almost tried a cold water shave today, then I saw my scuttle..
nuf said.
Printable View
almost tried a cold water shave today, then I saw my scuttle..
nuf said.
Been using cold water shave all the while coz average temperature is 28 deg Centrigrade all the time.This morning tried the following:
a.Soak razor in glass of hot water
b.Soak brush in bowl of hot water
c.Shower - warm and dried
d.Prep soap+cream+glycerine:lather emerged almost instantly after a just a few swirls [good and will do the same everyday],and removed razor from hot water glass.
e.Shaved and did all the post shave rituals.
f.Result:A very smooth shave without the aid of a magnified mirror.
Good shaving day
+1 to that. Why am I more afraid of the cold than I am of a large, surgically sharp, blood spilling piece of steel dancing over my Adams Apple?Quote:
Originally Posted by flyman
Should I seek psychological support?
I have converted to cold water. When I first read this thread I had tried a few shaves with cold water and they were pretty good. I decided to try a nice hot shave one day and it could not compare to the cold shaves. I'm hooked the cold face wash out of the shower wakes you up and gets you ready for the shave. I am going to continue doing cold shaves. I have also read a blog about the advantages of a cold shower in the mornings. Yesterday I didn't go cold but I tried a cool shower and that was great. I think I will be continuing to go down this cold water road.
Wiliam
after reading all this i tried cold water shaving as well (a few weeks ago)
guess what? cold water shaving is not for me.
I did the same. The result? A very ordinary shave and a most unpleasant one at that.Quote:
Originally Posted by shiznix
On cold showers.... Some years ago due to tropical storms I didn't have power for 10 days the first time and 12 days the second time. I had to get used to cold showers. It is just like going into the ocean in NJ in springtime. Start at the ankles and gradually work your way up. By the time you get to the waist you're home free. BTW, for shaves I prefer cold water for showers I'm sticking with hot. ;)Quote:
Originally Posted by wmac
I've been doing the cold water shave for the last couple weeks and I'm sold on it for two reasons. One is the minimal set up - I just wet my brush and soap with cold tap water, lather up on my dry face, rub it in like the text suggests, re lather and shave. I'm a one pass shaver because of sensitive skin. That brings me to the second reason - I like showering after shaving because it gets all the shaving cream off and at the end of the shower my skin feels absolutely no irritation - almost like I didn't shave. When I used hot lather after showering my skin always felt tacky and would get irritated where my collar touch the neck - no more and I'm really, really happy about that. I felt like the closeness was pretty much the same as a hot shave.
After reading so many posts about how great cold water shaving is, I decided to give it a shot (along with help from DPW shutting off hot water in the dorms before work and not telling us) and my shave was not bad but nowhere nearly as enjoyable as a hot shave with my scuttle. I also noticed that my stubble came back much earlier than a hot water shave. I'm glad so many have found what works for them, but it's not really for me.
Hmm yeah I remember reading about cold water shaves on here a while back which is what started me on it really. Originally I thought hot water was the way forward cos it was what it was always represented as, right? Well anyway I tried it once and realised that on my babyface it worked much better, less irritation and I didn't have to worry so much about overworking those particularly difficult inches of skin. When i started with cold water I took a basin of water through to my bedroom and shaved there, away from a mirror, so I wasn't tempted by the tap and furthermore kinda got to know my face a bit better, I suppose.
A plus is like wow now I can do this shaving lark if the whole world falls to pot Cormac McCarthy the Road style thing, cos mirrors will be smashed by roaming psychopathic rapist cannibals so I'll have to live in the woods and shave by the waterfall. Which reminds me that I must get a hone and learn...
I think I'm right in saying this, correct me if I'm wrong, but Lynn once wrote that what it comes down to for him is the ritual of it, yeah sure cold water might be better, but so might plain smelling research endorsed soaps that aren't that nice. The choices that we make are our shave, and the pleasure of that opus 1870 penhaligons shaving cream and that hot-as-NCIS-special-agent-Gibbs'-coffee wet towel feels damned fine.
