Thread: Professional Barber Shaves-Squawkbox

Originally Posted by cessnabird

Most places in the states require the use of a shavette due to sanitary reasons. With HIV and hepatitis C roaming, they don't take chances. The few places in my local area will use a straight on you if it's your razor. As much as I have thought about getting a barber shave, I just enjoy shaving myself much more.

So in Centervile just a little ways from Salt Lake City, Utah is a second gen barber who still uses a real straight razor. I would love to tell you all the address but I have no idea what it is I have only gone once and was driven by my brother/law and just never asked. It was probable the greatest shave of my life and there was no razor burn that I am used to. He did use a autolather thingy and it went cold way to fast but other than that I was in heaven. No pool table at this place just a big open room with chairs lining up. I will try and get a name for you soon.

Originally Posted by cessnabird

Most places in the states require the use of a shavette due to sanitary reasons. With HIV and hepatitis C roaming, they don't take chances. .

The diseases are true but the Barber is the one who is more at risk if the shop properly sanitizes every instrument before and after each patron. For the aids virus the transmission of blood with the disease has to be almost instantaneous. For Hepatitis and TB a UV cabinet along with some antibacterial solutions is a must.

So it is not the reason Barbers don't use real str8s. They may say that but not true.

Think about the edgers some use around the ears and neck. just going over the top of the ears a few times to get those stubborn hairs can cause the patron to bleed and break capillarys.

Just my $.02

Brent

My girlfriend got me a shave at Trumpers earlier this year and I must admit, it was fantastic! In fact, I bought my first straight from them right afterwards..! Talk about bitten by the bug..!

The barber did a huge amount of prep with liberal amounts of skin food and 2 or 3 hot towels first. Lather was Trumpers Sandalwood cream, which gave a great foamy lather (so much so I`m tempted to try the cream now..!) with a huge Trumpers brush. He did the shave with a shavette type razor (I think it was DOV he said (?) but I didnt get a good look at it) and I got a really great close shave. This was on a Saturday morning and I still couldnt feel stubble on Sunday night..!

I'm not sure how much it cost coz it was a present but I'd heartily recommend them..! Theya also do a shaving school so if anyone in the London area wants some pointers on their shaving then thats supposed to be very good as well...! I'm looking to do the school later this year.

Originally Posted by Swink

I've got a new barber who's actually right across the road from me in Montreal. He does my sideburns and neck with a shavette. I asked why he used the shavette as opposed to an 'old fashioned' straight razor. He said it's just easier (no maintenance), more consistent and cheaper. He also uses a lather machine that dispenses warm lather.

I asked him what the secret was to a good shave and he held out his hand and said, "Les bons mains."

I haven't had a full shave from him, but the touching up he does is effective and irritation-free.

Hey man, where in Montreal are you? I'm on the east side... looks like there's quite a number of members from here. Maybe we should do some sort of get together some time.

What's Les bons mains mean?

Originally Posted by Swink

I've got a new barber who's actually right across the road from me in Montreal. He does my sideburns and neck with a shavette. I asked why he used the shavette as opposed to an 'old fashioned' straight razor. He said it's just easier (no maintenance), more consistent and cheaper. He also uses a lather machine that dispenses warm lather.

I asked him what the secret was to a good shave and he held out his hand and said, "Les bons mains."

I haven't had a full shave from him, but the touching up he does is effective and irritation-free.

Originally Posted by rickboone

What's Les bons mains mean?

It's actually spelled "Les bonnes mains"... literally means "The good hands".

I went to The Art of Shaving store in Natick Mall (massachusetts). It is not a barber spa, neither is the one in boston, but they have shave events where a "master barber" shaves for a day. My first str8 shave and it was disappointing. the prep was great hot towels, oil, real smooth wiskers but after the shave my right jaw line looked like road rash. turned into small scabs the next day. I didn't let that stop me tho, i'm still learning how to do it on my own !

I can recommend the Royal Shave at the Bellagio hotel in Las Vegas.

I was just there celebrating my 15th wedding anniversary and, having never gotten a shave before I decided to indulge myself. The royal shave is more pricey, consisting of a facial mask as well as the shave but, like I said, I was indulging myself. The barber, a nice older russian woman named Luba also trimmed my goatee and mustache (and even my nose hairs). She was definitely adept with the razor and provided as close a shave as I've had with no nicks or cuts or rash. She even shaved the inside areas of my goatee under my lip. It was gratifying, though, to see her having to go back over the same areas on my face which always give me the most grief - it's not so much my technique then, it's the dang whiskers!

Overall, at that price, $60 for the shave and facial, $15 for the mustache/goatee trim, it's not something I'd likely do often, but it was a nice way to spoil myself for the occasion.

there is an old barber down in san diego called high mountain barber shop i think thats the name i was down there last christmas and got a good shave down there i dont know the exact price because i got a good man haircut as well..no asking what number on the clippers it was how do you want your hair cut!

I went to a barber shop in Davenport, IA and the experience was not the most pleasurable. The place was called Millers I think. I came in and told the guy what I wanted, shave my neck and back of my neck and shape and trim up my beard to make it look a little less caveman-esque (I grow a full beard around this time of year, habit from having an outdoor job in the past). So he had me get in the chair, then he pulled out a Personna and loaded a blade into it (which for some reason he had to use a pair of pliers for). Next, I'm hoping he wasn't doing what I saw, but it was hard telling since he knelt down low, but I could almost swear I saw him scrape it against the tile floor once or twice quickly. Then, no towel, wash, or oil, he went to his lather machine and got me some lather and went to work. By the end of it I was left with some nicks, some styptic powder, and a butchered beard. He did however do good on the back of my neck. No aftershave, balm, or even cold water. I guess for just $10 though you can't expect a lot though.