How many finish with a water pass?

I'm going to try this this week. i've used it off and on.

Do you do a steam towel before the water pass as some barber manuals suggest?

Just curious.

I have experimented with this but generally I gave it up. It does help get every last hair but I felt that it caused more burn than missing it out.
Haven't tried hot towels as I have never had the time to organise one!

I do. No hot towel. I do a WTG pass, then splash on some warm water and do the ATG pass.


James.

I don't do my last pass with just water, but I do add a bit of water to my lather and re-mix it in order to thin it out.

Not sure I completely understand the question.

My shave:
1. wash face with hot water and face cleansing soap. Rinse with hot water.
2. build lather on face with badger, shaving soap and hot water.
3. stropping session
4. rework lather with more soap and more hot water.
5. shave WTG, actually North to South.
6. rinse with hot water. Brush on a coat of lathery water with the badger.
7. shave ATG, according to growth direction.
8. rinse with cold water.
9. rub alum block over wet face.
10. tap dry with towel.
11. (occasionally) put on aftershave balm.

Bart.

I use cream instead of soap, my skin is usually slick enough to do a water only pass ATG. If I'm using soap I need to lather again. Water only is good for touch ups always.

X

I try different variants of blade buffing.

Sometimes water only (I usually get lazy and don't keep enough on there to provide glide and end up getting some burn)

Most often I apply a coat of shave oil, which works great for a last pass.

And as of late, I alos apply a very light, watery lather on top of the shave oil.


Get them whiskers! Every last holdout!

I sometimes do a water pass after a single pass.

More accurately: I do it during the first pass in localized areas if I want a closer shave. I don't do it all the time, or even over the entire face; it's a mood thing. I did exactly the same when I used a DE.

What xman said, though I only use soap.

I was going to say, "I use a hot butter pass," but I figured that would be too much of a smart ass comment, but actually, no, I don't use a hot water pass as I have soap left in the scuttle if I need a touch up.

I do two passes with a mixture of soap/cream in a thick moist lather. I love my brushes and my soap & cream. The main reason I always do a second pass is so that I get to lather again after the rinse. I like to use my brush and lather so much that I probably would do a third pass but I get irritation with a third pass and have to be satisfied with two. :shrug: I imagine that I would get irritation with a water only pass but again, I love the lather so much I will never know.