Guy at the shop swore his $20 clippers were better than my Wahl Seniors and I laughed until I saw his fade work

At the Chicago Barber Expo last March, this older barber named Louie showed me a perfect zero-fade he did with some cheap clippers from a drugstore kit, and he said "it's not the tool, it's the hand" and now I'm questioning if I really need to drop $200 on every new clipper release.

3 comments

3 Comments

gavin69210h ago

You ever notice the best barbers always use the cheapest scissors?

the_wyatt5h ago

Right, because nothing says "master craftsperson" like a $9 pair of shears from the drugstore, right? I'm pretty sure my barber uses the same scissors they give to kindergarteners for arts and crafts. But hey, if the fade is clean and I don't leave with a missing ear, I guess the tools don't matter (or he's just got magic hands). Maybe it's like how the best chefs use a rusty paring knife from a garage sale.

johnson.paul3h ago

Bet the cheap ones are just easier to sharpen.