What is THE most important factor for you in getting a good shave?

You, as in the person who does the prep, wields the Razor and makes the lather. I think I have the biggest say in the quality of my shave.

 

This is an very interesting question..
Since I can still have a good preshave(hot water & Kyle prep) even with "run-of -the-mill" products, I've found that pretty much "most" (at least the greater majority in my experience) of soaps/creams perform adequately and while I greatly prefer my #6 horse(?) hair brush,pretty much any soap applicator(even a wash cloth) will work, as will(for me at least) virtualy any type of safety razor (DE,SE or Injector)...
I've found that matching the correct blade(i.e. PolSilver SI,Vikings Sword,Astra SP,Gem SS,Schick) to the razor I'm using has made the biggest difference in the quality,closeness and enjoyment of my shave....

So my vote was for the "BLADE"...

 

I have a slew of razors, brushes, soaps, various blades - they are all in my rotation and so they all get used. Each one is subtly unique and I adjust accordingly. I've reached a point with my technique and gear that I never have a bad shave, just some are better than others.

That said, I do know that if I don't take a hot shower prior to my shave, I'm less likely to have one of those better shaves.
Blades are a close second. There are some I just can't use.

 

When you start throwing absolutes around, it is bound to come back and bite you. I had been thinking the same thing recently as even my 'Bad' shaves aren't terrible and then I had craptacular shave. IMO, I think we occasionally need the marginal and worse shaves to appreciate how nice the good ones really are.

 

I'll be honest and say that the last few bad shaves I've had came when I tried vintage blades. And since I know that, I only revisit them once a year during Vintage Theme Week.

 

I opted for the brush; as a face-latherer, the brush against my face is the most luxuriant part of the experience for me. I can get a 'good' shave in terms of results with any of the other variables set to 'run of the mill.'

 

I know I'm taking it entirely too seriously. Sorry about that but I've always found asking the right question is important and I think about it way too much.

If you look at the question differently, a good answer should be fasifiable. So, which of those items will produce a bad shave if they're wrong? The one(s) that can't really make your shave bad would be less important. But the problem is any of them being wrong could produce a bad shave. So I think the correct answer is mu.

Mu is sometimes used to indicate a question whose answer is to

• un-ask the question,
• indicate the question is fundamentally flawed, or
• reject the premise that a dualistic answer can or will be given.

 

I believe technique trumps all of the other choices you have listed to choose from. If your technique is mastered, no matter what you use you will probably get a good/outstanding shave. On the other hand if your technique sucks, so will your shave no matter how much money you've invested in hardware and software.

 

I chose the blade. Any of my razors will give me a great shave and I could use nothing more than olive oil or baby oil for a lubricant, rubbed on by hand, but without the right blade the shave would be awful.

 

Blade! It makes a difference. I can get great shaves with all of my soaps, my razors, and my brushes. If the blade is not one that is good for me of it is dull, the shave is no good.

 

Of the listed variables, I say "lather." Of the unlisted variables, I say "technique."

 

They're all a factor, but the key for getting a great shave for me is to be relaxed and focused on the shave. So for me, it's pre shave. A hot shower, and hot towels do more for this than anything else. As long as the hardware is acceptable(razor, soap, brush, etc), I'm good to go.

 

I found tbat.was true even for cartridge razors. It is equally true for safety razors. A cartridge razor with a high quality cream or soap will give a better shave than safety razor and canned goo.

 

I guess this is as good a place for my first post as any. For me it's about all of it working together. In order of importance for me, lather- taking my time- prep- blade. If I fail in any of these I am bleeding and irritated. If the lather is thick enough, most of the time I will barely feel the blade on any razor. If I prep right, the razor slides over any imperfections with nary a snag. if I do not rush it and pay attention, I could use my pocket knife.

 

Blade and lather. Íve gotten good shaves with "bad razors", I've gotten good shaves with lousy brushes, Ive even gotten good shaves with hasty prep and Ive lathered in gladware and gotten good shaves..
Ive never gotten a good shave with a bad blade and ive never gotten a good shave with lousy lather.

 

Lather. I can get by with virtually no Prep and still get a decent shave if I have to. It's been field tested out of the back of a Humvee. All I did was put some water on my face, lather up, and shave.

I can also get by with no aftershave and just a cold water rinse. But what's the fun in that?

 

My shaving experience changed dramatically when I was generously PIF'd a Gillette 7 O'Clock Yellow blade by Daytonkb. No matter if I pair it with my EJ89 Barley, '65 Gillette Slim Adjustable, or a Tech I get a great shave. I like various creams and soaps, I shuffle around a lot, and I rarely use the same thing more than a day or two in a row because I like variety and it doesn't matter what I use the Gillette's work well with soap and cream alike. Since that PIF I made my first bulk blade order and it was for the Gillette's and that is all I use now exclusively. Before, I would routinely have to take breaks from shaving to allow my skin to heal since I have sensitive skin, but with the Yellows I have actually gone two full weeks with daily shaving. I've found that the better hydrated I keep my skin the better my shave is, and I've put together some good combos for pre and post shave, but since I started using the Yellows I no longer think, "I hope this is a good shave"...I know it will be. They out perform my previous favorite the Astra's, with a smoother shave, and they're the only blades I've used that after 5 days of shaving I'm putting it in the blade bank thinking, "I could probably get two more good shaves out of that." So for me it's the blade, and in particular the Gillette 7 O'Clock Yellow. They are the cornerstone of a good shave for me...everything else is simply icing on cake.

 

So where is MY blades? =P

 

I think lather makes the most difference for me. I can get a good shave from a number of razors and blades, but the right soap makes my skin feel great.

 

For me the key lies in technique. Rush, press, wrong angle, no pre- or post shave results in lousy shaves.

Just my .02