A Question For Professional Barbers

[Shave Cat]

My question is for professional barbers who offer shaves to their customers. As a professional, what soap or cream do you think offers exceptional results? I know that's a YMMV thing, and you may get your lather from a machine, but I'm wondering what a barber considers exceptional. I'm not considering scent, just performance. I've used a variety of glycerin based soaps with satisfactory results, but I'm wondering what a barber would use.

-Clarke

 

[BD1970]

Good question. I'm wondering that myself...

 

[cactusbrush]

I would bet than most barbers here in the U.S. will use one of the electric lathermakers, I doubt that but a very few would use a top quality soap or cream and a brush.

 

[Shave Cat]

I would bet than most barbers here in the U.S. will use one of the electric lathermakers, I doubt that but a very few would use a top quality soap or cream and a brush.

I'm sure that's true. A couple of professional barbers are members here. I was wondering if they had any opinions regarding the quality of the soaps and creams most of us use.

-Clarke

 

[JimmyHAD]

Two doors down from the tattoo shop I work in they use the Campbell Lather King machines. I used to have one twenty years ago and it took a powdered soap formulated for the machine. Now they use a liquid you can see here. Nowhere near as nice as a quality brush and cream.

One of my co-workers with a heavy stubble went in and got a shave. When he came back to the shop I was amazed at what a close shave he had gotten. I later found out that the barber used a disposable blade straight and then an electric clipper for a second pass. Kind of disappointed me.

 

[Suzuki]

In Canada, any decent barber will use JM Fraser cream and Booster aftershave!

However, lots of barbers around here still use Williams - my barber swears by it (but he only shaves the back of my neck!).

 

[cr8n]

My barber (Hamilton, Ontario) uses a warm lather machine.

The hair cuts are great, but he has no clue about shaving.

I asked him where he bought his supplies, and then went to the vendor's showroom.

He thought they had DE blades ... somewhere. And recommended Astras. The words Derby, Merkur and Feather left him cold.

His wholesaler stocks Pinaud products, Booster/Frasers, and Campbells machine lather.

Maybe I'll tell him next time ... but I don't want to jeopardize my clipping.

Paul

 

[ScottS]

I later found out that the barber used a disposable blade straight and then an electric clipper for a second pass.

??????

 

[michaelskar]

I think I remember our own PZbarber saying he uses TOBS creams (of the shavee's choice)

 

[guitarslinger]

Fort Wayne barbers probably use the absolute lowest cost item regardless of how well it works.

 

[ColbyPants]

Fort Wayne barbers probably use the absolute lowest cost item regardless of how well it works.

Heh, and I was going to see if there might be a better barber in Ft Wayne, as that is not all that far away.

 

[guitarslinger]

Heh, and I was going to see if there might be a better barber in Ft Wayne, as that is not all that far away.

I can tell you two places that will give you an awesome hair cut, but they won't shave you.

My main guy:

Skip @ "The Hair House" on Paulding road. $17+tip. tells a great joke. Gives a great cut. Just uses an electric trimmer on the sideburns and neck though

My secondary:

the salon up at dupont and coldwater. darnit if I can't remember the name. A Russian lady named Olga did a great job.

 

[TorzJohnson]

??????

I know! It wouldn't have confused me any more to say the barber used a mackeral for the 2nd pass.

 

[IrishBarber]

Hi, well I am a barber and I shave men every day with an open razor and any Trumpers,Prorasso, Muhle&Pinsel soap or cream when mixed well with a best badger brush and little water will give a class shave.Basically I reccomend any soap or cream as the quality of all these days is first class.Pick a soap or cream to suit your skin type bit of water and lather up with a badger brush for the shave.It just takes a little practice making the foamy leather.IrishBarber

 

[JimmyHAD]

??????

One of those electric shavers. Don't ask me, if the guy knew what he was doing he wouldn't have needed to use it at all.

 

[petr]

A couple of world famous shops:

The Gentlemans Refinery shop in Vegas

Aidan Gill for Men in New Orleans: products used unkown?

 

[Shave Cat]

Hi, well I am a barber and I shave men every day with an open razor and any Trumpers,Prorasso, Muhle&Pinsel soap or cream when mixed well with a best badger brush and little water will give a class shave.Basically I reccomend any soap or cream as the quality of all these days is first class.Pick a soap or cream to suit your skin type bit of water and lather up with a badger brush for the shave.It just takes a little practice making the foamy leather.IrishBarber

Thank you for your reply. I feel I make a good lather with my glycerine soaps, but was wondering if barbers viewed any particular soaps or creams as being superior. Again, thank you for your opinions.

-Clarke

 

[cr8n]

Hi, well I am a barber and I shave men every day with an open razor ...

WELCOME! We need more pro's around here! Pipe up any time!

 

[rschul2]

A couple of world famous shops:

The Gentlemans Refinery shop in Vegas

Aidan Gill for Men in New Orleans: products used unkown?