I'm no Lord Henry of Wilde's Dorian Gray, but there's nothing wrong with pleasure for the sake of pleasure.
I have also pondered the cold water shave but the fact is, hot water just feels so relaxing and soothing. It's a part of wet shaving I would never willingly give up. If a cold shave works for you, go for it. It's just not for me.
With not alot of shaves under my belt, about 20 or so I saw the stuff on cold water shaves and also gave it a try about 6 shaves ago and have to say that it does seem to work better for me. After I get better at shaving though I am going to try hot again and see which I like best.
Glenn
Cold water shaves! YAH! Doesn't feel too good on my face but I have definitely found a difference between shaving after a shower and shaving with just hot water from the sink. A facial person told me it's because the shower swells the skin and you don't get as close to the bottom of the follicle.
The Road question is one I live with as I enjoy the What If? scenarios. What if I had to head for the hills with just one or two hones? A belgian coticule would be one but I'd also take some DMT folders with me as they're light weight and I can go from Coarse to Extra Fine to 3000 grit in a very small package that's lightweight. Perfect thing to put in your shopping cart as you head down the Road!
BTW, I keep the two DMT stones in my belt pack kit which is always with me. They're the double sided butterfly knife style package. The combo will sharpen anything from a knife to an axe to a razor.
Just wondering how most of you cold water shavers prefer to rinse: with cold water or hot water? I know it's supposed to be a cold water shave, but I notice that in the early 20th century tutorial book that has been mentioned in a lot of these posts, it instructs to use hot water. Your thoughts?
I use a cold water rinse because it refreshes my face after each pass, and gets the sking tight and ready to go again.
I've rinsed with the hot water for awhile because the book recommends that but soon went cold all the way from start to finish. I just prefer it to the hot.Quote:
Originally Posted by Firefighter2
Cold water shaving - aarrgh! For you Floridians it may be just the cat's pajamas, but for this Minnesotan the bee's knees it ain't. To save a few cents, I turn the heat down overnight and wake up to a cool to cold house and shiver while I scamper over to the thermostat to turn up the heat. By the time I leave in the morning, the house is quite comfortable, but during my shave it is still rather cool. For this reason I'm quite the afficianado of the warm to border line hot shave. Maybe when we have the Florida hots this summer I'll try the thermal inversion shave, but not now. It was 5 above zero this morning and for the cold version shave I'd need to prep with ice cubes. Nope, uh uh, no thanks.
:beer2:
Man up, get used to it by shaving outside, naked, with no mirror and lather, use icecubes as styptic pencil replacement, then chase bear for food/funQuote:
Originally Posted by Bruce
Exactly, I love the feeling of hot later and hot towels. I do rinse cold and do the XTG with cold as well. I get a very close shave.Quote:
Originally Posted by markevens
I tried a cold water shave this morning and I loved it. alot less irritation and it also just was a good wake up.:banghead:
If you go cold it'll never get old. :rock:Quote:
Originally Posted by Aceofheartsg
I was deffinately happily suprised.:medvl:
Cold shaves? Now I am amazed...sounds really off the wall, I'll read the text and likely try it some time and see for myself weather it works for me or not. Crazy stuff...think I am learning more here than I ever did on my own, seems a life long pursuit lol.
Red,
Don't let Jimmy flummox you. Cold water in Florida is 106 degrees, cool water steams, and warm water is bubbling.
:beer2:
Being new to traditional shaving this may be a rather inane question. If the whiskers get shaved more closely because they are more brittle, then what is the purpose of all these soaps, lotions, and various emollients for? Don't all those things soften the whisker? The only purpose i can see for all the lathers and such must be purely for lubrication then, right? Or does the lather protect the skin, whithout softening the whisker? Guess i'll have to try this and see for myself.Quote:
Originally Posted by JimmyHAD
It's not the whiskers becoming brittle but the face becoming tighter I believe is the purpose to using cold water. after i tried yesterday it has become my way to shave because there is less irritation.Quote:
Originally Posted by michaelcassani
Trying it is the only way you'll know if it is for you. I read the pamphlet and followed the instructions. TBH the first shave was not that pleasant but I tried it again the following day and decided there was something to it. Since then I've shaved hot once and found that the cold water shave is preferable to me. Men have been developing products to improve the shave forever. We keep trying this and that and come to our own conclusions. For me the cold water with some quality soap and/or cream does the trick. :)Quote:
Originally Posted by michaelcassani
Well today I shaved doing two things I never did before. I used a straight razor, and cold water.
