Thread: Dry shave touch-up?

I don't have the textbook in front of me, so my memory may not be exact, but I think the sequence was something like this:

1. Lather up the customer
2. Apply the warm towel over the lathered face.
3. Barber strops the razor while the customer is relaxing with the towel.
4. Barber removes towel re-lathers the customer.
4. Barber gives customer the "Once-Over" or first pass.
5. If customer requests a "Close Shave" the barber lathers the customer and re-applies the warm towel.
6. Barber strops the razor again.
7. Barber removes towel and uses water from a bottle to moisten the face and gives the AXG and ATG passes.
8. Barber then gives short facial massage while applying after shave lotion.


Kinda makes you want to go in for a shave, doesn't it?? Too bad hardly anyone gives this treatment anymore. It's amazing what we lost in the last 40 years.

Paul

I do it all the time as well. Really effective way to get hairs that almost seemed "too wet" initially to get caught by the razor.

Originally Posted by toolarts

I don't have the textbook in front of me, so my memory may not be exact, but I think the sequence was something like this:

1. Lather up the customer
2. Apply the warm towel over the lathered face.
3. Barber strops the razor while the customer is relaxing with the towel.
4. Barber removes towel re-lathers the customer.
4. Barber gives customer the "Once-Over" or first pass.
5. If customer requests a "Close Shave" the barber lathers the customer and re-applies the warm towel.
6. Barber strops the razor again.
7. Barber removes towel and uses water from a bottle to moisten the face and gives the AXG and ATG passes.
8. Barber then gives short facial massage while applying after shave lotion.


Kinda makes you want to go in for a shave, doesn't it?? Too bad hardly anyone gives this treatment anymore. It's amazing what we lost in the last 40 years.

Paul

It does indeed. I'm going to try using just water to moisten on my second pass tomorrow. I've always relathered but never just tried water on the second pass. I'll post with results tomorrow.


Thanks,


Patrick

My shaves comprise of -

1) WTG w/soap
2) XTG w/soap
3) Touch-up w/water

If I have a formal occasion to attend then I will change

3) ATG w/soap
4) Touch-up w/water

So this morning I tried it out. I've always lathered up for my XTG and ATG passes. Decided to do WTG lathered, lather up and hot towel and XTG with water only. Worked out wonderfully. It was a little bit harsher than having lather, but it also shaved much closer than typical on a XTG pass. So much so that I didn't need a ATG pass. No nicks or burn. I'm now convinced that some of my more wiry whiskers ( especially under my chin ) can actually become slippery enough with lather that the blade doesn't catch them.


Patrick

Go real light with water only. Remember to scythe.

I'm not sure if the old barbers had just water or if they added something to it.

So, this morning I tried mixing up a little concoction of my own.

I used mostly water, but added a tiny bit of aloe vera gel and lather and mixed it up in a little bottle.
Then I used THAT for the second pass.

It was pretty nice, actually, Better than plain water.

The water mixes with the soap residue left on the face and creates a nice slippery surface for the blade to work on.

Originally Posted by poona

The water mixes with the soap residue left on the face and creates a nice slippery surface for the blade to work on.

Exactly. There was only a little lather on the face after the wet towel, would cosider it a very very light film. But it worked very well. I'm not sure if I'm going to do it everyday. Doing a full lather is IMHO a bit more comfortable, but it does give a nice smooth shave faster than a 3 pass method.

Try my 2 pass w/soap + 1 w/water.

I use it everyday.