How do you shave?

[duotone]

Reading an old thread of a shavette diary I described how I usually prepped my face and then shaved while learning to use the shavette. http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php?t=71508&highlight=joels+prep

This got me thinking that there are probably loads of tips/tricks we each use when prepping & shaving without thinking about it.

I wondered if anyone would be willing to write a beginning to end account of their typical day-to-day shave, hopefully so that others (myself included) will see the variety & different methods each individual uses and may try to replicate in order to improve & obtain that ideal shave.

Right I might as well start!

1) boil kettle
2) stand my badger brush in a coffee mug filled with boiling hot water
3) lay face towel folded in half in the sink & cover with boiling hot water, leaving 1 corner dry so that I can pick the towel up without burning myself
4) remove brush from mug and shake out excess water
5) swirl brush in cream
6) lather in a circular motion for 2 minutes onto face & neck
7) remove towel by the dry corner and hold it over the bath to remove excess water and heat, put back into the sink with plug removed and squeeze out excess water, it is now easier to handle the towel as it has lost some heat
8) lay down (I have a spare bed in the room beside my bathroom) and fold the towel in half then lay the centre under my chin and the right hand side of the towel (as i am looking at it while laying down) to my left temple & the left hand side of the towel to my right temple
9) lay for about 1 minute until the towel has lost its heat
10) wipe off excess cream with towel
11) dip brush in boiling water to warm up the lather originally created
12) lather in a circular motion onto face/neck for 2 minutes
13) paint the lather onto face to distribute the lather evenly, the last strokes brushing the beard against its grain in order to leave it lifted & ready to be cut
14) shave
15) re-lather and shave any patchy areas
16) splash with cold water to get rid of any shaving cream
17) put dots of E45 cream around my face & neck
18) lay down on the bed this time using the same method as STEP 9 but with a cold towel (towel just left in the sink filled with cold water)
19) lift the towel off my face & then for 2 minutes massage the dots of E45 cream all over the shaved areas of my face and neck
20) Enjoy a close comfortable shave!

Basically it is a combination of these 2 videos but carried out outside of a barbers in my own home:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vY46z9I90p0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VKeykHvuJH4


Whos next? Remember the more description the better! Even if you think its not important if it goes through your head while shaving write it down as this may really change & hopefully improve someone elses shaves.

 

[mdunn]

1) run hot water, throw in brush and face towel
2) if im using a soap, dribble some water on the top of it
3) strop straight
4) shake brush out
5) load on soap, or from cream
6) hold towel to face, leaning over the sink until towel is cool - repeat 2 or 3 times
7) facelather until ive got some nice lather
8) WTG (wiping straight on face towel draped across the tap)
9) wipe of face with towel
10) reapply lather
11) XTG (wiping straight on face towel draped across the tap)
12) wipe of face with towel
13) reapply lather.
14) ATG (wiping straight on face towel draped across the tap)
15) splash face, rub around lather residue and find any missed spots
16) do a really low angle wtg on any missed spots
17) rinse face towel in cold water
18) hold cold towel to face, rise again and repeat x2
19) rise brush off until no more lather in it
20) shake brush gently a few times, and rub on towel to dry tips
21) sit brush on base to dry
22) rinse straight under cold water, stropping on my palm to remove lather from edge
22) dry straight off on towel, strop a little on towel to dry edge
23) apply aftershave
24) apply balm if needed
25) musk up
27) faceterbate

 

[SRock]

1) run hot water, throw in brush and face towel
2) if im using a soap, dribble some water on the top of it
3) strop straight
4) shake brush out
5) load on soap, or from cream
6) hold towel to face, leaning over the sink until towel is cool - repeat 2 or 3 times
7) facelather until ive got some nice lather
8) WTG (wiping straight on face towel draped across the tap)
9) wipe of face with towel
10) reapply lather
11) XTG (wiping straight on face towel draped across the tap)
12) wipe of face with towel
13) reapply lather.
14) ATG (wiping straight on face towel draped across the tap)
15) splash face, rub around lather residue and find any missed spots
16) do a really low angle wtg on any missed spots
17) rinse face towel in cold water
18) hold cold towel to face, rise again and repeat x2
19) rise brush off until no more lather in it
20) shake brush gently a few times, and rub on towel to dry tips
21) sit brush on base to dry
22) rinse straight under cold water, stropping on my palm to remove lather from edge
22) dry straight off on towel, strop a little on towel to dry edge
23) apply aftershave
24) apply balm if needed
25) musk up
27) faceterbate

+1, you can't forget the value of faceterbating daily!

 

[mdunn]

+1, you can't forget the value of faceterbating daily!

no, or step 28) shave palms

 

[kingfisher]

I keep simplifying and simplifying. I don't even soak my brush anymore.

Here's my current daily routine.

