I love this guy's minimalist approach to shaving!

[noahpictures]

The guy has peach fuzz for a beard. It's not that easy for guys with thick wiry beards.

+1

I know it'll never be that easy for me. He doesn't have a coarse beard.

[hoskins1100]

shoebox shaveshop they carry arko shave sticks arko shave cream arko aftershave cream and balm,

[Augustiner]

The guy has peach fuzz for a beard. It's not that easy for guys with thick wiry beards.

Exactly.

1) He saves a bunch of time by not having to shave his upper lip and chin
2) I'm sick of watching online shaving videos because most guys in them have a peach fuzz beard that you can't even see. All they have to do is like 2 swipes and their whole beard is gone. They make it look deceptively easy. Anyone with a thick course beard, myself included, has a tougher time then that.

With that said, he does step up to the plate and knock it out like it's nothing. I like that.

[SpikeDurden]

lol @ people complaining he doesn't have a thick course facial hair as if that's a prerequisite for teaching people how to shave. Sounds like jealousy that shaving comes easier for some people and doesn't take 30 minutes. I just started shaving with a straight razor, I've done it only a handful of times and I'm already getting nearly bbs because my facial hair is not dense and thick but it's definitely there. Some of you are definitely being nitpickers but I'm sure you know that about yourselves. It's NOT the rocket science some of you treat it like. Sure, I did a bunch of research and this board and many youtube videos were very helpful, but in the end, you'll find your own way and technique and this works for him. He's obviously comfortable with his DE, proficient with it and gets a close shave with it. Who cares about his technique when his results are equal to yours? It's like saying someone swings the baseball bat wrong even though they hit a home run every at bat.

Plus, he's obviously a member here as he just posted a reply so I think a couple of you are being ungentlemanly about the way you're speaking about him. You probably didn't know he was a member but still...

[JCinPA]

its a dog hair...i have a black cocker spaniel

Hey folks, the man himself is here!

I love your videos, Steve. I get so tired of folks playing Bill Nye the Science Guy with the shaving chore. Your videos are delightful!

Welcome!

John

[orchestrion]

I've never understood the point of bashing people because of something they can't control (in this case, thickness of facial hair). It's a great video. Give him some credit.

[JCinPA]

Steve, don't mind the knuckleheads around here, there are not many of them! By the way, it's obvious you shave every day, but I hear the razor singing in your vids. I shave every day, too. I have a pretty tough beard, but you wouldn't know it to look at me because I never let it grow.

Anyway, I do enjoy your vids, glad you are here.

[Arturius]

The man comes from Liverpool! The home of the Beatles!! Welcome Steve

[Kevan]

Steve's a great guy. He posts a lot of videos, gives a sort of local color commentary, uses a cool minimalist approach, and actually appreciates comments and advice (I was the one who told him about the Lord 1822L, which he actually bought and uses now). When I come into this thread and see folks bash him for something out of his control (or other nitpicky things when he's obviously doing something that works for him), it kind of makes me understand why other shaving forums bash B&B.

[FL shaver]

Enjoyed your videos, thanks to JCinPA! Nice to see a 5 minute shaver for a change.

[demaro]

Great to see Steve here !! He is a great guy who truly enjoys shaving and helping anyone with a question. Simple no frills set up , a razor , brush , and a bowl of Arko . I really enjoy watching his videos. Great commentary as well !!

[baba]

Hey, I take every shaving video for what its worth and not as gospel. Kudos to anyone that goes through the trouble of shaving on camera as a potential way to help others.

[ShavingApprentice]

Steve's a great guy and I've been enjoying his videos for a while now. He's a perfect example of learning the basics before finding your own shaving groove. Some folk can do one pass against the grain and get a BBS, others can get perfect shaves using a Mach3 and a can of gel. Go with what works for you I say, even if it does go against convential wisdom.

[Drubbing]

His attitude and approach is good, but instruction-wise it's not ideal. Anyone who cares about getting a good result knows lather is very important - he barely gives it a chance to get anywhere near good - but that's clearly not a problem for him. So it that sense I don't think his vids are liable to help newbs that much, as a good lather can help protect against poor technique in the early days.

Once you know what you're doing you can break any 'rules' you like, if it works for you. That's doesn't mean it's a good way to teach people something.

