Thread: Hot Water On The Blade = Better Shave ?

I use warm water in the winter and cold in the summer.

For me it is just a comfort issue and don't believe it affects the sharpness or smoothness of the shave.

I also often wipe the lather off on my finger when test shaving to see if there is a less sharp area of the blade. The temperature of the blade is always secondary to the sharpness off it.

There have been a few threads in the past on this topic. The most interesting one IMO speculated about the physics of metal with temperature. Some claimed hot water would make the edge sharper as the metal expanded, others argued that logic would mean cold water would lead to a sharper edge since it would contract and make it 'thinner'.

http://straightrazorpalace.com/shavi...6-rinsing.html

All good natured conjecture of course, but I'm not convinced it makes a blind bit of difference. We're creatures of habit, and I'm sure most of us use hot water because that's what we've always done. And there are so many variables to a good shave that I don't buy into the idea that blade temperature over a relatively small range makes any discernible difference.

I used to use hot water, but now I rinse in cold -- I've noticed no difference to my shaves as a result. My sometimes crappy jobs at honing would make any difference cold/hot water makes undetectable anyway!