Sticking With It

If I'm going to hold the BBS constant, then some things besides blade technique will have to change. Otherwise I would have kept the Wilkinson Sword from yesterday's Super Speed shave, but a late-onset burn (hair emerging from the follicles painfully) confirmed that the edge had indeed flopped during the shave. I could shave another week WTG, or stay close-shaven and seek to improve the skin condition by other means.

The less-preferred blade in current use, Baili Platinum, was quite a bit fresher, and that led me to pick "Stella," the rose-gold BD-177. Lubed in refined coconut oil, the oversized TTO twirled shut easily, without the squeak making her seem cheap. The shave would have been very suitable for a beginner, with no blade-on-skin feel; yet, all of my advanced, recently developed strokes were cutting efficiently. I could easily get by with this as my one razor.

Getting the edge off the skin helped me make a pattern of second pass, to match the patches of pass 1. But when I was done, it wasn't close enough. So I loosened the TTO mechanism and adjusted the edge to zero exposure, relative to the fins that guard the blade corners. A third pass of mostly square strokes brought the beard down to my new standard depth, but necessitated some light, evening strokes on water.

Three in a row -- and overall, the skin condition was much improved, with that distinct feeling of non-inflammation on drydown. I had also kept the prep simple, with Shave Secret, Williams, and cold water. Taking my cue from a deep YouTube search, a video from bump-prone Bill Phillips, who in turn referenced someone I'm already subscribed to, ShaveNonTheDarkside, I'm putting my recent idea of prepping the skin with soap first on the back burner. It really is mostly about the blade handling, I think.

I would emphasize that, simple as this may sound, my attempt at everyday BBS comes after FOUR YEARS of DE shaving, and not only that, the massive effort in amateur dermatology, biophysics, etc. documented in this blog. Going to bed with no stubble isn't really all that important to me. It's just not a big reach, at this point; the next turn in a long and winding road.