As for 30+ minute shaves and minimalism, I can't fathom how anyone, even a newb, would take so long. The time consuming bit is prep and lathering, the actual shave doesn't take that much longer than a cart. Throw out most of the prep (as I do, I found the warm towel/lather palaver an overrated waste of time) and make a decent lather in a couple of minutes, and you've got a 10 minute shave.

[DE_Dude]

He doesn't re-lather for touch ups at the end. Does anybody else do that?

I've done it a little bit for an individual hair that sticks out, but not big passes like he does. I haven't done that since the pre-B&B days. I'm tempted to try it with a DE now.

Edit: Hey, there are 2 more pages in this thread! I didn't see that until after I posted. Thanks for the video, Steve.

[FL shaver]

After pass 2 I reach back into the scuttle for some lather for touchups.

[lancj1]

I have it down to seven minutes, with one razor, one brush and one stick. Still got loads of blades but know what "the one" is.

I have a routine that's sees me do three lathers but multiple, short, fairly quick passes and I do pass over areas more than once when the lather has gone. I use my cart technique really. It works a treat, though I have no aspirations to become a YouTube star.

[Senetsomed]

I am old enough not follow any advice (even in youtube form) as gospel, but I am sure grateful for all the advice given (even in youtube form), thank you for your videos hombre.

[oc_in_fw]

a boat load of blades

Okay, I think I just realized something. Down here in Texas, a lot of people say "butt load". I always wondered where that came from. It is a mis-pronunciation of "boat load", and over time it just stuck.

[stevefaragher]

Hello all I've been a member of B&B for a while but had'nt contributed and only realised the vids had been sparking debate after tracing back from one of the youtube vids. Its interesting to see and listen to the debate, and I want to say a few things about why and what its all about as I feel some people havent got it, and some people have.

Firstly its not meant to be too technical, I dont know the jargon, or practice certain stroke techniques, etc. like mantic (who is great) Second its more about doing it everyday and how if it is every day then even questionable lathering techniques like mine start to have an effect on skin, irritations and other stuff, I started the daily routine in 2007 and have managed to keep it up this far and feel unkempt if I miss only one day's shave, the skin is vastly improved and although it looks and feels better I think the daily shave has toughened the skin (I always contradict myself), I rub the moisturiser into the eyes to help the saggy bags too, and that seems to be working too.

Thirdly sometimes I shave and video the shave even when I havent really got the time, (sub 4 mins) still making sure its a close one and nick free, because that's the real world, you can fanny round all you want on a Saturday or Sunday shave, getting the lather just right, prep, hot towels etc etc but most days, I'm n a rush but that can never be n excuse not to shave. No one was more shocked than me when people started asking me questions and sharing problems, and even greater was the shock when people started copying and telling me how well it was working for them, I am a bit tight with money so as well as being anti cartridge I am a bit anti expensive real shaving soaps etc, when there's always good old, cheap, cheap effective Arko, a million Turkish barbers cant be wrong. Lastly the order of dressing at the end is based directly on the best Turkish shaves I've had in that country, they always do the cologne, the cheaper the better (I'm currently using bog standard Turkish lemon) or Arko again, I also ahve this stuff form there that is 70 proof and smells like rot gut vodka then the cream again Arko is thick and takes great effort to work into the skin (face massage is a side effect of this) finally after shave jsut for smell. All three of these are hand rubbed. I sort of see the effect and then try to analyse and work out why it works.

PS I do liek collecting stuff to so this testing all sorts of razors and blades is of interest and again some viewers have bought stuff on the strngth of me trying stuff out, Im honest about what I feel about somethin and dont mind suffering for your pleasure ha ha. I also realised I couldnt keep on talking about shaving would soon dry up and realised I needed to talk about life as a 55 yr old bloke in Liverpool and try and say what is in my head at that moment including the weather (I am british afterall) the place I live, I am a proud scouser and kensington resident, my Jobs, the community radio station I run, my relationship bust up, (although I havent cried on camera yet, just wait and see) and finally when the hell am I going to get the hole in the ceiling fixed.
Good luck to everyone, carry on watching carry on shaving. Peace Love and Much Merkur Steve Faragher
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