Thread: Why do Barbers only do one pass when we do 2 - 3?

OK so i just got a nicely restored Morley in from Strazors today and after stroping the razor was able to shave baby smooth with one pass. Its how nicely honed and stropped the razor is as well as how it is used and messaging the skin waking the hairs and pores up before shaving definetly have alot to do with it as well. Most older babrers know this and have had the time to perfect the technique but yes some are just lazy.

It could be, that anything more than one pass counts as an act of barbarism :-)

Originally Posted by mowfow71

It could be, that anything more than one pass counts as an act of barbarism :-)

That's so bad..... you do know that the pun is the lowest form of humor ;-) but I guess that if it can't be done in one pass it will be damaging his pride?

Long time straight shaver here and I rarely do more than one pass.

Originally Posted by Theseus

Back when I had a barber that did straight shaves, he would do only one multi-directional pass. Not because he was lazy or trying to shave as many people as he could. He was just that good and experienced with the straight. Never left with anything worse than a BBS shave.

When the barber does this one, multi-directional pass, what is the direction; WTG, XTG, or ATG?

Originally Posted by BobK

When the barber does this one, multi-directional pass, what is the direction; WTG, XTG, or ATG?

The multi-directional pass as he would describe it consisted of all three strokes(wtg,xtg,atg) and a hybridization of the three(wtg/xtg, xtg/atg). The big thing was that he was experienced enough to be able to map my beard growth and use the appropriate stroke to efficiently remove the beard.

Originally Posted by detroyt

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.

If you gave me a close shave and it irritated my face, I wouldn't blame the barber and would appreciate the effort to give me a superior shave.

Originally Posted by CaliforniaCajun

If you gave me a close shave and it irritated my face, I wouldn't blame the barber and would appreciate the effort to give me a superior shave.

I'm not sure you'd be so forgiving if you walked out of a barber's chair with weepers all over your neck, and the following day you get razor bumps so severe you can't shave again for almost a week. Trust me, I've experienced it first hand...

Originally Posted by Ryan82

I'm not sure you'd be so forgiving if you walked out of a barber's chair with weepers all over your neck, and the following day you get razor bumps so severe you can't shave again for almost a week. Trust me, I've experienced it first hand...

My experience was the opposite. I was having trouble giving myself good shaves and went to the barber to find out how to get a better one. His shave was worse than the one I gave myself. I had called him before coming and told him I wanted tips on how to shave with a straight.

there are a few barbers in town that still give a SR shave. Mr. Robinson does one pass on me in different directions. Diagonally down from beside my ear out. then same thing starting at my nose to the corner of my mouth. chin he takes XTG and neck he went diagonally from my chin towards my shoulder. Brian on the other hand does a two pass WTG and XTG and a little ATG clean up where he feels it is needed. The first is an old man that used to cut my grandfathers hair and he and my dad would take me when I was young. He has been around a long while. The second is a friend who has been a barber for about 5 years or so.
Both do a great job. Both have similar beard prep methods. Since I started shaving with a straight I have went in and got shaves, and asked questions. Both were happy to answer. My regular barber does not do straight shaves even though he has his razors on the shelf and a strop on the wall.