Shaving Somebody Else!

I've been straight razor shaving for over a year, but today was the first time I tried to shave someone other than myself and boy was it different. Having purchased a barber chair a few months ago, I wanted to try the whole shebang. Giving someone the hot towel treatment, lather them up and shave them! My brother was to be my victim and I was surprised at how many of my passes I use in the mirror didn't work with someone on a reclined barber chair horizontal to the gound. It was just like starting over again trying to figure out which was the best way to attack certain areas of the face. One small weeper later, my brother had a pretty poor shave if I do say so myself. It reminded me of the shaves I used to give myself when I first started with a straight. It will certainly take some practice to get better at this! Can I get him back in the chair? We will see...

Back in the day barbers spent a long time learning how to do it right and the skill at mapping out a customers beard was a critical element.

Back then if a customer got a shave like the one you gave your brother he would have laid you out on the floor.:)

The first time that I shaved another person in barbering school, I was shocked at how different it is when compared to shaving oneself. IME, it wasn't until I'd performed about 150 shaves that I felt really comfortable, and was giving what I deemed a quality shave. So, I hope your brother is a patient man:beer2:

I'm not sure if I'm going to continue down this road as I don't know what I would do with the skill if developed, considering the fact I'm not a barber (and my brother enjoys shaving himself). I am glad I tried it if for nothing else to experience how different it is. The level of worry was much higher shaving someone else. I don't enjoy cutting myself, but I would feel awful cutting somebody I was shaving.

I've shaved someone else once. Good friend of mine who was scared of it and I mostly wanted to show him its not nearly as bad as he thinks. Didn't touch the chin/upper lip area and only a 2 pass wtg everywhere else. Was deffinetly like learning how to shave again. Would be kind of cool to learn how to do it proficiently but like you said, no real use for the skill. For that reason I just let someone borrow a razor if they want to try. So many variables and its best if you figure out what you like for yourself I think.

I was talking about this with my barber. He said that in school he was pretty good and got called over a lot to finish shaves that others had started before the victim passed out from loss of blood. He pointed out that you don't have any of the feedback that you get when you're on both sides of the blade.

The closest I've been to shaving someone else is someone else's arm, and I'll tell you, I got the blade about 1mm away, and making the first touch I almost chickened out because I realized I wouldn't have any feedback at all. I can't imagine doing someone else's face.

I did this the other day. I had just finished my shave and had a bunch of leftover CF lime lather in my scuttle, so I lathered him up just so he could feel what real lather is (I'm slowly trying to bring him in to the art.). After he had all that soft, warm lather on his face, he asked if I wanted to shave him. He has a very small bathroom, so it was hard to get his head at the proper angles and to move around him, but it was a nice little 1 pass wtg. He sports a manicured beard, so I didn't have to attempt chin or jawline. He said he only experienced slight irritation in one small spot. It was kinda nerve-racking, though. Just try to keep it as flat as possible with a ginger touch.

I give you a lot of credit. I'm looking forward to when I go to barber school so I can shave somebody else. I've offered to shave my dad and brother, but they aren't jumping at the idea. :shrug:

I've shaved my father a bunch of times, the latest was last week when I removed a 4 month beard on him.

My father hurt his back last autumn and couldn't walk or stand up long enough to shave himself for two months(one month before he actually got surgery and one month of recovering due to an inflamed nerve).

My mum's been bugging him for about twenty years now to let his beard grow and she didn't wan't to see it go so she convinced him to keep it until he started working again and when he started working, she convinced him to keep it for just a little while longer.

Then 4 months after the accident, last friday I think, I got the green light to do some amateur barbering.
We set up a sun chair in the kitchen and my father's very though beard was no challenge for the fresh off the hones 7/8 W&B, he requested a horseshoe moustache and got it. The shave was bbs and nick free.
He was very pleased with it.

Ooooh! He's got a taste for it now, and you're the only person who can deliver. That could be good or bad.