Thread: Does anybody here get a straight blade shave at the barber ?

Once a month I will have my head shaved at the barbershop. But it isn't as smooth as the way I do it at home with my feather. The bare shop I go to uses a shave tote but it only cost me ten dollars for a headshave.

I've posted this before, but my local, old Italian barber Sam, been cutting my hair for probably 25 years, used to do actual straight razor shaves, now he has to use shavettes.

He says, and I believe him, that he could shave anyone blindfolded or in the dark. When I first started shaving with a straight, I was there one time, watching him give me a shave with the shavette, and I asked him if he would be cool with me bringing in one of my straights for him to shave me with, he said no problem.

So I brought about five different blades in, along with my strop (just in case he needed it), he picked one, stropped it like I'd never seen done before, and gave me a shave.

Wow!

What a lesson! Was fascinating to see a real pro use one of my blades, really shows you what your blades are capable of, and what they can do in the proper hands.

Have done that several times now, he gives me tips, last couple of times, he'll watch me do a 1st pass and give me tips. Last couple of times I've been there, (now just for the lessons and experience in both shaving and stropping) the other guys will gather around and watch, they are stunned at how beautiful the blades are, and have asked me if they could get a shave with my razor.

I said no problem, but Sam said no, it's one thing with my blade, but he won't use it on anyone else...

So ask your barber to use one of your blades and give you some tips...it's a great source of knowledge and my barber loves now for me to bring him a different blade each time.

Cheers!

I love getting a barber shave. The place I go to once or twice a year is dedicated to it. Its an awesome experience. You show up to this old time looking and feeling shop. As soon as you walk in you are offered a beer. There are comfy leather couches, and Sports on the big screen on the wall. The prep, hot towls, and three phase shave are well done. All followed by a hair cut. Takes about 30 minutes. As for using your razor, Health Codes in our area do not allow it. When it go difficult to get into this place, thats when I decided to start my journey in shaving my self with a straight.

Health codes are the same here, but there's no rule against using your own straight, only using one blade on multiple customers.

So when I bring my blade in, he'll shave ME with it, and send me on my way, after showing me a few tips, but he won't / can't use my blade on anyone else.

That's what I asked my barber and he said fine, it's your blade....

My barber still uses straights and strops. You wont find a shavette in the store. Don't know about health code but if they managed for as long as they did without infecting people I would say the risk is pretty low after barbercide/sterilizer. This bloke is second generation barber and is 67 so really know his stuff and is really helpful to anyone wanting to learn.

Originally Posted by Phrank

I've posted this before, but my local, old Italian barber Sam, been cutting my hair for probably 25 years, used to do actual straight razor shaves, now he has to use shavettes.

He says, and I believe him, that he could shave anyone blindfolded or in the dark. When I first started shaving with a straight, I was there one time, watching him give me a shave with the shavette, and I asked him if he would be cool with me bringing in one of my straights for him to shave me with, he said no problem.

So I brought about five different blades in, along with my strop (just in case he needed it), he picked one, stropped it like I'd never seen done before, and gave me a shave.

Wow!

What a lesson! Was fascinating to see a real pro use one of my blades, really shows you what your blades are capable of, and what they can do in the proper hands.

Have done that several times now, he gives me tips, last couple of times, he'll watch me do a 1st pass and give me tips. Last couple of times I've been there, (now just for the lessons and experience in both shaving and stropping) the other guys will gather around and watch, they are stunned at how beautiful the blades are, and have asked me if they could get a shave with my razor.

I said no problem, but Sam said no, it's one thing with my blade, but he won't use it on anyone else...

So ask your barber to use one of your blades and give you some tips...it's a great source of knowledge and my barber loves now for me to bring him a different blade each time.

Cheers!

What a wonderful story, made me all happy. Seems like a great guy. Getting lessons like that is probably very helpful. I'd like to have a barber like that around.

I think it is a very different experience depending on where you go. You find a good place, wonderful experience. You find a bad place, horrible experience.

Originally Posted by Phrank

I've posted this before, but my local, old Italian barber Sam, been cutting my hair for probably 25 years, used to do actual straight razor shaves, now he has to use shavettes.

