What Is This Called? What Does It Mean?

[Dzaw]

The best description I could give you is I feel like I have less of a deathgrip on the razor itself, and I am less trying to shave my face, and more trying to shave my whiskers. I just kind of ride the razor along, almost letting it skip if it wants to, except it doesn't want to anymore.

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

The best description I could give you is I feel like I have less of a deathgrip on the razor itself, and I am less trying to shave my face, and more trying to shave my whiskers. I just kind of ride the razor along, almost letting it skip if it wants to, except it doesn't want to anymore.

That helps.

How much blade feel?

 

[ScottChapin]

The best description I could give you is I feel like I have less of a deathgrip on the razor itself, and I am less trying to shave my face, and more trying to shave my whiskers. I just kind of ride the razor along, almost letting it skip if it wants to, except it doesn't want to anymore.

+1


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Dzaw]

That helps.

How much blade feel?

Compared to how it felt before there's virtually no blade feel - that is to say, I can feel the fact that there is something next to / kissing my face, and I can feel the edge "sing" through the whiskers as much as hear it... However, the blade feel on my face is light / subtle enough that I have a hard time differentiating it from the feel of the razor in my hand.

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

Compared to how it felt before there's virtually no blade feel - that is to say, I can feel the fact that there is something next to / kissing my face, and I can feel the edge "sing" through the whiskers as much as hear it... However, the blade feel on my face is light / subtle enough that I have a hard time differentiating it from the feel of the razor in my hand.

So, almost no blade feel. Maybe no blade feel. Nice!

 

[stone and strop]

Good prep is imperative to a good shave, this is popular opinion.

There - fixed that for ya.

The no prep, cold water splash alternative is quite viable, and has been touted as a superior method by luminaries such as Ben Franklin and Nicola Tesla. While neither were barbers both are known for superior intellect and thoughtfulness, both lived before cartridge razors and canned goo, and both were well shaved gentlemen.

Hot water prep may work well for you. Glad you have a good pre shave that helps. No animus intended, but to categorically dismiss a potentially useful tool as inferior because it isn’t what barbers do seems premature. It may not work -for you- but it does work -for some-. I know because I am one of the some.

To say it is popular opinion when it is touted by professionals who do this for a living I think its a little unfair.
There are reasons for it as follows, taken from the Standardized Textbook of Barbering - Fouth Edition. 1950

"The purpose of steaming the face is to further wet and soften the cuticle or outside layer of the hair. The heat of the towel also stimulates the flow of the sebaceous and sudoriferous glands in the skin, causing the oils and sweat to come to the surface, and giving added lubrication for the razor as it passes over the face."
Yes some of us do things differently and it works for them - great.
When you do things based on science, fact and good reasoning - there is merit to it.
Do not dismiss that as opinion.

 

[Twelvefret]

To say it is popular opinion when it is touted by professionals who do this for a living I think its a little unfair.
There are reasons for it as follows, taken from the Standardized Textbook of Barbering - Fouth Edition. 1950

"The purpose of steaming the face is to further wet and soften the cuticle or outside layer of the hair. The heat of the towel also stimulates the flow of the sebaceous and sudoriferous glands in the skin, causing the oils and sweat to come to the surface, and giving added lubrication for the razor as it passes over the face."
Yes some of us do things differently and it works for them - great.
When you do things based on science, fact and good reasoning - there is merit to it.
Do not dismiss that as opinion.

So, I was referred to a publication when I asked about hot towels which said hot water makes the follicle soft and more difficult for the blade to cut.

 

[Dzaw]

To say it is popular opinion when it is touted by professionals who do this for a living I think its a little unfair.
There are reasons for it as follows, taken from the Standardized Textbook of Barbering - Fouth Edition. 1950

"The purpose of steaming the face is to further wet and soften the cuticle or outside layer of the hair. The heat of the towel also stimulates the flow of the sebaceous and sudoriferous glands in the skin, causing the oils and sweat to come to the surface, and giving added lubrication for the razor as it passes over the face."
Yes some of us do things differently and it works for them - great.
When you do things based on science, fact and good reasoning - there is merit to it.
Do not dismiss that as opinion.

