Jim, I'm glad you're off and running with the Parker SRX. Your photo looks classy, as always, and a one-pass shave works for me on some days also.
If we're talking about
efficiency, here's how I think of it. When the blade angle on the Parker is right (for me), I feel absolutely no tugging. The blade is just cleanly cutting the whiskers. I envision a sharp blade edge placed parallel to a flat skin surface (gotta stretch or make them funny faces) just "wiping off" lather and whiskers. There's no downward pressure, so the skin doesn't even "know" the blade is there.
At that point, I have maximized the kinetic energy (energy of motion) I'm putting into the stroke to cut whiskers. In other words, tugging, scraping, friction, digging into the skin, going over the same area repeatedly, etc. is not consuming energy. This is the most efficient, perhaps aggressive, way to shave. My definition is independent of the razor. It's a matter of properly getting a blade edge in perfect contact with whiskers and then cleaning and effectively removing them in a single cut...with no damage or effects to the skin below.
In theory, a perfectly efficient shave always results in a one-pass BBS. That's obviously the ideal situation. Since my shaves are not 100% efficient, I need multiple passes to approach BBS. In reality, I don't think anyone ever achieves an absolutely perfect BBS.
I've compiled a series of simultaneous differential equations to model and support my theory. I then used advanced numerical methods to solve for all the independent variables. Using Six Sigma methods, I tested my model by purchasing 100 different brands of blade, razors, brushes, soaps, and creams; shaving at various setup, day, time, and frequency combinations; and the experimental outcome supports my hypothesis within a 95% level of confidence. I'm currently writing up my technical findings and expect to publish them soon.
Mad Magazine has published exclusive rights to the story.
Seriously, I favor the idea of efficiency vs. aggression. I think it has more to do with the technique than the equipment. With shaving, finesse is more effective than brute force. In other words, I'm drunk on
Technique Trumps Tools Kool-Aid.
Click to expand...