He says, and I believe him, that he could shave anyone blindfolded or in the dark. When I first started shaving with a straight, I was there one time, watching him give me a shave with the shavette, and I asked him if he would be cool with me bringing in one of my straights for him to shave me with, he said no problem.

So I brought about five different blades in, along with my strop (just in case he needed it), he picked one, stropped it like I'd never seen done before, and gave me a shave.

Wow!

What a lesson! Was fascinating to see a real pro use one of my blades, really shows you what your blades are capable of, and what they can do in the proper hands.

Have done that several times now, he gives me tips, last couple of times, he'll watch me do a 1st pass and give me tips. Last couple of times I've been there, (now just for the lessons and experience in both shaving and stropping) the other guys will gather around and watch, they are stunned at how beautiful the blades are, and have asked me if they could get a shave with my razor.

I said no problem, but Sam said no, it's one thing with my blade, but he won't use it on anyone else...

So ask your barber to use one of your blades and give you some tips...it's a great source of knowledge and my barber loves now for me to bring him a different blade each time.

Cheers!

Phrank,

So what tips have you picked up? Anything you can share/pass along?

Originally Posted by OCDshaver

Phrank,

So what tips have you picked up? Anything you can share/pass along?

Some tips? Absolutely!!

#1. I'll never be a barber.

#2. I definitely won't ever try to shave someone else.

Seriously though, I always though using short strokes with the razor was a no-no, you wanted to use long strokes. Nope, he said to always use short strokes, it helps maintain the angle and prevents a potentially bad cut by keeping the strokes shorter. Also, it allows you to constantly change how you stretch your skin, which to him was a vital aspect of getting a good shave.

When he watched me do my right side, aside from being corrected about the long strokes, he said I was to impatient, I was rushing. He said if you don't really care about an getting a good shave, that a couple of rough patches don't bother you, then fine. But he said slow down, short strokes, constantly ensure the skin is properly stretched and shave the area that is stretched, then move on.

He said this takes time, but it ensure a thorough shave, DFS / BBS shave first time around. He wasn't familiar with the terms DFS or BBS, when I explained what they meant I could tell he wasn't pleased. To him, you either shaved correctly or you didn't????

He said he would do the complete shave in one pass, then with water, go around to do some touch up.

He also thought the way I described my shave, first pass WTG, second pass XTG, and final pass ATG rather funny. He gave me the distinct impression that I had no idea what I was doing or talking about - and ofcourse - he was correct.

Then he asked me to show him how I stropped. I brought the Dovo small strop I had, and the SRD 3" strop I have. He said it was not bad for a beginner, at least I kept the spine on the strop, and that was important. He said to keep doing that, don't try to go fast, and told me to make sure I continued to roll the blade.

He asked how many times I was stropping before a shave, I said maybe 20 on the linen and 50 on the leather. He told me to do more, whether the night before, or before the shave, my technique wasn't all that effective he said.

Then he stropped my blades for me (I brought 5, he stropped the 6/8th TI I brought before he shaved me with it), and it was clear what a rank amateur I was. He also told me my strop needed a lot more breaking in, which again affected the effectiveness of my stropping. From this, I then gained an understanding of why those old vintage strops are so valuable.

He also didn't really like the blades I brought too much, he said they would be nice for a person to use at home, but never really in a barber shop, they're to fragile and wouldn't really last.

That's where I think I then understood the meaning of, Wade and Butcher, For Barbers Use, wedge, or some similar big heavy blade.

Just typed this out, didn't really check for typos or such...it was a great experience, I knew I had only an inking of shaving with a straight and what went into it, it just turned out I had a lot less of an inkling than I thought, maybe more like a dim, vague glimmer.

But I loved every minute of it.....

I've never had a shave at a barber shop but watching one done on youtube is about the most relaxing thing to watch, so I can't imagine what its like to get one with the works. Most of the ones posted in the middle east and asia seemed to all have a neck, shoulder and arm massage thrown in. Talk about pampering.

I prefer to shave myself.

Luis