Thread: Lathering before the hot towel?

Hey everyone,

I'm extremely new to straight razor shaving (I'm 3 shaves in at this point), and I'm just wondering what the benefits are of applying lather before using a hot towel. I've read over many of the hot towel threads, and it seems to be common practice to apply lather before the towel. What's the reasoning behind this?

Thanks,

-Robert

I think the consensus is that is softens the beard, just like pre-shave oils, creams, hot water, hair conditioner, etc. Though an old shaving manual I read recently says the role of the soap is to make the beard stiffer; to make it stand up so it is cut by the blade. Whatever the supposed reason, it seems to work well. I've recently started doing this instead of a pre-shave oil or cream (or in addition to). It allows you to relax for a minute or two, and generally I wash some cream or soap down the sink anyway; so I feel I may as well use it...It also feels good, and I think straight razor shaving's maxim should be "If it feels good do it", a statement you can't blindly apply to all things in life, but to shaving it's what it's all about; it's a very tactile endeavor...

Gets the oil out of the hair and the moisture in.


Mick

The very first straight razor shave I had 30 years ago, the barber did this , Hot Towel, Lather, Hot Towel over the Lather, Re-Lather, Strop, Shave...

I started that way 3 days later and have never really changed other than to do a bit of testing here and there... The only other "Trick" I have added, is to make sure my face is actually wet before each Lathering... It is after all called Wet Shaving

To infuse the lather into the beard and remove oil and dirt, all in one step. You have to wash the face first anyway (assuming you are following the barbering procedures).

I remember the barber doing that when I got a straight razor shave forty some years ago. When he washed my face he did so vigorously. I vaguely remember him telling me that he used a lot of elbow grease to soften the whiskers.