Thread: Article on shaving, from Catalog of cutlery 1800.

Actually two small article on shaving from Mechi's catalog of cutlery 1800.

Wonderful read. So face lathering is recommended by the author, which is how I do it.

Another advocate of the cold water shave. One thing I don't quite "get" is his suggestion to "always putting your shaving brush away with the lather on it " ....... What is that about ? I was a face latherer early on but I went to the bowl because I simply make better lather. However, not being closed minded, I will give the face lathering another try for awhile. Thanks for keeping the interesting material coming Martin.

I read a lot of old articles about shaving and barbers manual, and leaving lather on the brush is an new one for me as well as to why idk?

Originally Posted by Martin103

I read a lot of old articles about shaving and barbers manual, and leaving lather on the brush is an new one for me as well as to why idk?

Waste not want not ?

Face lather and cold water...it's working me. I'd rather spend a minute or two lathering on the face than in the bowl.

Originally Posted by ZeroCool

Face lather and cold water...it's working me. I'd rather spend a minute or two lathering on the face than in the bowl.

I'm going to try the face lathering again for a week to give it a fair chance. I've been doing cold water for a long time now and I don't see myself going back to hot.

Hmmm. Does cold water soften the beard as well as hot? I believe the reasoning in terms of the skin, but most prefer the hot towel and/or shaving after a hot shower. I've also read elsewhere that shaving too soon after waking doesn't allow the swelling in the face to subside, resulting in a less-close shave and an earlier stubble. Do most straight-razor shavers shave at night or in the morning? After a hot shower or earlier with cold water?

Originally Posted by Furcifer

Hmmm. Does cold water soften the beard as well as hot? I believe the reasoning in terms of the skin, but most prefer the hot towel and/or shaving after a hot shower. I've also read elsewhere that shaving too soon after waking doesn't allow the swelling in the face to subside, resulting in a less-close shave and an earlier stubble. Do most straight-razor shavers shave at night or in the morning? After a hot shower or earlier with cold water?

Lot of good info in this thread here on the cold water shave. I've been having real good shaves with that technique for going on 2 years. In the first post you'll see the link to the 1906 book that started me on it.

My brother is a convert to the cold water shave. I'm addicted to my hot water, but I think I'll have to give cold a try now.