Shower then Shave, or Shave then Shower?

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The Last "S" before leaving

I Shave last
70
80%
I Shower Last
15
17%
Do I even want to know what the 3rd "S" is?
2
2%
 
Total votes: 87

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funkthulhu
Posts: 150
Joined: Mon Mar 08, 2010 2:01 pm
Location: Lincoln, NE

Shower then Shave, or Shave then Shower?

Post by funkthulhu »

Greetings!

As a man who tries to do the 3 S's in one trip to the loo, I ask you. Which do you do last? The Shave, or the Shower?

I'm a bit of a messy shaver myself, and find it's much easier to remove excess lather, drippage, (blood) etc. while under the nozzle.

Just a random question.

Additionally, for those of you who shave last, how do you stay clean? I generally end up with lather and/or water half way down my chest by the time I'm done. What am I doing wrong?
User avatar
KAV
Posts: 2607
Joined: Thu Sep 24, 2009 6:57 pm
Location: California, just above L.A. between the Reagan Library and Barbra Streisand's beach house

Post by KAV »

Woke up, got out of bed
Dragged a comb across my head
and on the way downstairs
I had a smoke, and somebody spoke
and I went into a dream.........

I wake before sunrise, say a morning prayer for the day
and drink some water while the coffee/tea brews.
Then I shower and shave with the same deliberation
as George c. Scott getting dressed to battle Rommel's army
or Lee Marvin as kid Shaleen in Cat Ballou getting cleaned up.

Finally I strap on my watch, note the time is still well before most people
are bailing out of bed like a scared to death tail gunner in a mortally crippled Lancaster over Germany.

A man needs an edge not only in his razor.
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jww
Woolly Bully
Posts: 10960
Joined: Sat Mar 11, 2006 10:49 am
Location: Ottawa, Canada

Post by jww »

You bust me up, Kav!
Wendell

Resident Wool Fat Evangelist & anglophile. Have you hugged a sheep today?
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stagger
Posts: 322
Joined: Fri Nov 06, 2009 7:24 pm
Location: Longview,Texas

Post by stagger »

KAV- I can still see Kid Shaleen doing the drunken horseback ride. Too funny. Thanks for bringing up the memory.
Regards,
Mark -
CMur12
Posts: 7461
Joined: Mon Dec 18, 2006 8:41 pm
Location: Moses Lake, Washington, USA

Post by CMur12 »

The advantage of shaving after the shower is the soak and softening the beard gets in the shower as prep to the actual shave. If you don't shower first, you have to make a separate effort to soak and soften the beard before the shave.

I shave at night and I shower in the morning. Due to that little disconnect, I didn't vote.

- Murray
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m3m0ryleak
Posts: 1170
Joined: Mon Nov 02, 2009 9:50 am
Location: Central Maryland

Post by m3m0ryleak »

KAV,

You need to get published.


Tony
bernards66
Duke of Silvertip!
Posts: 27393
Joined: Sun Feb 27, 2005 1:02 pm

Post by bernards66 »

Murray, Years ago when I had to be at staffing at 8am I did the reverse; showered at night but shaved before work in the morning. Worked fine, but given my druthers it's shower than shave. I can't see any reason why one would reverse that, except if they were using an electric shaver, which demands dry more brittle whiskers to be effective. But with wetshaving, why not, as you say, take advantage of the moisture and beard softening a shower affords one before taking the blade to the face?
Regards,
Gordon
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GA Russell
Posts: 3070
Joined: Fri Apr 11, 2008 10:15 pm
Location: Raleigh, NC

Post by GA Russell »

I shave first because when I shower first I don't have enough hot water for the shave.

I suppose having a small water tank saves me money on electricity. One day I'll have a tankless water heater, and all my problems will disappear!
Rapira Swedish Supersteel
Fitness
Lijun badger
Gillette 1948-1950 Super Speed
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desertbadger
Posts: 4192
Joined: Tue Jan 20, 2009 8:42 pm
Location: Southern CA desert

Post by desertbadger »

Shower first, then shave.

KAV, if I ever get up into the beginning of wine country again, I'll buy you a nice bottle of the squeezed grape..... :lol:
Regards,
David
brothers
Posts: 21514
Joined: Sun Sep 14, 2008 7:18 am
Location: Oklahoma City USA

Post by brothers »

Funky, I shave afterward, and really don't find it creates much of a mess. I just wipe up the water drops that get on the countertop or on the mirror. Dry off the lather bowl and/or scuttle and put the razor away, after I towel my face dry and apply whatever post shave stuff, if anything.

