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Barbers call a single pass shave the "once-over", and is used a) to save time, and b) because they really don't have to do any more than that. If a customer requests a second pass they will do it, but usually don't like to due to the possibilty of irritation (and an irritated customer)
My experience with my barber is that he will do one pass with his shavette and a followup on areas of my face which he feels with his fingers to determine if they need a second pass.
Of course, my barber devotes a lot of time to beard preparation (brushless shaving cream + hot towel for 5+ minutes) and tends to be slow and meticulous with shaves as well as haircuts. He's in no hurry.
When you talk barbers you need to distinguish the modern guys who play the part and the real ones who actually were barbers. In the old days it was their profession and they were good at it so they did what they had to do and that's it. These days, well, you all see enough experiences. (My apologies to the few true competent guys out there who do straight shaves these days. What I said of course doesn't apply to them)
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Originally Posted by jhenry
Sounds fantastic, my beard would be salivating if it could.
I couldn't agree more with TBS. Everyone seems to assume that old barbers were terrible at their jobs and didn't know how to hone and their edges were inferior to ours blah blah blah. Going back to what BKratchmer said, the better you get with a straight the better you are on each pass. I never do more than one pass anymore, unless it's a seriously special occasion. My first thought, with no evidence at all, is that barbers were extremely good at shaving, and they didn't need to do more than one. I would also guess they know what direction is best to shave any hair and that, combined with their ability to move around your face in ways that you yourself cannot, should result in an exceptional shave in just one pass.
Not to say that I'm not lazy, because I am, but that's not the reason I do only one pass.
If I have a customer come in for the first time wanting a shave I always ask if they have ever been shaved with a straight razor before, if they haven't I will only do a once over because it is hard to determine how their skin will react and the last thing I want to do is make someone uncomfortable. After I have shaved somebody once, when they come in again I ask if there was any problem areas with the last shave, if not then I offer to do a close shave and go from there.
I feel that as a barber I always want the customer to be as happy and comfortable as possible, yes I do want to service as many people as possible in a day but I am not ever going to speed through anything, I became a barber because I love the trade and want to carry on traditions of the guys who IMO did it right.
Great to hear from a practicing barber and Thanks!
Pabster
Most of the barbers I know do at least 2 passes.
It was possibly a poor choice of mine to use the word 'lazy' to describe a barber who gives one pass, resulting in what one would describe as a poor shave.
Of course number of passes matters little. A one pass quality shave can easily trump a three pass average shave. I have done this myself.
Either way a barber is taking your money. He is providing a service and you have every right to expect quality.
Much of that (to me) is being lathered up numerous times, shaved expertly, towelled and toned. The ritual matters a lot. That is a huge part of shaving and especially being shaved.
If I had the choice of walking into a barber that gave me the smoothest shave I have ever had in 2 minutes flat with one pass standing upright using tepid dish water or a nice shave in 15 minutes with a good pre massage, quality lather, old school barbers chair, multiple passes, a hot towel treatment and a nice aftershave applied I know which I would choose.
There are still millions of lazy barbers out there, even older ones, in fact there are 5 of them in a shop less than 100yds from my house that's why I will never work there.