Had my first 'professional' straight razor shave, and not sure if I am missing someth

Hello all,

My wife recently purchased for me a straight-razor, brush and bowl (I don't remember the brands, but not really germane to this question).

I thought it best to go somewhere first to get it done professionally, see what it's about, etc. I have read it best to bring my own razor for them to use. I did, but she said she couldn't, for liability, whatever reasons. OK, let's proceed.

It was a very nice experience. Hot towels, the brush, all that. Took about 45 minutes. When done, I of course checked the closeness, and honestly, it didn't feel like she removed anything. I couldn't tell any difference from when I woke up in the morning.

Did I miss something? Did I not ask for the right thing? I assumed that 'getting a shave' would entail walking out with smooth skin.

It was Best of Seven Barbers, if that means anything. It felt like she was shaving (and she was really getting in there, like just under my nostrils and all that).

A confused, but still interested, straight razor wanna-be enthusiast.

Tony

I would agree that a smooth face is what you should expect. If not, why bother? What went wrong? I have no idea. Is this a reputable place in your area?

Yup, you are missing something all right, you did not get a shave, you got a beard reduction.

When you are done you should be able to pat your face with damp hands and feel....nothing - bare naked baby butt smooth skin...
Tell the group your area and they might be able to recommend a place to try, along with the name of the Barber/Stylist to ask for..

One of the reasons we love it so much is that it is so special, so uncommon an experience.
That and I think we are enabling each other...
So this would be your last chance to head for the door...

Good luck with getting that great shave...

I have had a professional shave before and it was nice. The towels, the Preshave and the lather were all great. The shave was pretty nice too. I walked out of their feeling BBS.
When I got home I noticed she missed a few spots. I noticed during the shave the lady struggled with my beard. She even changed out blades during the shave. I'm guessing she did not go over certain spots again to avoid irritation. Maybe your barber did not want to get too close and cause any pain or discomfort. I mean to shave someone else is nerve racking.

If I got that kind of result after shaving myself with a straight, I'd grow a beard and be done with it.

Thanks everyone. I thought something was off. It sounds almost stupid to say out loud (not knowing if I got a shave or not), but so many things have their own angles and eccentricities, maybe I was missing something.

I won't bother going back there (Best of Seven Barbers). I think they are more of a 'Look at the pretty girls while we rush you in and out' kind of place.

I am in Calgary, Alberta, Canada and my next stop is London Barbers.

Thanks again,

TN

(I should also mention that I am not one of those guys who can grow a beard over lunch, or have to shave twice a day. I can go two days without it being noticeable, and if I do let it grow, it just looks like I haven't washed my face.)

No, what you got was a great experience not a shave at all. That is how it's supposed to be-har har.

if you want a shave the last place you should go to is an alleged barber. Of course there are competent people out there but they are few and far between. If you find one you better run out and buy a powerball ticket cause you are truly the luckiest guy in the world.

The advantage we have over barbers is we in time become experts in how our beard grows and what way to take it all off. I got a pro shave once. It was a dfs but I wanted a bbs! Anyway that's my take on the whole thing. If I went to a barber now I think I would get aggravated. LOL. And one other thing, I like a cold water shave and ice cube face rub. If I tell em that they will look at me like I got 10 heads.

My take on the situation is that the barber might have assessed your skin as being sensitive and erred on the side of caution, opting for comfort rather than closeness. Or it's possible he/she was incompetent too :shrug:

My barber shave experiences have been the opposite: ridiculously close but at the expense of irritation and blood. Given the choice I'd prefer a less-than-close shave.....

It is nice to read all these. I have not had the experience but it is nice to see how others have been.

Really no excuse for it. As we know.. Shaving involved both the blade and the hand. If you're in the trade, you shouldn't be afraid to touch people. A shave is almost the same as a facial. You need to be able to touch and rub with you're hands not just use a blade and brush.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Mephisto

I have had a professional shave before and it was nice. The towels, the Preshave and the lather were all great. The shave was pretty nice too. I walked out of their feeling BBS.
When I got home I noticed she missed a few spots. I noticed during the shave the lady struggled with my beard. She even changed out blades during the shave. I'm guessing she did not go over certain spots again to avoid irritation. Maybe your barber did not want to get too close and cause any pain or discomfort. I mean to shave someone else is nerve racking.

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If they are nerve wracked at the prospect of shaving someone then they probably shouldn't be doing it

The issue is barbers are not trained to use a straight type blade so they learn on the job with no direction and YOU are the crash test dummy.

Back in the day barbers trained long and hard to use a straight. if you went to such a person for a shave you would have the closest and most comfortable shave in you life. if a barbers drew blood the customer would have laid him out on the floor. Something like that would just be unthinkable back then.

Amazing what we learn to accept these days isn't it?

You don't say how many passes she made, but I'd be willing to bet it was just one WTG pass and no XTG or ATG. I've read in a similar thread here that if you want a BBS result, you have to say you want to be shaved close. And I agree that she may have chosen to err on the side of caution, not having shaved you before and not knowing anything about your beard or the sensitivity (or not) of your skin.