Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/680247
JOBS for TEAMS | 20 www.jobsfor teams.com Manliness The Art of by Brett and Kate McKay courtesy of artofmanliness.com W hen I watched the HBO series Band of Brothers, I was struck by how the soldiers, ill-supplied, freezing, and wearily dug into the snowy trenches of Bastogne, still made time to shave. The clean shaven face was and is military policy. Even today, US soldiers, although they must do without hot water and baths for months at a time, still try to get in a daily shave. It might seem like a strange policy to civilians, but requir- ing the men to be well-groomed is believed to be important in preserving the men's sense of discipline and the esprit de corps. Shaving with cold water seems like a hardship, a practice that must be endured in Spartan living conditions. After all, it's wet shaving doctrine that a man must always shave with hot- water. It not only feels nice, it softens the beard and supposedly gives you a more comfortable shave. But what if that advice is wrong? What if it's actually better to shave with cold water, even when you're not fighting the Battle of the Bulge? Well, according to a bunch of au- thors in the 19th century, cold water shaving is indeed superior to shaving with hot water. Published in 1833, The Young Man's Guide offered advice for men coming of age on various facets of life. The author devoted one section to personal grooming. Along with the typical advice you'd expect to hear (bathe daily, change your clothes) the author suggests that men give up shaving with hot water and mirrors in order to save time. Here's what he says: Sir John Sinclair asked a friend whether he meant to have a son of his (then a little boy) taught Latin? 'No,' said he, 'but I mean to do something a great deal better for him.' 'What is that?' said Sir John. 'Why,' said the other, 'I mean to teach him to shave with cold water, and without a glass.' My readers may smile, but I can assure them that Sir John is not alone. There are many others who have adopted this practice, and The case for cold water shaving