There is a fair bit of difference between the practice of shaving other peoples faces professionally and shaving ones own face daily. What is appropriate or even optimal for one may or may not be optimal, or even appropriate for the other. Barbers tend to prefer much larger brushes than many wet shavers - are the so-called "amateurs" wrong because of this?

Put another way, there are a lot of professional drivers, from cabbies to bus drivers, to formula 1, grand prix, or nascar, to IHRA, top fuel, to ambulance drivers, and so on. Almost none of the skills required to be even remotely competent at any of those types of driving would be even a little appropriate for me in my daily commute.

Similarly, just because the professional manual for barbers tells them that a hot prep is optimal doesn't mean that when I get a great shave from a cold splash I am somehow wrong. Further, if it works to give me a great shave, then I am probably not alone. If it can work for some subsegment of the population, then it is worth trying at least once for any given person to find out whether or not they are in that subsegment of the population.

I am not trying to suggest it is "the best" way to shave. Hell, I prep by taking a long hot shower most of the time. I am not trying to suggest that you, or anyone else should convert to cold splash only as "better" in any way. Hell, I am not trying to suggest that -you- personally should even try it.

I AM on the other hand suggesting that in this world of YMMV there is room for a curious shaver to open mindedly -try- a different approach to see if it works for them, and sitting in your chair proclaiming another approach as categorically inferior does nothing whatever to help anyone learn anything.

The so-called "necessity" of "good prep" is, in FACT not more than popular opinion. I am living proof of that. I have had truly exemplary shaves without hot water of any kind, nor any prep beyond splashing cold water on my face before lathering up. I am not alone.

 

[steveclarkus]

OK, I'm going to be the heretic here. I think a hot prep hurts your shave. One of the tried and true techniques of wet shaving seems to have been completely lost. Here's a quote from the classic 1905 book Shaving Made Easy
This is how my dad was taught to shave by my grandfather (probably around 1940), and the way he taught me to shave in the early 1970s.

Zero prep has worked for me for 45+ years. Try it for a week or two straight and see how it works for you.


Also, my advice, whether for straight or safety razor shaving, is stop taking short gingerly tentative strokes. That means you're nervous and scared, and in my experience, makes it more likely to get cut or irritation. I only take long "full surface" strokes - no stopping. Go big or go home ;-)

Lastly, I think you're over-analysing everything. Just shave . . . like your grandparents did. Every single one of your issues will sort itself out as you gain more experience and find what works best for YOU.

+1

 

[steveclarkus]

There is a fair bit of difference between the practice of shaving other peoples faces professionally and shaving ones own face daily. What is appropriate or even optimal for one may or may not be optimal, or even appropriate for the other. Barbers tend to prefer much larger brushes than many wet shavers - are the so-called "amateurs" wrong because of this?

Put another way, there are a lot of professional drivers, from cabbies to bus drivers, to formula 1, grand prix, or nascar, to IHRA, top fuel, to ambulance drivers, and so on. Almost none of the skills required to be even remotely competent at any of those types of driving would be even a little appropriate for me in my daily commute.

Similarly, just because the professional manual for barbers tells them that a hot prep is optimal doesn't mean that when I get a great shave from a cold splash I am somehow wrong. Further, if it works to give me a great shave, then I am probably not alone. If it can work for some subsegment of the population, then it is worth trying at least once for any given person to find out whether or not they are in that subsegment of the population.

I am not trying to suggest it is "the best" way to shave. Hell, I prep by taking a long hot shower most of the time. I am not trying to suggest that you, or anyone else should convert to cold splash only as "better" in any way. Hell, I am not trying to suggest that -you- personally should even try it.

I AM on the other hand suggesting that in this world of YMMV there is room for a curious shaver to open mindedly -try- a different approach to see if it works for them, and sitting in your chair proclaiming another approach as categorically inferior does nothing whatever to help anyone learn anything.

The so-called "necessity" of "good prep" is, in FACT not more than popular opinion. I am living proof of that. I have had truly exemplary shaves without hot water of any kind, nor any prep beyond splashing cold water on my face before lathering up. I am not alone.