The shave went better than I thought would. No cuts, or nicks. Not the closest shave I ever got, but I don't I was using enought pressure on my face, but I think it went pretty good for my first time.
Now the cold water thing. I cold water feels good shaving with, but I had a harder time making lather with. I use Williams mug soap.
Take a handful of water and toss it on top of the puck and walk away for 5 minutes. Softens it up some. I also let my brush soak in the lather bowl. Good tip I got was, dump the water from the lather bowl and insert the water that was sitting on top of the puck .... load the brush and that ought to improve the results.Quote:
Originally Posted by RML
Now that I think about it, most of the time I run hot water in the mug with the brush it for about 5 min. I did not do that with the cold water shave. Thanks!
After reading these posts, I decided to go with the Cold Water Shave...In actuality, I changed things a bit more than the water.
Rather than shaving right after the hot shower, I took time to strop my razor (previously done before the shower) and get the cool water ready before my shave. This gave my face time to dry and let blood flow return to normal after my hot shower. Then I ran cold water over my face and proceeded to lather up and shave.
Now, I'm still new at this, so it could be technique improving as well, but....Best shave yet. 1) Still had some irritation, but not as much, 2) No nicks or weepers, and 3) Less stubble to date. In my book, that's a better shave.
Since My next shave would be Saturday, and since I have Family Picts; I think I am going to play it safe and shave with my DE on Saturday...But Come Sunday, I'm giving this another shot using the same method.
Yup, tried it myself. First thing I noticed is that there is less blood. Must be from the hypothermic acton of the blood vessels! Of course, after rinsing with the hot water, my neck lookes like an old fashioned barber's pole!
Actually, I got a very smooth clean shave. Now rather than waiting to shave after the shower, I will cold water shave first, and shower later-if at all! Always learning something. Old dogs are re-trainable!
I've not tried shaving with cold water but I used to do something along the same lines. Before using a straight I used a disposable SE and shaved with cherry scented alcohol. It performs similar to cold water in that it tightens up the skin and is generally refreshing IMO. I haven't tried it with a straight though.
Genius...I'm a minimalist so I love the idea of using tap water instead of using up energy on hot water. Can't wait to actually try it.
Ok so i tried this yesterday, 3 passes, and i gues it was more or less as good as a hot shave (for me personally) in terms of results. But you know, the process wasn't half as enjoyable.. I like hot (or warmish shaving). The cold shave felt more utilitarian i guess, not the event that hot shaving has become, how i start my day etc
If any of you have a rather large basin, there is nothing like a full submerge. I fill it to about 3/4 full of as cold water that a Chicago tap can make. I do a full facial submerge after every step in the process. Right out of the shower, I make my lather and then do about 30-40 seconds in the water. After every pass, I do another 30-40seconds. After the Alum is the final dunk.
I keep my whole shave VERY cold. I also finish the last half of my showers with cold water. It is actually very good for the body. To me, there is nothing better than the cold wake up. Cold showers and shave followed by espresso is my recipe for a good day!
brrrrr i cant do this. :D i love warm lather on my face. :D
I have read the book (Shaving made easy) but did not find any mentioning of cold shaving. I shaved by cold water, and don't think it's a good idea to continue.
P.S. Several times I used very cold water as aftershave. That was great.
Well I broke down tonight and Tried the old water . I like it . Got a smooth Shave , and the after shave lotion didn't Burn as bad Neither . actually Kind of refreshing after working all day .
I found my face being a bit irritated with "hot" water so I use warm water and warm lather from my scuttle. Nothing beats it! No cold water for me, cold water is not relaxing at all imo.