RocketMan
Gem Star
RazorAddict
Welcome To The Sharp Side!
Posts: 4,167
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Post by RocketMan on Feb 24, 2012 10:10:00 GMT -6
Howdy!! Water for shaving - the questions I seem to struggle with still from time to time. Would love to hear some personal experience and advice! Hot razor bath to 'straighten' the blade or just grab the razor off the shelf or.....? Hot presoak for puck or brush or...? Hot soak for face? With a cloth or just splash or....? Hot or cold for shave passes??? Post rinse - temp preference?? I tend to always 'soak' my razor in a hot bath as I have read a few times that it will help realign the blade edge somewhat. Then I almost always presoak my puck, but use cool water on the brush. I tend moreso to use cool (not cold) water for rinsing bw passes as it seems to result in less reddening of my girly sensitive skin!! Summer, hot drives me crazy, but seems to work better for the shave. As usual - Dazed and Confused!!! Thoughts?
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Post by HoosierTrooper on Feb 24, 2012 11:57:03 GMT -6
I read about cold water shaving a year and a half ago over at B&B and decided to give it a try. I have never looked back, I love using cold water for every step of the process. If I shave before showering I just splash a few handfuls of water on my face and then apply the lather, aslo made with cold water, and let it set for 2-3 minutes before shaving. Same thing if I shave after a shower, and most people would consider the water temp I use for showers as cold, I have never liked hot showers.
I believe a lot of the issues with irritaion that guys report might be caused by too much/ too hot water which inflames and irritates the skin. I read some of the pre-shave procedures involving long hot showers, followed by hot towels and I can't believe that's good for the skin.
I've read that some guys believe hot water is somehow easier absorbed by hair and that it makes the whiskers softer, that doesn't make sense to me. If you dip a brush in cold water for a few seconds it will absorb just as much water as it does if the water is hot.
I know it's not for everyone, and that using hot, steamy towels is part of the traditional process, but for the best results I prefer just getting a little water into the whiskers and letting the lather do most of the work, and not spending a lot of time and effort getting the skin on my face hot and puffy.
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Post by wchnu on Feb 24, 2012 13:28:29 GMT -6
I use warm water for every step. Not hot but warm. I do think a warm later works into the wiskers better. That is just how I feel.
A final rinse of good cool water is my normal finish before some after shave.
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ShadowsDad
Gem Star
None boring shaver!!
"It's not the bow, it's the Indian"
Posts: 4,534
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Post by ShadowsDad on Feb 24, 2012 17:05:32 GMT -6
Well, you'll have run the gamut of responses with mine! The majority of our space heat comes from a wood stove, so in the winter I treat my face to a hot towel prep. I love it and what it does for my shave. The boiling kettle is on the back of the stove and I get my basin of water to 130+ degrees. When it's too hot for my hands, it's about right for the face. Then I dip to get the towel hot and apply to the soaped up face multiple times. Any soap will do. Most often I just use what I'll be shaving with. Before doing so however, if I'm using soap, I put a small quantity of the kettle water in with the puck to get 'er ready. When the face is ready so is the soap. OK, so I face lather, and use the hot water from the basin for the soap. Even with the hot towel prep I still take my time lathering. I'm in no hurry, I want to enjoy the shave and prep the stubble. It takes me about 2-3 minutes to face lather. When my shave is done I rinse with the basin water. No cold rinse for me. I tried the cold water shave and it was the pits for me. So I guess it's YMMV, and you'll need to find what works for you. Oh, I forgot summer... No boiling kettle, and frankly I wouldn't want it. I just face lather for a few minutes (I'm in no hurry- seriously- for a few minutes) with the 104 degree tap water and call it good. Still no cold water rinse after the shave. Just rinse with the warm basin water. The menthol AS does gets used more frequently though. I love menthol in the summer. The Bigelow gets more use also, and the menthol drops also come out so that I can spike other soaps with a saturated solution of menthol. RM, you need to use what works for you. Experiment. Good shaving!
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Possum
Master Shaver
Cast Iron Marsupial
Look out you "Fuzzy" wabbit!
Posts: 1,274
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Post by Possum on Feb 24, 2012 18:19:49 GMT -6
Fuzzy and I think alike except for Williams Mug Soap and MJM! Warm not hot water for every step. Actually the water begins as hot when I put the brush to soak but by the time I am out of the shower it is just warm and I go from there.
