Thread: Whaaat?

This is going to be a really long one. Sorry in advance. My comments are in italics. All quotes from hydrolast.com

So ever since I watched Mantic59's youtube videos on "Method" a.k.a the "Roberts Method of Wet Shaving (RMWS) shaving, I've been curious to find out more about what seemed to be a way to distill shaving down into...well, something. I'm not sure what.

Anyway, for those of you without backround information, Method shaving is a concept of shaving created by one Charles Roberts from Austin, Texas, who owns a shaving business called Enchante (enchanteonline.com). It is founded around some core principles of wetshaving, that I will now list.

1) It espouses that water is the absolute best thing for your skin, but since water is too volatile, one cannot use water alone to shave with. One must use organic, water based shave media with the fewest possible ingredients. This is acomplished through Dr. Robert's own line of shaving products called HydroLast, sold and manufactured solely through Enchante Online.

2) The second idea is to use standardized, high-performance shaving hardware to reduce variables. The standard shaver is the Merkur Heavy Duty loaded with feather blades. The standard brush is the Shavemaster brush, sold and manufactured by Enchante.

3) Standardized beard reduction passes, called cutting forms, are used to reduce variables. Two NS passes, one WE pass, and finally one E ->NW pass are the cutting forms.

So I've been cruising the Method discussion boards at hydrolast.com, and reading some things by Charles, and the more I read the more put off I am by the whole concept. It seems almost cult-like: The only way to wetshave is the way I say, using only products that I sell.

For instance, here are some quote samples from Dr. Roberts (when he uses the term "open blade razor" he is referring to straights):

"The traditional school [of wet shaving] includes a short hair, silver tip badger shaving brush; a MULTI-BLADE, Gillette style razor; and a commercially produced potted cream or shaving soap. The traditional “dry” paste cream typically uses a form of hydroxyl acid as its formulary base (the use of the term “dry” is not intended as a negative; it simply means it is sensitive to the presence of air—not water). The list of dry wet shaving cream manufacturers is extensive [and] a short list of some of the best dry pot shaving creams should include Geo. F. Trumpers, D.R. Harris, and Taylors of London. At the same time, these dry potted creams are not suitable for use with DE or Open blade razors; because of the high acid content, the average commercial potted cream cuts very hot soon after application."
I can tell you this: Without water, I can swirl my brush on my TOBS tub all I want without generating a lather. I have had great success using both Trumpers and Taylor with my straight, and it does not cut hot at all. Both seem very suitable for straight, and DE shaving, for that matter, as I have used a DE before with good results. Also, since when is a multi-blade razor considered traditional?

"Until the advent of single blade (Method) shaving, the expression “wet shaving” was a curious expression looking for a specific meaning."
Perhaps I misunderstood the term "wetshaving." I was under the impression that both straight and DE shavers were wetshavers. I had no idea that D. Roberts created single blade shaving, either.

"It is critical to always keep in mind that “shaving cream” (as distinguished from wet mix) in any form is primarily comprised of passive chemical agents brought into active combination through the introduction of air and water. These elements are then combined through agitation by the brush. And though usually thicker and more pleasingly aromatic, this medium is not all that different from the dry foam agent that comes out of a conventional can of shaving cream bought in the supermarket."
I completely disagree with a statement that does not concede any difference other than aroma to the creams I use every day. I find there do be a world of difference between my Proraso and canned shaving cream of any type.

"I regard the open blade/cut throat razor as the last great unclaimed card in the current wet shaving game...Only the open blade remains a virtaul refugee in the new wet shaving order. Why is this?
First, there have been no great promoters of the open blade razor. This particular razor lacks one very necessary asset that Jack Welch once demanded of every new product or brand--a "champion". One that eats, sleeps, and breathes its very success. Who speaks for Trumpers? Multitudes do. Who speaks for Feathers and Merkur? The great Ray Dupont, though he now sleeps with the angels, the brands he inspired yet live on. I of course developed HydroLast specifically for use with the double edge, fixed blade razor. But who pleads for the open blade in the court of public opinion? Not one soul."
Has Dr. Roberts never heard of Lynn Abrams? Has Dr. Roberts not been over to SRP lately? Has he missed the MSNBC piece and New York Times articles on straight shaving? I suppose he's trying to discourage people from using a straight, so they continue to pay him for his "method."

"In addition, there is another more specific reason that accounts for the slow adoption of the open blade--the absence of any specific wet media appropriate to its use."
You all can handle this one. Taylor, Trumpers, Truefitt, Proraso, Tabac, Col. Conk, etc, etc, have all proven appropriate for straight shaving, and have for centuries.

For me, this attitude seems to be why I'm so turned off by him and his Method shaving. Where on this forum, the attitude seems to be "if it works for you, do it," his attitude seems to be "if it's my system, do it; if not, its not as good as my system." It just seems that his goal is not to help people get the best shave, and the most enjoyment out of shaving, but rather to promote and sell his product above all else.

Sorry about the length of this one.

Phew *pant*

Yeah- haven't heard of that guy, but he's full of it. Any time someone says "my way or the highway" and then offers to sell you something, you're right to doubt them. There's tons of great products and great brands out there. Ignore this ignoramus.

Hmmm...Wasn't Ray Dupont a straight shaver? And how on earth can you say that he "inspired" Feather and Merkur, as both those companies have been in business for darn near 100 years?

How odd...
I do find the whole "method shaving" thing so be so much hot air; but hey, everyone's got their own game to play.

Shoot the guy an email and pop the balloon that is his ego.

I signed up for the forum just so I could post a rebuttal. Apparently, he's got a pretty loyal following though. Hence, the cult-like comment.

I had a look at those sites a few days ago. From a cursory glance, it does seem as if "the method" has some sound reasoning and scientific knowledge behind it. He has developed some precise terminology to describe aspects of the method. And I think that is both its strength and its weakness.

It is undoubtedly a good idea to use well defined terms as a basis for any analytical approach to doing something. But if you take it too far you run the risk of alienating outsiders who look into it. When you reach the stage of discussing "dry wet shaving" products maybe you've let the terminology take control of you instead of helping you to communicate an idea. Saying that

the expression "wet shaving" was a curious expression looking for a specific meaning

rather confirms that. "Wet shaving" seems quite self-explanatory to me, anyone who thinks otherwise is overanalysing the concept IMHO.

Method shaving does sound interesting to me, I may try it one day if buying the required items is easy and not too expensive. But just as programmers are often said to be the worse people for writing documentation for the applications they write, maybe the scientist(s) behind method shaving are the wrong people for promoting it.

I have to mention something else - did you notice they have now decided a (special) cloth is better than a shaving brush as part of their method?

Yikes. That "method shaving" stuff is just a way to sell his proprietary shave gear. I have never used his Hydrolast stuff or whatever, so I can't say if that part is bs.

His vocabulary makes me shudder though. It sounds like he opened a entry level college chemistry book and started using words out of the index.

It reminds me of the old victorian era medicine ads.

Thank you theworldover for a good laugh! :-)
BTW: I think those mantic vids are pretty cool.And correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't he use a variety of shave creams and soaps in his vids?

Kristoffer

Joel over at badger and brush had a good review of method shaving.

You'd think that a guy who sells his own line of shaving soap would realize that soap is slightly basic, and not acidic at all.