My Foray into the world of methodshaving....

[Joe Lerch]

You keep mentioning two razors. How do you use them?

I have been using the CAR products and doing the Method Shaving process for about 1.5 weeks, and all I can say is that I am simply blown away by the results.

I have never experienced shaves this close or comfortable ever. My skin looks and feels amazing.

I always ask my boys (4 & 8) to feel my face after a particularly good shave - the other day after using my Feather Artist & Progress, my 4yr old came up and felt my face - he said "Dad, how'dja do that?" and on hearing that my 8yr. came up and felt my face - his only response was "Whoaaa".

I tried an experiment this morning, where I tried to sub the cutting balm and a/s for some Mont Source shaving oil I have and Trumpers Coral Skin Food.

I used my Feather Artist and Slant razor. No comparison, in terms of comfort. While the resulting end shave was not bad (not "Whoaa" status), I had far more nicks and small cuts - part of this may have had to do with the pairing of two very sharp and potentially aggressive razors - but while shaving the blades did not glide as easily or smoothly on form 3.

The Mont Source shaving oil was pitiful when compared to the CAR Cutting Balm -

Usually may face feels soft, supple and conditioned - this a.m. it was was on the edge of feeling raw (note: it feels much better now 3 hrs after the shave).

So I for one am sold, and compared to my original routine, Method Shaving is simpler, faster and provides significantly better results.

 

[blueasajewel]

Feather str8 for the first 1-3 N/S passes & either Merkur Progress or Slant for the remaining passes.

I'm afraid I'm not good enough at this point to do the str8 for all passes - although I am going to try on Friday.

You keep mentioning two razors. How do you use them?

 

[PortsmouthDavid]

Joel's explanation of how Method Shaving goes about building lather is the first time I ever got the feeling that I could decipher what was going on. But here's a question for anyone who has tried Method Shaving: Couldn't you simply:

1) Add some hot water to a shaving mug with your favorite shaving soap.
2) Soak then "scrub" your brush on the shaving soap.
3) Add a dollop of your favorite English shaving cream to the middle of the brush.
4) Whip up a lather in your hand.
5) Apply and work the lather.
6) Shave.
7) Use some thicker cream (like Creamo-cream or something) for final touch-ups?

My point is that the use of specific Enchante products doesn't seem that magical in the formulation to me. Wouldn't my "method" (notice the small "m"!!!) work essentially the same??

Any thoughts appreciated. Thanks.

-- David

 

[joel]

Joel's explanation of how Method Shaving goes about building lather is the first time I ever got the feeling that I could decipher what was going on. But here's a question for anyone who has tried Method Shaving: Couldn't you simply:

1) Add some hot water to a shaving mug with your favorite shaving soap.
2) Soak then "scrub" your brush on the shaving soap.
3) Add a dollop of your favorite English shaving cream to the middle of the brush.
4) Whip up a lather in your hand.
5) Apply and work the lather.
6) Shave.
7) Use some thicker cream (like Creamo-cream or something) for final touch-ups?

My point is that the use of specific Enchante products doesn't seem that magical in the formulation to me. Wouldn't my "method" (notice the small "m"!!!) work essentially the same??

Any thoughts appreciated. Thanks.

-- David

David,
To be blunt? NO. The cube is not a standard shaving soap, and creates a very wet, non-volumous lather. The quality of CAR's products is superb, and they are SPECIFICALLY designed to work hand in hand with one another. Trying to imitate his "method" with different products MIGHT work for you - but it would not be an accurate judgement of HIS particular method without using his specific products. The only thing you don't really need is the shave paste (worthless in my opinion) and an expensive shaving brush, but you DO need the cube, cutting balm, and moisutre/conditioner cream.

BTW - thanks for joining, and welcome!

 

[Joe Lerch]

I've never used the cutting balm, but like Joel, I find specific CAR products to be exce[tional in the method. For example, the cube is different from other marsielles olive oil soap. It seems to stay wet much longer. Even when I use it with my regular creams, they don't dry up the slightest during an entire shave. So, I'm not a method shaver, but I retained some of the CAR products after I tried the method. The aftershave balm is incomparable.

 

[yasuo200365]

"Method Shaving" - The shavers equivalent of "Painting By Numbers".

All very anal

Regards
John

 

[Joe Lerch]

"Method Shaving" - The shavers equivalent of "Painting By Numbers".

All very anal

Regards
John

I look at it as a quick start. It would take a shaver many years to acquire the knowledge and skill that method shaving imparts in a short time.

You need to view it in context. Sites like this have been around a short time. Before that guys were just floundering around if they weren't fortunate enough to have a friend or relative to teach them. Method shaving was a giant step over that. And, in reality the system has helped many shavers with difficult problems. In the hands of a more communicative proponent, it would have (should have) achieved a lot more.

 

[mantic]

I look at it as a quick start. It would take a shaver many years to acquire the knowledge and skill that method shaving imparts in a short time.

What he said. I think its interesting that as elements of Method shaving (brush charging, buffing, J-hooking, etc.) percolate into the wider shaving universe the reaction is generally along the lines of "hey, that's pretty cool."

--Mark (not a Method shaver but I know enough about it it be dangerous )

 

[guenron]

What he said. I think its interesting that as elements of Method shaving (brush charging, buffing, J-hooking, etc.) percolate into the wider shaving universe the reaction is generally along the lines of "hey, that's pretty cool."

--Mark (not a Method shaver but I know enough about it it be dangerous )

While giving creadit where credit is due, don't be overly generous either. Most of the above were commonly used techniques long before the Baron of Blue Prose bored on...

