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> **Original source:** https://shavedad.com/beginners-path/glossary/

Beginner's Path · #11

The vocabulary you'll see in every Facebook group, every YouTube review, and every Shave Dad release post.

![Hero illustration: an open glossary card listing wet-shaving abbreviations like DE, OC, WTG, XTG, ATG, on the Shave Dad branded card.](https://shavedad.com/_astro/11-glossary.DzIz8AJQ_Cv1SE.webp)

## A–E

**ATG**, Against the grain. The third pass in a three-pass shave. Closest finish, highest irritation risk.

**Alum block**, Hardened mineral salt (potassium alum) used post-shave. Antiseptic and mildly astringent. Stings on micro-cuts.

**BBS**, Baby Butt Smooth. A shave so close that the skin reads completely smooth in every direction. Opposite of DFS.

**Bowl-lather**, Building a lather in a small bowl with the brush before applying it to the face. Alternative to face-lathering.

**Brush knot**, The bundle of fibers (badger, boar, or synthetic) glued into the brush handle. The “business end” of a brush.

**Cap**, The top of a DE razor head. The cap leads in the proper shaving angle.

**Cartridge / cart**, A multi-blade razor head (Mach 3, Fusion, etc.). What wet shaving moved away from.

**DE**, Double-edge. The classic safety razor, uses a single blade with two edges.

**DFS**, Damn Fine Shave. A close shave that’s smooth WTG and XTG but not quite ATG-smooth. A reasonable target for daily shaves; less irritating than chasing BBS.

**EDP / EDT**, Eau de Parfum / Eau de Toilette. Fragrances that often accompany an artisan release as a matching scent.

## F–M

**Face-lather**, Building lather directly on the face by working a loaded brush in circles. Faster than bowl-lathering.

**Feather**, Japanese blade brand. Famously sharp, dulls fast (3-5 shaves). Great for veteran shavers, punishing for beginners.

**GFT**, Geo. F. Trumper. British perfumer/barber that makes high-end soaps and creams.

**Grain**, The direction your beard hair grows. Different on different parts of the face.

**Knurled**, Textured grip pattern on a razor handle. Provides traction when wet.

**Lather**, The whipped mix of soap, water, and air you apply to the face.

**Loading**, Pressing the brush into the soap puck and swirling to transfer soap into the bristles.

**Med / Mild / Aggressive**, Razor blade-gap categories. Mild = less blade exposed, forgiving. Aggressive = more exposed, faster cut, less forgiving.

## N–S

**Nick**, A visible cut from the razor.

**Pass**, A complete coverage of the face with the razor. Three-pass = WTG + XTG + ATG.

**PSO**, Post-Shave Observation, or in some groups Post Shave Order. Used to share what you used today: “PSO: Stirling Glacial Mint, [Merkur 34C](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002A8JO1Q?tag=shavedad-20&linkCode=ll1), Astra blue.”

**Puck**, A round disc of hard shave soap.

**Scuttle**, A heated lather bowl, often double-walled for hot water. Mostly an aesthetic accessory; not necessary.

**SE**, Single-edge. A razor that uses a single one-sided blade (as opposed to a DE’s two-sided blade). Includes injector razors and modern AC razors.

**Shavette**, A folding razor that takes replaceable straight-razor blades. Steeper learning curve than DE.

**SOTD**, Shave Of The Day. The daily ritual photo posted to Instagram, FB groups, or forums showing today’s gear.

**Splash**, Alcohol-based aftershave. Stings briefly, closes pores, leaves a dry finish. Best in summer.

**Strop**, Leather (or canvas) strip used to align the edge of a straight razor between honings. Doesn’t sharpen; aligns.

## T–Z

**Tallow**, Rendered beef fat used as the lubricating fat in many traditional shave soaps.

**Three-piece (3pc)**, A DE razor that breaks down into three pieces: cap, base plate, handle. Easier to clean than a two-piece TTO razor.

**Touch-up**, A short final pass after the main three to clean up missed spots. Always re-lather first.

**TTO**, Twist-To-Open. A DE razor with a butterfly door on the head, classic [Gillette Super Speed](https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?mkevt=1&mkcid=1&mkrid=711-53200-19255-0&campid=5339073065&toolid=10001&customid=glossary&_nkw=vintage+Gillette+Super+Speed+razor) mechanism. Convenient blade swap; harder to clean than a three-piece.

**Weeper**, A pinprick of blood from a hair follicle opened by the blade. Smaller than a nick.

**WTG**, With the grain. The first pass, shave in the direction your hair grows.

**XTG**, Across the grain. The second pass, perpendicular to hair growth.

## Acronyms you’ll see in artisan brand names

-   **B&M**, Barrister & Mann
-   **HC&C**, Hendrix Classics & Co
-   **MSC**, Master Soap Creations
-   **PAA**, Phoenix Artisan Accoutrements
-   **SGS**, Strike Gold Shave
-   **TWSS**, The Wet Shaving Store

That’s the vocabulary. You’ll pick up another twenty terms by hanging out in [the Shave Dad group](https://www.facebook.com/groups/shavedad/) for a week.

**Ready to put it all together?** Most of the gear you’ve learned about in this path is at [The Wet Shaving Store](https://wetshavingstore.com/?utm_source=shavedad&utm_medium=guide&utm_campaign=beginners-path), Shave Dad’s official outfitter.