Printable View
I have been straight razor shaving for a few years now. I find the preshave prep is a very important part of my shave. I like to keep it simple. I apply a warm face cloth to my beard (something similar to a hot towel prep in a barber shop), then I apply either Proraso white or green preshave cream, massage it in well and wait a few minutes then lather up. If I am in a rush I will skip the Proraso...but I never skip the hot towel. And in winter that hot towel is particularly pleasurable.
My preshave is....
Wash my face! A shower works too.
Dont want my razor to deal with dirt.
Then lather up and shave.
I always shower before shaving. Well almost all the time. On the rare occasion I don't I wash my face, load the brush up and lather up. Let it sit for a minute and then wash it off and lather up again. The thing here is the time it takes to do this is almost the same time as I need to shower. Plus the brush has to soak anyway. I have in the past done the hot towel thing. But it takes more effort to do that than to just take a shower.
Wet face with hot water ~ lather up ~ go
Pete <:-}
I shower before I shave, so the hot towel is a bonus measure.
No prep, just get the lather in the brush and face lather.
Bob
Funny, I figured most of yall went all out and was ashamed to admit it is usually shower, lather, shave, rinse, leave. Sometimes aftershave if I feel uncomfortable.
Everyone eventually develops a routine that works for them. Personally, I don't like to do anything that does not improve my shaves just because it's common practice for others to do. That has left me with a very simple shave routine.
Bob
My routine has gotten much simpler over the years. Sure, i used to hot towel, pre-shave oil, lather and rince than towel again. Then lather and shave but I found after I learned how to properly shave I didn't need all the non-since in the beginning and just showered or just washed my face. A little warm water on the face is what I found was all I needed. And the time it takes to shave now has gone down alot.
I've never tried the hot towel thing at home. Shaving takes long enough as is, I've never wanted to add that extra step. I don't have a microwave (and don't want one), so heating up a towel would take a significant amount of time.
If I don't shower before I shave, I wash my beard with soap and warm water. If I bowl lather (rare these days, due to lack of time), I lather up and let it sit while I strop my razor, then rinse the lather off and reapply. If I face lather, I strop first so that I can shave as soon as I'm lathered up - the lather being scrubbed into my beard for a longer period of time is enough, I find.
I've been doing this long enough that I don't do all this pre-shave mumbo jumbo anymore. Just wet and lather up. I've found using a hot towel and washing might feel good but it makes no difference.
Using an electric razor really takes more prep than wet shaving. In that case your face has to be really clean and you have to use a pre shave solution so your face is dry yet lubed.
For me, shower while my brush soaks.
Dry off, load brush with my soap of the day.
Wet my face again and face lather.
Wet my blade under the hot tap, don't know if it helps but i like the idea of a wet blade.
Shave, 4 passes with a wet face cloth between each pass to stay wet.
Clean and dry razor and rinse brush, clean off my face with a wash cloth and dry.
Apply after shave balm with the same scent as the soap, apply beard oil to my goat n stache in the same scent also.
40 cotton, 40 English Bridal leather then leave open in the bedroom to dry for the rest of the day.
Before i use it again it gets 60 on cotton and 100 on Buffalo.
A shave takes me about 20 minutes from making lather to putting my razor in the bedroom to dry.
I was thinking if you left the petroleum residue on your face after a night at work then you wouldn't have to oil your blade when done.:hmmm:Quote:
Originally Posted by Gasman
I have found that a hot water soak or a shower before times works similar.
Soaking your hair before cutting whichever way works for you does make a difference.
If I shave every day and for work I find it is best for me to shave before my shower which is mostly cold water to get the pipes warm to the bathroom before my shower and then rinse off in the shower.
There are many pretty nurses where I work but I can't remember a time that anyone of them has tested my check to see if it was BBS.
I will have to remember that. I willet ya know. :cenQuote:
Originally Posted by 32t
That is it in a nut shell. Nobody besides you and maybe your Drill Instructor give a rat's butt if you are BBS or not. OTH if you want to agonise over it why not.Quote:
Originally Posted by 32t
Bob
Quote:
Originally Posted by Whizbang
In the beginning, when I didn’t know any better and my technique was still developing, I made things unnecessarily complicated experimenting at one time or another with glycerine soaps, pre-shave creams or oils, etc.
