Thread: Removing lather from a blade

Originally Posted by DVW

I simply use a small towel. Years ago I seem to remember reading a book about shaving with a straight razor, and I think that they called it a "sweet rag" or some such thing?? I can't remember for sure. I may just be getting senile.

Yup, that works but using a damp sponge saves me washing towels.

Bob

Invest in a goose neck faucet, take the faucet out of play.

Problem solved.

I've wiped my razor on my left palm for many years. Easier to clean than a sponge or towel, and it stays away from the faucet.

Originally Posted by Euclid440

Invest in a goose neck faucet, take the faucet out of play.

Problem solved.

Yes, for sure but a sponge is $0.50 and a good quality goose neck faucet a couple of hundred.

Bob

Originally Posted by cau

I've wiped my razor on my left palm for many years. Easier to clean than a sponge or towel, and it stays away from the faucet.

Might be safer using a sponge and wet hands makes stretching skin and changing hands a pain. With a sponge I do not have to put my razor down once I start my pass till I finish it to rinse my hands and dry them when switching hands or stretching skin.

Bob

I too remember seeing the barber use a towel including when I took my son for a barber shave a couple of years ago. I do kind of a combination of the things mentioned. I fill the sink up to the overflow, dip the blade, pinch wipe with the thumb and forefinger and wipe on my bath towel around the waist like a strop motion. I would love to use a towel specifically for that but it seems a little wasteful. It's like the TV chefs: they go through dishes like mad. Of course they do. They have staff to clean up after them. The sponge is an interesting idea though.

I do the same - a sponge to wipe off after every and during passes. I often lose the sponge to the little ones who take it for bath time but I have a stash. Currently it’s a frog shaped sponge and it works quite well

Whether I am using a straight, a DE or an SE, I follow the same procedure. I fill my sink with warm water and the leave a trickle of water running from the tap. I dip my razor into the water without swirling it. If the lather is properly hydrated, it will quickly release from the blade and float to the top in tact. If the lather sticks to the blade and requires swirling, it means that lather needs more water. If the lather disintegrates as soon as you dip the razor, you have added to much water to your lather.

Thus, my method not only safely removes the lather from the razor, but it also tells me if I have properly hydrated my lather to achieve a great shave.

Yes, for me that is also a good way to tell if the lather is just right when shaving with a straight razor and I use cold water. Just enough body to the lather to cling to the blade without immediately sliding off. With a DE/SE I just swirl it in the cold water to get rid of the lather.

Bob

Originally Posted by BobH

Yup, that works but using a damp sponge saves me washing towels.

Bob

Who says that I wash the towels?