Hot towel = nice tip. My prep has always been 1. Wet face 2. add lather and that's it.

 

[Slash McCoy]

You have three GD and one ZY razor. All can be made to shave. But you may find a vintage razor with a more acute bevel angle to be a better shaver for you. Try one and see.

So tell us about your stropping. Hanging strop, or paddle?

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

You have three GD and one ZY razor. All can be made to shave. But you may find a vintage razor with a more acute bevel angle to be a better shaver for you. Try one and see.

So tell us about your stropping. Hanging strop, or paddle?

I have a NOS vintage razor in transit, from JR on eBay. German. 5/8 I think. Supposedly shave-ready.

My strop is the Professional Strop from Classic Edge. Link to vendor's description.

Pictures above. The construction with the slots makes using it just a tad springy, but it's right flat unlike a hanging strop. I like it very much indeed.

I've used a hanging strop in the past (decades ago). I also have other strops.

• A Tony Miller linen strop (real linen)
• A WSP El Cheapo travel strop, small, leather. Very small. Latigo.
• An English Bridle board strop. Fairly small.
• My strop from long ago must have been thrown out.

The Professional Strop is large and lovely to strop on. The two leather sides are dissimilar to a degree, but both are very smooth and very nice.

I'm sure my stropping is reasonably good on the Professional Strop.

Happy shaves,

Jim

 

[bluesman 7]

I too feel that I get a better shave BEFORE I shower. I do use hot water though. My prep is to wash my face with hot water and bath soap, leave my face wet while I strop and soak my brush, then use shave stick and face lather.

 

[stone and strop]

So, I was referred to a publication when I asked about hot towels which said hot water makes the follicle soft and more difficult for the blade to cut.

You need to make sure the resources you are referenced and referencing are from a competent source.
There is good reason every single Barber gives a good prep as mentioned above. If it was detrimental to the shave then nobody - especially Barbers would do it.
There was so much more to the Barbering trade then most will ever realize. It is not just about cutting hair and shaving. Over 1/2 of my Barbering textbook is devoted to Barber Science covering everything from digestion to the nervous system.
Its a pity there is no online version of it.
There are plenty of others that are far inferior and everyone is an expert except the actual experts.

 

[Twelvefret]

You need to make sure the resources you are referenced and referencing are from a competent source.
There is good reason every single Barber gives a good prep as mentioned above. If it was detrimental to the shave then nobody - especially Barbers would do it.
There was so much more to the Barbering trade then most will ever realize. It is not just about cutting hair and shaving. Over 1/2 of my Barbering textbook is devoted to Barber Science covering everything from digestion to the nervous system.
Its a pity there is no online version of it.
There are plenty of others that are far inferior and everyone is an expert except the actual experts.

Here friend, you can check it out and discern for yourself if it’s a competent source. Shaving Made Easy—A Project Gutenberg eBook

 

[bluesman 7]

I suspect that a lot of it was to give the customer special treatment that was more than what they would do for themselves at home.

 

[Twelvefret]

The question is if hot water hydrated the follies making them more difficult to cut .

And, I don’t have a dog in the hunt. Just passing long the reference.

 

[stone and strop]

Here friend, you can check it out and discern for yourself if it’s a competent source. Shaving Made Easy—A Project Gutenberg eBook

Well, the author was so proud of his work he didn't put a name on it so there's that.
At a quick glance - no, I would never reference this book.
Also, it does not state that the hydrated hair is difficult to cut rather that it stiffens it so it is easier to cut.
It appears to be clips and bits from other sources that have been copied and misunderstood so reiterated incorrectly.
Again I spent no more than a few minutes looking.
In this few minutes, I read that a lubricant is normally used in honing to prevent heat - well, I don't think any human can hone fast enough to cause heat that looses the temper of a blade. Yes they warn of losing the temper of a blade when honing.
Another states to remove a wire edge from over honing you should draw the edge over your finger nail to remove it the re-hone for 1-2 strokes to make everything wonderful.
As far as I'm concerned this is poor information but that's just MY opinion.
As a final quip, This was cut and paste from the manual.

