Am I the only one who thinks fading with a 1.5 guard is overrated?

I was cutting a regular last week and he asked why I don't use a 1.5 guard for a fade like all the other guys in the shop. He said he saw it on some popular barber's Instagram and thought it was the secret to a perfect blend. In my experience, a 1.5 guard often leaves this weird step if your clipper work isn't dead-on, and it skips that middle ground you can get by hand with just a 1 and a 2. I've been doing it old school for 10 years in my chair in Austin, using clipper-over-comb for most fades, and my clients keep coming back. The 1.5 just feels like a shortcut that makes things look bulkier at the bottom. Has anyone else noticed this or am I missing something specific about how they sharpen those guards?

3 comments

3 Comments

joseph_ellis8514d ago

I find the 1.5 guard helps me blend a 1 into a 2 without that step.

wadem8914d agoTop Commenter

Oh, I have to disagree a bit here. The 1.5 guard is one of my most used tools, especially for guys who want a tight fade but still have some texture on top. I find it gives me a much smoother transition than trying to stretch a 1 into a 2 with clipper over comb, which can leave little steps if you're not careful. For certain hair types, especially thicker or wavier hair, that 1.5 guard really saves time and keeps things even. It's not a magic bullet, but it fills a gap that the standard guards leave open.

scott.jana14d ago

10 years in a chair in Austin" and you're still questioning if you're missing something? Man, the 1.5 guard is the most overhyped tool in barbering right now, you're spot on.