Having used all 3 temps(hot, cold & lukewarm) I've found that any temp will give me a decent shave, with hot giving me the closest shave and cold the least irritating. That said I find hot water out of the tap, the most pleasant to use for my shave. My shave routine summer and winter: hot shower, hot towel/shave/razor rinse, cold final rinse.
Have a hot water pot? I boil water in that, mix with the Luke warm tap for preshave soak, and go full hot for lather and razor rinses
I prefer warm or hot water for preparing my face, blooming my hard soaps, and washing my face between passes. I do, however, like to do a final rinse of my face with cold water just before I apply my post shave balm.
I like both. In hot weather a cold shave is lovely, but I most often shave with hot water (cold final rinse). A very good reason to at least try a cold water shave is that when hot water isn't available, you are already accustomed to a cold shave and will not be inconvenienced much. Some people swear that one or the other temperature has a huge influence on their shave quality -- I haven't noticed any difference in the results between hot or cold water -- only the the feel of the shave.
To me that's like suggesting you bang your head against the wall every so often that you eventually get accustomed to it. No thanks. A cold water shave has been and always will be something I don't like and will never get used to. And I can't even remember over the last 50 plus years ever losing hot water. But that's me.
I have tried both and switched back and forward a few times. Now I think warm water shaving is more comfortable because well.. everything is warm and cozy haha =P But I have noticed that when I use cold water I dont get my bumps on my neck that I almost ALWAYS get when I do my warm water shaving. I will probably never own a scuttle for this reason haha
Cold water, except for the few winter months when I use lukewarm water. Not sure why so many folks have uncomfortable cold water shaves: if you have good lather and a sharp blade, the water temperature should be irrelevant, IMO. I have found that with cold water shaves, I have zero redness/irritation and my blades last much longer.
I'm not sure yet. I did one cold water shave, no irritation at all. Yippee!!! I said to myself. Tried it again and got some irritation... I said some stuff and it wasn't yippee.
Hot shower, hot towel, warm water rinse between passes. I've tried cold water shaves before, and it is very uncomfortable. It feels like the hair was being pulled. For me, the warm/Hot water softens the hair, and allows for a smooth shave. I've heard, when cold water shaving, blade life diminishes drastically.
I find that to be the complete opposite. I honestly feel like my blades last longer with cold water shaving. Go figure.
Alas, I shall never know, first hand. I know there are many many people who swear by cold shaving. My face is just too sensitive to do this. That's what's great about sites like this. They introduce people to completely new ways of doing things, that you would have never thought of doing on your own.
I feel the cold rinse is the critical thing. It redistributes blood to the skin surface and retards inflammation. Warm or cold lather probably doesn't matter. (I use all cold. The above is my opinion on optimal shave science, I realize that cold is very off-putting to some.)
The difference between 40f lather and 100f lather will have essentially zero effect on blade life. What shortens blade life is presenting the blade to the skin at a high (greater than 25deg or so) angle. High blade angle "rolls" the blade edge and dulls it through processes known as plastic deformation and elastic deformation. This is why it is possible to strop a blade edge using a soft material like cowhide, because repeated passes over the leather "straighten" the blade bevel by similar forces and processes that caused it to become dull.
