Thread: About that coldwater shave...

I was thinking of coldwater shaves this morning while I was shaving. A know several guys here shave with cold water. I have tried a few times a while ago, and I didnt get good results at all. Is there something extra to keep in mind while shaving cold? And what would the advantages be, exept less time for face prep and such. And I can se how a cold shave cold come in handy while travelin, when hot water isnt always available...

The second thing I was thinking of was the history of shaving. I remember reading a pdf posted here two years ago. It was a book made in the begining of the 20th century (I think...) on how to shave. One point they made in the book was that hot water softens the beard and makes it more difficult to cut, while cold water makes the breard stiff so that it is easier to cut off... I will try to find the file in question and post below. Was shaving cold commony used back in the days? I would think so, since folks didnt have running hot water inside... And how about barbers?

I think the argument about cold water mekes some scense, but my experience says the opposite... I would like to hear your thoughts and comments on the matter.

JackeHj

http://http://straightrazorpalace.co...made-easy.html

Here is a link to the pst where you can download the pdf, apparently it was posted in 2010. Enjoy the reading if you havent read it already...

Cold water shaving is a good instance of YMMV.
I was inspired by BobH, so no prep, just cold water. It works fine for me, and the water gets pretty cold here. Today it is hovering around 3degrees Celsius.
I also only face lather so, especially for my first pass, I really work in the lather.
Ultimately, I recommend you go with what work best for you.
Good luck and happy shaving.

Well, I think it would depend on the face and the beard. If your beard is thick and coarse, or your face is a bit more stalwart, then you can use hot water to shave with.

My beard is rather thin and wispy. In most areas softening it doesn't help the razor to glide through any better than a quick cold water splash & go shave. But, hot water does soften up my skin and open up the pores. Which makes the skin more likely to become agitated by razor burn. And oddly enough, the lather too. It gets a little warm and tingly if it sits there a while. It's a mildly uncomfortable sensation.

As for back in the day, where there's a will there's a way. They may not have had running water, or hot running water. But they had fire and kettles, so I'm sure if a warm shave was desired with a little extra prep it could be had. Part if the luxury of paying a barber I suppose, since I'm sure many would've had hot water already prepped and ready to go.

For me cold vs hot water shaving is a personal choice based on what works for me. I shaved for 40 or so years using hot water before switching to cold water shaving. When I joined the forums I learned about different prepping methods so I tried those too along with a scuttle to keep my lather warm. None of the prepping and having warm lather seemed to aid any in the shaving so I dumped those things and left me wondering what all the hubbub was about. Then cold water shaving was mentioned and I thought what the hey might as well give that a go and see whats what with that. Turns out it did reduce the chances of irritation for me so I stuck with it. Todays shave was with cold water and an outside temperature of -20C but the water is not nearly that cold or I would have frozen water pipes.

The benefits for me of cold water shaving turned out to be reduced irritation and I don't waste energy heating the water.

My lather is just as slick and plentiful using cold vs hot water. I load lots of soap on the brush from the puck and add water while face lathering to get it where I want it. I generally get a comfortable 4 pass shave off my own edges which I admit may not be the best there is. I just use what works for me and don't believe everything I read.

Bottom line is whatever works for the individual as there is no universal best way to do anything typified by the old saying that "there is more than one way to skin a cat". Before anyone asks, I have no idea why anyone would want to skin a cat.

Bob

I've tried cold water shaving and it just didn't work for me. It would be great if it did since my bathroom is upstairs and I have to run the hot water for quite some time to get it up to temp. I live in the desert and hate wasting water.

Originally Posted by kelbro

I've tried cold water shaving and it just didn't work for me. It would be great if it did since my bathroom is upstairs and I have to run the hot water for quite some time to get it up to temp. I live in the desert and hate wasting water.

You might be a good candidate for a point of use water heater. Point-of-Use Water Heaters

Originally Posted by Braz

You might be a good candidate for a point of use water heater. Point-of-Use Water Heaters

Those worked well in Europe when I was there 30 odd years ago.

Bob

I've always been curious about cold water shaving but have yet to try it. I'm waiting for that first real hot and sticky morning and I'm going to give it a go. On days like that I can't imagine it beeing anything but refreshing.

Pete <:-}

Originally Posted by petercp4e

I've always been curious about cold water shaving but have yet to try it. I'm waiting for that first real hot and sticky morning and I'm going to give it a go. On days like that I can't imagine it beeing anything but refreshing.

Pete <:-}

I will say this, generally I loathe cold and cold water. Even more so during the winter. But on a hot summer day, it can be pretty darn refreshing.

Sometimes during the winter I still 'treat myself' to a hot shave with warm lather. I know there'll be a bit of extra razor burn at the end, but sometimes it's worth it for the luxury of a warm shave.