My view on cutting forms

[msandoval858]

Over the last few months of shaving with Hydrolast, I’ve done a lot of experimenting trying to find what works best for me.  I’ve been hesitant to post details on how I go through the cutting forms because I don’t want to draw away from the importance of form that Charles teaches to those new to method shaving.  The more I used the system and tried my own variations of the forms it became clear to me that even with a regimented system like Hydrolast, it’s still important to find what works best for you.  My goal of writing this is not to critique what Charles teaches, but to offer my own spin on it and what I’ve discovered in my shaving journey.

The first thing I see when I read comments from people starting out with the 3x forms is that forms don’t achieve a perfectly smooth shave.  The biggest misunderstanding here is that the forms themselves only make up half of the shaving process.  The forms are designed to be a systematic reduction process that works efficiently without any regard to beard grain pattern.  Learning to cut them gives you the ability to get the beard reduced to its lowest point without the guess work of grain shaving.  This works very well to a point.  Once you finish, you could leave your shave at that and achieve a well groomed look.  But, to the touch there will still always be that last bit of small stubble that all wet shavers seek to eliminate.  Personally, I recommend to people new to the DE to stop after the 3x forms for the first few weeks to get adjusted to the angle and technique of DE handling without risk of serious blood shed or blade irritation.

So what do I do that is different?  The first two of the 3x forms work well for me, however I found myself needing more reduction in the neck area when cutting the last form.  This form is based on cutting towards the center line, towards the nose.  I skip cutting Q1 since I keep a goatee and cut Q2L and R as outlined (http://www.enchanteonline.com/pages/faqs/cuttingforms.pdf).  Where I made the change was in Q3 and Q4.  Only in the third form, I combine those two quadrants and cut south to north, always towards the nose.  Cutting south to north has always been discouraged in method shaving, however that direction gets the shave closer leaving me less work in the touch up stage.  Cutting this way, towards the center line is still technically valid if you consider the definition of the 3x forms… always cut towards the center.  While the goal is to eliminate grain shaving, sometimes when you have a very distinct growth direction, you have to make a modification to compensate and get passed those trouble spots.

Once I finish the forms, then I move in to the finishing stage.  The whole cutting process for me is half cutting forms (Stage 1) and half finishing (Stage 2).  In my finishing stage I use a variety of the advanced DE techniques, such as blade buffing and J hook.  These are best explained in mantic’s YouTube video on advanced cutting (www.youtube.com/watch?v=TQco5PWc2JU).  During this stage I have to go off form to get the smoothness I want.  I do some south to north buffing in Q2L and R and also cut through Q3 and Q4 horizontally, starting at the right ear all the way across to the left.  I’ve found that I can cut off form with ease, but you only want to do this after you’ve completed the 3x forms and gotten the proper reduction process down.  A small bit of hand lathered slag from the cube with water and a few drops of cutting balm applied in a thin layer by hand makes an amazingly slick surface for the finishing stage.

The most important thing I can stress is to learn the forms first.  Although I have only been using Hydrolast for a short time now, I incorporated the forms into my traditional shaving technique a long time ago when I first learned of their existence.  Sticking to the forms will give you the best roadmap to learning how to use the DE properly.  Many of you reading this may already have that skill accomplished (probably better than I do for that matter) and I hope that my ideas on finishing and form modification can help with personalizing your own technique.  Without a doubt there’s a huge benefit to finding what works best for you.  I think when most people look at Hydrolast there’s a misconception that it should only be used one way or you’re shaving wrong, period!  Not the case.  Master the DE, master the forms, and then personalize your technique.

Your face will love you for it…

[Shavemaster]

Greetings, All,

Mike Sandoval provides an excellent commentary on the "cutting and clearing" process for which Method Shaving is now popular. In this regard I would like to note that Mike is but one of a new generation of "expert" class shavers whose insights are increasingly shaping the evolution of Method Shaving itself. And as Mike himself clearly notes in his comments, in many instances the recommendations of these contributors are sometimes at odds with other established principles of the system itself. A specific example of this circumstance occurs in Mike's important remarks on "south/north" reduction.

Long term Method Shavers have long known of my strong insistence on avoiding all forms of south/north reductions of any kind. Indeed, most Method Shavers know this practice as notorious "fourth form" reduction. Shavers with very long memories may even recall my preaching on this score: "the gods of shaving have given us three forms; why, then, do you insist on adding a fourth?" Over the nearly ten years I have taught Method Shaving, the strict caution against all forms of south/north reduction has always been strenuously enforced. And, until quite recently, I have made every effort to restrain new shavers from any tendency to adopt the practice. However, new developments in MS products and technique have made cutting the south/north line less problematic. This is particularly relevant where new shavers are concerned. In making this admission, however, I don't wish to leave the false impression that I am somehow miraculously converted to the efficacy of n/s reduction; I am not.

At the same time, I also recognize that a very definite grey area exists--and continues to develop-- between "on" and "off" form reduction. I will briefly explain.

"On form" reduction follows my 3X cutting form system as closely as possible. New Method Shavers are relentlessly trained to follow the 3 form model as closely as possible. There are many reasons for this requirement, but the chief among them concerns the safety of the shaver himself. However, as the field of Method Shaving continues to grow, more advanced practitioners are finding that the virtues of "off form" reduction increasingly rival those of the "on form" variety. This group is generally comprised of expert Method system shavers like Mike Sandoval.

In many respects, "off form" technique closely parallels my distinction between stage 1 and stage 2 reduction. In short, the practice of Method Shaving is undergoing yet another amazing transformation; one that is characterized by a greater emphasis of stage two--or finishing--technique. This technique generally include the use of much faster cutting mixes, higher frequency blades and precise spot cutting. It is in this new dimension of stage two Method Shaving that the perils--and possibilities--of off form reduction are being born. Best regards, Chas. Roberts

[tsmba]

Ignoring the usual "face-mapping" that seems almost universally-recommended to new shavers is one thing that really attracted me to MS. IMO, it was a waste of time. While the three forms are slightly different than the routine I practiced prior to taking up the RMWS, they were close.

Reducing that "last little bit of stubble" seems to take a lot of practice. For me, it seems more dependent on having the correct amount of moisture/mix than actual shaving moisture.