I do not. To me BBS is worthless and a Myth anyway. I can take the extra ATG pass (the going up pass) and get smooth. It is not worth the possible irritation because it is not very long that I have that sandpaper feel. My beard grows fast like that. So that is why I dont worry with it. I like that sandpaper feel though. Just saying.
I know someone who does one pass down, towards his feet, then one pass up. That's it. He doesn't even think about grain. After 40ish years of wet shaving I have fallen into habits. First pass I shave down towards the jawline and then across my cheeks (a second pass from one lather) then shave my neck upwards towards my jawline, finally along my jawline. So a mixture of WTG, XTG and ATG. Second pass much the same but using my left hand to find areas that need more attention. Third pass, touch up. This can be deliberately in all three directions depending on how the razor/blade/face/lather are playing up. Not textbook but it works. I can do it on autopilot whilst thinking about something else.
Hello Bruce!! What a coincidence, I was just reading your article very interesting on some razors ... http://www.bruceonshaving.com/2010/08/07/some-interesting-razors/
My facial hair is like a brillo pad, very coarse and thick. I have to do the first pass with the grain, second pass upward against the grain, then a third touch-up pass around the neck and jawbone. It's impossible for me to get a BBS shave without an upward pass.
I like this as well...I do 3 passes based on a modified Method Shaving Cutting Form pattern. First downward with the grain (this is repeated in Method Shaving but I drop the 2nd WTG pass). Second diagonal downward from ear to chin. Third diagonal upward from lower jaw to nose. This pattern was developed specifically minimize razor bumps and to get a BBS shave without going directly against the grain...it takes the little spearpoints off the whiskers from different directions and minimizing the chances such a point will get caught under the skin. Sometimes, I will add a fourth oil polishing pass against the grain in certain problem areas. You can see the basics here in mantics video demonstrating Method Shaving. No need to worry about special products or language...the shaving patterns themselves work great with normal products. Irritation-free BBS is no myth...I used to have problems with razor bumps but haven't had one in years using this method. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_VxFXpdLvG0
I used to do upward passes but I found for myself that it was causing irritation. Now I tend to follow Mantic's advice and do only 90 degree passes in both directions instead. Less irritation and it provides a level of smoothness that I can appreciate.
When I was using a futur I would do WTG, XTG, XTG (other direction), ATG, Cleanup. Now that I'm on an open comb micromatic, I can get away with WTG followed by a very slow ATG pass (which for me is upwards everywhere on my face except for some small passes on my face) and I get an honest to god BBS shave.
When I do a ATG is only to get the few hairs that I have to get that way. Otherwise I look like someone who shaved while driving into work and the battery died on the way.
I guess I get to be the lone voice crying out in the wilderness...I always do an upward pass on my neck when I shave. I also never shave against the grain. the hair on my neck grows up, so a downward pass there would be ATG. Ouch!
re-read my post. I only shave WTG. I never shave ATG. but, I do an upward pass because my hair grows that way on my neck. Upward pass does not always mean ATG. This thread is called "upward passes, do you do them?" not "Do you shave against the grain?"
Gottcha. The OP didn't specify where the upward passes were being done. I'm with you - my beard grows down on the cheeks and up on my neck.
Going across on your neck risks catching the blade on little skin folds, even if you try to stretch the skin. Try going downward on the first pass, then diagonally on the second pass--use a light touch. This generally mows down most of the stubble for me. Then, on the third pass, I gently go upward. I can hear the razor cutting as I reach the chin area, but it's pretty quiet going upward on the rest of my neck. To me, the silence means that there's not much stubble left to cut.
Up/down/sideways means different things to different people since our hair grows differently on different places on our face/neck. Down on my face means WTG, but down on my neck in some places means XTG. Sideways on my face means XTG but on my neck means ATG