Have only tried cold water once and I did look back to the warm to hot water for the shave.
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RocketMan
Gem Star
RazorAddict
Welcome To The Sharp Side!
Posts: 4,167
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Post by RocketMan on Feb 24, 2012 22:02:07 GMT -6
RM, you need to use what works for you. Experiment. Good shaving! You bet!!! I try everything in every direction you can possibly try!!! Dazed and confused is just my standard status!!! ;D Great stuff in all these reports. It is great to read just how people approach the almight shave! There are a lot of variables, and a lot of thoughts as to what is 'best', but peoples experiences are very personal and seem to bring about wonderful approaches to this. I appreciate all the thoughts so far and will consider how I can integrate various ideas in my never ending pursuit for the 'perfect pogonotomical pursuit'!! Now - more opinions - onward ho!!!
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SharpSpine
Master Shaver
My Flavor Sabre
Posts: 1,151
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Post by SharpSpine on Feb 24, 2012 22:34:41 GMT -6
The only constant for me is a cold water splash to finish before using aftershave.
All other aspects can change daily depending on what I feel like. Cold, hot, in-between, it all works for me. If I've had a rough shave then I'll use cold water exclusively for the next few shaves to keep things calm. I agree with HT that I think many people use way too much heat. There's even some debate as to whether a softer hair is really easier to cut anyway? Some say a more rigid & stiff hair will cut more at the root while a soft hair will flex & end up being cut longitudinally instead of a straight transverse cut.
Summer months see more cold water throughout the process while winter moths see more warm water. I almost never use hot water as I find it makes me more prone to weepers & irritation. Cold water seems more forgiving for me.
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jmacak
SE Super Freak
Posts: 26
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Post by jmacak on Mar 3, 2012 22:45:22 GMT -6
I think that I'm with Sharpspine. I don't use hot water--it seems to make it harder for me to get a blood-free shave. But, depending on how I feel, I might use cool or tepid water for the shave. The one constant, though is cold water at the end, before the witch hazel. I feel that my shaves have become more comfortable after switching to using cooler water for shaving. The only constant for me is a cold water splash to finish before using aftershave. . . . I almost never use hot water as I find it makes me more prone to weepers & irritation. Cold water seems more forgiving for me.
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Post by Alan on Mar 4, 2012 6:42:39 GMT -6
In the winter I use hot water from the faucet. In the summer warm water. In the past I would use a hot towel if it had been a few days between shaves, now instead of a hot towel I use Mr Glo.
Alan
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okiwen
SE Super Freak
Posts: 5
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Post by okiwen on Mar 4, 2012 12:34:09 GMT -6
I read about cold water shaving a year and a half ago over at B&B and decided to give it a try. I have never looked back, I love using cold water for every step of the process. If I shave before showering I just splash a few handfuls of water on my face and then apply the lather, aslo made with cold water, and let it set for 2-3 minutes before shaving. Same thing if I shave after a shower, and most people would consider the water temp I use for showers as cold, I have never liked hot showers. I believe a lot of the issues with irritaion that guys report might be caused by too much/ too hot water which inflames and irritates the skin. I read some of the pre-shave procedures involving long hot showers, followed by hot towels and I can't believe that's good for the skin. I've read that some guys believe hot water is somehow easier absorbed by hair and that it makes the whiskers softer, that doesn't make sense to me. If you dip a brush in cold water for a few seconds it will absorb just as much water as it does if the water is hot. I know it's not for everyone, and that using hot, steamy towels is part of the traditional process, but for the best results I prefer just getting a little water into the whiskers and letting the lather do most of the work, and not spending a lot of time and effort getting the skin on my face hot and puffy. I can also say that all this is my experience as well. Once I went cold I have not gone back. First SE shave today. GREAT day! Super smooth, not problems.
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Post by wchnu on Mar 4, 2012 13:12:07 GMT -6
Hey great to hear about the shave. You can always start yourself a thread about it.
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okiwen
SE Super Freak
Posts: 5
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Post by okiwen on Mar 4, 2012 13:25:51 GMT -6
Ok, I will. I was looking through the site ti see if there was onw already started before I did so myself.
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Post by wchnu on Mar 4, 2012 14:11:13 GMT -6
Ok, I will. I was looking through the site ti see if there was onw already started before I did so myself. Veddy cool. Take your time look around.
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