As a present for my birthday, my father took me to a barber. It was the first time for both of us. Because that barber works in a museum, he's paid per day and not per client and we were there for a full three hours (one person being shaved before us)! While it was quite a treat, I left with mixed feelings.

I've been straight shaving for about a year and have read a lot of information on this forum. In general, everyone mentions the very light touch barbers use. Surprisingly, I had the feeling this barber used more pressure than I do, and I left with quite a burn. Also, I thought his lather was a bit dry, at least drier than what I am used to making, which made the razor feel slightly sticky. I ended up with quite a few red dots and one small cut and my skin feels pretty dry after one day.

On the other hand, as he took an hour per client and he is quite a gentleman, it was a very nice experience to have. As I had taken along one of my own razors, he started out using that. After half a cheek, he switched to his shavette, as he (and I) doubted if my razor was really shave-ready. He told me and my father that our "Viking beards" were the hardest/toughest type he knows, which I will one day use as an excuse to buy a Shapton 30K to make excessively sharp razors. Also, he recommended I use a thin pre-shave oil, as he said I have a dry and sensitive skin. I liked how he focused a lot on the skin, rather than the beard or the equipment.


I'm thinking of sending him an e-mail with the above experiences. He mentioned more than a few times that he thought it possible his technique was not quite right. As this was my first time I went to a barber, I have no reference other than my own shaving technique. I would like to hear your opinions before I contact him. Thanks!