Water only pass

Does anyone else do a water-only pass?

I've flirted with a few times with water-only passes. Is this a typical practice? I find that it gets very close without having to go ATG.

This morning, figuring I had lots of extra time on my hands, I would do a 3rd, water-only, pass. I had done the first two passes with MWF (WTG & XTG). The third: I just splashed a little water onto my face (leaving the remnants of the soap there) and did a very quick and very light WTG pass on my face.

This time, which isn't typical, I felt as though the Alum block would have been singing loudly so I decided not to use it. I picked up some Clubman (which is typically mellow to nicks) and felt a little sting. But I was left with a very smooth shave and in a couple minutes it just felt nice (no irritation, no weepers, etc...).

I sometimes do this for a quick touch up on a spot or two, but haven't tried it for a full pass.

Nope. I can't see why to do this. Soap clearly has benefits in terms of moisture and lubrication for the razor. Why not take advantage of this?

I do some touchup water only sometimes. I did 2 shaves back to back with water only. Not bad although I prefer soap. Had to do it just to say i tried it.

BSAGuy said:

Nope. I can't see why to do this. Soap clearly has benefits in terms of moisture and lubrication for the razor. Why not take advantage of this?

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One word, manliness.

After my second or third pass I do a final touch up pass with water only.
I do not rinse after my last pass. Whatever residue is left acts as a lubricant. I moisten with water and go only where needed.

Mickey

BSAGuy said:

Nope. I can't see why to do this. Soap clearly has benefits in terms of moisture and lubrication for the razor. Why not take advantage of this?

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The logic in my head being that it is closer as the soap isn't there.

Though you're right that most of the positives of soap aren't there. I do leave the soap residue on my face and splash on some water. I can feel the slick of the soap there.

For those final touch-ups, it's nice to be able to see what's going on there. So water, being clear, has an advantage in this regard. I use a light vegetable oil at the end sometimes, which also is clear and protects the skin a bit more. Lately, this has been JASON skin oil. Most of the time, though, I just use whatever lather is remaining.

My final pass for each shave, every day, is mostly water, ATG, skin pulled from on top, rather than from below. No matter how close the shave is, this final pass always brings the shave a bit closer, as evidenced by the sponge.

At times I do a water only pass. Not that I see an advantage to it, to lazy to re-apply lather

Lately I have been using only water in the am when pressed for time. I wet my face thoroughly. I then use a super adjustable and shave both wtg and atg. I get a sas shave with no irritation. Not as good as when I use soap and brush, but I'm done in 2 minutes. Still better that when I used a cart.

Thats got to cause some moderate razor burn.

No amazingly enough, when I do it, there is no burn. It is a mild razor though lol.

I can't say I've tried a full shave without soap... If I were in that much of a rush I'd grab some canned foam.

The last pass without soap is normally not bad at all for irritation ...

I'll often do a water touch up, but never a full shave with just water. Doing the water touch up is right after I've finished my shave, so the skin and beard is still ready for the touch up.

On a lark, for about week I was trying to see how little soap I could put on my face with a stick and still get three passes. When I hit the minimum, I was really stretching the soap with water for the third pass. The lather at this point had very little cushion and I noticed that I was getting closer shaves. I never went back to using more soap.

I wet my face before each pass, so the lather gets wetter as I go.

I do use a water only - actually just most towel-dried on two parts of my face, both neck under the jaw. I have stubble there that's impossible to get any other way in a fairly large area under my left jaw and a smaller area a little further down under my righ jaw. Best I can tell the hair grows in a direction in these two constrained areas that the straight has trouble cutting it wet.

I don't get any undue irritation from this practice though it does take a light touch, but it works.

Cheers, Steve

Too many strokes on the same area without lather gives me aftershave burn.

I tried this for the first time last week and I got a bad burn.