Thread: Should whiskers really be soft?

For me it all goes back to what they new at the height of straight razor shaving laid out in the 1905 book "Shaving made easy". Shave with cold water, generously work the lather into the whiskers thereby neutralizing the oils in the whiskers making them brittle and easy to cut, then shave.

If hot towels and hot water are stripping the protective oils off of the skin, then it's no wonder some people are having to lube themselves up with pre-shave oils just to try an offset any irritation