Master wet‑shaving lingo with our comprehensive glossary of terms and acronyms—so you can navigate forums, videos, and articles like a pro.

Wet Shaving Terminology & Acronyms: A Complete Glossary

If you’re new to traditional wet shaving, the community’s shorthand can be confusing. From “AC” to “YMMV,” here’s everything you need to know, plus quick links to our collections so you can explore the gear behind the jargon.

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AC

Stands for Artist Club blade: a narrow, long DE‑style blade made by Feather or Kai. Also used in specialized razors (including RazoRock’s SE form factor model). View our Single‑Edge Blades collection.

ATG / Against the Grain

Shaving opposite or perpendicular to your hair’s growth direction for an extra‑close pass.

Across the Grain

Shaving across the direction of hair growth.

Artisan

A small‑batch producer of soaps, brushes, or razors—e.g. Ariana & Evans. Browse Ariana & Evans products.

Badger

Natural brush fiber graded by area harvested (silvertip, best, etc.). Excellent backbone and water retention. Shop Badger Shave Brushes.

Balm

A creamy, soothing aftershave treatment that replenishes moisture post‑shave.

BBS (Baby Butt Smooth)

A shave so close that running your fingers against the grain feels like silk—minimal to no stubble.

Cream

Either brushless or brush‑based formula applied before shaving for slickness and cushion.

DE (Double‑Edge)

A blade or razor with two sharpened edges—standard in traditional wet shaving.

DFS (Damn Fine Shave)

Extremely close, yet short of full BBS.

Lather

Frothy mixture of soap or cream and water whipped up by a brush.

SE (Single‑Edge)

A blade or razor with one cutting edge (e.g. GEM, injector style).

SOTD / SOTN

“Shave of the Day” or “Shave of the Night”—commonly shared in online communities.

YMMV

“Your Mileage May Vary”—results can differ per individual skin and technique.