Thread: My barber is not a resource

So I have been going to my barber for almost a year. He is a master barber and even taught at the barber school here in town. There is some new Texas code that has not allowed any types of shave at the shop till they become certified at a cost of over $500.

I take this opportunity to fish around about old hones and strops. This is how my story goes....

Me: Tell me Mr. Barber, How long have they made you use disposables..

Barber: About eight years now...

Me: What did you use to sharpen the blades with?

Barber: We used a leather strap...

Me: And what if the razor dulled to much. What type of sharpening stone did you use?

Barber: NOOO... you cant use a sharpening stone on razors. The edge is too thin and it would cause the edge to scratch you when you use it. All you ever need is a leather strap..

Me: (internal dialogue) At least he can cut hair..

It's a shame aint it!?

Things that make you go "HUH"!

We've all heard stories here of barbers doing things with razors that make us cringe.

And yet most of them pull of a damned fine BBS shave.


Could be this barber managed to get a stropping technique that kept a blade sharp for a long time.

Originally Posted by Desdinova

Could be this barber managed to get a stropping technique that kept a blade sharp for a long time.

Cant say for a long time...it would be forever. I just dont see how it is possible.

I gave a very dull razor to a barber who happened to be a recent graduate, and asked him to hone it. Actually, he offered. When I got it back, it was still just as dull but now it was also deformed! Too bad he didn't stick with the strop. I'd post pictures of the mutilation but I sent it off to one of our own honemeisters to see if it can be salvaged.

We moved to this area about a year ago and I stopped by one barbershop and was talking to this guy about straight razors. You won't believe what this guy told me... he said using a straight razor as compared to a multi-blade cartridge would be like going back to a mule and buggy from a Cadillac.

I never went back there again. He was playing top 40 anyway so it never would have worked out.

Whats even worse, are that there are two barber shops here in town that give a nice Mach 3 shave. My brother actually forked over 20 bucks and the barber, who had a strop hanging from his hair leaned him back, and proceeded to shave him about 6 times with the mach 3.

My brother walked out with a beet red face, and alot of weepers.

Maybe they used the strop to maintain it and when it got too dull they just tossed it aside and got a new one? Or, they had enough in the rotation that nothing really got dull.

It seems as though the thought you were talking about a sharpening stone used for knives and/ or tools and not a hone of fine grits suitable for razors?...

What bothers me about the story is someone won't invest a mere $500 into their business. That, to me, doesn't really say a lot. Perhaps I am misinterpreting, but I am wondering if this is $500 for the business or for individual and per year or one time? Either way it is a small investment to be able to offer something great to your clients. I mean, at $10/ shave, you will earn your money back rather quickly. Unless, of course, they are just that slow and lacking of clients.

Other than the experience and relaxation, having a shave at a barber shop really isn't all that. Then again, I've only had one.

He used a leather what?