 

[AceHarddrive]

blueasajewel: You said that the shaving oil was pitiful when compared with the Hydrolast Cutting Balm, but what was your opinion on the Coral Skin Food as compared with Hydrolast A/S Conditioner?

Joel: Why do you feel that the shave paste is worthless? In post #1, you said:

Hydrolast paste – NOT a shaving cream. Does not lather at all. Smells mediocre in sandalwood and decent in peppermint. INCREDIBLE lubricant, and is best used as you would a preshave, or as an “additive” to the brush. I got the best results with the cube, a small swipe of English shave cream, then a blob of hydrolast.

Have you changed your opinion?

~Tim

 

[stropmegently]

As someone who had to learn to shave on his own, I would have this method to be helpful. I am now 35 and have just learned how to wetshave in the past year. My father was not helpful to me when I was but a lad

I think that if I knew method shaving existed way back, it would have helped me from spending so much money on other methods, constantly changing methods and such. So, for those without a father or in need of a system, this may work. I have managed to figure things out on my own and with the combined effort of this forum, other forums and quality products. For that I am grateful. For this first time in my life I am able to shave daily without problems while achieving a first rate shave.

Darren

 

[AceHarddrive]

Joel, why are you adding a cream to the Wet Mix? I'd assume that the Wet Mix alone would be enough.

~Tim

 

[scotish shaver]

just recived my hydrolast products today:- the cube, shaving paste and cutting balm i also got some Skin tonic and was also sent three samples of the as/conditioner which was a nice bonus. will be trying them out shortly.

 

[3am Shadow]

Is there a hybrid of sorts of wetshaving and method shaving?

 

[thevelvet]

I have just started reading your method shaving blog and had to stop to shoot off this message to you because im literally laughing my *** off due to what youve wrote thus far. I cant agree enough with how complicated CAR makes this seem. And as far as the vocabulary that guy has, well, it makes me think that my own must be like that skit in "In Living Color" where Oswald Bates - Damon Wayans - is in prison and constantly misuses large words in terrible sentances ("Unfortunately, we could not impregnate everyone. It is simply beyond our colonic threshold." "I believe it was Plato...No, excuse me, I mean Play-Doh...who stuck to the wall when he said one must not put one's transvestite in jeopardy if one is to become a cunning linguist". "Hey, I ain't no venereal fuddrucker!")

This whole method thing has allowed me to create my own method of shaving, I call it the Jeremy method of shaving or JMS for short (my last name is Parker but the initials of PMS just didnt fly with me.) Here is how it works:

1.) Take out all the money you have saved up and spend it on shaving supplies. Razors, creams, soaps, etc.

2.) Fill sink with water.

3.) Upon shaving, accidentally slit your throat due to how tight your jaw muscles were due to depth of thought and misery from being completely broke from all youve spent on your shaving addiction and finding out that your friends and family are planning to put you on the A&E show "Intervention" because of your shaving addiction.

4.) Refer to above.

 

[brothers]

I have nothing much to add. Method sounds like somebody's bad dream. Take a fun and simple hobby one step further by inventing additional steps and products that make it even more complex and expensive to shave in the morning, with the added plus that your product smells like ... . Thanks but no thanks.

 

[brothers]

Dear B&B, time to clean out and throw out the clutter from 5 years ago. Nobody, not one living soul posting in all of the other threads and topics on B&B ever mentions, or feels the need to debate and defend Method Shaving in any current posts anywhere on B&B. Thank goodness. Is anybody listening?

 

[neilxvx]

Dear B&B, time to clean out and throw out the clutter from 5 years ago. The Method Shaving Cult is graveyard dead, and good riddance. Revisiting my last post of about 3 months ago. Why does Method Shaving (still) have it's own permanent Catagory/Thread/Title? Who cares? All of the initial posts were five (5) years ago. Something is certainly wierd about the existence of this "Method Shaving" catagory on B&B. All of the gentlemen whose cult, or more likely, their business enterprise, created this wierdness those 5 years ago have evidently (with what, 2 or 3 exceptions) disappeared. Is it because of some degree of single-willed drive to control that lives in one or two people that keeps it alive, hoping it will one day have a resurgence? It has been 5 years since they wrote their lengthy and emotional postings defending and evangelizing the method, and shouting that shaving isn't any fun and isn't supposed to be fun, because it's just boring work, but you get real good skin from the method by paying $17 an ounce for their crap that smells like crap. Does anyone agree that all of this seems very odd? And here's a fact for anyone reading this to ponder --- nobody, not one living soul posting in all of the other threads and topics on B&B ever mentions, or feels the need to debate and defend Method Shaving in any current posts anywhere on B&B. Thank goodness. Is anybody listening?

Wow man, you sure are a badass.

I thought most people that don't like something stay away from it.... hmm..

 

[brothers]

So if you don't like it, like I don't like it, why did we not stay away from it?

 

[neilxvx]

You don't think it's wierd that something that old, stale,and crazy would be given an honored untouchable place at the permanent head of the B&B board? You are exactly right, everybody stays away from it because, as you said, nobody likes it. It's of interest to no one. It's a permanent sales advertisement for a business owned by some guru in Texas named Charles, and it's wierd. There has to be some personal reason somebody has that determines it gets to stay, while years literally pass without anybody posting on it and nobody dares mention it.

So if you don't like it, like I don't like it, why did we not stay away from it?

Years have passed since people have posted in the method shaving forum? What about this thread which started about two weeks ago?

That "some guru" guy is a friend of mine and he owns quite a respected and lovely business.

I don't think you understand. Method Shaving may not be THE talk of the town around here but that doesn't really mean it's something that we shouldn't 'dare' to talk about

You should give Mr. Roberts a call and ask him what his products offer. You would probably be surprised.