I haven't tried cold water yet. I do rinse with cold water, and it seems like I wouldn't feel a cold water shave would be uncomfortable. But I'm use to using warm water. I should try a cold water shave soon =)
Tried cold. Didn't like it. Made for a very uncomfortable shave. But, hey, it's your shave. Enjoy it your way.
I rather doubt that an ice water dip will make the blade sharper. It may give the effect that the blade is sharper because metal contracts in colder temperatures and expands in higher temperatures. So the blade will be stiffer/more rigid and should cut better but it will not be sharper.
After reading the posts in this thread I made two changes in my shave prep. I soaked my razor in cold water rather than hot water while showering. While shaving I rinsed the razor in a sink* of cold water rather than warm. The results were unexpected. The audio feedback from the razor was better. The sound of the whiskers getting mowed down was louder. The cold razor slid over my face like never before. The changes improved the performance of the razor and the results of the shave. IMO I got a closer shave than I usually get. *- Drought conditions over the Southwest states have brought changes to our daily lives. I used to rinse my razor with running water. No longer!
I soak my brush, Badger only, in my mug filled with warm water. I then fill my sink with hot water, take my brush out of the mug, and place the mug on a wash cloth, for cushion, in the sink of hot water. I whip up my lather with the mug sitting in the hot water, and it gives me some nice warm lather. My razor gets rinsed in hot water as well. Gives me a very comfortable shave.
I'm a warm water shaver. Haven't ever tried the cold water shaving. But like others here, I always do a cold water rinse.
I do hot. I tried cold. While cold may have shaved me better, the comfort of hot makes it well worth it, to me.
I do either cold or warm depending on my mood. Mostly cold water shaving when I have neck irritation, but lately it hasn't been the case so I went with warm for the extra relaxation!
I shower at night (hot). I shave the first thing in the morning. I use just cold water from the tap, not iced water. So far, I like it. I had been finishing off with a cold water rinse, but last August I was challenged to do a cold water shave. That is all I do now. As the winter sets in I may change, but for now I like my shaves cold.
Tried my first cold water shave this morning with Van Der Hagen soap and my new synthetic brush from L'Occitane. I got a good lather in spite of the temperature. It was more wet than I'm used to, however. Is that everyone else's experience as well... the lather seems wetter with cold water? I didn't like it much, even though I think it was just as close a shave as I usually get. I prefer the feel of the hot water, I suppose, based on experience with it and the warm feel is comforting.