I've been to Aidan Gill's place. He uses a lather making machine (I don't recall the brand), but they used whatever the machine manufacturer recommended and he added some Taylor's Eton College shave cream as well. I thought the shave was subpar at best. A $40 shave with a Gillette Mach 3 blade by a woman who had no idea of what she was doing just didn't do it for me. I personally would never return.

I certainly don't think that it is right for a moderator to bad mouth a business without backing it up. So below I've copied a post that I had previously posted at shavemyface.com about my experience at Aidan Gill.

The shop is an incredible place to visit. It has lots of antique barbershop itmes, my favorite was an old "Help Needed. Irish Need Not Apply" sign. Very reminiscent of the 1800's. The front room of the store is full of creams and such from some of the various retailers (T&H. Trumper, Coates, etc.) on the left hand side as you walk in and on the right hand side is a display case that has some shaving brushes and razors. I can't remember if they sold straight razors or not as I wasn't looking for them, but they certainly did not sell any handles for DE razors....only handles that would accomodate the M3 blades. When I asked the chap working the front room (fairly knowledgeable) about why they did not carry any DE razors or DE handles, he told me that the M3 blades were the absolute finest razors available and consequently there was no need to carry any DE blades or handles. Interesting I thought, but I was soon called to the back room to get my shave.

Now, I was given a shave as a Valentine gift from my girlfriend and if my memory serves me correct, the shave was around $35. In the middle room (where the shaves are done) I sat down in an antique shave chair and was laid back as the girl began my prep for the shave. As best as I can remember, she gave me a preshave with an electric trimmer (I first used razor here but it was more of a trimmer) to get my beard to a more manageable level. (I had just spent two weeks camping in Yellow stone park and had not shaved in that time). I at first thought that using an electric was kind of weird, but I just went along with it. She then wrapped my face in a hot steamed towel and told me to just relax. A couple of minutes later, I received some preshave oil (not sure from which company...had a lemony scent to it) and she began massaging the oil into my skin. It was a weird sensation having the oil rubbed in by someone wearing rubber latex gloves. My face was then wrapped in a hot towel again. After a few minutes, the towel was removed and hot lather from a lather machine was placed on my mug. The later was from an antique looking lather making machine. The lather's scent was Taylor's Eton College. When I asked the girl what the scent was she said she did not know and that she would find out by the end of the shave. Once she did find out, I asked her if it had some Taylor's cream in it or did they add some Taylor's cologne. She couldn't and never did answer that question. The hot towel was then removed and more oil and lather was placed back on followed by the application of yet another hot towel. The towel was then removed and more lather was added. At that time the shave began, first shave was N-S (it did not matter what way my beard grew...that first pass was N-s). Next, more lather and a S-N pass. More lather and a touch up pass. Now I happen to have two moles on my right cheek. They are not large and are more like beauty marks. I've never managed to nick them when using a M3 before, I've only nicked them when shaving with a Futur with a Feather blade when I first started using the Feathers, but sure enough, she cut it good. Her shave technique was awful. She used lots of pressure, went very quick with her strokes, and it was just apparent that she just had bad technique. Now keep this in mind, I DID NOT KNOW THAT ONE OF MY MOLES WAS NICKED AND BLEEDING! Following the touch up pass, I received another hot towel. Few minutes later the hot towel was removed and some aftershave balm was applied (don't remember which type). The ASB sat for a minute or so and then an ice cold towel was applied to close my pores. Lastly, the towel was removed and another application of ASB. The whole experience took approx 30 minutes. It was very relaxing.

At the end of the shave they asked me if I would like a Guinnes to drink and of course I said yes, and in a matter of moments, they came out with a bottle of Guinness draught. So I went to the front to check out and decided to peruse the store for awhile...maybe 15 minutes or so. During this time I had a conversation with the man managing the front of the store (he was not Aidan Gill) and at NO TIME did the gentleman inform me that I had BLOOD running down the side of my face. Once I finished the beer, I left and proceeded to my car where I saw my face in the rear-view mirror and noticed the long line of dried blood that went from my mole down to my neck. I was really unhappy as you could have imagined.

The fact that neither the girl who shaved me or the man who worked the front of the store had the decency to tell me that I had blood on my face really pissed me off. So much that I did not even bother to complain to Aidan Gill once I got home, because I just would have had nothing nice to say at all. So, if you are in the New Orleans area and want to get a shave there: 1) make sure you request Aidan Gill to give you the shave...do not trust one of his employees, 2) be prepared to be shaved by a M3 and nothing else, and 3) the prices of items in his store are overpriced, and probably will be since he has a monopoly on the shave market in New Orleans. All that being said, the shave itself was very relaxing, and at around $35 it is a good deal...even with a M3, but make sure you get an experienced shaver and not someone who just started to work there.

 

[roughneck]

My barber uses a machine that puts out some pretty foul smelling cream. I have no idea what he uses but it works well. I get fantastic shaves form him everytime I go which is about once a month. And he only charges 12 bucks for a shave. $24 with haircut. Oh, he also uses a disposable straight.