1) Shower. Wash fash with gentle cleanser while in shower.
2) Dry off but not the face.
3) rinse brush under running water
4) load brush with soap or cream
5) build lather on left hand
6) apply half-built lather to face so it sits on the beard while I am still building my lather
7) lather face
8) WTG
9)Rinse, reapply lather
10) XTG
11) Rinse, squeeze lather out of brush
12) Touch-up
13) Rinse with warm water, then cold
14) pat dry
15) apply aftershave

Total time, about 10-13 minutes, including lather building.


My shaves are every bit as good and as comfortable as they were when I was spending twice as much time, doing towel prep, etc.

 

[markb]

Pre shower

1. Place brush in hot water to soak

After shower

1. Replace water for brush
2. Place hot water on soap
3. Re-wet face
4. Apply Proraso Pre-shave cream
5. Rinse hands and fill sink
6. Place brush in sink
7. Pour out water on soap
8. Load brush
9. Build lather on face adding water as needed
10. Pass 1 - WTG
11. Rinse face
12. Re-lather
13. Pass 2 - XTG
14. Rinse face
15. Re-apply Proraso pre
16. Re-lather
17. Pass 3 - ATG
18. Rinse & towel dry brush
19. Rinse face (warm water)
20. Rinse face (cool water)
21. Pat face dry
22. Apply after shave
23. Faceturbate

 

[cfriend]

1. Fill sink with hot water
2. Throw brush (and sc tube if using Tom's) in sink
3. Hot water on soap, if using soap
4. Throw washcloth in sink
5. Shower, was face three times a week with clubman scrub
6. Out of shower, dry off
7. Wet face, apply preshave if I'm using one
8. Brush hair
9. Lather up (bowl or face)
10. Brush teeth
11. Squeeze some water out of towl, towel on face
12. Start Frank Sintara mix
13. Kyles Prep
14. Relather
15. WTG
16. XTG
17. XTG
18. Buff and touchup
19. Hot rinse
20. Thayer's WH splash
21. Wet palms, choose aftershave, apply
22. Air dry
23. Balm if nescesarry
24. Apply for SWMBO approval
25. Go to work

 

[xbostonirishx]

1. Grab two face cloths.
2. Run cold water over one of the face cloths, then put it in the freezer.
3. Fill up my ghetto scuttle with warm water.
4. Fill up brush mug with hot water.
5. Throw Scuttle into microwave for three and a half minutes.
6. Shower.
7.Get out of shower, and dry off except for face.
8.grab scuttle.
9. get the tap water good and hot.
10. dump out brush mug and refill it with the hot water form the top part of my scuttle.
11. Soak my brush for about thirty seconds.
12. Get face cloth wet and hot.
13. Wet face.
14. Squeeze out brush.
15. Make a lather
16. Place brush in scuttle between passes.
17. (Kyles Prep) Applying lather once, and contunousley wetting towel to keep it warm for two, to three minutes.
18. rinse face, and re-lather.
19. WTG, then rinse
20. Relather, XTG, then rinse.
21. Relather, XTG, then rinse.
22. Touch up.
23. Warm rinse.
24. Retrieve the now semi frozen face cloth from the freezer
25. Apply the semi frozen, wet face cloth to my face, and *sigh*
26. Pat face dry
27. Apply witch hazel. about 50% of the time.
28. Clean up sink area.
29. Apply After shave.
30. Apply some talc powder with a boar brush. I do this about 80% of the time.

P.S. Sometimes I skip step 27. And occasionally I forget all about step one, making steps 24, and 25 impossible. Step 25 is one of my favorite part of my regiment. And I never facterbate.

 

[SRock]

no, or step 28) shave palms

 

[duotone]

Thanks for the information all!

i think I will follow some of your leads and shower 1st then shave. I havent done this for ages and may have forgotten how successful this once was, especially as my technique has improved now.

thanks! Will let you knwo how I get on (will likely be tomorrow night)

 

[RBE17]

1) Fill sink hot water
2) Soak brush, shaving bowl and wash cloth
3) Shower
4) Remove bowl and brush
5) Build lather (Proraso is the only thing I'm using at the moment)
6) Apply lather
7) Apply hot wash cloth
8) Remove cloth
9) Rinse cloth
10) Reapply cloth
11) Remove cloth and wipe face
12) Lather
13) Shave WTG
14) Rinse
15) Lather
16) 2nd pass WTG
17) Rinse
18) Lather
19) Shave ATG
20) Rinse
21) Lather
22) Shave XTG
23) Rinse
24) Lather
25) One final pass WTG
26) Rinse hot water
27) Rinse warm water
28) Rinse cold water
29) Clean up
30) Dab face dry
31) Apply GFT Sandalwood Skin Food
32) Admire handiwork
33) Get irritated if not BBS