What is Wet Shaving?
Simply put, wet shaving is the process of shaving using copious amounts of hot water.
Hot water prepares the face for a great shave mainly by softening the whiskers, which are harder than copper wire when dry.
Wet shaving is also the name for old-fashioned shaving using shave soap or cream. This is then whipped into a luxurious lather with a shave brush, and typically done with either a straight razor or a double-edge (DE) safety razor. The traditional barbershop shave, using hot moist towels for beard preparation and a straight razor, is the classical wet shave.
Shaving brushes are commonly made with boar or badger hair. These types are singled out for their ability to hold lots of water, necessary for making a good lather. Badger is considered to be the superior hair, as it’s softer and holds more water compared to boar hair.
There is some discussion in wet shaving circles as to which is better, cream or soap, for making lather. Creams tend to make a somewhat ‘slicker’ lather and come in a wide variety of scents. Soaps take more work whipping up lather; but the lather can be thicker, providing more ‘cushion’.
Lather can be made in a bowl, the palm of the hand, or directly on the face. It’s purely personal preference which is best. A small amount of cream or soap on the brush, a bit of water, and some vigorous whipping will get the job done. Often cream is lathered in a bowl with a softer-bristled brush, soap lather made directly on the face with a somewhat stiffer brush.
Wet shaving is much more environmentally friendly than shaving with disposable cartridge razors. There is little product waste. Steel razor blades, while needing extra caution in their disposal, will rust away in relatively short time (particularly compared to plastic). A straight razor will last for many years, just needing honing and stropping to stay sharp.
Wet shaving is much less expensive as well; blades (when purchased in bulk) can cost as little as a dime each. There is some danger of huge spending on shaving-related items if an ‘acquisition disorder’ sets in for an enthusiastic shaver!
Wet shaving fell by the wayside as disposable cartridge multi-blade razors and ‘canned goo’ shave foam or gel took over the shaving market. A time-honored tradition handed down from father to son became a chore to be grudgingly hurried through.
It staged a comeback in 2005, when the Today Show tech reporter, Corey Greenberg, himself an accomplished wet shaver, gave a demonstration on the show. Overnight, vendors were selling more products than they had in the past year!
Wet shaving with a DE razor takes some skill, practice is necessary to get it right. The angle of the blade to the face must be correct, and very little pressure should be applied. This can be tricky for guys who have been pressing cartridge razors strongly against their face for years, attempting to get a close shave.
The benefits of wet shaving are worth some effort. You can’t believe how close a shave you can get once you get the hang of the DE razor. One finds oneself stroking the face throughout the day, marveling at how smooth it is. The feel of a well-made badger brush, swirling rich, warm lather onto the face, can’t be properly described. As Corey puts it, ‘wars have been fought over warm lather’. Razor bumps, red irritation and acne are often cleared away by wet shaving. The sense that one is regaining touch with a male ritual of old is powerful.
Truly, once you catch the wet shaving bug, you find yourself checking your stubble, wondering if it’s too soon to shave again!
By Anonymous
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