Thread: no running water...

Well, it should be in the mail next week. Seemed like the right thing for me...I love draft horses, saddle horses, flintlock rifles and wooden sailboats, writing in cursive, and good edges on knives and axes. Probably should have lived in another time, but here we are... I'm a once a week or so shaver at best, so I'm hoping the sr will be ok with a bit of beard.

I could sure use some tips on managing this without running water though. Maybe there are some re-enactors on the forums? Or someone else living in a tent with a hand pump at the well? I'm wondering how I'll rinse beard off the blade. With a safety razor I've just been swishing it around in a wash basin, but there's no way I'm going to risk that with a nice edge. I will have a scuttle to lather. I'm thinking I might just fill a thermos and pour out of it to rinse the blade..just wondered what was done back in the day? Thanks guys...

Welcome to SRP.
Your going to love the straight razor. Cuts through anything and you just wipe it off on a towel as if your stropping. Leave the brush in the bowl with the soap and just get it wet next time no rinsing. Should need about 3 table spoons of water if you really want to waste water :<0) Not many in here use these methods but I bet they would if they were in your boots.

This is going to be easier than you thought..

Have a damp towel or sponge handy.
When you need to clear the blade you wipe it off with a stropping motion.
A few ounces of hot water at the end for a rinse of the blade that you gently cleared with a single sheet of bath/toilet tissue at the end of the shave.

Carefully dry the blade, strop, post shave care...

Remember that in a Barbershop the Barber did not turn away to a distance sink or basin.
He had a towel, either on his arm or shoulder or on his clients, that he used to clean the blade as he worked.

I use the wash cloth that I use to wet my beard (or as the SWMBO says: "Waterboarding yourself again dear?")
Lay it flat on the counter, fold over 1/3 or 1/4 and use that to cleat the blade.
When full or each pass you fold it over to expose a clean surface.

And you don't dink your blade...

Smooth Shaving...

+1 That's pretty much the way my Grandfather did it only, he wiped the blade length wise with the towel by pinching the blade, edge away, between thumb and fore finger. Fond memories of camping, hunting and shaving. That was part of my passage into manhood.

Hi and welcome. I just use a flannel folded in four and just wipe it off. Barber I know just uses his forearm and wipes it off at end of each pass. Good luck

I'm sure there is water in quantity somewhere close, right? How do you shower or clean? Take a soda bottle, milk jug,,,put little holes in the top,,,squeeze it & you've got running water,,, squeeze it hard & you've got pressurized running water, to rinse yourself or the blade. Wipe off the lather with a rag, as explained above. Then keep your blade oiled.

Super, thanks all... Much easier than I thought, I was afraid of touching that blade on anything, but if it can be wiped on a damp towel like stropping then all is well. After some practice I bet it will be quicker than the double edge safety...had to take the blade out of that thing every few passes as it would clog right up with any beard at all, such a nuisance.
thanks again.. m
(watched a few straight razor videos on you tube, they used more water than i do in a month with the tap running the whole time, scared me a bit :-)

Thank of all the water you would save if you didn't shave at all,,,,,,,,,

Don't get me wrong, nothing I'd like better than to be able to turn on a tap for a hot shower...just the way things are right now.

Gonna save electricity on the lights too, tack a mirror up on a tree and use sunlight ;-)

Straight razor and pretending it's 1880 will make everything better. Thanks again for the tips, I might show up again with a dumb question once the bleeding starts, but I'll lurk and read to see if i can get off to a good start.

This is a thread I did shaving while camping with no running water at all pretty easy still really
http://straightrazorpalace.com/gener...aturalist.html

I also use the sponge at home rather than wasting water