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Hot Water On The Blade = Better Shave ?
Years ago in an unsuccessful attempt to learn the art of the straight razor shave I used to ask barbers for tips on how to shave properly. Somewhere along the line I was told to wet the blade with hot water. Hot knife through butter principal. I had more or less forgot about that when I came back to straights over a year ago.
Reading an instruction sheet (see below) that came with a Torrey razor refreshed my memory. Where it says dipping the razor in hot water will add greatly to the comfort of shaving. I also read in a 1906 Gillette razor pamphlet that,"It is helpful to rinse your razor in hot water frequently during shaving." Of course this is referring to the DE so the rinsing is undoubtedly suggested to clear the apparatus of lather and whiskers accumulated but why with hot water when cold would be just as effective for that purpose ?
Anyhow, I started holding my blade under the tap, with the hot water running, immediately before making my first pass and when rinsing the lather off while shaving. My impression is that this gives me a better shave. It may be the power of suggestion or the hot knife through butter principal may be working here. One thing for sure is that I can feel the heat from the blade on my face when I touch it to my cheek. BTW, my hot tap water at maximum can be run over my hands and splashed onto my face without discomfort and the blade is only warm.
If you haven't tried the hot water on the blade please do and comment on your results. I would like to know if other straight razor shavers feel any perceptible difference in the smoothness of their shave from a bit of heat on the blade ? Of course if you have been doing this all along and it is giving you a better shave let us know or if OTOH you tried it and it wasn't doing anything for you. TIA.