xena_brown50•17d agoTop Commenter

Chat with a old school barber about straight razors changed my mind

I was at a trade show in Atlanta last month and got to talking with this guy named Ray who has been cutting hair since the 70s. He told me I was overthinking my straight razor work and that I needed to slow down and feel the hair instead of just rushing through. He said "you're treating it like a race when it's really a conversation with the head." That hit me hard because I realized I been trying to be fast and efficient but losing the quality. I went home and practiced his method of lighter passes and more angle control on my next 3 clients. The results were smoother and my regulars noticed a difference. Has anyone else had an older barber drop wisdom that changed how you do something simple? I'm curious if it's just me or if this is common.

2 comments

2 Comments

norathomas17d ago

Treating it like a race when it's really a conversation with the head." See, I gotta push back on that a little. @jamie_smith I get what you're saying about the old school wisdom hitting different, but sometimes those guys are stuck in their ways and not keeping up with what modern clients actually want. Most people are in a hurry these days and they want a quick, clean cut that looks good, not some deep meditative experience with a razor. Ray might have been right back in the 70s when people had time to sit and chat, but now? If you're spending 15 extra minutes per head on "conversation with the head" you're losing money and frustrating customers who just want to get in and out.

jamie_smith17d ago

Man, that reminds me of this old barber in Chicago named Pete who told me I was gripping my clippers like I was trying to choke a snake. He said loosen up and let the tool do the work, which sounds dumb but totally changed how I do fades. Sometimes the SIMPLEST advice from a seasoned guy hits different than all the videos and tutorials.