Thread: The True test of a steady hand

They say that when barbers are learning to give a straight shave they use balloons as test faces. Lather up the balloon, strop the blade and 'shave' the balloon without bursting it. I've never tried it, but often wondered how I would do. Have any of you ever tried? Can you do it? Are you bored enough to see if you can do it? Best of all try it and film it for us... chuck it on youtube and show us how you do.

Sandy

I thought about doing it once then realized that I get BBS with no irritation, so obviously I'm a pro

I think shaving a balloon is ridiculous. I can shave a balloon with the razor closed. It means nothing. In fact, the duller the razor the better the balloon likes it. I deliver the very best balloon shaves with a wooden razor.

I thought about it in the past just to say I could do it. I got stopped at the thought that IF I burst the balloon, having an open razor in my hand and jumping to the ceiling at the same time has potential for being bad for me and for the razor.

Chris L

Originally Posted by icedog

I think shaving a balloon is ridiculous. I can shave a balloon with the razor closed. It means nothing. In fact, the duller the razor the better the balloon likes it. I deliver the very best balloon shaves with a wooden razor.

I would assume they give the barbers sharp razors. See, so much information needs to be given in suggestions like these, or some people with just run away with their silly fantastic imaginations.

I'm glad I'm not like that or I'd probably tell you I could hone a balloon to a shaving edge using your wooden razor

Steady hand test? In Colombia there is an institution of higher learning called the school of the 7 bells. Its where they train their pickpockets. They have a dummy wired up with 7 bells and when you can pick all the dummy's pockets without setting off the bells you graduate. Now that's a steady hand and a light touch too.

I asked my barber, here in Modena, if the balloon story was true and he said that he had also heard it but that, in his case, he used a pumpkin.

A pumpkin? Thats nonsense! What, did they carve a face in it beforehand? Also the pumpkin wont give you the same effect. In training you'll end up scarring your pumpkin and you wont know when you're doing it. Wheres the learning? Use a balloon and...

*K A P O W*

...you know instantly that you are being too harsh.


This thread has started to be much funnier than I originally intended it to be

Okay, I confess. I have a deep seated hatred for hairy balloons. When I see a hairy balloon I can't help mysellf, I must shave it. All my life I've been on self appointed hairy balloon patrol (HBP). This time of year in New England we have many parades and celebrations. At these festive events there are always balloon vendors. In Italian these people are known as fornitore dell'aerostato. You should hear the balloons scream when I apply my crappiest bay rums. To quote the great doctor Hannibal Lecter, "Have the balloons stopped screaming Clarice?"

Originally Posted by icedog

"Have the balloons stopped screaming Clarice?"

I thought your name was Brad