OUTDOOR SHAVING AT OAK CAMP | A SHAVE IN THE BRITISH WOODLAND

[@mansjr]

For the chap that has trouble with Mitchell's, I use the shaving soap now for bit over 10 years but it only works for me with a natural brush (badger works better than hog hair), don't use a synthetic. Maybe treat yourself a whole different kind of brush, try it and hope you enjoy it.

[@Thomas-vq5pb]

Thank you for the video and for answering my question! Best, Thomas

[@guitarplayer5611]

Wonderful video!

[@chrispnw2547]

I had my version of 'Oak Camp' at my home in the Carolinas of the United States. My dog and I 'roughed it' outside for a few nights. After being awoken by 15 deer, some animal scratching against the tent wall, and seeing a large snake the following morning in the trees, my dog raced back to the comforts of her in-house bed and favorite eating bowl. 🦮

[@bigbadbith8422]

I got the garden hedgehog 😂

[@flasherol3764]

First class shaving techniques. Perfect.

[@vrdrew63]

After many years in the USA (where camping was available in an amazing variety places, and amenities) - I've found camping in England to be a bit of a challenge. Essentially you cannot "wild camp" anywhere in England or Wales. You either have to stay in a designated commercial campground (where you may be in quite close proximity to dozens if not hundreds of other campers) - or you need the express permission of the landowner. And private landowners are severely limited in the number of days per year in which they can permit people to camp on their land. Anything more than about 25 days, and you have to apply for a permit, and put in a certain number of toilets, showers, etc. Some farmers may be happy to let friends or family pitch a tent in an unused field for a few days. But a lot couldn't be bothered with the hassle (and potential risk) of letting strangers camp on their land. Lots of people camp at music festivals. Glastonbury is famous (or should I say notorious) for its often rain-drenched and muddy campsite, and the acres of abandoned tents and gear afterwards. I can see how that could be fun for some people. But I'll admit I'm a bit too old to fancy that sort of thing.

[@ronaldpoppe3774]

We had a fire 🔥 in the back yard last night. Thanks for the inspiration. Cheers Ron

[@darrellclaunch1518]

Always educational.

[@9er..]

Thank you Ash! I appreciate the attention given to my question. I think we all ought to try outdoor shaving. Personally, I believe I would find that very meditative.

[@ianf3536]

Looking forward to your neighbour’s video on the best electric shave ever😂

[@ricker76er]

I purchased a Henson razor about a year ago. It’s a mild shave and pairs well with a feather blade. It works for me, but YMMV. It’s very well and solidly built.

[@markwalsh6714]

Great shave Thankyou. I lather Mitchels by soaking it first in hot water and then loading. Works every time.

[@1983YK]

Having problems finding the right words today lad? 😊thanks for the insights. After watching these vids i want to get a shave as well, cant wait for the morning 😂

[@bigbadbith8422]

19:54 : I have just finished laughing about the ‘nicked artery’ commemt - it’s only taken 20 minutes. 😊

[@chrisblanc663]

I second the advice to give double edge razors a couple months to master. When I first started, I got nicks and cuts almost every shave. Every few days I would get a fairly nasty one, especially if I happened to get distracted for a moment. However after the muscle memory kicked in, I pretty much never, ever have nicks and I can’t remember the last time I got a narly cut. Now I can shave even with distractions, and just as fast as with a plastic 5-16 blade razor that are common, (even without shaving soap very often, but I prefer soaping for the scents). And I enjoy the much closer shave then I can ever get with the plastic blades, and never ingrown hairs. Did I mention it saves a fortune as you can recoup the cost of a good razor in no time, and replacement blades are literally cents to replace. Learning to shave with a safety razor is a skill worth learning, because in nearly no time at all it turns the drudge chore into a daily fun hobby.

[@jrandom2995]

An old NCO once told me the two most important things to maintain in the field are routine and hygiene. Great video as always Ash!

[@e-remes7029]

Can't argue with that.

[@MisterKnightly]

I think you're doing grand with the content lately.

[@TheChapsGuide]

Thank you sir. Normal service will return soon - if I survive the week in the tent!

[@MisterKnightly]

@@TheChapsGuide Normality is overrated. I've found joy and value in everything you've done. Please keep up the good work.

[@QuiteStorm.]

I'm enjoying the new content Ash, good on you brother!

[@jan6485]

Why is it I always get my best ideas while shaving? Albert Einstein

[@Carzone2021]

For u to apply perfume in forest at risk of attracting bugs speaks volumes about ur passion for grooming 😂

[@peterbarratt3416]

Another great video Ash. I myself have been a 'wet shaver' all of my life and through the years have used a variety of safety razors. I currently use exactly the same razor as you are using in this video but do find that ones choice of blade can make a significant difference. In particular, I like the weight of this razor and am sure that its weight also assists in the quality of the shave. I had to do a double take on what I thought I heard you saying as the source of Lanolin (27:53). ..."which is produced in the faeces of sheep." Of course it is produced in the 'fleeces' of sheep but in this day and age of some people drinking 'Copi luwak' (a coffee bean that is collected from the poop of civets) ... anything might be considered possible! :o) Carry on Sir! Regards from the Antipodes.

