Thread: Coup de Maitre

I keep loking at that video but I think it will take me a while just to gather the guts to try it...

Gentlemen,

Thanks for all your thoughts.

Of course I am familiar with the frightening straight razor movement in the mustache area referred to as Coup de Maitre. I have used it successfully — with considerable care and one or two nicks — since the first day I began shaving with the straight razor.

Coup de Maitre, a French term, means "master stroke." My original question, however, is this: historically, how did this specific French term became associated with that particular movement in the world of straight razor shaving?

Regards,

Obie

Coup the Maitre is just shaving the moustache, though, right? The Fool's Pass is something different?

For me, a fool's pass is just that. I'd need a lightsaber to pull it off. My moustache is like the Amazon.

Yeah, I do the coup de maitre daily and don't give it a second thought. I've never done that 'fool's pass'. Mama didn' raise no fool.

My dear Oglethorpe,

From what I understand, Coup de Maitre and Fool's Pass are two different things, although one of our experts on Straight Razor Place would know better.

Coup de Maitre is the movement that starts at the base of the nose and gently sweep south over the mustache area, whereas the Fool's Pass starts from the upper lip and heads north over the mustache area — thus dictating a change of underpants for some of us gentlemen.

And my dear JimmyHAd,

I am with you on the Fool's Pass. Although I sport a big schnoz, I still am fond of my facial beacon and prefer not to eliminate it.

Regards,

Obie

Obie, thank you very much for this term, I did not previously know it. (I am also clicking the thank you button on the bottom right of your post).

I think Jockeys shows a good demonstration of the Coup de Maitre (although he does not call it that) on his new high definition shaving video. In fact, I started doing it only after seeing him do it on this video.

Call me a fool, but for the second pass on the upper lip, I tried the fools pass this morning, but did it holding the razor stationary and used my upper lip muscles to push the skin down over it. It worked quite well, and I have never had my upper lip shaved so smooth. However, I can see this is a very tricky procedure and I am still debating whether to do this regularly or not.

This is a great question, Obie. I'd always assumed that it was just a simple importation into English from the French and… so what. Kind of still think that, but your question still stands unanswered. I've looked in Larousse and my Shorter OED but came up with nothing. I don't have access to the true OED but that's where I'd go next. Turned up some interesting other stuff though. Try googling, razor strop mushroom. Subject for a whole other thread.

And my dear JimmyHAd,

I am with you on the Fool's Pass. Although I sport a big schnoz, I still am fond of my facial beacon and prefer not to eliminate it.

Regards,

Obie

LMAO

I have been searching this out on the web and have found nothing either - other than a few obtuse references to the term. Is there such a thing as a barbers historical guide or book that my have the answer you seek?

andy

Originally Posted by RazorPete

... Call me a fool, but for the second pass on the upper lip, I tried the fools pass this morning, but did it holding the razor stationary and used my upper lip muscles to push the skin down over it. It worked quite well, and I have never had my upper lip shaved so smooth. However, I can see this is a very tricky procedure and I am still debating whether to do this regularly or not.

RazorPete, you know that your description is the funniest thing I've read all day! If I had that much control over my upper lip, women would... Well, laugh too!

Originally Posted by LarryAndro

RazorPete, you know that your description is the funniest thing I've read all day! If I had that much control over my upper lip, women would... Well, laugh too!

It's really the muscles of the face, not just the upper lip, that do it. Try this: put your finger on the lower aspect of your upper lip and make a very exagerated smile. Then while holding your finger steady, make a very exagerated frown letting your upper lip skin slide down under your finger. Notice the movement? Now imagine that your finger is a razor with the blade pointing upwards, held at a low angle to the skin. Does that clarify it for you? If you can smile or frown then you have enough control to do this.