Thread: Misinformation by a barber

This is why I don't place too much trust in experts. Just because it's their job and they have qualifications, it doesn't mean they are always right. Often all it means is they can express a wrong opinion without fear of being challenged.

Originally Posted by Rajagra

This is why I don't place too much trust in experts. Just because it's their job and they have qualifications, it doesn't mean they are always right. Often all it means is they can express a wrong opinion without fear of being challenged.

That's funny. My lawyer told me the same thing just this friday. He said "I don't know anything you don't already know, Joe. The only difference between you and I is that I'm not emotionally invested in this."

In this barbers defense, he may have been totally misquoted. He may have simply said "I don't shave myself with a straight. It's awkward and I'm afraid I may cut myself badly." The writer may have misunderstood him and decided to "punch up" the quote a bit. The only thing more unreliable than an "expert" is a journalist. Almost everyone I know who's been quoted in the press has been misquoted.

this is the kind of nonsense that i was increasingly hearing from barbers around town, when justifying why they had switched to disposable blades, and even cartridgges... everything from its too hard, a liability, too hard to keep sharp.. etc etc.
most even said " these work better anyways"

Originally Posted by joesixpack

In this barbers defense, he may have been totally misquoted. He may have simply said "I don't shave myself with a straight. It's awkward and I'm afraid I may cut myself badly." The writer may have misunderstood him and decided to "punch up" the quote a bit. The only thing more unreliable than an "expert" is a journalist. Almost everyone I know who's been quoted in the press has been misquoted.

That is a very good point.

My barber is certainly one of the old school, just past official retiring age.
He is a very good barber. Like the first one quoted, his answer when I told him that I was using a cutthroat to shave was very similar: "I've shaved plenty of customers but couldn't shave myself with one". Honest, for sure, but the last thing I would describe him as is ignorant or unskilled.

hey, you guys are lucky in some respects, are least there are avenues to explore when it comes to hitting up experienced barbers for knowledge. where i live (sunny brisbane, australia) there is virtually nobody, let me stress that, NO professional barbers (at least none i've come across, and i've asked a few) that don't respond to questions about SR shaving with anything ranging from a quizzical look followed by the predictable "why on earth would you bother with that?" to ghastly expressions of horror and terror and the denouncement of these "deathtraps". perhaps that's just queensland...
you have no idea how greatful i am for the forums here and the posts of experience and shared knowledge that have helped me out along the way.
i did speak to the guy that runs the razor shop in town though, and he told me he knew an ancient barber that honed straights you bought into the store. he charges quite a lot though, and does it at his leisure, so it can take anywhere up to 4 weeks or more to get the job done. sadly this puts me out of his sphere of contact, however my next question is to anyone in the brisbane area. has anyone taken advantage of this service and is it worth doing at $50 a pop? (keeping in mind i have a blade that needs to be taken all the way back and honed "from scratch").
i'm prattling now, but in relation to the article, it sounds like a fairly typical response from someone who would rather you pay them to hold a "deadly blade" to your face and throat.
FIGHT THE POWERS THAT BE!
gotta love PE...

Originally Posted by Bart

Cheers for emailing the journalist, Bruno. Maybe you'll get an interview.
Where was the article published?

Het nieuwsblad, 09 Mei
Het Nieuwsblad - Scheren volgens de regels van de kunst

No replies so far, but it's still monday morning.

Originally Posted by Ximeljef

however my next question is to anyone in the brisbane area. has anyone taken advantage of this service and is it worth doing at $50 a pop? (keeping in mind i have a blade that needs to be taken all the way back and honed "from scratch").

PM Jimbo- he's in Aus. but I don't think Brisbane. He could point you in the right direction though or help you out.

Originally Posted by Rajagra

This is why I don't place too much trust in experts. Just because it's their job and they have qualifications, it doesn't mean they are always right. Often all it means is they can express a wrong opinion without fear of being challenged.

There is a difference between a true expert and a self-proclaimed expert.

True experts are hard to find. They are usually quite learned about the subject and have shaped the face of the field of expertise in some sort of way. Also, they usually have some sort of technical writing about the subject which is accepted by their peers as being accurate and this writing is usually used as a baseline for future work.

Self-proclaimed experts are a dime a dozen. We even have some that post here ... lol.

Experience alone does not qualify one as an expert. More times than not, field experience is the end-all be-all for 'expert' status ... which is inaccurate and misleading. Being a user of information is much different than being the developer of the information.


I don't even feed the ego of the self-proclaimed expert with the acknowldgement of referring to him/her as an expert. I use other terms that I feel to be more accurate.

Originally Posted by Rajagra

This is why I don't place too much trust in experts.

An "expert" is someone from out of town carrying a briefcase...