Just to touch base again on this old shaving manual. I have tried my usual routine and compared the results against the method of 'dry' shaving outlined in said manual. The old manual method wins hands down for me, by a long way!
A couple of important points in my view with this method;
Having dry bristles that do not bend/give way to an edge. I gave this point a good deal of thought and i personally agree with the rationale. As long as a sharp edge is used i have had no problems.
Using your fingers to thoroughly massage the lather into the beard/stubble. I really try to work the lather into the bristles going against the grain and really massaging hard. I spend a minute or two doing this process.
With this method i can get a clean shave with zero irratation and quickly. If you enjoy the hot towel method etc thats fine but i would suggest that you give the finger massage method a go as this can really drive the lather to the base of the offending bristles and help with your shave.
Many thanks to Fido for finding this manual and posting, really helped my straight razor shaving, transformed it in fact!