[@adotopp1865]

Ash, I have been enjoying your videos. I started watching them as I have an interest in good footwear and followed your tip on checking out e-bay for shoes. I have bought a pair of Jones Brogues and some Lanx Wheat Distressed Derby Shoes. I understand the importance of looking after ones self to make us feel better with ourselves I dug out a journal and started using it to help sort out my life. My dad was an odd character, an engineers grinder working in a forge and I can hear his voice saying, if I was to dress above my station, that I was just "trying to be superior". I wonder what you might reply to someone who suggested that you were "Just trying to be superior"? Thanks

[@webbezzy]

There is a saying in Persian that 7 times across the grain is equal to 1 time against the grain. They call it 7-bladed. I noticed you do almost 7 passes across the grain 😊

[@viclucyzia]

Some want to prove to others they are big outdoor naturals and let their beard grow to Grizzly Adam's style. But a real chap even in the wilderness stays his ground and shaves. Even if it means with icy cold water and a buck knife 119 (the most classical knife but I prefer at least a straight shaver as I am not John Rambo).

[@Agerskiold]

I’ve used Feather blades for many years because of their sharpness and longevity. Until I discovered Astra platinum blades. They resemble the Feathers but for 1/4 of the price. I can recommend Truefitt & Hills No 10 shaving cream, it’s very protective to the skin even if you go against the grain. Combined with the Witch hazel tonic as protective post shave and close with an Aloe lotion or skin food from G. F. Trumper. This makes wonders on my skin👌🏼 Thanks Ash, for an informative episode 👍🏼

[@TheChapsGuide]

Thank you, I will give them a try next time around. A nice change from my usual Nacet brand.

[@Agerskiold]

@@TheChapsGuide Great 👍🏼 I was very surprised because I’ve always sworn that Feather was the best. But not so certain anymore especially considering the price 👍🏼

[@vrdrew63]

Feathers blades are famous for being scary-sharp. They come from Japan, and I believe they lack any sort of coating - which microscopically dulls other brands. They can be great for folks with very tough or coarse beards. But they ain't for everyone. The whole wet-shave thing is kinda a rabbit hole that's easy (and sometimes entertaining) to go down. Personally I like badger bristle brushes. I've got a nice Vulfix silver tip I've had for more than 20 years. (The badgers come from China, and are sold for meat in the sort of "wet market" we all heard about a few years ago.) A good badger bristle brush can be had for between $40 and $80 - although you can spend more. A good DE razor is a fine investment. I'm partial to the Merkur brand from Germany. Reasonably priced, they have a wide range of styles, shapes, and handle lengths. One purchase I can recommend to all wet-shavers: A decent styptic pencil. This does a very good job of staunching the blood from the razor nicks we all experience from time to time. A styptic pencil is also fantastic for stopping the itch from mosquito bites, etc. The "straight razor" thing? I've been reliably told that an expertly sharpened, honed, stropped, and wielded straight razor will give a man the best of all possible shaves. The "problem" is that straight razors are really designed to be used by a barber on someone else. I leave the straight razors in the hands of the experts. My most recent shave-den purchase? A hot-towel machine. Laying a steam-heated towel over my neck and face really opens the pores and softens the bristles in preparation for lather and shaving. It's a wee bit of a faff, as UK bathrooms don't have electrical outlets, so I have to dart out into the hallway to grab a heated towel (with the tongs) before starting my shave.

[@AMH-bl1ne]

Nice vid Ash. With a double edged safety razor, do you care which side of the blade is getting most usage? Or, do others here flip the razor 180 degrees after every pass, like me? I feel like I am getting maximum life out of the blade this way. Each cutting surface fairly getting half the action. BTW. Using and loving the Vietnamese Dorco Klass blade attached to a long and heavy Parker razor. I've tried all sorts of blades, the feather's nic my skin too often. P.s. The speed of your shave Ash terrifies me. I would need a transfusion if I shaved that fast.

[@jaysmall5586]

I can only speak for myself, but I had a goatee for a few years because I had difficulty shaving my upper lip and the cleft on my chin. Although as you seemed to suspect, I did eventually shave it lopsided and had to reduce it and start all over again.

[@ianbrooks4797]

Great video Ash, as always.. I disagree with your contributor in regards to Mitchell's being hard to lather, I have a lot of soaps and creams but if I could only have one, I'd choose Mitchell's Wool Fat, it smells brilliant, you should give it a go 👍keep up the great work

[@ivermec-tin666]

