Before shaving, do you pre-heat the razor under hot running water? If so, is it then preferable to wipe off the blade or do you shave with the blade wet?
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Before shaving, do you pre-heat the razor under hot running water? If so, is it then preferable to wipe off the blade or do you shave with the blade wet?
Wet blade, makes no difference if the water is hot or not. Wetness of face and enough posture in the lather as well as a wet razor all contribute to a better shave, IMO.
I like to warm up the blade in hot water and then shave without drying it. But be careful of the faucet. Lots of tears are shed over razors that hit the spout.
Yes, that would present a terrible problem
I usually warm the blade up a bit under hot water, but just because I don't like the feel of cold metal on my skin.
I do the same thing, it feels better on my face and has never caused an issue with the blade!
I tend to fill my sink with as hot of water as I can get it... dip the blade in from time to time to get it warm, and clean off the cream/soap. I leave it wet when I shave with it.
I always like to warm my blade under the faucet. It seems some people have issues with hitting their blades on the faucet but I'm not sure why.
It literally never occurred to me to do this. Then again, my skin prefers a cold shave so there's that. But so little of the blade actually touches my skin and I'm usually so focused on technique and trying not to cut myself that I don't even notice it's temperature
Oh, I am sure that sooner or later you may find out why. ;) Usually it is a moments inattention, at least that is what got me. Same thing happens when you cut yourself.Quote:
Originally Posted by BeJay
Warming the blade is not something I do because I shave with cold water.
Bob
If I were laying the blade flat on my face without any lather under it, I might consider warming it. The contact seems minimal otherwise, how could you determine the temperature of a teeny tiny apex that touches your skin?
Maybe in colder cilmes it is more apparent bill. Living where I live cold isn't really that cold. The family had a fire the other night because it was getting down to 11 degrees.Quote:
Originally Posted by WW243
I tend to shave with a really low angle... 5 degrees, maybe? So I definitely feel more then just the cutting edge. If I dont dunk my blade, I can feel it's cold! Especially in the winter months (like now) when I am using a scuttle to get warm lather.Quote:
Originally Posted by WW243
That's 52 degrees to us Yanks! :D In some states, people would still be using their swimming pools at 52 degrees! :DQuote:
Originally Posted by edhewitt
I guess that I don't see the point. Aside from the fact that getting the blade wet increases the likelihood of corrosion and dings, it seems to me that the heat is going to dissipate from that edge so quickly that it is not worth the bother.
For those reasons, the only blade heating that I do is stropping.
I don't think you would notice even in a cold climate like ours. Homes have central heating and our temp is 72F/22C in the house during cold weather. Razors should be at the ambient air temperature.Quote:
Originally Posted by edhewitt
Bob
I'v enever heated op my razor, besides from warm water from the faucet to rinse off the lather.
It might indeed be a climate-based issue, but in teh fairly moderate Netherlands I feel no need to heat my razor any more.
Ok let's think about this logically. Razors are metal, metal expands with heat and contracts with cold. So, microscopic chips would get bigger with warm water causing more skin damage (harshness) and running the blade under cold would tighten the chips or cracks.
That said you would want warm water on your face to soften the hairs, and make them expand, and when they dry, shrink. And a cold blade to reduce harshness. YMMV.
The more I think about it, it may just be a habit that carried over from DE shaving.
Yes it is habit , mine too, along with swishing around in the sink to clear the DE. But I finally just got me a high rise sink faucet for the shave den , I did stop the swishing though !!
Tc
It doesn't matter. The temperature of the razor, in the range we're talking about (tap water) has no effect on the razor's sharpness or cutting. Wet or dry don't matter either. You have lather on your face. A dry razor will get moist in contact with the lather. This actually is the kind of issue beginners over-think. Strop, lather, shave.
My barber told me not to put the blade under hot water, but warm water. I noticed the blade tends to stick if it is to hot. With warm water it doesn't.
Over the years I've use hot water, cold water, mild water and no water and you know what? It makes no difference. I do it more to wash off any oil residue on the blade.
I use hot water to rinse the oil off of the blade before I strop, and then another hot rinse after I strop. I've always done it, especially since hot water rinses oil off better. ;)
I like to pre-heat my blade under warm running water; it makes for a more comfortable shave than starting with a cold razor. After rinsing the blade under the tap I just give it a shake to remove the water droplets before shaving. But that isn't a "better" way; it's all a matter of personal preference.
Jeff
I pre heat too. The warm water seems to help lift the hair a little better too, for me anyway.