Dry Shaving

Sounds horrible, right? Actually, I've found out that it can work. A while ago I noticed a spot I had missed on my second pass when I was about to head out the door. Instead of lathering up again, I took the dry blade to my dry skin. Afterwards I put balm on and away I went. I expected some bumps, but none came. So, a while later (on a weekend so that if something went wrong I wouldn't have to be out and about), I tried shaving dry. Thing is, it actually worked really well. Probably among the closest shaves I've ever had and I didn't get any bumps or nicks. I also do this now on the back of my neck between haircuts and have yet to have any problems.

The trick is to make sure nothing's damp. If it's damp, it'll catch. But if everything's bone dry the blade should glide along fine. I'm saying I recommend it; shaving with lather is entirely preferable. I'm just saying it's apparently possible and the results are surprisingly good.

I prefer cold or room temp water to dry, but whatever floats your boat.

interesting.. I find dry touch ups work very very well, but i wouldn't go full shave

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Originally Posted by GaiusValeriusPulcher

Sounds horrible, right? Actually, I've found out that it can work. A while ago I noticed a spot I had missed on my second pass when I was about to head out the door. Instead of lathering up again, I took the dry blade to my dry skin. Afterwards I put balm on and away I went. I expected some bumps, but none came. So, a while later (on a weekend so that if something went wrong I wouldn't have to be out and about), I tried shaving dry. Thing is, it actually worked really well. Probably among the closest shaves I've ever had and I didn't get any bumps or nicks. I also do this now on the back of my neck between haircuts and have yet to have any problems.

The trick is to make sure nothing's damp. If it's damp, it'll catch. But if everything's bone dry the blade should glide along fine. I'm saying I recommend it; shaving with lather is entirely preferable. I'm just saying it's apparently possible and the results are surprisingly good.

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No comment.

Definitely not my experience....

My beard is way to rough for that! Makes me cringe!

No dry shaving for this guy, either. You should also keep in mind that shaving dry is extremely hard on a razor's edge.....

I've had some success with small dry touch-ups, and I'm a fan of minimal prep, but I don't think I want to eliminate prep altogether.

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Originally Posted by Ryan82

No dry shaving for this guy, either. You should also keep in mind that shaving dry is extremely hard on a razor's edge.....

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Huh, didn't know that about the edge. I'm not suggesting we all start dry shaving, just sharing an experience.

Although, I do regularly get the back of my neck dry ever since my trimmer broke. Still, blade's sharp as ever.

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Originally Posted by GaiusValeriusPulcher

Although, I do regularly get the back of my neck dry ever since my trimmer broke. Still, blade's sharp as ever.

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I'm going to make an assumption here (I'm assuming that the hair on the back of your neck is like the hair on the backs of the necks of most people I who's back of the neck hair I have seen), but the hair on the back of your neck is MUCH finer than the hair on your face. (There is also probably less of it, and you probably shave it less often than your face.)

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Originally Posted by holli4pirating

I'm going to make an assumption here (I'm assuming that the hair on the back of your neck is like the hair on the backs of the necks of most people I who's back of the neck hair I have seen), but the hair on the back of your neck is MUCH finer than the hair on your face. (There is also probably less of it, and you probably shave it less often than your face.)

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True 'nuff

I realize you are not "selling" dry shaving as the next best thing ou there. My only input would that I think everyone has different hair.. I can shave the back of my neck with a dry blade, but if I try that on my chin I get major burn. My face is like the seasons, the fauna changes as you move around it...up high on the cheeks it is spring ting time with fresh easy to cut hair, on the neck it is dryer sparse summer hair...chin and mustache...well my friend, it is snowing there now...

Touch-ups, Yes. Whole shave, not recomended for most guys, but if you can get away with it that's OK...

I supose when you do lather up your brush is made from steel wool right?

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Originally Posted by ShaveShack

Touch-ups, Yes. Whole shave, not recomended for most guys, but if you can get away with it that's OK...

I supose when you do lather up your brush is made from steel wool right?

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Yep, and my razor's actually a butter knife lol

The only experience I have with dry shaving is I might take a freshly honed blade to my jawline just to see if it cuts like it should off the ones. At those instances I don't shave more than a few millimetres, probably no more than 3/8 or something, and feel with my finger if there is any stubble left where the blade shaved. That's wtg, one pass, no touchup, in a very small area. Even this little practice leaves me feeling a little dry.

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Originally Posted by Ryan82

You should also keep in mind that shaving dry is extremely hard on a razor's edge.....

