A simple prep and lather from an earlier age

TLDR: Massage the first application of lather across your face before lathering again and shaving. It really works.

Gentlemen,

For your consideration: A Lathering Technique based on early 20th Century Sources that does not rely on running water, hot water, steaming towels, or frippery and is perfectly adaptable to resource poor settings.

Caution: What follows is an account of building lather on one’s face. Those what worship at the alter of the Lather Bowl should stop reading NOW.

Note too that those who shower before shaving will gain little from this exercise.

You will need:

Razor- ready to shave
Shaving soap- any kind
A shaving brush- any kind
One mug of water- any temperature
Two hands- preferably your own
One facial tissue of the Kleenex variety
One hand towel
Shaving mirror

And so we begin

1. Place brush bristles down in mug o’water to soak.
2. Moisten fingertips of both hands in mug and wipe across soap until lightly slippery.
3. Rub/massage water across face in a recognized washing motion. Continue for ONE MINUTE dipping fingers in water mug as needed. (Note: you are not building lather. The small amount of soap used is only to change the surface tension to allow the water to cling to your face.)
4. Remove brush from mug and drain bristles of three-quarters of its retained water.
5. Load brush with soap in a fashion that works.
6. Build lather on face for ONE MINUTE giving little attention to bubble size or consistency.
7. Put down brush and massage proto-lather across the shaving zone for ONE MINUTE. Your goal should be to knock the air and extraneous water out of the proto-lather.
8. Wipe hands on towel and relather- this time for sure- for ONE MINUTE (Reload brush and/or add water as needed.)
9. Shave according to established routine and best practices. The Kleenex is used to deftly (deftly, you buggers!) wipe soap from the razor as needed.
10. When finished, rinse brush in mug and pour contents of mug into the hand towel and wipe face free of soap, blood, and dangling bits of dermis.
11. Oh, yeah, you were supposed to be looking in the mirror while doing this. If you weren’t, well, that might explain the dangling bits

Since I generally shave before I shower, I find that the multiple latherrings and massaging to prep my face perfectly without need for ointments, oils, or silly amounts of water. I’ve adapted this technique from the package insert of a JR Torrey razor and have found it to be effective regardless of soap/ brush combinations. And while it’s nice to say I’m saving water with this technique, I wouldn’t do it if it didn’t work.

I remain &c
LG Roy

Sure. You could do it that way. I like extreme amounts of water myself. It does make me need to add a mop to the list of items.

It occurs to me that, if you need a mop after you shave, you may need to work on your technique.


:hmmm::needcoffee::roflmao

Mopping up water not blood. :rofl2:

Quit rubbing it in, driver.

So I tried this this morning. Unfortunately it didn't work out for me. So with that being said, I'm sure it works for you or you wouldn't have taken the time to post it. I'll stick to my routine but thanks for the info. It was worth a try!

Well I reckon if you want to take all the fun out of wet shaving we could just all use an electric razor. A dab of electric shave (which is optional) just plug it in and shave.

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Originally Posted by thebigspendur

Well I reckon if you want to take all the fun out of wet shaving we could just all use an electric razor. A dab of electric shave (which is optional) just plug it in and shave.

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We sure could and I have. However, I always seem to come back to a nice hot lather shave with a straight razor. In my mind, there's nothing as enjoyable as a close shave and a good cigar! But I'm old. What the hell do I know?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Johntoad57

We sure could and I have. However, I always seem to come back to a nice hot lather shave with a straight razor. In my mind, there's nothing as enjoyable as a close shave and a good cigar! But I'm old. What the hell do I know?

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I am now at the point at which I am able to put a good edge on my straights and maintain that edge. For me, the unfortunate result of a really good straight razor shave is that I don’t have to shave for 48 hours afterwards.

When I use a DE, I still have to shave the next morning. For the very limited time in my youth when I used an electric razor, I had to shave again in the afternoon.

There is no comparison to the “zen” of straight razor shaving.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by DZEC

I am now at the point at which I am able to put a good edge on my straights and maintain that edge. For me, the unfortunate result of a really good straight razor shave is that I don’t have to shave for 48 hours afterwards.

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I have never been able to go 48 hours between shaves in my life unless I was too sick to shave. I enjoy the Zen of a shave ever morning.

Bob

Sounds like living off horseback and carrying your water in a canteen.

Rubbing water and soap into your face works, I prep with a dime size dollop of Trader Joe’s Mango shave cream in a tube on a wet face. A tube last about a year and cost $5-6. Then prep my gear, soak a brush in hot water double boiler mug, select soap & strop a razor. Lather and shave with hot water and well heated and soaked brush.

I do notice the difference, shaving without the Mango cream prep, it is a very slick soap, and does not affect the lather making of any other cream or soap, I face lather and work it into my face.

My whole shaving routine takes 10-15 minutes from start to finish, 3 passes, and includes mopping up water, and cleaning the mirror and sink with a microfiber.

You have mensioned this trader joes stuff before Marty. I might have to drive across town and pick some up. Normally a hot shower is good enough for me. But for only a few bucks ill give it a go. What the hell.

I prefer the method of palm lathering. Place Puck in left hand, wet brush and use palm as a bowl. Once brush is filled with lather, rub left hand on beard well. Then hot towel, then use brush to build shaving lather on face and shave..

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Originally Posted by Rog

I prefer the method of palm lathering. Place Puck in left hand, wet brush and use palm as a bowl. Once brush is filled with lather, rub left hand on beard well. Then hot towel, then use brush to build shaving lather on face and shave..

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They sell palm bowls. They are usually made of horn and are these little things you put in your palm and it makes palm lathering much nicer and efficient.

But then I wouldn't have a palm full of lather to begin my process with? I find working that palm full of lather into face/stubble with my hand gives me much better results than only working with a brush.

Hay all
I followed the directions with hope of being able to shave quick before work. Also I'm at straight razor shave number 5. The results were nice lather and lots more Knicks. I even toped a small mole; I wonder if it will grow back or stay flat? The razor was treetoping arm hair but with slight sound when I checked half way through. Back to olive oil pre shave, lather bowl on the stove and add boiling water to a hot towel over lather.
Matt

I use a DE if I'm in a hurry. No amount of experience is going to make it more safe to shave with a straight it just minimizes the careless mistakes.

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Originally Posted by PaulFLUS

I use a DE if I'm in a hurry. No amount of experience is going to make it more safe to shave with a straight it just minimizes the careless mistakes.

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Same here Paul.

I shave with a straight always unless I'm in a hurry for some reason.

I have never cut myself with a Safety but i don't find it a lot quicker except i can have it with more abandon and I save a few minutes on the strop.

I have to say, I find Safety shaving to be daily whereas my straights are good for every other day, although i often leave it longer so I have something serious to scrape off.

When I started I would look for excuses to shave as often as i could, I still enjoy shaving with a straight more than happy time but now I have time for both ;)

Happy time = a can of beer and a few minutes on the forum :beer2:

Hey all I tried again and then pleased with the results, the only addition was noxzema is a preshave. I'm thinking that this will be a little bit easier car camping so that is also exciting. Still working on tensioning the skin for against the grain.

Look up, pull skin down at the base of your neck. Shave with the blade totally flat on your skin. At least as flat as possible.

Helped me tremendously.! Stretching and holdin has become more of a new thing for me in the past year. For one, getting older your skin becomes thinner, and two, loosing 100 lbs. in the last year made my face a lot more defined. And last...for those of us with dentures, your cheeks kinda sink in, if their not in your mouth. So ya have to puff your cheeks out, a bit. :rofl2: