I give this post an 8 out of 10.
Help establish shave rating criteria?
- Thread starter AshleyC
- Start date
Who said 0 is the bottom?
Negative numbers also go to infinity.
Negative numbers also go to infinity.
I think everything is subjective.
Well as long as it’s subjective, this is how I rate my shaves.
| Rating | Consistency | Quality | Comfort | Effectiveness |
| 10 | Carbon Copy | Clean | GlideFest | BBS+ / Marble |
| 9 | Significantly consistent | Red spots | Buttery smooth | BBS |
| 8 | Highly consistent | Multiple weepers | Smooth | BBS- |
| 7 | Very consistent | Nick | Comfortable | DFS |
| 6 | Consistent | Cut | Tuggy | DFS- |
| 5 | Somewhat consistent | Multiple cuts | Harsh | CCS |
| 4 | Fairly consistent | Divot | Pulling | CCS- |
| 3 | Getting consistent | Multiple divots | Uncomfortable | SAS |
| 2 | Not consistent | Sweeney | Stop shaving! | SAS- |
| 1 | Freewheeling | Sweeneys | Stop shaving! | No shave |
I love this discussion more than I probably should.
I realized reading through this that I don't really rate my shaves at all, and I tend not to even rate products. I have rank orderings in my head with products sometimes but I don't think of them in terms of ratings.
The one important exception to that are blades, probably because the numbers of them I've tried invites a lot of comparisons. There's some thinking in terms of smoothness, sharpness, and consistency, and number of shaves I tend to get per blade, and then some overall evaluation.
With blades though too, instead of ratings, there's more big rank-ordered clusterings of them and then subtle preferences within those clusterings that probably changes more from time to time. The clusterings tend to reflect something like "blades that consistently give smooth close-enough, sharp-enough shaves that are enjoyable" (this one might have two subclusterings), "blades that are like the best ones but noticeably inconsistent in some way, but never really too bad", "blades that irritate my skin or are too inconsistent or both, but that I would use if I had no other options", and "blades I never want to use again because they are too irritating and injurious".
I realized reading through this that I don't really rate my shaves at all, and I tend not to even rate products. I have rank orderings in my head with products sometimes but I don't think of them in terms of ratings.
The one important exception to that are blades, probably because the numbers of them I've tried invites a lot of comparisons. There's some thinking in terms of smoothness, sharpness, and consistency, and number of shaves I tend to get per blade, and then some overall evaluation.
With blades though too, instead of ratings, there's more big rank-ordered clusterings of them and then subtle preferences within those clusterings that probably changes more from time to time. The clusterings tend to reflect something like "blades that consistently give smooth close-enough, sharp-enough shaves that are enjoyable" (this one might have two subclusterings), "blades that are like the best ones but noticeably inconsistent in some way, but never really too bad", "blades that irritate my skin or are too inconsistent or both, but that I would use if I had no other options", and "blades I never want to use again because they are too irritating and injurious".
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- Thread starter
- #26
I think if you go below "1", it means you died in the attempt. And some member of your family is posthumously posting your rating of the shave.
- Thread starter
- #27
A kindred spirit.
I was in the Army too long for that. If it is a human activity, then somewhere there is a manual for it. Either an FM or a TM, and standards for "go" or "no go".
While I admire the effort, the YMMV factor makes this even more complicated.
Your 10 shave does not apply to anyone else. Once it becomes for your use only, standardization across users loses its meaning.
Your 10 shave does not apply to anyone else. Once it becomes for your use only, standardization across users loses its meaning.
I love spreadsheets. Been using Office 97 for work and home since the 90s. I started recording & rating shaves about 1-2 years after I started wet shaving in 2009, but it was more for inventory control. I was in the grips of too many acquisitions of various products and it was a way of seeing what I had while rating products and combinations of products. I would have driven myself insane on a 1-10 system. I started with a 0-5 with .5 intervals. That morphed into a 1-4. I still record my shaves, but it's still more for inventory control, as I have a box of stuff in the basement, that I occasionally swap out. For a number of years I haven't bothered rating shaves unless its to note a bad shave due to overuse of a blade (solved by tossing all blades after every shave), or that I wasn't happy with the brush/soap combo. It also serves as a reminder to rotate soaps & brushes, because I'm getting too old to remember on my own.
My rating are much more structured…
Great shave
Good shave
OK shave
Crap shave
Terrible shave
Call 911
Great shave
Good shave
OK shave
Crap shave
Terrible shave
Call 911
No such thing. As a few members already said it is subjective.
But there is also the problem that one user "measures" skin feeling, the other one closeness etc. Just like with blades. A member here said he espects 7 shaves out of a blade and if it doesn't provide 7 it is substandard.
But there is also the problem that one user "measures" skin feeling, the other one closeness etc. Just like with blades. A member here said he espects 7 shaves out of a blade and if it doesn't provide 7 it is substandard.
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It is subjecive. But there are things to measure objectively! You can count weepers,cuts. Cottonball test is objective- it catches stubble or does not.
Yes, blade with less than 8 shaves is substandard. 16 normal. And more is a good blade.
You probably get a big number of shaves out of a blade, because you only shave half of your beard.
How did you know?You probably get a big number of shaves out of a blade, because you only shave half of your beard.
Nick and avatar?
I’ve mentioned this before but I’ll repeat myself. Our first grandchild is now 5 months old. I’m 70. There is no way I’ll ever get my face as smooth as her legs, arms or bottom. For that reason, I avoid the BBS shave claims for myself. I just can’t get that smooth without a Time Machine and knowing how to shave whiskers I don’t yet have.
What I do use that has been beneficial for me is: how many hours before I can feel the whiskers on my chin poking through. I do pay attention to nicks, scrapes and/or cuts. Or if the regular alum sting has been superseded. But truth be told, my goal for every shave is relaxing, smooth, comfortable yet close. If I attain that, I’m pleased.
What I do use that has been beneficial for me is: how many hours before I can feel the whiskers on my chin poking through. I do pay attention to nicks, scrapes and/or cuts. Or if the regular alum sting has been superseded. But truth be told, my goal for every shave is relaxing, smooth, comfortable yet close. If I attain that, I’m pleased.
For me, shaving is an event, more than a simple matter of personal hygiene. It's very often the highlight of my day, so I've never given it a low rating. It has to do with many things involved, even the music I listen to while shaving. If the experience made me very happy, it gets a 10. If it could have made me happier, it gets a 9. If it made me just a little happy, it gets an 8. I've never given it a rating below 8.
Let me guess. And you are having a cup of coffee and a cigar during the shave?For me, shaving is an event, more than a simple matter of personal hygiene. It's very often the highlight of my day, so I've never given it a low rating. It has to do with many things involved, even the music I listen to while shaving. If the experience made me very happy, it gets a 10. If it could have made me happier, it gets a 9. If it made me just a little happy, it gets an 8. I've never given it a rating below 8.
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Haha ha!Let me guess. And you are having a cup of coffee and a cigar during the shave?
Unfortunately, in recent years I have had to give up cigars and alcohol. And to tell the truth, I miss them both… It was exactly when I decided to shave again, somehow I recovered the happiness trigger.
Cheers!
