Thread: Cold shaving

Originally Posted by errnest

Ok I"m doing a week of camping starting this week and my usual hot shaving might be difficult and I remeber hearing people rant about cold water shaving so whats the technique for this cold water shaving? I have to use bottled water for the lather because the water there has so much iron it literaly turns brown when you leave it sitting out.

Going by the 1905 pamphlet that got me started, lather with your water at whatever the temp is. Rub the lather in thoroughly with your fingertips. Reapply lather. Shave. Rinse. Simple as that. A/S of choice. Been doing that non stop for months now and no turning back. YMMV.

The water rusts? where is that? and come to think of it why isnt it already brown? Happy camping

Down here in FL if people are using well water there are deposits that turn exterior walls of the house brown if the sprinklers hit it. The porcelain in the bathroom too. They forced everyone around here to hook up to city water at the home owner's expense 10 years or so ago. Big brother.

Originally Posted by kevint

The water rusts? where is that? and come to think of it why isnt it already brown? Happy camping

It's coopers lake campground in slippery rock PA, they say it's safe to drink but we usually don't trust them and get massive amounts of bottled water to drink and cook with. The best part is when your "tan" washes off after you leave site.

so wait.. no one is saying the water has to be freezing? you can get by with luke water or whatever temp it is? i think i like that idea better.

Originally Posted by vthomlinson

so wait.. no one is saying the water has to be freezing? you can get by with luke water or whatever temp it is? i think i like that idea better.

Exactly. Cold in the sense of what comes out of the faucet at room temperature.

I've been cold-water shaving (as noted, "cold" meaning as it comes from the cold-water tap) for a few weeks now. No problems, in fact I like it better -- seems to leave my face feeling better.

Now bear in mind that it's summer in the Midwest, which differs from hell mainly in having higher humidity. We'll see how it is in four or five months.

~Rich

Yeah, I wouldn't say freezing water, but I turn the knob all the way to the right and use whatever is coming out of the faucet. It's usually pretty cold, more so in the winter.

I don't go exactly by the pamphlet: I skip the finger massage part. Basically, I just do what I've always done except I use cold water instead. I can shave at night without a shower or hot towels since they aren't required, which is much more convenient for me. And on a hot day the cold water feels really nice.

Do we have another convert?

Originally Posted by BingoBango

I don't go exactly by the pamphlet: I skip the finger massage part.

Forty or so years ago I got my first barber shop shave. The barber gave me the hot towel and one heck of a finger massage of lather. I don't remember which was first but I was surprised at how vigorously he massaged the lather into the whiskers. So much so that I asked him about it. He said that it helped to prepare them for the shave. I personally think it is an important step since it is the only prep I do now. Working very well for this old guy.

i rinse my blade with cooler water anyway.. i've noticed that if i rinse with water that is too hot my razor will practically burn my face when i go to make the next pass.... especially with my de..

also.. i was thinking about combining this with the robeson bayrum prep method.. when you rinse the lather off.. apply bayrum and then re-lather.. do you normally rinse after the fingering and before the relathering?