A couple of questions I haven't had answered yet.

Badger Believer said:

It's definitely more popular and more visible than just a few years ago, but isn't part of the appeal the fact that it's NOT mainstream? Maybe that's just me, but the fact that our method of shaving is a bit of an anachronism means we're rebelling, even if just a little, against the commercial cynicism of mainstream shaving. If DE shaving went mainstream, that little act of rebellion would be meaningless.

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For me Its Actually more of a graduation to the next level of personal grooming, Sure anybody can pick up a cartridge and get a decent shave, but this feels more like a next level thing to me a next step in being a man if that makes any sense to anyone else but me.
It is also a step back to a much simpler Time.
and perhaps a there is an element of "sticking it to the man" God knows i have spent far to much money of cartridge blades in the past and I'm not going to lie the money aspect has played a significant part in my decision to start Straight razor shaving. but ultimately there is a more "Manly" feeling to traditional shaving than in picking up a cartridge and just getting er done so to speak

1. Cart shaving is wet shaving as far as I am concerned, as is any shave over the sink, bucket, or old-time steel helmet; or in the shower, generally seen as the alternative to electric shaving. Somehow a narrower definition of wet shaving came to apply in some opinions. Wet shaving regained its definition from before cartridge systems, when electrics were more of a novelty, and "wet shaving" meant shaving with straight, SE, or DE.
2. I have tried using my old Trac II compatibles for multi-pass shaving. For whatever reason, they cut down so low and then cut no more. For 35 years of shaving I assumed that the little bit of leftover stubble, noticeable by hardly anyone but myself, was simply part of shaving. Not until multipass with DE did I regain a prepubescent-like smoothness in the shower after the shave.

BSAGuy said:

By definition, wet shaving is any shaving that is not dry, i.e. electric.

A shaver can take as many passes as he wishes with any razor, be it single edge or multi.

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I'm going along with these answers

Brandon1978 said:

For me Its Actually more of a graduation to the next level of personal grooming, Sure anybody can pick up a cartridge and get a decent shave, but this feels more like a next level thing to me a next step in being a man if that makes any sense to anyone else but me....but ultimately there is a more "Manly" feeling to traditional shaving than in picking up a cartridge and just getting er done so to speak

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Definitely makes sense to me. It's totally the next level. You have to know yourself, your face's contours, the grain of your beard, and YOU are the one who decides the blade angle, the one who pivots and swivels as your wrist has evolved to do over millions of years rather than counting on a razor handle to do that for you. Traditional shaving requires an awareness of your own biology as you use a potential weapon which gives it a much more primal feel. I DE shave, but let me tell you, the few times I've gotten a straight razor touch-up from a barber sure made me think about how mortal I am!

Wet shaving is a poor term for classification because IMO the term never exsisted before internet forums, heck it was all just shaving back then. Like other "internet culture items" such as bacon and bearded hipsters we need a classification to discuss (internet forums) useless (too much free time on our hands) culture.
Anyway classic or traditional or vintage would be much better/more appropriate terms to classify our "hobbiest culture". and then it could get specific like SE or DE or straight. Much like all alcohol can be classified as "booze" we generall refer to beer or "craft brew" (another internet invention) or cocktails, etc.
Cart shaving and multiple passes with a cart is kind of oxymoronic. With names such as "Mach 3" it suggests speed and anything more than one and done would be like a 1968 VW bus trying to drive uphill and maintain highway speed. First they came out with one blade, then two then three and then four or five whatever they have now. It is a marketing image of fast (git-r-dun)and efficiency (in order to not waste valuable modern day era time doing mundane things such as shaving, it frees your time up to text and post memes on Facebook.....much more valuable ways to spend ones time.

Marcall said:

Wet shaving is a poor term for classification because IMO the term never exsisted before internet forums, heck it was all just shaving back then. Like other "internet culture items" such as bacon and bearded hipsters we need a classification to discuss (internet forums) useless (too much free time on our hands) culture.

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As pointed out, the term has pretty much been around since the dawn of the electric razor.

Since this thread for me thinking about that, I recall being given a waterproof electric razor, once. It promised something like the " comfort and closeness of a wet shave" but with the "convenience of an electric razor."

TexLaw said:

As pointed out, the term has pretty much been around since the dawn of the electric razor.