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What is your reasoning behind this? I suppose one could say that the softening of the hair by lather does less damage than a dry hair. But there can't be much difference between the two I wouldn't think. Any elucidation?

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Originally Posted by adbuett

What is your reasoning behind this? I suppose one could say that the softening of the hair by lather does less damage than a dry hair. But there can't be much difference between the two I wouldn't think. Any elucidation?

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The long answer is thus: average beard hairs are actually very tough. It has been measured here before that some mens whiskers are comparable to copper wire, and in some cases even stronger. Lathering will serve 3 purposes - provide glide, skin conditioning and soft whiskers. As we know, soft whiskers are cut with much more ease, thereby reducing stress and wear & tear on a razors cutting edge, which in reality is very fragile.

And what is the short answer you may ask? Take a look at a microscope pic of a razors edge damaged by the cutting of coarse, dry whiskers :) ;)

I would suppose then, if this explanation holds true, that cold water shaving is harder on an edge than hot water shaving? From what I understand cold water is making hair more "brittle", thus allowing the edge to bite into it easier.

I think though that edges are a lot tougher than some people give them credit for. You're going to have to do something serious to really hurt an edge to the point where stropping or a quick couple laps on a barber's hone wont make the edge right again.

If I'm not mistaken , during beard prep , washing with soap , and water removes a protein on the hair , making it easier to cut . Easier to cut = less damage to the edge of the razor . Of course , if you enjoy dry shaving , keep at it .

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Originally Posted by adbuett

I would suppose then, if this explanation holds true, that cold water shaving is harder on an edge than hot water shaving? From what I understand cold water is making hair more "brittle", thus allowing the edge to bite into it easier.

I think though that edges are a lot tougher than some people give them credit for. You're going to have to do something serious to really hurt an edge to the point where stropping or a quick couple laps on a barber's hone wont make the edge right again.

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I've looked at my edges under 10X magnification after my shaves and before stropping. I have an average beard, I suppose, but the damage to the edge is clear under 10X. It is surprising, then, that stropping is as efficacious as it is. It seems to repair the damage visibly.

My third touch-up pass is always without lather, but I do use water.

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Originally Posted by adbuett

I would suppose then, if this explanation holds true, that cold water shaving is harder on an edge than hot water shaving? From what I understand cold water is making hair more "brittle", thus allowing the edge to bite into it easier.

I think though that edges are a lot tougher than some people give them credit for. You're going to have to do something serious to really hurt an edge to the point where stropping or a quick couple laps on a barber's hone wont make the edge right again.

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Well, there's many advocates of cold water shaving here, and many theories as to why it works. I'm not sure if it makes whiskers "brittle", but the most common belief is that the cold water makes whiskers stand on end, making them easier to cut. Remember, lather is also being employed, so whisker softening is still happening. And yes, I have tried the 1905 cold water shaving technique, and it works very well. To be fair, I didn't do it long enough to asses its effect on edge longevity.

As for your second point, I think the opposite holds true - too many people think a razors edge is less delicate than it is. Edge damage is happening all the time (some gentlemen with particularly heavy beards are touching up their razors every few shaves because their whiskers are literally tearing the edge up). Of course, stropping and honing will fix any problem, but you would be putting a lot of unnecessary wear and tear on your razor by having to do touchups every couple shaves due to dry shaving and other abuses.

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Originally Posted by adbuett

I would suppose then, if this explanation holds true, that cold water shaving is harder on an edge than hot water shaving? From what I understand cold water is making hair more "brittle", thus allowing the edge to bite into it easier.

I think though that edges are a lot tougher than some people give them credit for. You're going to have to do something serious to really hurt an edge to the point where stropping or a quick couple laps on a barber's hone wont make the edge right again.

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This is assuming though that brittle is the opposite of hard?

From and engineering point of view, i would say whiskers are tough, that is resistance to impact as opposed to hard, which is resistance to deformation. Increasing the brittleness through cold water shave is the same as make the whiskers less "tough", ie it is easier to cut them. although they can remain hard. Although strictly in the case of cold water we should say "makes it easier to fracture them.

So not necssarily more destructive to the edge as it takes a lot less force and effort to effectuvely fracture the hair than to cut it if it were a dry shave.

