c/barbers

Always thought a hot towel before a shave was just for show

For years, I skipped the hot towel step on my own shaves, figuring it was just a fancy thing shops did to charge more. I saw it as a waste of time. Then, about three months ago, I had a guy come in with really coarse, curly beard hair that was giving him bad razor bumps. I was out of my usual pre-shave oil, so on a whim, I used a steaming hot towel on his face for a full two minutes. The difference was night and day. The hair was way softer and the skin was more relaxed, so my blade just glided. He came back two weeks later and said it was the first clean shave he'd had without irritation. Now I do it for every straight razor service. What's your go-to method for tough beards like that?

2 comments

wendy391•19h ago

Just realized my old way of cleaning clippers was costing me money

For the last year I was just spraying them with that blue can of clipper spray after each cut and calling it good. Last month I started taking them apart every Friday for a full clean with a small brush and rubbing alcohol. The difference is huge. My main clippers are running quieter and the blades stay sharp almost twice as long. I'm saving about $40 a month on blade replacements now. Has anyone else switched to a full weekly clean and seen similar results?

2 comments

bennett.vera•9d ago

The wild walk-in culture we used to have

I was cleaning out my old barber station and found appointment cards from years ago, all blank. It made me laugh because we never used them back then. The shop was just a steady flow of folks walking in off the street, some staying for hours just to talk. You never knew who or what was coming through that door next, and honestly, I kinda miss that chaos compared to the booked-solid calendar I run now.

3 comments

rubys80•10d ago

Warning: A loose chair leg is easier to fix than you think

My barber chair was wobbling so much I thought it would tip over. Classic me, I ignored it until a client pointed it out. I finally got under there with a wrench and tightened the bolts on the legs. Seriously, it was so easy I felt dumb for putting it off. Now it's rock solid and doesn't scare anyone. I check the bolts every few weeks to keep it that way. Save yourself the stress and just do it early. Trust me, your clients will thank you.

3 comments

victorhill•10d ago

Vent: Lisbon trip made me switch up my fade finish

I used to rely on clippers alone for fades. After seeing a barber there use shears for the final touch, I gave it a shot back at the shop. The soft edge it leaves is worth the extra step.

3 comments

fox.claire•13d ago

My old mentor swore by his leather strop, but I can't find a good one anymore.

Any recommendations for a strop that holds up like the ones from thirty years back?

3 comments

the_grant•14d ago

Watching a fade turn into a mess on wavy hair made me rethink my whole approach

I used to give every guy a fade just because it was popular, but on wavy hair it grows out all patchy and weird. (Seriously, it looks terrible in like three days.) So I stopped doing skin fades on anyone without straight hair, no exceptions. Now I push for styles that work with their texture, like a taper or leaving more length. For instance, this client with crazy curls insisted on a fade, but I showed him pics of how it would puff out. We went with a scissor cut on top instead, and he loved it. My book filled up once word got out that I won't set you up for a bad hair week. It's all about being real with people, not just chasing trends.

3 comments

allen.kai•15d ago

Serious question, a guy asked me to cut his hair to look older for a job

He's young but needs to appear more mature for an interview. I styled it to add years but feel weird about changing his look for a lie. Would you have done the same thing?

3 comments