How close does a shave have to be to be BBS? No stubble AT ALL or no stubble when rubbing your face WTG? How do you determine?
I think BBS is generally accepted as no stubble at all, no matter which way you are rubbing your face. DFS to me means there may be a few small patches that you can feel stubble if testing ATG.
I have always heard that if you can turn the tip of your finger 360 degrees around on the face and feel no stubble, it is bbs (i.e. no detectable stubble in any direction)
My understanding is BBS no stubble, DFS some stubble ATG So how long does BBS last? For me, about three hours. So it's nice when I get it but I don't chase it. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
It's a bit subjective, of course, because it's shaving. My test is when I rub both directions, WTG and ATG I don't feel any stubble. One in awhile I'll get generous and let a tiny area of stubble ride and call it BBS but not usually. I'm also not one to chase it down. DFS is perfectly fine with me. CCS can also be good on certain days, but for work I prefer DFS and will stop when I get it most days. Although when doing trials I push the 3rd pass even though I would stop otherwise.
What does BBS stand for? Baby Butt Smooth, of course. Does a baby's butt have ANY stubble in ANY direction on ANY part of his/her butt? Of course not. Bottom line, at the end of the day, when all is said and done, (did I miss any?) - It's your shave. Define it how you want.
BBS can be a goal, but I find it a short-lived achievement not worthy of my daily attention or efforts. Sort of like washing your car on a rainy day... Looks great, but for a very short duration. If i strive for the ultimate BBS, I can get there. But within hours, stubble appears again. So most often I 'settle' for the Darn Fine Shave variety.
I don't to for a BBS very often cuz it's to hard on my face to do that. No problem getting a fine DFS shave just about every day though and that's good for me
I heard somewhere (here?) that a BBS could pass the "cotton ball test" where, if you rubbed the cotton ball on your skin, there would be nothing to catch. Herm
I shoot for BBS every shave. That's why I make three passes. But I'm smart enough to know when to stop chasin'!
Ok, I have never had a BBS shave with a safety razor then. I am using a Gillette New Long Comb with an Astra Superior Platinum Blade. Without applying any more pressure than the weight of the razor, should I be able to get a BBS shave with this combo?
If I do any more than 2 passes on my neck, I break out with razor burn. I shoot for a close comfortable shave. Hair grows back and I am still presentable for work throughout the day.
I'm not looking for a unicorn. I'm just trying to understand where my skills could be with my setup. I am doing a 30 shave challenge with this combo to improve my skills and am trying to understand what expectations I should have. If DFS is it, then I'm fine with it.
The easiest way maybe the only way to get a true BBS is to go ATG. If ATG doesnt work for you (like it doesn't work for me because of irritation and ingrown hairs) you can you diagonal ATG in opposing directions to get almost as close, like this (where the middle arrow is the direction of hair growth): ↗↓↖
I gave up chasing a BBS, as my whiskers grow sideways across my throat from the adam's apple to just under my chin. If I try too hard, I get butchered.
Maybe, maybe not. Just keep working on your technique, stop chasing the baby, then one day - POOF!! - BBS. It'll just happen. Maybe, maybe not.
My face can't handle a daily 3-pass shave. I would always suffer from irritation. I go with one pass and touch-up on most days. Grading the shave is pretty subjective. My one-pass with touch-up normally turns out to be pretty smooth, so it's probably a DFS, but if I'm satisfied with it then I don't feel the need to define it. I will probably never reach true BBS status. I went ATG once when shaving and regretted it terribly. As @swarden43 has copyrighted - "it's your shave" - so define it how you wish!
Sometimes BBS just isn't worth it, because of irritation.. DFS should do most of the time. Just enjoy the shave, and don't get caught up in perfection with the shave, that's when things can go wrong.
I do a 3pass shave with touch up on my face and 2 pass shave on my neck every 4 days that would routine keeps the irritation low.