In the case of warm water shaves, my hypothesis is that through the action of lather, water and heat, you soften the hair, decreasing its hardness thereby increasing its "cleavage" which is its capacity to be cut.

as i said, these are just my hypotheses on the subject

and i may have my terminology wrong, but i know what I'm trying to get at ;) uni was a while ago

Edit: I pretty sure ductility needs a mention in the warm lather shave hypothesis.. Will have a think, goes hand in hand with cleavage anyway, and cleavage maybe an outdated term

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Originally Posted by tekbow

In the case of warm water shaves, my hypothesis is that through the action of lather, water and heat, you soften the hair, decreasing its hardness thereby increasing its "cleavage" which is its capacity to be cut.

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Cleavage is good . I'm all for increasing it .:beer1:

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Originally Posted by dave5225

Cleavage is good . I'm all for increasing it .:beer1:

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dammit.. its 2nd year materials engineering all over again..

Ah, but the lathering is a significant part of the entire shaving experience which adds to the stropping, the shave itself and finally the aftershave and becomes greater than the sum of its parts. I wouldn't enjoy the experience nearly as much without it.

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Originally Posted by leadduck

Ah, but the lathering is a significant part of the entire shaving experience which adds to the stropping, the shave itself and finally the aftershave and becomes greater than the sum of its parts. I wouldn't enjoy the experience nearly as much without it.

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Well said!!!!!

Excellent! Thanks for all the ideas as to what's going on. I'm merely a humble chemist, so unless we're talking about shaving with harsh chemicals, I'm flying by the seat of my solvent soaked pants!

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Originally Posted by leadduck

Ah, but the lathering is a significant part of the entire shaving experience which adds to the stropping, the shave itself and finally the aftershave and becomes greater than the sum of its parts. I wouldn't enjoy the experience nearly as much without it.

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Originally Posted by dave5225

Cleavage is good . I'm all for increasing it .:beer1:

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I fully agree with both of those statements

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Originally Posted by GaiusValeriusPulcher

I fully agree with both of those statements

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As do I.

I will also add nothing to the conversation by saying that dry-shaving makes my poor skin beg for mercy. I haven't tried out cold-water shaving yet, though my curiosity may get the better of me...

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Originally Posted by Ryan82

No dry shaving for this guy, either. You should also keep in mind that shaving dry is extremely hard on a razor's edge.....

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I'm with you on that Ryan82, excellent points!

good lather is half the shave. if you aren't getting much better shaves with lather than without, you either need to work on your shaving technique or you have an unusual beard and face

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Originally Posted by hoglahoo

good lather is half the shave. if you aren't getting much better shaves with lather than without, you either need to work on your shaving technique or you have an unusual beard and face

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I did a lot of reading up on creating a good lather. I take more time with it and it has made a positive difference to my shave to the point where I no longer need a pre-shave oil.

I find my oily skin is never really dry and I am more prone to slices and cuts. Dry spot shaving does work for me though, especially the upper lip.

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Originally Posted by Firefighter2

My third touch-up pass is always without lather, but I do use water.

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My third pass is done that way as well. Really allows me to find any spots that dont want to give up the ghost.

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Originally Posted by GaiusValeriusPulcher

Sounds horrible, right? Actually, I've found out that it can work. A while ago I noticed a spot I had missed on my second pass when I was about to head out the door. Instead of lathering up again, I took the dry blade to my dry skin. Afterwards I put balm on and away I went. I expected some bumps, but none came. So, a while later (on a weekend so that if something went wrong I wouldn't have to be out and about), I tried shaving dry. Thing is, it actually worked really well. Probably among the closest shaves I've ever had and I didn't get any bumps or nicks. I also do this now on the back of my neck between haircuts and have yet to have any problems.

The trick is to make sure nothing's damp. If it's damp, it'll catch. But if everything's bone dry the blade should glide along fine. I'm saying I recommend it; shaving with lather is entirely preferable. I'm just saying it's apparently possible and the results are surprisingly good.

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First I use a beard trimmer to get my facial hair down to stubble. Then I use a straight razor and dry shave. Not only is it a closer shave, but not covering my face with some product helps me see which exact hair I need to shave. It's amazing how accurate you can be when you dry shave. Sometimes I keep a goatee and it's super accurate in terms of helping with the lines. I think sometimes it even looks too perfect how straight you can make the lines. I don't recommend it for everyone, but if you are interested, I would give it a try. Once you enjoy it, it's hard to shave any other way. I also keep some lotion handy, especially if your skin gets irritated easily. Another pro for me is that I find that I cut myself less when I dry shave.

Again, YMMV - your mileage may vary (your experience my vary).

Good luck!

Dry shave with a straight might save some time in a short term, but might not be very beneficial on a longer timescale. My solution to this was to use the EZ-Blade gel by "Jay the barber". Works for touch-ups wonderfully!

Regards,
AG