Thread: Cold water shave is the best & worst ever

I've cold shaved using my DE but I just got a str8 and two shaves in I'm getting some serious razor burn. I know it'll take awhile to get used to a str8 and my angles might be off some in places but I'm thinking cold water might help. My problem is real tough hair and real sensitive skin.

Originally Posted by thumper15

I've cold shaved using my DE but I just got a str8 and two shaves in I'm getting some serious razor burn. I know it'll take awhile to get used to a str8 and my angles might be off some in places but I'm thinking cold water might help. My problem is real tough hair and real sensitive skin.

While you're in the beginning stages of learning straight razor shaving it is not cheating to grab the DE to get the tougher areas. I did that my first month or so while I learned technique with the straight.

Originally Posted by thumper15

I've cold shaved using my DE but I just got a str8 and two shaves in I'm getting some serious razor burn. I know it'll take awhile to get used to a str8 and my angles might be off some in places but I'm thinking cold water might help. My problem is real tough hair and real sensitive skin.

+1 to Jimmy's comments and the usual "new to Str8" Questions:
a. did you get a "shave ready" razor honed by a pro?
b. angle and pressure kept low? (this was hard for me to get a handle on...keeping the pressure low and going for beard reduction passes)

Soon you will be wondering what the problem was...

Good shaving..

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.

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.

Which page does it talk about cold water shaving. I can't find it. Also to sum up. Essentially use hot water to soften the beard, finish with cold water on the face, soak the brush in cold water, lather with cold, etc. Or do you soften the beard with cold water as well? Or just skip the softening?