Charles Roberts Method Shaving: Pioneer or Over-thinker?

[jmudrick]

Was it ever “popular?” I don’t know why but i feel like he seems to be venerated in everything i read about him but his method seems so complicated that i can’t imagine it had many adherents. Hence my inquiries into how he may have influenced things (preshaves, etc).

Look at the forum in 2014 and see how popular his clownery was or wasn't (hint: wasn't). This at a time when he is self-defining his gotta use my towel cuz my brush isn't good enough anymore method as the definition of "American Wet Shaving". Ridiculous. Did Proraso etc see that his videos got 5,000 hits and decide they needed to rush out preshaves...errr no they didn't (Proraso already was doing preshave AFAIK).

 

[BigD]

I'm all for a good process, but this seems a bit much.

 

[chente12]

Over-thinker in my opinion. But people tend to do that when they're passionate about something, so to each their own. Plenty of people go about their lives shaving with disposable razors and any old soap/foam, so to them we're over-thinkers as well with our brushes and blades and creams/soaps, etc.

 

[jmudrick]

Over-thinker in my opinion. But people tend to do that when they're passionate about something, so to each their own. Plenty of people go about their lives shaving with disposable razors and any old soap/foam, so to them we're over-thinkers as well with our brushes and blades and creams/soaps, etc.

The difference here was that Mr. Roberts was proselytizing on behalf of a business not just enthusing about his hobby.

 

[Billy T.]

I can be enthusiastic about making money too....

 

[jmudrick]

I can be enthusiastic about making money too....

Sure. And I love watching late night infommercials with guys in bow ties lighting car wax on fire.,.all Mr. Roberts was missing was the bow tie.

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[naughtilus]

The difference here was that Mr. Roberts was proselytizing on behalf of a business not just enthusing about his hobby.

I've read that his firm convictions and ideas about Method shaving also lost him business. He wasn't flexible like a car salesman would be just to get more cars sold out the door. His passion for his creation/project is evident.

 

[Billy T.]

Ah yes. Infomercials are really amusing.

 

[jmudrick]

I've read that his firm convictions and ideas about Method shaving also lost him business. He wasn't flexible like a car salesman would be just to get more cars sold out the door. His passion for his creation/project is evident.

Yes it is. That doesn't make it any more relevant, just a bit sad.

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[naughtilus]

Yes it is. That doesn't make it any more relevant, just a bit sad.

You gotta hustle if you want to be an entrepreneur. That's how King C. Gillette became Gillette. Being a desk jockey I would likely not succeed in such a role. Charles Roberts is part of shaving history and culture, for better or for worse, and I'm not.

 

[Macduff]

I've read that his firm convictions and ideas about Method shaving also lost him business. He wasn't flexible like a car salesman would be just to get more cars sold out the door. His passion for his creation/project is evident.

I agree @naughtilus. I don’t begrudge anyone with a passion for something trying to spread it. And from what i gather, he left his career as a teacher to start his store so i hardly think he ranks with car salesmen and the like. As i said i’m no fan of his method but i think if nothing else he’s an interesting character. And it’s also interesting matic59 is his protégée so to speak.

 

[jmudrick]

I'm less charitable . When someone says "don't try this using commercial products (other than mine)" red lights and sirens go off. And Mantic59's 2007(?) videos shilling for those products are embarrassing even if elements of The Method are perfectly sane.

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[naughtilus]

I'm less charitable . When someone says "don't try this using commercial products (other than mine)" red lights and sirens go off. And Mantic59's 2007 videos shilling for those products are embarrassing even if elements of The Method are perfectly sane.

I hear ya. But Apple shareholders and fans would tell you to quit complaining.

 

[ackvil]

Many of you folks are not reading Method Shaving correctly.

First, Roberts made it known that Method Shaving was not for everyone. Those that met him or visited him at his store have said he was never pushy trying to sell his products.

Roberts's method at first used a shaving brush. However, the only brush that worked was a flat-head type of brush and if the brush was not thick enough it would not work properly. He eventually used a shaving cloth because his system would wreak havoc with brushes.

One of the essentials of his method was lather that retained a lot of water. He was after a slick lather and water was the key. He worked the lather vigorously to make lather or as he called it "wet mix." When I first read about Marco's Methold of making lather with a soft soap I thought the objective was similar to that of Roberts.

Roberts did not believe in passes as such. He did not use a WTG pass or ATG pass. Rather, he used what he called forms to shave. If you see his videos he would go in various directions and he went over spots that contained no lather. His proponents claimed the residual slickness made this possible. His followers also claimed that this was the best method for individuals who suffered from ingrown hairs or razor bumps.

If you look at his videos carefully he employed techniques that others have adopted and gave them names. You will see that he employed what some call blade buffing and J hooking during a shave.

I never tried Method Shaving but two individuals I knew did and they loved it. The only product I tried was the aftershave conditioner and that was excellent.

The Wiki has a section explaining this method of shaving.

 

[jmudrick]

I hear ya. But Apple shareholders and fans would tell you to quit complaining. [emoji23]

Not an Apple fan either but you probably could have guessed that [emoji2]

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[naughtilus]

One of the essentials of his method was lather that retained a lot of water. He was after a slick lather and water was the key. He worked the lather vigorously to make lather or as he called it "wet mix." When I first read about Marco's Methold of making lather with a soft soap I thought the objective was similar to that of Roberts.

He got the importance of water 100% correct. I've written on this forum on multiple occasions that primary quality I seek in soaps is water retention.

 

[ackvil]

Some observations Many people are very passionate about their systems and methods. Think of Feather blades, the R.41, straights v DEs, synthetic shaving brushes v natural hair brushes, etc. This is not limited to shaving.

People I have gone fishing with can argue hours about the best knots, lures, rods, etc. to use. I can get my brother-in-law into a fit when I tell him my uni-knot is superior to his clinch knot, or that the braided line I use is better than his mono. If you are into handguns you can argue endlessly over guns such as Glocks v 1911s and calibers of ammo.

 

[jmudrick]

If you look at his videos carefully he employed techniques that others have adopted and gave them names. You will see that he employed what some call blade buffing and J hooking during a shave.
.

His use of jargon ("casting the buttress" ?) was on another level of annoying. I don't think it much helped him persuade. Which was unfortunate because I agree there were worthwhile elements lost in the nonsense.



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[santamariasteve]

Nonsense. I’m quite happy using my pre pre pre shave balm. Than I do passes atg btg ctg dtg and so on until the alphabet is exhausted.

Seriously I have not heard of the man nor his methods. I do 2 passes. With and atg. Xtg does nothing for me.

Some will tell you what time it is and others will tell you how to build a clock.

Yes!

 

[drquantum]

I'd never heard of the guy until this thread, and just went through the pain of watching his "Intro to Method Shaving" video... does he really take no account of the fact that different guys' facial hair grows in different directions? He's adamant that nobody ever shave upward from the base of the neck, for some reason (perhaps because his neck hair grows straight down?) but then fails to recognize that for many, certain of his "forms" would wreak havoc?

Not only in terms of directions chosen, but, man, if I tried to whip my razor across my face as though I were one of the two sweepers in a curling match, I'd be ripped to shreds. As many have said here, I doubt any of us actually shaves with that kind of frenetic action! Where's the pleasure in that?