Thread: Cold water shave is the best & worst ever

Been doing my first pass with hot, then splashing cold water before lather on the rest. For the final touchups Ive been using cold water only with no lather & it seems to be working out rather well.

Originally Posted by thumper15

I finished the couple spots I had trouble with today on my neck with the DE.
Just got the razor from SRD. Dovo 6/8 half hollow
First shave guessed at 30 degree angle, today I flattened it out a tad. First shave was with 5 days of growth, today was two day stubble. As for pressure I'm trying to just let the razor do the work and just guide it. However, I'm so used to using a DE and a small amount of pressure with it that I'm probably applying pressure and not knowing I'm doing it.
I'm going to shave sunday and try cold water maybe if i'm putting too much pressure the cold water will keep the burn from being too bad.

I have a SRD Dovo - good choice for a first Str8 IMHO.

What helped me on the angle was to start with the razor flat and raise the spine up only enough to start shaving. You will be surprised how low an angle can/will shave.

MJC,
I think some of todays burn was let over from the other day when I got the razor and using too much angle then. The two shaves I've had so far honestly isn't much different than when I started shaving with a DE about 21 years ago, just took getting used to. I like the Dovo probably could have went with a 5/8 full hollow but too many conflicting ideas on what's best so I went middle ground on the 6/8 half.

Originally Posted by thumper15

MJC,
I think some of todays burn was let over from the other day when I got the razor and using too much angle then. The two shaves I've had so far honestly isn't much different than when I started shaving with a DE about 21 years ago, just took getting used to. I like the Dovo probably could have went with a 5/8 full hollow but too many conflicting ideas on what's best so I went middle ground on the 6/8 half.

Your experience mirrors mine, and I think many of us. When I started using a DE and wet shaving I was still using Cartridge Level pressure and ended up with razor burn and weepers. Move over to Straights and have mostly the same problems but at least I know what is happening.
Now I'm trying to master a Feather DX Clone with Feather Pro blades and its deja vu....pressure and angle.

Regarding the 5/8 vs. 6/8, half vs. full hollow....same story. It's hard to get on the Merry Go Round when it's spinning so fast and there are so many choices. But you have to start some place. If you had started with a 5/8 anything at some point you would want to try a 6/8 something.

There are so many variables it seems to work best if you limit what you can.
Middle of the road razor styles (5/8-6/8, 1/4 to full hollow)
Easy to work with lather systems. (Proraso in a tube for me and badger brush)
Don't be in a hurry
Use the DE as much as you need to.
Try to keep that edge in top shape.
Skin stretching is key..
Try to limit dramatic changes in razors until you are getting great shaves with the Dovo or something like it.

someone told me when I was getting started to plan on it taking 100 shaves.
This turned out to be true for the most part.
At 25 and 50 I had "breakouts", the most important for me was mastering the chin. This turned out to be more a factor of edge quality and over all handling skills as apposed to some secret trick. Early on you look at these videos and think "no way I could do that"...and then you do.

I knew going into this thing that I'd end up trying different size and grinds it's just part of it. I just got done shaving using cold water but I mixed it up some with prep, figured I didn't have anything to loose. I honed the razor about 50 times but after looking at Lynn's youtube video on stropping I lightened up a tad on holding the strop and applied just a tad more pressure on the razor since I noticed before it just didn't feel right. Prep for the shave I started by cold water and applying noxema and rubbing it in and cold rinse. Next Van der hagen soap and 6 drops of glycerin and rubbing that in, leave that on and then add C.O. Bigelow to that mix and apply and rub in. Let set for a couple minutes and reapply fresh lather and shave, flattened out razor so spine is just off the face, no pressure on razor and it shaved alot better and smoother WTG. Took time reapplied lather as needed. Not taking more than a couple WTG passes and that's it, rinsing off with cold water.

Results, practically NO burn at all. have a couple spots on jawline but not burning just warm feeling. I have not applied anything post shave. So, with this shave it feels like I made some headway. As far as the 100 shave thing I knew I'd be spending about 3 months to learn this but I feel it'll be worth it in the end.

I had a lot of trouble early on with DEs with razor bumps on the chin and burning rash on the cheeks. My main problem was too many passes and too much pressure. Cold water helped. Also, not shaving for 2 to 3 days when it got too bad. Also, I was buying and trying too many razors even in the same shave. So I finally settled in and got it, but still nicked myself on occasion.

For almost 2 months, I've been using straights. I haven't had the same razor burn, but continually get nicks and weepers. Then I try a new razor and get no nicks. The next day I think I've got it and speed up and there come the nicks again. You have to be so aware of what you're doing every moment, but not in an anxious way. I used to be shaking and shaving at the same time. Not good. Neither is drinking coffee beforehand.

Once you feel less tentative about starting that first stroke, it gets much better. Shaving with authority. You can't let the razor know you fear it. MJC is right. Stretching is a prime directive and small almost buffing strokes.

I've been shaving with as DE for 20 some years but I can still nick myself if I get in a hurry. The razor isn't going to do anything to you that you don't make it do. I just recently retired my 1962 gillette adjustable DE my father passed on to me as a teen for a new Merkur, it's alot better and love it but I can still nick myself. The cold shaving today helped with keeping skin cool and better in the end, so as I learn this I'll keep the cold shave till my face and technique improve.

Yet another convert! I tried cold water shaves after reading it could help me improve my shaves on the neck. I don't mind the cold, I actually enjoy the cleanliness it gives the impression of. Soap lathers just as good as with hot water and I don't have complaints on the feel of the blade during the shave either. Mynskin looks and feels so much better once I'm done though! For that reason I have been a straight cold water shaver since I tried it for the first time several months ago. I am lying, I actually tried hot water again this one time, just to remind me how it is, and how it worked after I had acquired more experience with me DE. The skin still marks way more easily, and the redness persists afterward. The skin is dry too... I convinced me anew cold wateris better. Since then, I haven't given hot water a try again, and won't for a long time. Funny how some will refuse to even give it a shot just because it doesn't feel right, while it is free and they will spend lots on the hyped cream of the moment.

Originally Posted by JimmyHAD

I did my second one this morning. What I didn't do today that I did yesterday .... per the instructions in the pamphlet.... was lather and rub it in with the fingers real good and then re-lather. It was good today but better yesterday. I will do the lather rub thing tomorrow for sure. I'm not sure if I'm going to stick with this or not. More experimentation needed before I decide.

I was told by a local barber to lather, hot towel, then lather and shave. Sounds kinda similar. I am gonna try this tomorrow morning. I don't think the cold will bother me as much, but putting my scuttle away ... Ouch

If I decide to become a monk, I shall consider this along with a hair shirt.