Billy Hukin lathering technique

[blade08]

I guess this must have been shared before but I couldn't really find it. There's an amazing video on YT showing among other things, the late Sheffield razor grinder Billy Hukin making lather.

I was intrigued by his technique. He just drags his very wet brush over a piece of soap a few times and that's it. No loading and then building a lather. No bowls or scuttles. Nothing. (Starts at about 11:10)

Enjoy.

Billy Hukin making lather

 

[ZeelandsRoem]

You can shave with a watery lather as well, it doesn't have to be super dense and in a thick layer.

You will even hear some straight razor users saying a more wet lather is beneficial. Some old timers didn't even use a brush, only massaged the soap bar with their fingers and then massaged the skin for a few seconds. That provided them enough lubrication.

Others were shaving with water only. Maybe that's where the saying "water and straight" comes from. Even nowadays, some barbers use only water. Some do one or two passes with soap and then finish with one pass or touch-ups with water only. Cutting down the soap concentration does help in achieving a closer shave.

In the video you shared, the soap/lather he applied is enough to provide the necessary slickness for a one pass shave.

Back then, common folks were not spending a lot of time on shaving. They were not collecting soaps, after shaves, brushes, stones and razors. The idea was to get things done.

In the end, there are many ways to do it and each one has different preferences.

 

[Wgg2017]

That was impressive! He shaved with a straight as casually as I used to shave with a cart. How did he not cut himself to pieces? I sure would have.

 

[ZeelandsRoem]

That was impressive! He shaved with a straight as casually as I used to shave with a cart. How did he not cut himself to pieces? I sure would have.

In general, people have an unnecessary fear of straight razors. There is a strong misconception of straight razors being so dangerous and cutting throats and skin, some even amplified/perpetuated/based on movies.

Truth is, with common sense and with a bit of practice, they are safe (otherwise why would someone risk using them?). Some even shave with very sharp kitchen knives. I do not consider a straight razor being safer or more dangerous than a DE. A DE only provides the false perception of being safer, but there are many scenarios where it can cause injuries if they are not used with care and common sense: applying too much pressure, doing a slicing stroke, unwrapping the blade, installing the blade, cleaning the blade, handles are often kind of slippery. A cart can also cut the finger tips or the face if it's being misused.

Using knives in the kitchen can also be dangerous. However, by paying some attention and using common sense, most people do not have issues.

 

[blade08]

Curious if any other members over here on B&B have a similar way of lathering. Love to read those stories.

 

[BigJ]

You can shave with a watery lather as well, it doesn't have to be super dense and in a thick layer.

You will even hear some straight razor users saying a more wet lather is beneficial. Some old timers didn't even use a brush, only massaged the soap bar with their fingers and then massaged the skin for a few seconds. That provided them enough lubrication.

Others were shaving with water only. Maybe that's where the saying "water and straight" comes from. Even nowadays, some barbers use only water. Some do one or two passes with soap and then finish with one pass or touch-ups with water only. Cutting down the soap concentration does help in achieving a closer shave.

In the video you shared, the soap/lather he applied is enough to provide the necessary slickness for a one pass shave.

Back then, common folks were not spending a lot of time on shaving. They were not collecting soaps, after shaves, brushes, stones and razors. The idea was to get things done.

In the end, there are many ways to do it and each one has different preferences.

+1! I prefer a ‘slick’ lather containing lots of water to the thick ‘yogurt’ often shown in photos!!

 

[dotKomo]

I've seen this video before. I'm sure this routine was very common given the time and place.

 

[NorthernSoul]

Curious if any other members over here on B&B have a similar way of lathering. Love to read those stories.

He's just doing a very basic type of face lathering. In older times, many people did something fairly similar just using ordinary hand soap with a very thin lather. Maybe they used inexpensive mug soap like Williams. The idea is to create slickness, not try and emulate using a shaving cream.

I usually face lather, but using one of several dedicated shaving soaps. I create enough lather for two or three passes, where the lather is stored in the brush. No lather bowl needed. Many people here do more or less similar things.

You might even be able to get away without using a brush. Just rub the soap on your whiskers and lather using your fingertips. You don't need thick clouds of lather really.

 

[kingfisher]

More impressive to me was shaving elderly skin without doing any manual stretching.

As an open blade shaver for the past six years, I can tell you that: a) he had a lot of experience, and b) he had a very keen blade.

 

[Wgg2017]

In general, people have an unnecessary fear of straight razors. There is a strong misconception of straight razors being so dangerous and cutting throats and skin, some even amplified/perpetuated/based on movies.

Truth is, with common sense and with a bit of practice, they are safe (otherwise why would someone risk using them?). Some even shave with very sharp kitchen knives. I do not consider a straight razor being safer or more dangerous than a DE. A DE only provides the false perception of being safer, but there are many scenarios where it can cause injuries if they are not used with care and common sense: applying too much pressure, doing a slicing stroke, unwrapping the blade, installing the blade, cleaning the blade, handles are often kind of slippery. A cart can also cut the finger tips or the face if it's being misused.

Using knives in the kitchen can also be dangerous. However, by paying some attention and using common sense, most people do not have issues.

I don’t fear straights, but I can definitely say the worst cut I ever got was from a Feather straight, and I’m not even sure how it happened. I had to have been moving the razor horizontally, at least a little bit, because it was more of a slice than a cut. Pretty nasty, closer to needing stitches than the typical cuts and nicks seen from DE razors. It really surprised me because I thought I was shaving the same way I always had with the Feather, but clearly I did something wrong.