Thread: Cold water shave is the best & worst ever

Theory, practice, theory, practice, theory, practice. Nice when they both come together, so comforting.....

Ya know, this really sucks.

After two months of wanting and waiting I finally acquired a scuttle 4 weeks ago... and QUICKLY fell in love with the luxurious sensation of the warm lather it provides.

Then I stumble across this thread... am intrigued by its posts... decide, out of curiosity, to read the little Shaving Made Easy book... try what it recommends -- e.g. DRY the face, rub lather (room temp) into beard, re-lather (still room temp.)... can literally see the hairs standing up attention... and then proceed to shave and get one of the least irritating shaves straight shaves I've had -- totally throwing my beloved scuttle routine for a loop.

I simply can't turn my back on this now. But I'm also not willing to give up warmed scuttle lather yet either.

Am definitely going to have to experiment further to see if astringent (witch hazel, bay rum, etc.) applied before warm lather rub... or perhaps using warm lather on 2nd and 3rd passes only... will yield the same results.

I tried it last night after reading the book and Jimmy's experience. I was surprised with what a good shave I had. It really worked better, however the particular razor I used had been touched up on an Escher for the first time instead of a coti or barber hone so Im not entirely convinced it was the cold water alone. I will try this tomorrow night with another razor to see what the results will yield.

I read the book again and it does make sense. Brittle not soft, yet I have read so many time that it is all about softening the beard, which I now believe is not true.

Heh, who'd have thought that I could change something as adamant as someone who is seasoned in straight blade shaving's daily routine with a simple forum post. ^^

Originally Posted by LuckyCynic

Heh, who'd have thought that I could change something as adamant as someone who is seasoned in straight blade shaving's daily routine with a simple forum post. ^^

Yes, that link really did the trick. I know that beBerlin said he used cold water a few months ago and I've been recommending it since I switched in September but I don't think anyone paid much attention.

Well done.

Originally Posted by Frankenstein

Yes, that link really did the trick. I know that beBerlin said he used cold water a few months ago and I've been recommending it since I switched in September but I don't think anyone paid much attention.

Well done.

If I read that it went in one ear and out the other , figuratively speaking. I wasn't ready to drink the kool aid until I read about it in a pamphlet written in 1905. Another great shave with cold water yesterday. I've found that the final rinse with steamy hot water is nice and certainly works better to get the soap or cream out of the brush.

+1. I wouldnt have 'drank the koolade' either so to speak had I not read that Barber manual from 1905. It was a great shave though. It added 15 bhp to my razor!

I did the cold water thing for a few days.

For me, it did not improve my shave enough for me to stop using hot water.

I tried cold water last night. I'm a newbie, and last night was my first shave with a very sharp razor (hot water wasn't an option, long story) so I have to admit that the razor is probably what made the difference. I can say, though, that the cold water was comfortable and offered no negative qualitites to the shave. I will try it again after getting used to properly honed blades instead of a dull "shave(not)ready." Was one of the best shaves of my life, but I still think that had to do more with the razor than the cold water. Found an awesome balm last night from my friend, and I am picking it up from the dermatoligist today. It was the most incredible balm that I have ever used. I will give anyone who's interested in it all the info they want after I get some more practical experience with it. I don't want to hype something until I'm positive it's worth the hype.

Ok, I feel it's time for me to chime in. I've done this three times now, and I find shaving with cold water has big pluses.
1 The BBS is a lot easier for me to achieve.
2 It has been leaving my face feeling far less dried out after the shave (vs. Hot Water).
3 I feel like I'm not working so much just to maintain a shaving routine. IE, hot towels, constantly whipping lather to prevent it's collapse. etc.

Here's my most recent shave:
Stainless 5/8 Dovo.
C.O. Bigelow Cream w glycerine whipped in a porcelain scuttle, then placed in freezer while I strop.
2.5 - 3 passs BBS results and a damn fine shave.

I don't mind the cold as much as I thought I would. I'll be doing this until some other method catches my eye. Thanks Frankenstein and Jimmy