The trouble with a 9.9 shave is that you start to want it all the time! You begin to believe that you can actually get it all the time! But I realized today that this is really impossible. The truth is that in addition to your own skill and the quality of the shaving accoutrement, there are many other intrinsic and extrinsic factors that affect shave quality. Did you sleep well last night? What did you eat the day before? What’s the temperature and humidity like in your house today? Did you get too much sun while gardening? Or, did you have a bad shave the day before? The skin often reflects the state of your physical condition on any given day – and if you aren’t feeling well, have a cold, slept poorly, are sunburnt, etc. – it will affect the way your skin responds to the various soaps, creams, blade, etc. that you use in shaving.

This is actually a pretty liberating realization. Truth is: I can get a great shave every day, so long as I accept that “great” means anywhere between 9.0 – 9.9. Pressure’s off….everything is right with the world again.