I'd be more inclined to call what we DE/SE guys do as "traditional wet shaving" and the SR guys as Straight razor shaving. Realistically, Very few shavers would call they're normal Fusion and can of gel "wet" shaving. But strictly speaking, it is. I tend to refer to it as DE shaving, then I get to explain that...
Poll: Wet Shaving Defined
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This morning I used a Mach 3 with Edge gel. My pre-shave was exactly the same as when I use a mug-soap-brush and DE. Shower first and wet my face before applying the gel.I consider that wet shaving. When I use gel with a DE I consider that wet shaving. When I use the Mach 3 after lathering with the mug-soap-brush I consider that wet shaving. When I shave with an electric at my desk in the office if I have to go to a night meeting or going out right after work, that is dry shaving.
I use the term traditional shaving, too.
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Wet-shaving means to Gillette, etc., simply not using an electric razor. To us, the definition is more exclusionary: we shun canned foam, Bic disposables, Mach 3s, etc., but we don't have a nice, catchy name for what we do use and like.
Both. Multi-blade wonders and DE or SE razors are subcategories of wet shaving. Wet shaving broadly consists of using water, lather, and blade to remove hair. This would include straight razor shaving. The first gels showed up in the DE/SE era.
This gets into personal preferences. Some like modern systems; some like the older DE/SE razors with brush and soap (raises hand), and some like straight razors. All of it's wet shaving.
FWIW, I remember when the distinction was between shaving, and shaving with an electric razor. Wet shaving <i>was</i> shaving. About the time the first true electric razors came out, they were called dry shaving.
I would even argue that using foam like Barbasol is part of traditional shaving. It's been around at least 70 years and by the 1960s, long before the demise of the DE razor, most men abandoned the soap, brush and mug for foam in a can.
Heresy, I know.
Heresy, I know.
I, for one, think that "wet shaving" is the dumbest name I can imagine for this thing of ours.
+1 Well-said.
Really?
I thought it was just newbs that talked about "wet shaving."+1
I've used many razors, including "wet and dry" electrics, and have "wet shaved" with them all.
Currently I only use DE Razors. So, at this moment in time, I class myself as a "DE Shaver."
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Really?
If you haven't noticed its ubiquitous use here, do a Google search for wet shaving and see what comes up. Same idea.
This thread has completely proven me wrong. I found this site and many articles about DE shaving by searching wet shaving. Therefore, it seemed like wet shaving was another way of saying DE /SE /straight razor shaving. I have been shown the error of my ways and will call it traditional shaving or old school shaving from now on.
You can shave with canned gel and a disposable razor without water. Making your own lather with a brush requires water.
Read some of the posts in the Foxhole Shavers Club. In the military, there were times when I had to shave without any lubrication except water. I would call that "wet shaving," even though I was using a safety razor. After all, hydration is the key to any type of "blade" shaving, be it modern or traditional.
I always just called it shaving. Whether I was using a DE, a cart razor, foam/gel or soap and brush. Even with the stuff in the can, I wet my face before applying it with water. Sounds like wet shaving to me. I refer to what I do as DE shaving. In fact when I came back to DE shaving in 2014 I used a can of Edge gel for the first 6 months like I had for the previous many years. When I started shaving as a teen in the early 70's it was with a DE and a can of foam. Carts came later. I still used water at some level. Not like I do now, but so what?
You can do the same with any cream in a tube (you don't need lather to shave just lubrication and any cream used as a "paste" will provide tons of it) .
Of course you will face the exact same problem as shaving with canned gel/foam without water: how the heck do you RINSE the razor between strokes?
Kidding aside I use WAY more water when I shave with canned foam (I do 4 passes and I do passes 2,3 & 4 with only water as lubrication) than when I shave with a brush and soap/cream combo.
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