shaving guide book from 1905.

[Disburden]

This was posted on SRP and I haven't seen it on here yet, this is a very cool book/guide on how to use a straight from 1905. One of the most amazing parts is the explanation that COLD water actually gives you better results since the hair isn't softened to the point of being hard to cut and bending around the razor's edge.

Check it out: http://www.archive.org/details/shavingmadeeasyw0020th


I have been using the cold water method for the past few days and I actually like it, it saves on the water heater also. Another odd note is the grip of the straight, which I feel is a sturdier grip than the normal three finger grip. Also the mention of how one should avoid ATG passes to protect your skin against what most of us do to get close shaves.

 

[mikromicke]

Great! I especially like this:

"On the other hand, most of the safety
razors are difficult to keep clean and dry,
and therefore free from rust; and owing
to the difficulty of stropping them, it is
almost, if not quite impossible to keep
them sharp. It is also difficult to make
the correct stroke with them. Probably
a hundred thousand safety razors have
been sold in the United States within the
past few years and it is extremely doubtful
if ten per cent, of them are now in
use."

 

[Disburden]

Definitely one of the highlights, I wasn't that offended though as I like straights better anyway. I just find it odd that cold water is supposed to be better when all the barber's in the world recommend hot water and warm compresses.

 

[mikromicke]

Yes, that's really interesting. I wonder if the "modern" soaps and creams still contain the "alkali, potash or soda" that he refers to and that would remove the oil to make the hairs brittle

 

[Hawkeye5]

What an entertaining little book. Thanks for posting the link.

 

[luvmysuper]

Definitely one of the highlights, I wasn't that offended though as I like straights better anyway. I just find it odd that cold water is supposed to be better when all the barber's in the world recommend hot water and warm compresses.

Well, it WAS 1905. Not everything old school is better. This was a year before the washing machine was invented, 2 years or so before there was a test to see if you had TB or Syphilis, and 4 years before the discovery that vitamins could prevent diseases like scurvy. There is a slight chance that they may be wrong about a few things.

Texts written a thousand years ago talk about the earth being flat too.

Yes, that's really interesting. I wonder if the "modern" soaps and creams still contain the "alkali, potash or soda" that he refers to and that would remove the oil to make the hairs brittle

Those are chemicals associated with natural soap making. As they move to vegetable based soaps, those actions have shifted to chemical agents added to the soap. There is another thread on here right now about the descrioption of the ingredients in a can of shaving goo. Interesting reading.

 

[Sputnik]

Whoa, what a great post! Do you really feel the difference with cold water? What soaps do you use?

This was posted on SRP and I haven't seen it on here yet, this is a very cool book/guide on how to use a straight from 1905. One of the most amazing parts is the explanation that COLD water actually gives you better results since the hair isn't softened to the point of being hard to cut and bending around the razor's edge.

Check it out: http://www.archive.org/details/shavingmadeeasyw0020th


I have been using the cold water method for the past few days and I actually like it, it saves on the water heater also. Another odd note is the grip of the straight, which I feel is a sturdier grip than the normal three finger grip. Also the mention of how one should avoid ATG passes to protect your skin against what most of us do to get close shaves.

 

[domino]

I been enjoying the cold water shave with Tabac, and Cella for a few weeks now. I find that the cold water does make a difference with my trouble areas. I also get the best results with a boar brush..

 

[Sputnik]

I have both soaps, so I'll try it. However, it makes no sense because the reason to apply HOT water and HOT lather is to saturate hair with liquid as quickly as possible, to make it moist, heavy, and soft. [A shaving scuttle was a great invention for a reason!] Moreover, dry hair is as strong as aluminum and one can't really shave dry hair with a razor comfortably. Cold water will eventually produce saturated hair, but not as quickly as hot water, due to temperature differential. That's exactly why barbers use HOT towels/compresses before shaving to soften your hair and COLD towels/compresses after the shave to close the pores and firm up the skin. Thus, I am truly puzzled as to why cold water would produce better results...

I been enjoying the cold water shave with Tabac, and Cella for a few weeks now. I find that the cold water does make a difference with my trouble areas. I also get the best results with a boar brush..