None of it was necessary and over time I whittled away all the routines that did not contribute to a better shave.
Now I just use some water and a wet sponge to moisten my facial hair, give it a few moments (2 mins according to the manufacturer of my electric toothbrush ;) ) to soften the skin and stand up the beard hairs while I brush my teeth and then I set to work.
As Leonardo da Vince may - or more likely may not - have said: Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.
B.
Well said Bob, although I am one of those obsessive compulsive types that does agonize over getting BBS every time and then spends the rest of the day faceturbating to see if I missed anything and if I'm still BBS.Quote:
Originally Posted by BobH
I try for a BBS every time and come close most days so that is good enough for me.Quote:
Originally Posted by STF
Bob
I don't set a goal of BBS but my one pass shaves are pretty darn slick.
OTOH, I do a lot of preshave work so the beard is quite soft when the blade action starts.
That's where years of experience must help a lot.Quote:
Originally Posted by rolodave
My first pass is ok, the second is better but I don't get BBS until 4 passes and then there's the clean up which is mostly on my neck.
I go down - sideways - up then down again, then the cleanup.
If I got to hone it and strop it I might as well give it some exercise :D
Years down the road i will probably be able to do one pass only but I sort of hope not, I love to shave and don't want it over too quickly.
I USED to have a more elaborate routine, but now it's wash face, single pass, wipe face, some aftershave. My one pass shave is consistently better than my two/three pass shaves from years ago.
Good soap, good blade, pitter patter, let's get at 'er.
When I wake up (not always in the morning ;) ) I wash my face with some emollient body wash cream. It has a good impact on my face. Especially on acne skin. Also, I use it before shaving. It moisturizes skin and I feel that foam doesn’t dry so quickly.
Sometimes I have a bath before shaving and also I use emollient. Then, I there is an extra pre-shave with combination of bath, warm water and gel.
Typically.
Shower, lather and shave. If no shower...lots of hot water splashes, lather and shave.
One pass is enough, two if we going out, Three/BBS for special occasions.
Like hardly. :rofl2:
i must have improved my shaving
1 pass and the only one can tell the difference is me, i don't get kissed, 2 is very close, 3 and I can bleed like a stuck pig.
BBS I have achieved with a coticle razor but I don't bother often these days
Shower lather have at it
no muss no fuss
Yep. Shower, Lather, Shave. But I do 3 passes always plus some buffing if I dont want to feel scratchy in the morning at I shave at night.
Yes , shower ,lather , shave. Usually do 2 passes. One with the grain and one against. Have been shaving with a straight razor for approximately 45 years, and this may be a silly question to some but what is buffing ?
I read "buffing" as final "touch up" here and there, which i do with a 10 x mirror once i rinse the soap off my face.
Thanks Raol, I never knew it was called buffering. Sort of teaching an old dog a new trick !
Sorry buffing.
I have always taken buffing as going over the same area in short repeating/advancing strokes.
I refer to it as touch ups - usually done with water only going over the face. There is some slickness left from the lather. It allows for the closest shave. Barbers referred to it as the "second time over" in my Barbering textbook.
Just a shower prep for me. 30 second brush soak in hot water sitting on puck.
Dump water, gather some lather and go to town. always enough for a three pass plus touchups.
I just shower and shave too but i don't soak my soap just wet the brush, i only really soak boar when its new.
I don't polish buff or touch up really, except my chin and that can result in a surprising amount of the red stuff takes effort to stop.
I usually soak the badger in water on top of soap for about 30 seconds because it seems to break the surface tension in the water.Quote:
Originally Posted by STF
If I just rinse the brush without soaking in the soap water then hold it upside down to drain, the brush does not release or absorb much water.
If you do the same will water on the puck for about 30 seconds the brush seems to absorb 10 fold also releasing more of a stream when draining held upside down.
The difference is huge IMO.