Thread: How much time do you spend on prep?

Just wondering. I am a firm believer in prep before a shave. Because the bottom line is a nice, smoth, comfortible, close shave. But we always want to see how the razor came out on the new hone, does this paste work better than the other, I just want to try my new razor.

How many of us concentrate on softening the beard. I remember a barbershop shave. The shortest period of time the barber spent on any part of the shave was the actual shave itself. Hot towels, hot lather, lotion, rubbing of the face.

Just would like to know. How many of us really try to soften the beard?

If 10 minutes in the shower counts then that's half my prep right there. After that, it's lather and shave for me. I've got a lighter beard so I can afford to be a little less persistent than most. If I don't shower then I'm doing a couple of hot towels, sometimes with, sometimes without lathering in between. I guess it depends on my mood and how grubby my face feels.

X

Until recently I was shaving before my shower, and I would spend a couple of minutes splashing my face with water, then strop while the water soaked in, then lather on my face for two or three minutes.

Lately I've been showering first, then just hopping out, drying off a little and lathering up. It saves some time overall, but I'm really more interested in making sure my beard is as soft as possible. Showering first seems like the atomic bomb of prep--if that don't do it, nothing will.

Josh

I'm obsessing less over the prep than I was as I gain in other areas (consistently sharp edge, better feel for the shaving technique). Early I was messing with the hot towel, soaking lather, etc. and still managed to get a lousy shave with burns and nicks. I'm lucky that I don't have a steelly beard, but I'm finding the best "prep" is refreshing the area to be shaved as needed as I go along...just a little splash of water and swipe of the brush. That sometimes is a thin lather, or even just water, the later the pass and closer I get. At the start, on the non-shower days I wash my face good, and keep it wet during the few minutes of lather prep.

- Dale

I give myself 8 minutes for my entire shave (skip the goatee area in the A.M.) Shower first, then have at it. Prep is important though.

I would say about two minutes if I am coming straight out of the shower. I will splash lather and then strop and shave, since stropping takes me about a minute two overall. Triple that though if I don't shower beforehand as I will do a couple of hot towels. If I skip my prep even my freshest razor pulls a little on the first pass, prep right and is smooth sailing.

The very first thing I do is wash my face, pat dry, and put the Proraso preshave cream on. Then I run the hot water, wait till it's piping hot, put a little in the bowl to soak the soap and brush. Then I set to the strop (linen then leather). Then I got back to the soap and build the lather. Then finally put the lather on my face.

Altogether about 5 minutes before the blade touches my face.

I have to admit I don't spend a lot of time on the beard prep. I shave before I shower. I splash some hot water on my face, whip up some cream, apply it and let it sit there while I strop. After stropping I reapply lather and shave. Total prep. time is somewhere between 5 and 10 minutes, probably closer to 5.

James.

After getting out of the shower, I wet my
face again with hot water. I usually spend
about 2 minutes lathering.


Terry

I put water on to boil while I brush my teeth and strop, then I usually spend about 2 minutes splashing before I lather up. The lather sits while I wipe the worst of the puddles off the counter, and then it's shavetime. Probably 2.25 minutes total.