 

[domino]

I have both soaps, so I'll try it. However, it makes no sense because the reason to apply HOT water and HOT lather is to saturate hair with liquid as quickly as possible, to make it moist, heavy, and soft. [A shaving scuttle was a great invention for a reason!] Moreover, dry hair is as strong as aluminum and one can't really shave dry hair with a razor comfortably. Cold water will eventually produce saturated hair, but not as quickly as hot water, due to temperature differential. That's exactly why barbers use HOT towels/compresses before shaving to soften your hair and COLD towels/compresses after the shave to close the pores and firm up the skin. Thus, I am truly puzzled as to why cold water would produce better results...

I agree with you on all of the above. But, there is something about the cool lather that works for me also. YMMV..What I have noticed is that the lather does not dry out as quickly when made with cold water..

 

[Disburden]

The shaves were fine with cold water, I had zero problems with the results. Warm shaves do feel better, plus if you rinse the blade in cold water the hair and lather stays on the razor. Hmmm, I feel like someone with more experience needs to chime in on why this book would go against all other barber practices we've seen, past and present.

 

[Sputnik]

Thanks for the feedback! The lather evaporation point is the one that makes sense. Plus, slickness is also a factor here. I'll definitely try it.

I agree with you on all of the above. But, there is something about the cool lather that works for me also. YMMV..What I have noticed is that the lather does not dry out as quickly when made with cold water..

 

[Sputnik]

My major issue is the fact that one-handed shaving technique is advised. Regardless, it is a great read! Thank you again!

The shaves were fine with cold water, I had zero problems with the results. Warm shaves do feel better, plus if you rinse the blade in cold water the hair and lather stays on the razor. Hmmm, I feel like someone with more experience needs to chime in on why this book would go against all other barber practices we've seen, past and present.

 

[domino]

What I do is wash my face with regular hand soap using warm water, rinse, towel dry. I then use the cold water to lather up, massage it in with my fingers about 2 minutes, do not rinse. Then I re-lather and proceed with shave. So far I like the results.

 

[Sputnik]

Here is what I do, after shower: Put a brush in a scuttle with hot water and let it soak while I put a hot towel on my face to make my skin even more moist. Takes me about a minute. Then I start face-lathering, which takes me about two minutes to produce quality lather. Then I shave. I keep the brush in a scuttle to make sure the lather is hot. I usually do three passes to get BBS: WTG, XTG, and ATG. I re-lather between passes. Then I wash my face with cold water or rub it with an ice puck to firm my skin up. [The "ice puck" tip I picked up from an old guy in Norway.] Anyway, I'll try lathering with cold water tomorrow to see how it feels. Gotta be open-minded!

What I do is wash my face with regular hand soap using warm water, rinse, towel dry. I then use the cold water to lather up, massage it in with my fingers about 2 minutes, do not rinse. Then I re-lather and proceed with shave. So far I like the results.

 

[thanks]

Anyone else find it super weird that they're saying the very edge of a razor should resemble a saw?

 

[bluefoxicy]

Anyone else find it super weird that they're saying the very edge of a razor should resemble a saw?

It does if honed on a lower grit hone. Even worse on a really low grit hone.

Look at Seraphim's pics of the factory-fresh Gold Dollar, he estimated they were honed on a 220 grit wheel. Doesn't look like a saw... looks more like hell. Throw that up to 400 and it'll probably start looking like a saw. Even his final edges have little flanges here and there at the edge; it's not an absolutely straight, smooth blade edge. They're not spike teeth, but they're there.

At some point they cease to be saw teeth.

 

[Amer]

The hair gets soft from the saturation of water, etc.

By using cold water before shaving the skin tightens up and the hairs stand up straighter.

That's my theory anyway. When using an electric shaver I always used to wash my face with cold water before hand and I would get a much better shave with it than if I used warm water.

However, trying it with traditional shaving, I found it to not be worth the discomfort of cold water. Plus, as stated, I find it harder to clean the razor with cold water.

 

[honed]

Very interesting stuff!
Thanks for sharing

 

[Sputnik]

Just to report, tried it with Tabac this morning. Cold lather felt... ummm... weird. So, the overall shave was not as comfortable as I used to, but not as bad as I expected. That said, now I know that if I ever need to shave with cold water, it is absolutely doable.

What I do is wash my face with regular hand soap using warm water, rinse, towel dry. I then use the cold water to lather up, massage it in with my fingers about 2 minutes, do not rinse. Then I re-lather and proceed with shave. So far I like the results.