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This may sound like a stupid question, but what factors can affect how close a shave is? Obviously razor and angle can, along with the number of passes and direction of the pass. What about choice of blade is this more about reducing irritation? Can the type of soap used to make the shaving lather or quality of lather have an effect?
I'm only asking because this evening I just didn't seem able to get a very close shave. I usually use a Slim set on 4-5 and have been using Gillette Bleues pretty much solidly for the last month. This normally gives me good results if I do 2-3 passes (2 WTG, 1 XTG), not BBS but I'm not aiming for that, just a close comfortable shave. This evening I decided to use this combo using a new blade but chose to dial it up to 7 to see what this would be like. I also decided to give Cella a run out, I've not used it much but I managed to generate what for all intents and purposes seemed a good lather by face lathering with a Semogue 830.
I proceeded to do my first WTG pass and everything seemed fine, no tugging or skipping or anything. At the end of the pass I rinsed my face and noticed there was still quite a lot of stubble left. A second WTG pass didn't seem to improve things, so I dialled it down to 4 and did another WTG pass. Still lots of stubble left. Finally did an XTG pass and called it quits after this as I didn't really want to keep overshaving the same areas. Washed my face with cold water and applied some aftershave, I've not got any irritation really, a few bumps (I'm putting these down to trying a Futur yesterday) ,but no redness. I'm just much less clean shaven than usual.
Just wanted to gauge opinions on what may have gone wrong really. Duff blade? Duff lather? Forgetting the angle to hold the razor? Would dialling the razor up require a slightly different angle?
I'm only asking because this evening I just didn't seem able to get a very close shave. I usually use a Slim set on 4-5 and have been using Gillette Bleues pretty much solidly for the last month. This normally gives me good results if I do 2-3 passes (2 WTG, 1 XTG), not BBS but I'm not aiming for that, just a close comfortable shave. This evening I decided to use this combo using a new blade but chose to dial it up to 7 to see what this would be like. I also decided to give Cella a run out, I've not used it much but I managed to generate what for all intents and purposes seemed a good lather by face lathering with a Semogue 830.
I proceeded to do my first WTG pass and everything seemed fine, no tugging or skipping or anything. At the end of the pass I rinsed my face and noticed there was still quite a lot of stubble left. A second WTG pass didn't seem to improve things, so I dialled it down to 4 and did another WTG pass. Still lots of stubble left. Finally did an XTG pass and called it quits after this as I didn't really want to keep overshaving the same areas. Washed my face with cold water and applied some aftershave, I've not got any irritation really, a few bumps (I'm putting these down to trying a Futur yesterday) ,but no redness. I'm just much less clean shaven than usual.
Just wanted to gauge opinions on what may have gone wrong really. Duff blade? Duff lather? Forgetting the angle to hold the razor? Would dialling the razor up require a slightly different angle?