Thread: Old time barbers are the greatest!

I live in a town of 3,000. The local barbershop is staffed by three old barbers in their 60s and 70s. Great guys to talk with. I mentioned to the one I know best last year that I'm shaving with straights and want to start restoring them.

He said when he got around to it, he would dig out a few old razors for me (he just had to remember where he put them). I drove by and saw he was in today and popped in. He said he found a few old razors and came out with a Dubl Duck Dwarf spike point, a Case Red Imp #132 and a Challenger spike point. All with cream colored plastic scales. They're nothing pretty to look at right now (extremely warped scales on the Challenger and to a lesser extent the Imp), but the Red Imp and Dwarf should clean up very nicely (Challenger is rusty toward the spine but the edge is fine)

I told him I wanted to offer him some money for the razors and thanked him profusely. He said "they're yours" and refused any money.

His coworker showed me a few vintage Solingens he had and also hanging from his chair was the thickest Russian Shell (Easily 1/4" thick) nick free strop I've ever seen. Man oh man was that strop nice. He said it was issued to him at Barber College in the mid 50s.

Very cool experience.

Neither of them have honed a razor in 20+ years and the handful of shaves they do a year are done with shavettes ("cheaters" they both called them).

Chris L

Makes me want to quit cutting my own hair. Maybe I'll look around town for a barber pole.

I shaved my head for many years. (Yes, with a str8) I decided to let what I have left grow out. In my search for a barber shop and not a foo foo salon, I actually found a barber poll. It's an honest to gosh barbershop like I remember from when I was a kid. They too have to use the disposable shavettes but they get a kick out my talking straights with them.

This is great!

Be sure to post pics when you get them fixed up!