From Method Shaving To A More Traditional Approach

Thanks all for the fantastic feedback and support.

One thing I'd like to emphasize.

I'm not 'advocating' Method Shaving. In fact, you can't do 'true' Method Shaving if you wanted to, because it's dependent on proprietary products made by one individual who sadly departed at a very early age.

I appreciate the comments of how Method Shaving is not for you. This is, after all, a traditional wet shaving forum and it was not my intention to be improper by discussing MS. If I've offended anyone by even relating that, I'm sorry. I was just giving a perspective on my wet shaving journey.  MS  was never widely popular and, given the way it was presented, that's not surprising.

What I"m so excited about is re-entering the world of traditional wet shaving products and relishing the variety. I did my first traditional wet shave in 1971 and was an intermittent wet shaver-in between 70s-style beards, and then solidly from 1977 (when I shaved off my beard) until 2010, so a good 33 years before I ever heard of Method Shaving. And like VT, I learned a lot from it, and like to think that I learned the technique well, but it's time to move on. I'm happy to have found this forum-it's a wealth of great info.

And I'm most appreciative to you all for your kind words!

Hi Michael P,

I too learned much from Charles Roberts, I had a phone conversation with him in 2008 when he sent me a sample.

I am able to do three passes in under ten minutes so for me I don’t find it labourous. I find it fun cooking up a mix lol, I feel like a chef.

And I use a variety of mostly essential oil scented French soaps(Pre de Provence, Marius Fabre, etc...) , so I don’t find it limiting in terms of scents.....unless you want a cookie smelling soap or one that smells of cologne...then that’s another
story lol.

My cutting balm is lime scented and wonderful.

I alternate between traditional and MS. Method shaving and MdC soaps are the best for my skin type, but I have no issues with Italians soaps as well.

I don’t find any method limiting, both are fun...and that’s what is so cool!

For my unscented shave soap (croap or hard) I scent the lather myself with essential oils to my taste.....endless combinations.

Many times I use rose water or other hydrosols rather that using tap,water to build a lather.

For me that’s another way to mildly scent a traditional soap.