" PREFACE.

The object of this little book is to furnish clear and full information about the art of shaving. There are few men who do not experience more or less difficulty in shaving themselves, and many who, after a few unsuccessful attempts, give it up in dispair and go to the barber shop. We believe most of these would much prefer to shave themselves if only they could do as well as a barber."

Aside from the typo of the word despair, It says most would prefer to shave themselves as well as a Barber. The same Barber who preps the crap out of your face.
Not that there is no useful information there but what can you take from it when you know some of it is bull?
This is not the first book of poor information I have seen touted on this forum yet I continually take heat for pointing it out. Believe what you want to believe but if I were looking to truly learn I would look to something that was used to train Barbers back in the day. These people (not the Barbers themselves specifically) devoted a great deal of time and effort to make sure the best information was being put forward for the future of their trade. Something they were immensely proud of!
The decision is for you to make.
Hope this helped.

 

[Twelvefret]

Well, the author was so proud of his work he didn't put a name on it so there's that.
At a quick glance - no, I would never reference this book.
Also, it does not state that the hydrated hair is difficult to cut rather that it stiffens it so it is easier to cut.
It appears to be clips and bits from other sources that have been copied and misunderstood so reiterated incorrectly.
Again I spent no more than a few minutes looking.
In this few minutes, I read that a lubricant is normally used in honing to prevent heat - well, I don't think any human can hone fast enough to cause heat that looses the temper of a blade. Yes they warn of losing the temper of a blade when honing.
Another states to remove a wire edge from over honing you should draw the edge over your finger nail to remove it the re-hone for 1-2 strokes to make everything wonderful.
As far as I'm concerned this is poor information but that's just MY opinion.
As a final quip, This was cut and paste from the manual.

" PREFACE.

The object of this little book is to furnish clear and full information about the art of shaving. There are few men who do not experience more or less difficulty in shaving themselves, and many who, after a few unsuccessful attempts, give it up in dispair and go to the barber shop. We believe most of these would much prefer to shave themselves if only they could do as well as a barber."

Aside from the typo of the word despair, It says most would prefer to shave themselves as well as a Barber. The same Barber who preps the crap out of your face.
Not that there is no useful information there but what can you take from it when you know some of it is bull?
This is not the first book of poor information I have seen touted on this forum yet I continually take heat for pointing it out. Believe what you want to believe but if I were looking to truly learn I would look to something that was used to train Barbers back in the day. These people (not the Barbers themselves specifically) devoted a great deal of time and effort to make sure the best information was being put forward for the future of their trade. Something they were immensely proud of!
The decision is for you to make.
Hope this helped.

You need to chill out and show that the resource is false in saying the hair follicle become hydrated and more difficult to cut. Being critical of typos and such is a common ad hominem defection argument that does nothing to further your argument. It could be that barbers use hot towels simply because it feels good. I don't know, but you've made this personal and challenging. Shame on you.

 

[stone and strop]

You need to chill out and show that the resource is false in saying the hair follicle become hydrated and more difficult to cut. Being critical of typos and such is a common ad hominem defection argument that does nothing to further your argument. It could be that barbers use hot towels simply because it feels good. I don't know, but you've made this personal and challenging. Shame on you.

Firstly, please do not tell me to chill out.
This is not personal. You asked for an opinion, I gave it.
A typo is a sign that this was not proofread. If you actually read the part about the hair being hydrated you will see it is as I stated. It does NOT say it is harder to cut. It says it stiffens it so it is easier to cut. Please re read it.
The hot towel was explained above - it is NOT because it feels good - please re read that too.
Dragging an edge along the nail is used to check for smoothness - not remove a wire edge.
I'm not sure what you're looking for specifically so maybe just ask. You seem to be focused on the "folical" (its actually the cuticle or outside layer of the hair)
I have answered your question about the hair twice now, once giving the real answer quoted from the Barbering Textbook above (it softens it) and secondly that what you are gleaning from the other book does not say what you think it does.

That's it for me here it drifts the thread away from its intent. If you wish to discuss this further you can PM me.