Re: Mitchell's Wool Fat (MWF or "the fat"). There was a bad batch a few years ago which was difficult to lather. Any MWF in the supply chain today should be well clear of that bad batch. Some people, with particularly hard water (high in mineral content) have difficulty getting a lather from the fat. Yes, blooming helps. This is a particularly hard soap puck. When you hydrate the puck by blooming it, you will get a different mixture of ingredients from the soap on your brush, and it should lather fine. It is important to add water slowly to this soap (load the brush very heavily from the puck, and add water slowly as you build the lather. It's a bit like making a cream sauce. You may find that this soap is better suited to bowl lathering than to face lathering because it requires more time, patience, and finesse to get a great lather out of than most high end modern shaving soaps do. In the era when MWF was developed, the typical user would have one razor, one brush (most often boar bristle), one mug, and one puck of soap. Under routine use, every day or two or three this puck would never entirely dry out to a rock hard finish, as it ships with new. Blooming isn't really necessary with MWF if you are using it frequently. But, if you put it in rotation with many other soaps, then the puck will dry out to a very hard surface and be much harder to lather. The post shave with the fat is top notch, but a significant minority of the population is allergic to lanolin, so caveat emptor. If one were so inclined, they could simply add liquid lanolin to their favorite shaving soap during the process of lathering. This process of adding other items to the soap during the lathering process is commonly referred to as producing an "uber lather". Glycerin is the most common aditive. This is how you can get a luxurious lather from a middling soap.

[@TheChapsGuide]

Thanks for the great response

[@jchong416]

Where do you use the facilities when you're at oak camp? This is the thing that has prevented me from going camping.

[@SteveMrW]

Take a small trowel with you, away from camp and any running water that you wish to drink from. Dig a small 5” to 6” deep hole drop into there, burn any loo paper in the hole, cover hole…….Job done.

[@ivermec-tin666]

Re: irritation of the skin, particularly at the neck. Beard mapping is an art. It takes time, patience, and practice to map your beard. Once you have this down everything becomes much less challenging in the practice of wet shaving. The neck is typically more sensitive than the skin on the cheeks, and the hair on the neck can grow in all directions from one zone to the next. This is why the neck is problematic for many new wet shavers. To a degree the skin adapts to wet shaving, but to a much larger degree your technique, soft goods, and hardware evolves to achieve your desired result with minimal discomfort. I would strongly encourage any new shaver who is having skin irritation problems to take a hot shower as part of their pre-shave regimen, to ensure that they are using a shave soap that is slick and cushioning enough for their needs, and to try a cold or tepid water shave. The hot shower will soften the beard. The cold shave will close the pores and tighten the skin. This is a common technique for those who have particularly sensitive skin. Some men just can't shave against the grain. Some are so sensitive that they can only shave with the grain. Gillette came up with a technique that they called "the glide", which involves shaving diagonally, and acts similar to a slant head safety razor. As you grow older, your beard becomes first thicker, and then more coarse. And, the skin becomes thinner. This will move you to change your technique and choice of products.

[@glennet9613]

Yes, when I swapped to shower before rather than shower after I noticed an enormous improvement.

[@ivermec-tin666]

@@glennet9613 A hot shower achieves most of the benefits of the traditional barber's hot turkish towel prep technique, but is more time efficient in the daily routine.

[@pasquale78]

This is so true. I shaved my beard wrong for so many years, to the point where I just didn't know what to do anymore. (this was before the whole KZbin tutorial thing went popular) I used electric shavers, high end with built-in lotion and low end shavers, but none worked for me. I always got real bad razor rash. Then I tried wet shaving using Gilette razors with god knows how many blades, still same result. Then I learned that the more blades a razor has, the deeper the hairs are cut off. This results in grown-in hairs. So I tried my hand on DE razors and followed some instructions that I found on YT. I found out that when I washed my face with warm water, the hairs would soften up and made my the experience so much more pleasurable. I also learned the way my hairs grew and I didn't shave against the grain anymore. Now I have the perfect shave and I'm so happy. My setup is the following: Razor: Merkur 20c Blades: Feather Shaving Foam: Proraso (standard green) Aftershave: Proraso Aftershave Balm (sensitive)

[@ivermec-tin666]

@@pasquale78 My journey is very much like yours. I tried cartridges, and electric shavers, rotary, and foil. The Mach 3 razors were ok (I retained one for airline travel), but nothing comes close to traditional DE or SE wet shaving with a real shaving soap. My goto shave is as follows: Razor: Gillette The New short comb with a ball end handle Brush: Semogue Badger SOC Soap: Palmolive shave stick Preshave: Myrsol Emulsion Blade: Wizamet SI's or Gillette Nacet

[@jimmysmith1879]

😎👍

[@canadafree2087]

Noisiest non-electric razor I've ever heard! I understand if those who work a professional job every day may let their face grow when camping, but where else will you get such free time to give yourself an unrushed face spa time?

[@Rick-fz7tt]

I think your having trouble with some content lately.😳

[@markwalsh6714]

What does that mean ?

[@9er..]

It’s easy to fight the bull from the barrera…

[@Rick-fz7tt]

@@9er.. here here old boy.😳

[@e-remes7029]

Hi Ash Certainly a relaxed outdoor shave there. I have rather tha soap, used shaving oil as it takes minimal space and requires less water per shave. Have you tried this? I am lazy with outdoor shaving these days. I tend to dry shave with a modern razor. I have used straight and safety razors when camping and probably will this weekend. I am really enjoying the Oak Camp series. 🫡