Preshave with a straight-

[Zamonium]

Hey folks~

I had heard that an oil is the best preshave treatment when shaving with a straight (speaking here specifically about products, not methods). Do you find that to be true?

What preshave treatment do you like best when shaving with a straight? Specifics are desirable.

-Zamonium

[ladykate]

I haven't had that great an experience with oils. I'm immediately turned off by the feel... bathing myself in oil and wrestling with a cutie is a fantasy reserved for my youth and for a female partner. ;-} When I slap oil on my face, I immediately feel dirty and want to wash it off. However, I have found that grape seed oil (non-scented), while still slick, slimy, and ucky, seems to be the least unpleasant option. The high-priced pre-shave oils are a joke to me. I say that from experience - having tried several well-known types. You can get 12-16 ounces of grape seed oil for ten bucks at GNC - enough to slick up an elephant.

Also, I don't notice that much difference than when prepping with warm water and letting the lather rest a bit on my face (and maybe re-lathering). I certainly like to use hair conditioner when I have a thick growth. I can feel my whiskers softening just like you feel your hair softening when using it. However, for day-to-day shaving, warm water and a slow lathering works for me.

My typical shave prep is to hold a double handful of warm tap water on my face for a few seconds (or as long as it lasts before leaking out), doing a thorough face lather, warming up my brush scuttle and then touching up the lather and shaving.

edit: Forgot... I DO like to use oil if I've had a cut or raw spot from a previous shave. I slick up the raw spot so the razor will glide over it instead of digging in. That seems to work really well for me. Although, Vaseline or any first aid ointment with a suitable carrier does the job, too.

[shakin_jake]

What preshave treatment do you like best when shaving with a straight? Specifics are desirable.

-Zamonium

~~~the short answer is the barber towel prep, AKA Kyle's Prep. If you're not familiar, do a forum search for Kyle's Prep. I would do this same prep no matter which type of razor used. But understand this, if you shower before shaving and do a good face scrubbing (soap and water or one of the fine face scrubs in a tube), that's all you need. I seldom shave after showering which is why I use the barber towel prep

The point is (AFAIC) to not shave until you have cleansed your beard skin (wherever you drag the blade across your skin) and to not only get the skin/beard hairs clean, but allow water to contact the hairs for several minutes. Standing underneath your shower head will accomplish this as well as wrapping a hot wet towel on your face and letting it sit for several minutes, with a lather underneath of course (barber towel/Kyle's Prep) & FWIW, I take several minutes to exfoliate my beard/skin with the shave brush (lathered up), & why I like a shave brush with plenty of backbone, like my Omega 48's/49's, Chubby3 in best

Not mandatory (for me) but I do enjoy using Proraso's pre shave cream on my beard/skin first before lathering up and putting the hot wet towel on my face, & that said, I buy the 500 ML jars (two at a time) from Joseph (Itralian Barber) just to try and keep this expense at a low quotient. Others may have better and different ideas


Best,


Jake
Reddick Fla.

[O.G.]

The best preshave as stated is a good prep with face washing, preferable in the shower if you have the time. I also bowl lather, lather my face (for a minute), then brush my teeth, then relather, then I strop my razor, then touch-up a little and BAM face ready.

[Seraphim]

I use oil sometimes in the winter.

My usual prep, though, is a shower and then rub in some Proraso pre-shave. Let that go to work while I strop up some steel.

[professorchaos]

No oil for me. Found that it interfered. A good lather worked up on your face, not a scuttle, is all you need.

[smalltank]

DR Harris Arlington pre shave feels great and leaves me after a shave with almost 0 irritation

[Tkocloser]

I clean my face and neck with a Clarisonic, then apply Proraso Pre/Post before whipping up my lather (and stropping if I can use my straight that day). I've got the 500 mL, like some others. Also, this thread below really improved my shaves immeasurably. Letting the lather sit for a full two minutes is a game changer for me and for some others, as the B&B thread details.

http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php/195371-Topgumby-s-New-Shaver-Two-Minute-Lather-Challenge

[Zamonium]

Thanks so much for the advice! I'm going to let the lather hang out for a while tomorrow and see how that does for me. I'll try to remember to report back how that went.

[drathgeb]

Kyle's prep works great for me.

[cb91710]

What preshave treatment do you like best when shaving with a straight? Specifics are desirable.

A shower and gentle exfoliation.
Pre-soak in shaving soap, rinse and relather, then shave my head.
Rinse and relather, then shave my face.

[danjared]

A few minutes with water on my face is enough, whether from showering or with warm water from the tap. Then, I face lather for a few minutes with cool or cold water. I've done that for about a year and haven't had problems with in-growns yet either. The cold water was weird at first, although warm lather is strange now for me. In the winter, I might make it slightly warmer.