I've recently noticed that I have some shaving habits that serve little purpose. This morning, I followed a self-imposed rule and regretted it! I noticed after the first couple of strokes that the blade was "tuggy." The fleeting thought of changing the blade mid-shave bounced right off my rule of "once started, must complete." Sure, I regretted the outcome. So why did I put my head down and bull on through? Though I have stretched a blade's total shaves by being extra careful, it's not like the extras were ever in the Best Shave Ever class! I've fitted myself with other shaving shackles, too! Until recently, once I put a blade in a given razor, it stayed there until it was done. The problem I encountered was when I wanted to switch razors before using all the shaves in that blade. I would drop a new blade in the razor du jour, sometimes continuing with a smorgasbord rotation rather than orderly progression, and lose count of how many shaves were on a series of blades. I encountered "a shave too far" on more than one return! I've started transferring the working blade when rotating. By removing the old rule, I am more likely to toss the blade before it is too late! (Though I have begun to wonder about the implications of blade transfers affecting blade life, I remind myself that DE blades are cheap and I would rather maximize my shaving enjoyment rather than shaves-per-blade!) I was thinking about how letting go of my own "rules" may enhance my overall shaving pleasure. That thought is an odd contrast because part of the pleasure of shaving comes from the shaving routine — even the very tradition of shaving itself! Look at the "shaving buzz" we see on the boards and in the media: shave like your grandfather; old fashioned; traditional; barber shop quality; etc. With the "shaving buzz" comes some herd mentality. I know I've seen posts alluding to it here on TSD. Not that herd mentality is wrong per se, but there are some things we do merely because that's how we learned 'em. A guy once told me I was sharpening my whittling knife the wrong way. I am sure he could produce a very sharp knife and possibly even faster than my best efforts. However, I ended up with an arm-hair-popping-ready-to-whittle edge in short order. Who's to say my method was wrong (... or his, for that matter!)? All of this reflecting is to ask the TSD shaverati one question: what rules, "self-imposed" or "generally accepted," have you knowingly broken and then gained benefit?
3 pass rule. I always used to follow it to the letter for years when all I used was a Super Speed. Now with SEs all I need is two passes or even just one pass. The rigid blade just mows it all down with little resistance. With less passes and a smaller angle I get nonexistent razor burn. I'm not the only one who finds using more aggressive razors (due to less passes) has the seemingly opposite effect of reducing irritation. Prep rule. This is seemingly standard to shower immediately before a shave or use a towel. Prep really doesn't add anything for me when I use a very beard softening soap. Plus I face lather so that equals more prep time. I do it (real "prep")about half the time but not that I notice any difference. People need to experiment if they really need all these seemingly standard rules.
'once I put a blade in a given razor, it stayed there until it was done' This rule I adhere to because all my razors seem to require a different angle. I did not like my Gillette Super Speed (1946-47) the first time I used it, put away for awhile. Next time I did not like it again, but stuck with it for next three shaves and found the correct angle for me. Now I love it. Also like to keep things simple, thinking is not one of my strong points. I usually shower at night and shave in the morning. So shaving right after the shower is not an option unless I shave at night, which I do not like to do. In the morning I compensate by washing my face with soap. BTW found use for those old Williams pucks. Dave
There are only self-imposed rules. The generally accepted "rules" are just recommendations, a place from which to start based on the shared experiences of others. If a set of self-imposed rules are not cutting the mustard, then simply modify your routine until it works well for you. For the example of blades going a shave too far when rotating razors, either discard the blade when switching to another razor or don't rotate razors until all the shaves in the blade have been used. That is just an example, the actual solution could be something different based on your preferences. Regarding your rules question, my only self-imposed rules: Always use very light pressure when shaving and don't use shaving goo in a can. Those are never broken. There are some other parts of my shaving routine, like generally using three pass shaves. Those are more habits than rules, though, and often not followed.
Ditch the idea of rules altogether IMO and simply trust in the validity of your own experience. Now if one lacks experience then certainly taking others advice and suggestions is an excellent way to begin, but it's only, at best, going to point him or her in the right direction. With the benefit of our own experiences, we're the only ones who can rightly say whether or not those early suggestions were actually best for us. It may well be the case that we settle on an entirely different approach. Sounds trite I know, but having a reliably comfortable and close shave is really no more tricky than that. Basically, shave every day and pay attention to what's working and what isn't, drop what doesn't work and try an alternative. It gets sorted soon enough. Of course whether one chooses to stay with what works is an entirely different matter. That's the "adventure" I suppose. As for changing the blade, personally I just use one 'til it's done. It doesn't seem too tricky to stay "one shave ahead" of that process IME. Rules???
