A detailed on-line manual of "wet shaving" . . .

http://www.enchanteonline.com/pages/faqs/robertsmethodshaving.pdf


I haven't read it all but this printable on-line manual is fascinating and almost 100 pages in length. Truly impressive!!

Wow.. and that is w/o pictures!

It is mostly written by a guy with ego to boost up. I skimped it once and then made my decision that this roberts guy was just advertising his so called "method shaving" thing.

It is really not worth a read, unless for curiosity to look how a wierd mind thinks.
The terms used in the books are just not right, he talks like it is some science using the terms he has invented. Adn all others wrong of course. Trust me this is bull**** ego talk in that "book".
I get angry to read such rubbish !!!

Many books have benefitted from editing.

Jarmo P said:

It is mostly written by a guy with ego to boost up. I skimped it once and then made my decision that this roberts guy was just advertising his so called "method shaving" thing.

It is really not worth a read, unless for curiosity to look how a wierd mind thinks.
The terms used in the books are just not right, he talks like it is some science using the terms he has invented. Adn all others wrong of course. Trust me this is bull**** ego talk in that "book".
I get angry to read such rubbish !!!

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Your review and comments will save me paper and cartridge ink!

Thanks for that!

OK, I started scanning through it. He lost me when he stated something like "straight shaving is nearly extinct in North America." Then I skipped to the end to catch the shameless promotion of his technique and the specialized products that must be used. Ho hum....... yawn...

Read two pages and could tell immediately it doesn't need to be 75 pages. He likes to hear himself talk I think. I did a bit of research on Method shaving when I first came to B&B. Roberts is something of a guru in the discipline, and supposedly it works for some. Too involved and too expensive for my tastes. Besides I don't have overly sensitive skin and that seems to be the group to whom Method shaving is tailored.

On the other hand if you're into straight shaving I found this to be very informative and much less self serving at half the length. A few demonstration pics as well. When I finally get serious about straights I am going to read it more thoroughly again.

How come this thread was suddenly moved from a General forum to a sub forum "Method Shaving"
My judgement was too harsh and right in the general forum to prevent any innocent lambs to come into the MS heaven here?

Jarmo P said:

How come this thread was suddenly moved from a General forum to a sub forum "Method Shaving"
My judgement was too harsh and right in the general forum to prevent any innocent lambs to come into the MS heaven here?

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Your intolerance for what you do not personally like and have likely never tried has no place in the general forum. Just because you are not interested is no reason to make personal attacks on someone you have never met.

I have met Charles and talk to him regularly and have found him to be someone who is truly trying to improve the shaving experience. His choices of terminology are as much about who he is as marketing. I suggest anyone who is interested call and talk to Charles or his wife Jean. They are very helpful and will not sell anyone what they do not need.

I am not a strict method shaver, but do use the Hydrolast products on occasion for both straight and DE shaving. They are some of the best products out there, but they do not have the variety of fragrances that I get using other products as well.

Brad

I too have spoken with Charles on several occasions, and yes, he does tend to be a bit long-winded sometimes. However, you come to realize that this is something he is very passionate about.
+1 on what Brad said - he would never try to sell you something that you didn't need. The man genuinely wants to improve your shaving experience, and he has helped me immensely. I method shave almost exclusively now, and love it.

I have a hard time reading Charles but I have talked with him on the phone a few times and I think he is very interesting and really a very nice fellow.
Okay - so he is promoting his stuff but he sells a lot of different products.
Nothing wrong with promoting something you believe in. If you have a question about shaving he will answer it - sale or no sale.

The way some of the adults on here act really disappoints me sometimes, so much that I rarely frequent this place anymore. However, after reading this forum I felt compelled to step in and say a few things about Charles.

I've been using Hydrolast for almost 10 months now. When I first started buying Charles' products, I was a downright idiot in terms of Wet Shaving knowledge. Charles knew this, I know he did, and he could have sold me anything he wanted and I would have gladly forked out the money. Even after I told him I would like to purchase an excess of his products he insisted that I stick with a very basic package.

Since then, I've become a regular customer of Enchante and I've grown quite fond of Charles and Jean. Every time I make a purchase Charles throws in a few goodies for me and he has NEVER pushed anything on me!

What I would like to assert is that Charles is an ENTREPRENEUR. He started his business on his own, and guess what, THIS IS WHAT HE DOES TO MAKE A LIVING. God forbid he be passionate about his products that he's worked on creating for YEARS.

TO BE FAIR--I honestly can understand where people can be turned off by Charles. He IS very long winded, unquestionably a bit overly-technical with his terminology, but that doesn't make necessarily make him an *******, and bull ****ter, or an ego maniac. This is how he chooses to sell his product or conduct business, and being a decent person, I easily overlook this and find ways to focus on his wonderful products. Charles has ALWAYS been willing to take time to talk to me about a product, my technique, anything, and I know for a fact that he does the same for ALL of his customers.

Bottom line, the negative things that are often said about Charles have some truth in essence, but I think some of you are being a bit over zealous with your name calling.

I have personally known Chas. for 4 years. I frequented his shop when it was in the Brodie Oaks shopping center on S. Lamar. Since then he has moved downtown to a nicer shop. I like Chas. and his lovely wife Jean. They are good folks. I am not a method shaver but use his Hydrolast balms.

Regardless of what people think, Chas. is a good man and a good vendor.

kongjie said:

Many books have benefitted from editing.

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Heh, yup.

This looks like a thread which will run and run in various guises, for as long as this forum is in existence. I'm not going to add to it except to say I tried to read the PDF (again) and when I got to "Excellent shaving is good for mankind. Poor shaving leads the bulk of humanity unto great perils" I switched off. Good luck to you all......

It's really gibberish. It took me days days to get trough, so horrible it is.
I've got the feeling that without all the ridiculous terms invented and without all other rants about the loss of wetshaving and what more, a concise and understandable manual could have been written in about 10 pages.
An interesting opinion by Joel: My Foray into the world of methodshaving....

Perhaps Mantic's video's on the subject are lot more helpful.

So to make myself clear, I have nothing against Method Shaving, but the 'primer' document is BS.

springerswimmer said:

http://www.enchanteonline.com/pages/faqs/robertsmethodshaving.pdf


I haven't read it all but this printable on-line manual is fascinating and almost 100 pages in length. Truly impressive!!

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If this is your definition of fascinating, I'd hate to see what you call ponderous.

He's the Ken Burns of shaving, and I believe his next project is a 700 page treatise on dry cleaning.

The piece is written in a tongue in cheek and humorous style that the people that have met Charles recognize and appreciate. I use Hydrolast products exclusively after trying many other products. I like them and the resulting shaves that I get from using them. Charles never pushed any products on me, and in fact recommended that I not buy an expensive brush but continue to use the less expensive one I already owned. It's very simple: if you don't like his products and techniques, don't use them! There's no reason to get vitriolic and bent out of shape over them.

rlandrews3rd said:

The piece is written in a tongue in cheek and humorous style that the people that have met Charles recognize and appreciate. I use Hydrolast products exclusively after trying many other products. I like them and the resulting shaves that I get from using them. Charles never pushed any products on me, and in fact recommended that I not buy an expensive brush but continue to use the less expensive one I already owned. It's very simple: if you don't like his products and techniques, don't use them! There's no reason to get vitriolic and bent out of shape over them.

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Precisely

"The continuous hydroplastic buffer" .....Really, it's not a term used in NASA's space programm, it's about shaving folks!