Logic behind multiple pass shave

I wonder what the logic behind doing multiple passes is, because I just don't get it: Why should an against the grain pass “work” better when the bristles are shorter? Shouldn’t the length of the bristles be irrelevant as long as they are shorter than the blade gap, which would be the case with one or two days’ growth?

To me this is a bit like people who find that a five blade razor works better than a three blade razor. The reason for two blades was sold with the “hysteresis” effect, but at some point with more and more blades, cartridge manufacturers mostly gave up on explaining the logic behind it. Still, some people report better shaves the more blades a razor has.

I certainly do not question anyone’s experience, as that is obviously subjective and thus absolutely valid for that person.

But I wonder whether there is a logical explanation or theory for doing multiple passes in different directions of hair growth?

Edit: Just saw one of many threads about this already (http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showth...of-Multiple-Pass-Shaving?highlight=multi+pass) and I should have posted in there instead of opening a new thread. This does maybe have s slightly different subject, as this is less about individual experiences and more about the theory behind it, but if an admin sees this maybe this thread could be attached to that other thread. Sorry about this.

Does the logic really matter? Do what works for you. I do just one pass. I find little, if any benefit from additional passes but that's based on first hand experience, not logic.

Many people use multiple passes because they work for them. Remember that your are aiming for beard reduction, not removal, with each pass. If you are trying to get all of the hair in one pass, you are probably going to use pressure, which will lead to cutting or at least irritating the skin. Not everyone even goes ATG. Some do multiple passes in the same direction, because it is all their skin can take without getting irritated.

However, if you can go ATG only, and that gets you the shave that you want, then that is really all that matters.

Because there is still lather in the brush .

I'd say just do what best suits you and your beard. I do mostly a WTG pass first to get rid of the hair then a ATG to clean up what's left behind. If I'm still not satisfied I'll do another WTG pass. I find that XTG passes for me are ineffective as my beard hairs tend to grow in different directions on some places.

Multiple passes=closer shave. What's more logical than that? No matter how good the first pass was, there's always something left to be taken off in the next pass.

Besides, I'm not doing this to be logical or to save time. I'm doing it because I love doing it. Only on the rare occasion when I can't get enough lather off the brush would I limit a shave to one pass. Usually I do three these days.

H4nk said:

Because there is still lather in the brush .

Click to expand...

That was my thought!

Why waste all that lather I worked so hard for !

WildWest74 said:

Many people use multiple passes because they work for them. Remember that your are aiming for beard reduction, not removal, with each pass. If you are trying to get all of the hair in one pass, you are probably going to use pressure, which will lead to cutting or at least irritating the skin. Not everyone even goes ATG. Some do multiple passes in the same direction, because it is all their skin can take without getting irritated.

However, if you can go ATG only, and that gets you the shave that you want, then that is really all that matters.

Click to expand...

+1. If you can achieve your desired results in 1 pass, then by all means do it! The vast majority of us would get a lot of irritation if we just did 1 ATG pass.

H4nk said:

Because there is still lather in the brush .

Click to expand...

It is heartbreaking to wash all that good lather down the drain after a one pass shave.

More passes = more beard that is reduced. At least for me.

I don't think my father or my brothers ever used more than one pass. I never used anything more than one pass until I met you guys at Badger & Blade. I really like the close, smooth shave feel better than the passable grooming I used to aim for. I also enjoy taking more time for my shave these days. I've yet to have any skin irritation except when using dull blades.

It's like painting a wall. The first coat always leaves some missed spots.

I bet many of you guys are younger men, maybe less than 50. Whiskers get tougher as we age (and our skin gets thinner). Trust me, I'm 78 and have wet shaved every day since the day of my first shave, my 15th birthday.

A one pass shave on my course whiskers just wouldn't cut it (pun intended), not even with an aggressive razor loaded with a fresh Feather blade.

I also have the notion that our whiskers lie in all kinds of directions. If a whisker is shaved against its grain the cut will be microscopically lower than if the whisker were shaved with its grain. I typically do a 3 or a 3 and 1/2 pass shave. If I don't, the shave will not be as close.

And that's the bottom line.

Just do your first pass ATG and appreciate the logic.

santamariasteve said:

I bet many of you guys are younger men, maybe less than 50. Whiskers get tougher as we age (and our skin gets thinner). Trust me, I'm 78 and have wet shaved every day since the day of my first shave, my 15th birthday.

A one pass shave on my course whiskers just wouldn't cut it (pun intended), not even with an aggressive razor loaded with a fresh Feather blade.

I also have the notion that our whiskers lie in all kinds of directions. If a whisker is shaved against its grain the cut will be microscopically lower than if the whisker were shaved with its grain. I typically do a 3 or a 3 and 1/2 pass shave. If I don't, the shave will not be as close.

And that's the bottom line.

Click to expand...

Thats a fact !

I just do a single with the grain daily, and every so often a bit of touch up, but only if really needed. I end up presentable, but most importantly comfortable. If there's something important like a date or a meeting, I'll do a quick against the grain afterward, but for the most part, it's really not needed. I appreciate my face feel more than my face appearance.

Frugalshave said:

It's like painting a wall. The first coat always leaves some missed spots.

Click to expand...

Exactly! I go every which way til I'm happy with BBS!

I like the painting the wall analogy. And the whiskers growing different directions one as well. The truth is, one pass never gives me a good shave. 2 passes in different directions are pretty good. But 3, in different directions, is the magic number. With the right razor, blade, and soap at least...

That's a great way to think about it.

This is a question that can be immediately answered for any individual. Simply do one pass WTG on one side, and two passes on the other, one WTG & one ATG, and you have your answer.