c/barbers

Why does nobody talk about the switch from hot lather machines to brush and bowl?

I used a hot lather machine for my first 5 years in the shop, thinking it was the modern way. After a client in Austin brought in his own badger brush and asked for a real shave, I tried it his way. The control and quality of lather from a good brush, like a Simpson's, is just better, and it changed my whole hot towel service. Has anyone else made this switch and seen a difference in client satisfaction?

Hot take: I started using a cheap spray bottle for my clipper blades and it's a game changer

My blades were getting gunky and hot halfway through a cut, which was slowing me down. I saw a barber on Instagram just use a plain water spray bottle to mist his blades while working. I tried it with a $3 bottle from the dollar store, and it keeps the blades cool and clean for way longer. I can do three full fades now without needing to stop and oil or wipe them down. The water evaporates fast and doesn't leave a mess on the client. Has anyone else tried this, or do you stick with the standard brush and oil method?

Unpopular opinion: I was wrong about using a straight razor for every skin fade for the last two years.

Why does nobody talk about how to properly hold thinning shears?

I keep seeing new barbers in my shop gripping them like regular scissors, which just chews up the hair instead of blending it. How did you all learn the right grip when you were starting out?

The comeback of the disconnected undercut in my shop

Three years ago, I did maybe one a month at my old spot in Tempe. Last month, I did three in a single week, all for guys in their 30s. It's not just a skin fade anymore, they're asking for that hard, defined line from the 2010s. Anyone else seeing this specific style return, or is it just my chair?

Found out barbers used to do surgery... from a dusty book in my grandpa's attic

I was looking through some old stuff and found a book from 1903 called 'The Barber-Surgeon's Manual'... it had diagrams for haircuts right next to instructions for pulling teeth. My grandpa said his own dad told him stories about that. Did any of you ever hear about this from older barbers in your shops?

Hot take: The way some guys hold their clippers is just wrong.

I was watching a barber in a shop in Tempe last week, and he was holding his cordless clippers like a baseball bat, all tight and choked up on the grip. He was doing a skin fade and you could see the strain in his wrist. I asked him about it after, and he just shrugged and said, 'It's how I learned.' That grip forces you to use your whole arm, not your fingers, and it kills your speed. I switched to a looser, pencil-style grip about two years ago and my fades got smoother in half the time. Anyone else see this and have a tip to get them to change?

The quiet shoulder strain we never talked about (back in the day) has me focused on prevention now.

I take a minute to roll my shoulders after each haircut and it helps a ton.

My stubborn refusal to use trimmer guards paid off big time yesterday.

Freehanded a fade on a regular who always complains. He left silent, then texted me a five-star review.

Tbh, a fan trick for cooling clippers I picked up in Istanbul.

Hot clippers are ruining my smooth fades, need help

I was working on a detailed skin fade yesterday and my clippers got super hot halfway through. The heat made the blades drag on the skin, which hurt the client and left uneven lines. I stopped to cool them down with a cloth, but it wasted time and the result wasn't great. A buddy told me to oil the blades more, but I already do that before each cut. Is there a trick to keeping clippers cool during long sessions? Maybe a specific brand of coolant or a routine I'm missing. I'd love to hear how you handle this common issue. Your advice could save my next appointment from going south.

Spotted a huge crowd at the barber place by my house today

Turns out they were running a special for father's day with discounted shaves! The line was wrapped around the building because they had live music too. It looked like a fun way to bring everyone together. I heard they plan to do more events like this every month.

Why a basic buzz cut took me over forty minutes yesterday

Yesterday, a client came in for a simple buzz cut. His hair was super thick and had lots of knots. My clippers kept jamming, so I had to go slow. What should have been a quick job took over forty minutes. I learned to check the hair first before starting. Has anyone else had a cut that took way longer than planned? What do you do to handle tough hair without wasting time?

TIL that rushing a taper cut saved my afternoon slot

Everyone says to never rush a precision cut, but I had a client in a hurry and it turned out fine. Tbh, sometimes working with a tight schedule is necessary.

How a barber in Barcelona changed my approach to beard trims

When I was in Barcelona for a week, I popped into a small barber shop near my hotel. The barber there used a different hold on his clippers when doing beard edges. He kept his pinky finger extended for stability, which I had never seen before. I tried it back at my shop, and it gives way more control on tricky necklines. Now I use it on every beard trim, and my lines are cleaner. It's a small thing, but it made a big difference. If you're struggling with shaky hands on details, give this a shot. It might help you too.

After a bad skin fade, a vet's clipper guard tape trick helped me nail it every time.