The Many Acronyms of Wetshaving
The wetshaving community is welcoming to newcomers. However, there are terms or acronyms that will seem unusual to newbies. This blog post is made to educate and elaborate on these acronyms.
DE: Double edge razor. Also known as the safety razor, a common shaving instrument in the community. Believed to have been invented in 1762
SE: Single edge razor. Another shaving tool, just with one edge to shave with instead of two.
SR: Straight Razor. Another popular shaving instrument that is hard to master but worth the effort. Can be passed down for generations with proper care and maintenance. Sometimes referred to as a cutthroat razor
TTO: Twist To Open. A safety razor that has a knob at the bottom to open up the edges of the razor to place in the razor blades. Sometimes called a butterfly razor
WTG: With The Grain. This is one the three passes you do with a razor and it goes in the direction of where your beard naturally goes
XTG: Across The Grain. This is done left to right or right to left of your natural beard growth.
ATG: Against The Grain. This shaving pass is when you shave opposite of the growth of your beard.
BBS: Baby Butt Smooth. The best shave quality you can achieve. This is the type of quality you should set out to achieve with time and practice
DFS: Damn/ Darn Fine Shave. A good quality shave thought there is room for improvement.
CCS: Close Comfortable Shave. A decent shave that leaves you satisfied with the result. This is especially true for newcomers.
FOMO: Fear Of Missing Out. The irrational (mostly) fear that some new shaving gear will be sold out or very limited, thus driving one to buy compulsively. Most obviously shown with the “Acquisition Disorders”
RAD: Razor Acquisition Disorder. The urge to purchase new razors, even when you have more than you can use. Can be quite expensive, razors have a huge price range.
SAD: Soap Acquisition Disorder. The most common of the “acquisition disorders” with the community. The compulsive need to buy the newest soap release, even if you have too many already, and you significant other has gotten pissed at the amount you already have. Nullifies the myth that wetshaving saves you money on its own.
BAD: Brush Acquisition Disorder. The desire to keep buying new shaving brushes, even if you don’t have the room or the money for such a purchase. Given that some artisan brushes are one of a kind, FOMO is a big factor here.
SOTD or SOTN: Shave of the Day/ Night. A common abbreviation that is present online that is meant to show what shaving gear one has used for that day’s shave
A/S: Aftershave. The product that is applied to your face after shaving that is meant to cleanse the skin, reduce irritation, and prevent infections.
EdT: Eau de Toilette. A spray on product that is meant to perform almost like a cologne, just not as long.
EO: Essential Oil. Oil that contains the essence of a particular flower or fruit, such as lavender or eucalyptus. The name is a misnomer since the human body does not require it to live. Essential here means the essence of.
FO: Fragrance Oil. Oil that imparts a certain scent into a product such as soap or candles. Fragrance oils can be mixed together or created from multiple other oils.
PIF: Pay It Forward. The practice of giving shaving gear away to a fellow wetshaver. A generous act done to help out a wetshaver discover products that they have never tried.
YMMV/ YKMD: Your Mileage May Vary/ Your Kilometers May Differ. This phrase is used to say that everyone has a unique beard, skin and self being, which in turn leads to different responses to soaps, razors, brushes, aftershaves, and blades. It is especially true for blades. For some starter blades are the go to whereas other blades don’t agree with you.