Since this thread for me thinking about that, I recall being given a waterproof electric razor, once. It promised something like the " comfort and closeness of a wet shave" but with the "convenience of an electric razor."

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Where was it pointed out at all I see is peoples mention of their idea of what wet shaving means. I don't see any historical evidence of the term. Now granted until I joined B&B back in 2011 I had never heard the term. I heard the use of Double edge razor on a guitar forum which is what initially got me interested in the process to begin with but before the internet I could literally count the shaving conversations on one had and that goes back to about 1985. the only discussion "shaving" as we called it back then was "how many times a week do you shave". I also recall one of my buds using Bic disposables and complaining about rough shaves and I told him he should try a Gillette Atra because it was a lot more smooth. That's my story and I'm sticking to it

"Cart shaving is not wet shaving? If shaving involve water is not wet shaving? It's really matter number of blades?"

Well wetshaving is when there is water involved, technically you can dry shave with a multi blade cart but it doesn't count as wetshaving. You still can take a shower and use foam to shave with, in this case you did shower so water was involved thus it is wetshaving. I bet the average Joe doesn't even know the term "wetshaving" and will use anything thats available to shave with they aren't like us.


"Next because multi-pass gave better shave results, and couldn't do multi-pass with multi-blades."

I really think a double edge blade will outperform a multi bladed cart if you do one pass to compare. So it really isn't the multi passes which work but the type of razor. Most people get many irritations caused by carts so they can't do an another pass. With a DE blade the irritations are less.

What ever it's called shaving with goo and a cart are a necessary evil but I don't see any forums dedicated to it. Wet, DE or Vintage shaving has pzazz and adds a little gusto to my daily grind.

Interesting responses!

I'm usually very technical when it come to terms and definitions. In my mind wet shaving was a pretty self explanatory term.
Wet - not dry ie water is involved.
Shaving - the removal of whiskers/hair from ones body.
So therefore wet shaving was shaving involving water and razors.

I was more concerned as to if there was some reason one shouldn't do multi passes with a cartridge. Since irritation seems to be the main reason not too, I'm classifying that at a YMMV kinda thing.

Thanks for all the responses!

ackvil said:

To answer your question, wet shaving is when you make your own lather with soap or cream and water. I don't call shaving in a shower with an electric or using foam from a can "wet shaving" - but that's just me. You are right: you can wet shave and still use a cartridge. That's why I don't use the term wet shaving. I call what I do traditional shaving. To me traditional shaving is wet shaving and using a DE, SE, injector, or straight razor.

You can do multi-passes with a Mach 3. However, every time you make a pass with a four or five bladed razor it's as if you are doing four or five passes. No doubt irritation, ingrown hairs, etc. may well result.

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So I guess that my three pass shave with a Dorco 7 is really a 21 pass shave? No irritation for me. It is more comfortable for me than using a DE. YMMV

Cash_Stronomer said:

1:
If you don't drop a battery into, or plug in your razor, you're wet shaving.
2:
Multi pas either works or doesn't on it's own regardless of the razor. I personally just do a single pass everyday, but that said sometimes I want that perfectly smooth shave, so I just hold the razor the other way and do a second against the grain. Good enough for me.

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Good heavens! Do you mean that I can't use lather when using my Fusion Power or my Hydro Power? What about the Dorco 7 Power that I have on order?

Badger Believer said:

Definitely makes sense to me. It's totally the next level. You have to know yourself, your face's contours, the grain of your beard, and YOU are the one who decides the blade angle, the one who pivots and swivels as your wrist has evolved to do over millions of years rather than counting on a razor handle to do that for you. Traditional shaving requires an awareness of your own biology as you use a potential weapon which gives it a much more primal feel. I DE shave, but let me tell you, the few times I've gotten a straight razor touch-up from a barber sure made me think about how mortal I am!

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For me it is a step backward. At 71 years old I have spent more time with DE than with cartridges. After joining here and reading about those that feel DE is better, I tried to go back, using a DE for a whole month. Every day I had bleeders and weepers and often had razor burn. I definitely get a better shave with cartridges. YMMV

Big Jim said:

Good heavens! Do you mean that I can't use lather when using my Fusion Power or my Hydro Power? What about the Dorco 7 Power that I have on order?

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Oh right, the weird power options!