Wetshaving Terms Decoded

WTG? ATG? Not expletives - just shaving lingo. Abbreviations don't just exist inside the corporate world. We're here to simplify the shaving jargon, so next time you hear about someone's BBS shave, you'll know that's actually a very good thing.

Against The Grain - ATG

Shaving against the grain means you are shaving against the direction of your beard's natural hair growth. Shaving against the grain pulls the hair up and away from the skin, which does run an increased risk for razor burn being left behind. It is recommended you only shave against the grain in areas of your beard where you typically need that extra close shave. Experiment with caution at first.

Barbicide

A disinfectant solution used by barbers, cosmetologists and medical professionals to sanitize grooming and surgical tools. This is your local barber's best friend and your's too if you are interested in completely sanitizing your Single Edge.

BBS

An abbreviation for baby butt smooth and a term giving your shave the highest of praise. Think of it as the same feeling you get when finishing a perfectly cooked filet. It's epic.

Beard Grain

This is the direction of the hair growth in your beard. Your beard grain serves as the perfect guide during you shave. The result: close, comfortable shaves. Need help discovering yours? Check out our blog How to Map Your Beard Grain to get started.

Double Edge Razor - DE

A safety razor that has a blade with cutting edges on both sides of the razor. Changing a blade usually consists of unscrewing the handle and carefully placing a double-edged blade on the base plate. You must be careful. The blades can bite.

Injector Blades

These blades are not proprietary to our design and have been in production for over 100 years. The razor blades will come loaded in a dispenser that is compatible with any injector razor, including the Single Edge. The whole idea of injector blades was inspired by a WWI army repeating rifle and revolves around a touch-free blade loading process. Not to mention, it's a much more satisfying way to replace your blade in mere seconds.

Lather

A foamy, protective thick layer created by whipping up shaving soap with water. A rich lather is essential to protecting your skin as you shave with extremely sharp and efficient razor blades. A shaving brush is usually required to create a lather using either a shaving bowl or directly to your beard. To see how to whip up a thick lather, check out this video.

Multi-Pass Shaving

The most popular method for your strategy when it comes to wetshaving. You make sure to apply shaving cream between each pass to protect your skin throughout the duration of your shave. You can read up about Multi-Pass Shaving in this previous post on our site.

Post Shave

The term post shave refers to any creams, gels or sprays used after your shave. Their purpose is to moisturize, cool, and heal your skin and are most efficient in alcohol-free formulas with all natural ingredients. In the market for a new one? Check out our Healing Post Shave. It doesn't disappoint.

Safety Razor

A razor with a protective device positioned between the edge of the blade and the skin. Different from catridge razors, safety razors are designed out of sustainable materials meant to be reused instead of replaced. In a safety razor, the blade is the only part needing to be replaced over time. A safety razor typically has either a single edge (SE) or double edge (DE) used to shave.

Shaving Bowl

Shaving Bowls are used to help create lather and store it through the duration of your shave. It allows for quick, reapplication during two-pass shaves, and some bowls even keep it warm. 

Shaving Brush

A shaving brush is required for creating a lather from shaving soap. Brushes are commonly made out of either badger hair or synthetic fibers. They are used to whip up a thick, protective lather for your shave. Some benefits of using a brush includes prepping your face by exfoliation and helping hydrate your skin along the way. 

Shaving Soap

Most people are very familiar with shaving cream and have never heard of shave soaps. The main difference between a shave soap and a cream is the thickness. A shave soap can come in two forms: a puck or pour (like ours). The thickness of a shaving soap requires a brush and water to create your thick, creamy lather and tend to last much longer than creams. Our Ultra Lather Shaving Cream is a soft soap hand crafted in small batched from the most natural and beneficial ingredients we could find on the planet. And the difference shows.

Single Edge Razor - SE

A single edge razor has a one sided cutting edge and an ergonomic design. Many users feel a single edge safety razor has an intuitive design that makes learning to shave with a safety razor easy and natural. Our Single Edge is precision crafted from aerospace-grade stainless steel, meant to least you a lifetime. The unique look and weight of our injector razor not only provides a beautiful aesthetic, but also many functional benefits. 

Wetshaving

Wetshaving, by definition, literally means that you are shaving your face while it is wet with plenty of hot water. It also encompasses a larger community of users who use shaving brushes and different soaps and creams to keep their face properly protected for safety razor shaving. This method produces an extremely close shave with the benefits of less irritation. The tools needed are simple: a safety razor, shaving soap or cream, a shaving brush and of course, water. Known as the most traditional shaving method out there, wetshaving is takes shaving to an art form and is very popular among many shaving hobbyists.

With The Grain - WTG

Shaving with the grain means moving your razor in the same direction as the natural growth of your beard. The advantage to shaving with the grain is the minimal chance for razor burn or skin irritation throughout your shave. It may not provide those extremely close and refreshing shaves you envision, so this is where experimenting with shaving against the grain comes into play. Every man is unique and so is his beard. Once you find the routine that works best for you, there's nothing stopping you from epic shaves every single day.