so fun. As I look in the mirror and commit to my daily regimen. I still find joy and a place for "me" to settle in and just experience life as it is....

surfshaver thanks so much for posting that!

It's always fascinating to me to read about technique! I remember reading articles awhile ago about two, and even three, razor shaves. The premise of the author is that he would start with an aggressive razor, and then move to a milder one for later passes and touchups. I'll do this sometimes say with a Timeless .95 for the first two passes and a Gillette Rocket for 3rd pass and touchups, or a Cobra for the early part of the shave, and a Shick 66 or G for later in the shave. I've also used an SE for the early part, and a DE for later, and vice versa.

Your addition of the efficient razor/mild blade and mild razor/sharp blade combinations is very interesting!

I think a roshi ( zen master) would love exploring this 'zen business' in shaving. I believe the more correct term is satori ( achieving enlightenment) which, like Sartorial is the ability to simply do something without thinking about it. Fly fishing is another exellent example and I would add my own. I decided Kodiak Alaska a splendid location to learn this most noble of pursuits. I went fishing, after learning basic casts with the Kraft Store fishing salesman. I managed to hook a salmon during the run and was so intent the measured warning of my mentor went unheard. I finally used splatter vision to realise another fisherman was approaching from an angle to steal my catch. I let him take it. Like shaving " sometimes you get the bear, sometimes the bear gets you."

surfshaver Glad you have found what works for you and for sharing your routine.

My problem is greed. I know I should stop but I keep trying to get as close as possible instead of just being happy. I have never had what my definition of a true BBS is and I know I never will but damn if I don't keep trying. I was an electric razor user before with a once over in the shower once or twice a week with a cartridge razor to get the stray whiskers that the electric would miss. It's been 3 years now since transitioning to traditional wet shaving and while I have used a cartridge razor many times I have not pulled out the electric razor once. Maybe I need to to try it again to see how close I was actually getting with it and then maybe being happier with what I now consider not a very close shave at all.

Wolverine, I know what you mean.  I feel like I went through my "BBS or Bust" period a while ago.  Part of wetshaving zen I think is learning to accept the limitations of one's skin.  If I do 3 passes+ to try to get truly BBS everywhere, I get razor bumps on my cheeks and lasting irritation on the sides of my neck.  Trying to get completely BBS is an almost irresistible challenge, especially for those of us who are a little OCD and/or type A.  For me part of my journey was realizing I could get 90% of the result in total comfort, while 100% would leave me with lasting discomfort (and not a good appearance!).

I also started to shave at night when I switched over so I think I know if I get carried away I've got 10-12 hrs before going to work to heal. Of course this also drives the desire for a closer shave as I will have 10-12 hours of growth before going to work.

surfshaver thanks so much for posting that!

It's always fascinating to me to read about technique! I remember reading articles awhile ago about two, and even three, razor shaves. The premise of the author is that he would start with an aggressive razor, and then move to a milder one for later passes and touchups. I'll do this sometimes say with a Timeless .95 for the first two passes and a Gillette Rocket for 3rd pass and touchups, or a Cobra for the early part of the shave, and a Shick 66 or G for later in the shave. I've also used an SE for the early part, and a DE for later, and vice versa.

Your addition of the efficient razor/mild blade and mild razor/sharp blade combinations is very interesting!

Michael, it's nice to hear I'm not the only one tinkering with multi-razor shaves! I think using a milder/more forgiving razor on the XTG/ATG passes makes a lot of sense. I started doing it a while ago, then stopped for some reason, and now I'm back at it. Going to do this for a while to see how consistent the results can be.

Like others have posted here, there's a lot of temptation in wetshaving to constantly experiment with new equipment and techniques. All part of the fun! But it seems to me that as with many other pursuits, consistency and eliminating variables is the key to mastery. YMMV and all that, of course. I'm actually envious of those who can use a different razor soap and brush every day and achieve the same optimal result!