Traditional Hot Prep vs. Cold Shaving?

Hi folks. First post, although I've been lurking and using a straight for a good 12 months. I've been absorbing the wealth of info to be found here. So I'll start by saying thanks for that and also thanks to Lynn for his superb DVD.

To the point (sorry if this has been covered before)...

There was recently a post about lather drying out due to preparing it at a high temperature. Of course it was suggested that a lower temperature be used to avoid this. Anyway, I tried it completely cold and apart from the lather not drying out I also found I was getting a much closer and more comfortable shave. Although I was getting comfortable shaves with hot prep, one pass cold was giving surprisingly close shaves. Two passes with the grain cold is giving me the closest shaves ever. I don't even have to think about going against the grain. You can feel a big difference when you apply the alum block too. I get similar results with a double edge, so I'm happy that my straight is in great shape.

I'm not saying one is better than the other, just relating my experience. I'd certainly suggest that anyone at least give it a try and see if it works for you. Obviously everyone's combination of skin type and hair growth are going to vary but it would be interesting to hear how your experiences with hot vs cold stack up.

I have had the problem of lather breaking down because it was to hot, these day i soak my brush in hot water, make my lather and apply it. by the time I'm ready to lather its basically cold, A good way around this is by using hot towels. I find that cold lather doesn't work as good.

Oddly enough, I agree with you on cold prep. I found this out accidentally on a hot day when I didn't feel like using hot water. So I experimented by using cold water for everything: making lather, rinsing the blade, rinsing my face and final touch-up pass. It worked great! I think it might have something to do with the fact that the whiskers are soft, yet the pores of the skin are still closed and protected. In fact, when I use hot towels, hot lather and hot water to rinse, I get more irritation and am more prone to nicking. However, I still like using WARM lather on my face, but I still use only cold water for rinsing the blade, rinsing my face and final touch-up. An unintended, yet welcomed bonus is that I'm not using any energy to heat up the water, thus doing my very small part to reduce global warming.

There are a lot of experienced straight razor users who are members of this website who share very good information and advice about the actual shaving process, but you have to wade through all of the information, then use trial and error to pick out all the bits and pieces that are best suited to your face, beard type, etc. It took me about six months of experimentation to transition from the enthusiastic newness of "straight razor shaving" to the comfortable daily routine of just "shaving" (but with a straight razor), if that makes any sense. Now, after a full year of using a straight, I can't imagine shaving any other way.

BOTTOM LINE: When it comes to shaving with the bare blade, do what works best for YOU.

When I use the green Prorasso shaving soap the water has to be hot otherwise I get bad lather...

About preparation, I turn on the water as hot as possible and use my brush to wash my face before lathering. I just bend my head over the sink, and squeeze the brush with hot water against my face, filling the brush with hot water when necessary. That way I can apply water that is a lot more hot since the water is not in contact with my hands.

Martin

Jpritch,

Good post! I have heard those with sensitive skin often prefer cold water. I use neither hot nor cold most days. I shoot for skin temperture to limit the skin reaction. The thought of using actual cold water doesn't appeal to me at all.

This morning I used cold water to make a lather and rinsed the razor under the cold tap. Result: Smoothest shave in a long time. I'll be doing this again.

The importance of hot water for me is just beard prep. After that warm at best is fine.
As long as my beard's hydrated and soft.

Hmmm. I'm going to have to give this a try now... I have had good results from using cold water to do a water-only touch-up pass, but I hadn't thought about trying it elsewhere in the shave...

I'm definitely in the sensitive skin category, so it's worth a shot. :)

Josh

I found putting a few drops of pre-shave oil in the bowl where I make my hot lather. I then apply and then prep my blade. My lather bowl is sitting in the sink with hot water that is heating up my scuttle. After stropping I re-lather and transfer my brush to the scuttle. The rich, thick and hot lather stays very wet and I get a much better shave then cool lather. But that's what I've discovered.
:nj

While hot water prep is nice I've found I get considerably more nicks and bleeding than with room temperature water. IMO it's more important to have a sharp shave ready blade than to have hot water.

As I shave in the morning before work I don't have much time for fancy lathering and heating. I usually just drop my brush and cloth into the sink fill it with hot water and take my shower. I then get out grab brush and either work the soap in my mug slop it on and then take a raor to it. It works very well for me. In the past on a weekend I would put very hot water in my scuttle and soak the brush in there and get very hot soap lather on my face ok but not worth the trouble on a daily basis.

I tried the cold shave today and had a close irritation free shave. To each his own and maybe it's my newbieness, but I'll continue using cold H2O for a while. Thanks!

I tried it this morning and noticed no difference - perhaps a slight bit more irritation. So this lil'shaver will stick with hot.

Very interesting. I am in the sensitive skin category and do agree that too hot prep (towel, etc.) may have an adverse effect on the skin - making it too gentle. However, warm lather seems to soften beard more. So it's a balance thing.

Anyway - I will be trying the cold prep. I can see how the closed pores and tighter (vs. relaxed warm) skin may feel more comfortable, given that the beard is soaked well and the blade is sharp enough

Thanks for sharing
Ivo

EDIT: Just remembered: from B&B - it seems that hot water is one of the factors in breaking down hair folicule structure, adverse effect on hair, good for shaving. It's easy to accept that the same effect holds for skin - heat bad for skin; however now this is aslo bad for the shaver as irritation may be easier to cause in this state

Hot water that is too hot can end with a case of redness and irritation. Your face can tolerate a hotter temperature than your hands. IMO, if the water is too hot to splash on with your hands, then it is too hot to shave with. If the cold water works for you, great. I'll stick with my hot water, Moss Scuttle warmed lather and a shave that works for me. And that is really what it is all about. Do what works for you.

RT

I use cold water, but i like to lather up and leave it on for a few minutes before shaving to hydrate the whiskers. Works well for me.

Well I did things a little different today and not for the sake of experimenting. I soaked my brush (boar) in hot water while I had a shower but then I didn't feel like shaving right at that moment so left it. When I decided I would shave, the water had gone cold and when mixed with lather was just like whisking egg whites for a meringue, beautiful and best lather I have made yet. Not sure if it was coz of the cold water or I am just improving my technique but either way it was a great lather.

I still did the hot towel method coz its autumn now so I am too chicken to do a cold shave. Plus to me if you have a cold shave right and the pores are closed, won't that make the hairs retract in a little, thus making you get a BBS shave but then when your face warms up and relaxed a bit the hairs will pop out a again making you look like you shaved with a cartridge?
Thats just my theory anyways.

I gave this a try at it appears that there is something to this cold shave thing.
Sure hot lather may feel more luxurious, but for a week now I've been using cold lather and my shaves are much nicer. They're smoother with less irritation.
And I've grown to really like the feel of a cold brush on my face.

I think as far as pre-shave prep goes, hot water is the way to go (for all the reasons stated by others above), but for the actual shave, I don't think I'll go back to hot brush and hot lather.

Thanks jpritch for sharing your observation.