BBS is a myth

There, now that I've gotten your attention (sorry if it seems that "thems is fightin words"), but, how do you define a "baby butt smooth" shave? Surely it's subjective, and that's fine. Is it really obtainable?

I am able to quite often get clean, close shaves that could (I suppose) be considered baby butt smooth, but if I feel firmly enough and in the right direction (usually against the grain) I can always feel residual stubble in certain spots - two areas along the jaw on either side of the chin. In the past I've seemingly shaved those areas raw trying to eliminate the stubble feel. I've even been known to go back after the fact and go over those spots dry, but to no avail. To be fair, these are the densest areas of my beard. Maybe I'm hoping for too much, in which case I'll go the sour grapes route and say BBS is way over rated.

Any thoughts?

 

Of course it is possible, but it does require a triple pass shave. How do you define it? When you ask a mature woman to check your shave and she continues to stroke your face longer than she needs to

Hopefully she is wearing beige foundational garments.

 

Yup, that's my definition. When my husband gets a BBS, I just can't stop patting his face.

 

Obviously, you are a superior woman Sarah!

 

"BBS" means Baby Butt Smooth.
Rub a cotton ball in any and all directions on the entire butt of said baby and there will be NO, NONE, NADA pull on the cotton ball.
If you can do that on your face, you're BBS.

 

Interesting,

I haven't chased one in many years, I doubt my skin could even take it now..
I know they were possible when I was in my early 20's and I first started SR shaving, I am not even sure I could get there with my graying grizzled beard.

I started using a SR chasing a Comfortable shave, I am happy with that right now also

 

Yup.

My secret to BBS:

ATG blade buffing as the *final* step of a shave.

Sure, it takes practice to get the technique down, and confidence to try, but it can be done every single shave, with ANY razor, with no issues.

Do I do so every time? Nope, too lazy. But it absolutely can be done.

 

I'm tempted to say that not all baby butts are the same and BBS is relative. I can achieve a high percentage of no stubble in any direction, but as already stated that does depend on how hard your pressing down when checking your face. My wife isn't the best BBS gauge as she don't know the trouble spots on my neck and face. If all we're checking are the cheeks I can get them BBS with nearly any implement.

Ironically I find a cartridge razor gives me the best smoothness simply because it's can shave at angles I can't get at with an SR nor easily with a DE.

 

Impressive. Can't say that I've ever achieved that kind of nirvana. BBS is one thing but that's a whole 'nother level!

I would tend to agree with you. I wouldn't say it guarantees BBS but it kinda does. Certainly it does produce reliably good+ results. I've recently stopped doing the traditional 3 pass shave in favor of a hybrid X/ATG pass with touchup buffing (by feel). I've come to the conclusion that 3 passes + touchups is simply too much blade against skin for a daily shave so I just cut to the chase and do the most effective pass I can then touch up. Given more growth/stubble I may incorporate more traditional style passes. It's all kind of a catch-22 - I want to extent the shaving experience but don't want to introduce the irritation that inevitably comes with many passes. Though I suppose that's what post shave products are for. (I don't use them - maybe I should start.)

 

I would like to ask, respectfully, why do you need to shave every day if you are doing a triple pass BBS shave?

 

My uncle's beard grew so fast, he would shave in the morning before work and would shave again if he was going out that evening.

Hercule may be one of those with a fast growing beard.

I shave every day, 3 passes, because:
1) My beard does grow fast enough to warrant it
B) I can do it without resulting in irritation
Third) I enjoy all three passes

Every shave is darn near BBS. I don't chase the baby, but that third pass does result in a closeness I'm quite pleased with.

But that's me.

 

I don't do a triple pass anymore . (Unless I feel like it because I enjoy the Zen of shaving) I do a 1-ish, x/atg pass then touch up with buffing. I get approximate BBS, though I can find residual stubble feel in dense spots if I feel hard for it.

Shaving every day is only something I want to do (I'm probably on a 36 hour shaving cycle, though I do get shaveable stubble at 24), hence my recent quest to find a mild yet efficient razor to allow that. My hope was that the Razorock Game Changer .68p was the answer. I was thinking to eventually try the .84p plate but a snafu in ordering (right box with wrong razor inside) resulted in me getting the .84p first. Long story short, I' seem to have settled in with the .84, though I am interested in experimenting with shimming to get a bit more oomph out of the .68.

 

2 pass and touch ups almost daily with mild gillette techs and stuff.gillette platinum,gsb,spoiler,k-c-g blades.near bbs is good enough these days,except for date night...techique trumps tools..

 

I don't even try to get a BBS anymore. Mostly shave for work. Other than that, I may or may not shave on my days off. Depends on what i'm doing and how I feel.

 

"May not shave on my day off." !!!!

 

Well Jody it does help the quality of your shave if you use the correct end of the razor.

 

BBS isn't a myth. That trying to force a BBS shave will often cause razor burn is also not a myth. That is true regardless of the razor type used. Or put another way, don't let perfect be the enemy of good.

I first got a BBS shave every day with a Remington 300 electric. Much, much later, I was able to get the same utterly BBS shave every day with a Gillette Trac II cartridge razor. Finally, I was able to get BBS shaves with a safety razor and double-edge blades. That last one took a bit of experimenting and good luck to achieve, but maybe it was worth it. If someone is after a great shave, the tools aren't really relevant. If they are after a great and inexpensive shave, then that would be a safety razor, double-edge blades, a lot of practice, and some experimentation.