On many days when I need to get up, shower and go to work, then I have a very pleasant non-rushed shave before I go to sleep, and it works out pretty good, if I can remember to do it that way.
Gary

SOTD 99%: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, soaps & creams, synthetic / badger brushes, Colonial General razor, Kai & Schick blades, straight razors any time, Superior 70 aftershave splash + menthol + 444
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drumana
Posts: 5051
Joined: Thu Apr 05, 2007 1:02 pm

Post by drumana »

My preference is to shower, then shave.

If you're getting lather all over the place, try using a smaller brush.
-Andrew-
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CJS
Posts: 189
Joined: Tue Dec 01, 2009 9:12 am
Location: Boston

Re: Shower then Shave, or Shave then Shower?

Post by CJS »

funkthulhu wrote:
Additionally, for those of you who shave last, how do you stay clean? I generally end up with lather and/or water half way down my chest by the time I'm done. What am I doing wrong?
Perhaps there is too much water in your lather? The lather needs to be thick/dense enough to stick to your face. If it is too watery, it will be messy when lathering on your face, and when you actually shave the hair and lather off with the razor
-Chris

"I'm sorry, I thought this was America!"
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Squire
Squadron Leader
Posts: 18932
Joined: Mon Apr 18, 2005 3:41 pm
Location: North East, MS

Post by Squire »

Shower, then shave with a dryer lather.
Regards,
Squire
a-cut-above
Posts: 2347
Joined: Wed Mar 07, 2007 10:38 am
Location: Fresno, CA

Post by a-cut-above »

I have been a "mug an' brush" shaver since the '70's and shaved before showering. Why? It seemed logical to wash the lather off your face and all the other guys in the dorm did it that way. When I discovered real wetshaving here and switched from a Trac II to a DE or a straight, I shaved after the shower. The shaves were a lot better. The shave/shower order isn't the only reason for the better shaves, but it is part of the package, i.e. "automatic" beard softening. Another benefit of showering first is that the shower wakes me up and is refreshing so I don't shave in a sleepy haze. I get a better shave and an enjoyable shave.
Dave

"Sanity is a madness put to good use." - George Santayana (…like a wet shaver with an acquisition disorder.)
Abyssos
Posts: 55
Joined: Wed Jan 07, 2009 8:53 am
Location: Jambol, Bulgaria

Post by Abyssos »

every time i shave last 8)
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funkthulhu
Posts: 150
Joined: Mon Mar 08, 2010 2:01 pm
Location: Lincoln, NE

Post by funkthulhu »

Okay, so today I showered first and then shaved. I did notice a marked softening of my beard hairs and my shave went quite well.

No nicks, no bleeding, no razer burn.

However, I then dropped and shattered my apothecary mug. . . bad sign?
Gareth
Taylorman
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Joined: Fri Jul 13, 2007 3:20 pm
Location: United Kingdom

Post by Gareth »

Shower then shave for me, although I will sometimes forego the shower and just have a good splash with warm water before shaving.

Gareth
Lou
Posts: 255
Joined: Wed Jan 30, 2008 10:02 am

Post by Lou »

During the week, I take a shower in the evening and shave in the morning. On the weekend or when I have a day off of work, I shower and then shave. The shower helps soften the beard. After I shave, I hold a face cloth soaked with cold water to my face to cool my skin and close the pores. Showering after my shave would defeat that.
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KAV
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Joined: Thu Sep 24, 2009 6:57 pm
Location: California, just above L.A. between the Reagan Library and Barbra Streisand's beach house

Post by KAV »

Oh dear, it's holy week and I'm reverting to heathen paganism without merit.
BUT, if you do not want to drop anymore apothecary shaving mugs a suitable offering should be made to the household dieties; saucers with a splash of bayrum, some creme and a bit of bread and I've been good to go all year.
I've also found coffee or Earl Grey steadies my hand.
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diggity
Posts: 1987
Joined: Mon Jan 07, 2008 5:29 pm
Location: Los Gatos, CA

Post by diggity »

m3m0ryleak wrote:KAV,

You need to get published.


Tony
Tony, I agree with you. Kav just has a wonderful way of words that to me is as fun to read as e.e. cummings.
Nathan
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