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Experienced a straight razor at barber shop

I've been looking for a new barber for a while. Today, I visited one I'd passed many times and thought about trying out. The haircut itself was decent, but after I got home, I realized the back wasn't as short as I'd wanted.

What I'm really here to talk about, though, is that the barbershop also does straight razor shaves. I don't think I've seen a barbershop doing straight razor shaves in a while. (Most of the ones I've seen that shave customers use a shavette.) Obviously, this was pretty exciting. But when I talked to the barber, he said he uses his dad's (also a long-time barber) old hot lather machine. So sadly, it's not lather whipped up in a bowl by a brush.

While I didn't get a shave, I did get to experience the blade. The barber shaved the small hairs at the back of my neck and around my ears with his straight razor (with the shaving cream from his lather machine). He also cut a hairline in place (per my request--this is something I really like but not every place will do) by starting with clippers and finishing up with the straight razor (no shave cream for this though).

I enjoyed my haircut, but I am a little curious. Do straight razor shaves usually have a bit of blade feel? I don't think the barber cut me, but I did feel some irritation where he used the straight razor. (If this is normal, I don't think I'll ever try a straight razor shave.)

Also, there were some old wet shaving paraphernalia along the walls of the barbershop. I saw numerous straight razors, a Gillette flare tipc and a SE (I'm guessing a GEM, but I didn't get a chance to examine it closely) along with a boar brush, brush stand, and large lather mug that were arrayed along the walls as decoration. If I go back, I'll take some pictures with my phone.
 
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It's been decades since I had a straight razor shave: most jurisdictions mandated shavettes/disposable blades in the mid-1980s when AIDS was rampant, if not before.

The straight shaves I had, under the Sheraton in Sydney in the early 1980s, were superb. Hot towel, warm lather, and--from what I recall--zero blade feel, just the sensation of the barber stretching skin. It was like magic.

I've since had shavette barber shaves that were more like what you described: I could at times feel the blade scraping across my skin, not unpleasantly, but neither would I call it comfortable.
 
It's been decades since I had a straight razor shave: most jurisdictions mandated shavettes/disposable blades in the mid-1980s when AIDS was rampant, if not before.

The straight shaves I had, under the Sheraton in Sydney in the early 1980s, were superb. Hot towel, warm lather, and--from what I recall--zero blade feel, just the sensation of the barber stretching skin. It was like magic.

I've since had shavette barber shaves that were more like what you described: I could at times feel the blade scraping across my skin, not unpleasantly, but neither would I call it comfortable.
That's exactly what it felt like! It wasn't unpleasant, but neither was it comfortable.

The thing is, it was a straight razor--not a shavette. I saw (through the mirror) the razor in the barber's hand as he worked on my hairline. I was so excited that I'd found a barbershop that still use a straight razor! I assume, like where you are, most barbers in my area moved to shavettes either because of regulations or liability concerns. (I wasn't terribly worried about disease transmission since the razor had been soaking in a bottle of Barbicide since the time I walked into the shop).
 

rbscebu

Girls call me Makaluod
.... most jurisdictions mandated shavettes/disposable blades in the mid-1980s when AIDS was rampant, if not before.
....
Nowhere in Australia is it mandated that traditional SRs cannot be used. My solicitor has checked. It is a story that barber's tell you because they don't want to or don't know how to maintain a traditional SR. It's the same in most states in the US from what I have heard.
 
Nowhere in Australia is it mandated that traditional SRs cannot be used. My solicitor has checked. It is a story that barber's tell you because they don't want to or don't know how to maintain a traditional SR. It's the same in most states in the US from what I have heard.

Each state has their own laws: In WA, for example:

Cutthroat razors with a non-changeable blade are not permitted for use in any commercial hairdressing establishment in Western Australia due to the risk of spreading blood-borne viruses such as hepatitis B and HIV/AIDS.

While in NSW and Vic they are permittted, under specific conditions. This changed sometime in the last 20 years, because I am positive in the late 90's early 2000s, the law was similar to WA.
 
Ontario, Canada has the same sort of over-protectiveness on the books. As to your question, it's simply a skill issue. The more skilled the barber, the less you will notice the edge. I treat myself to a hot towel shave about once a year these days, and find the skills to be hit or miss. I think the schools give them a "basic" level of training and that is all. Lack of people who actually want the service means that the barber does not get to use the skills he learned beyond the occasional hairline shape up.
 
Ontario, Canada has the same sort of over-protectiveness on the books. As to your question, it's simply a skill issue. The more skilled the barber, the less you will notice the edge. I treat myself to a hot towel shave about once a year these days, and find the skills to be hit or miss. I think the schools give them a "basic" level of training and that is all. Lack of people who actually want the service means that the barber does not get to use the skills he learned beyond the occasional hairline shape up.
You may be right, but from what the barber was telling me, he's been a barber for about 40 years or so. I'd be a little surprised if he hasn't developed the skills to provide an irritation free experience, especially with respect to touching up around the hairline.
 
My barber uses a straight razor on my back-of-neck. When she first did it, I thought: this is really cool. It was one of the steps on the road to shaving with one myself.

Now it has all been ruined, because when she does it now, I think: I could hone this way better.
I wonder if she'd be upset if you brought in one of your razors for her to use on you. 😁
 
Straight shaving the back of my own neck with a straight weekly is one of the great pleasures in life. I have nicked myself with every other shaving device, but not the straight. The hand position is just ideal along with the low angle safety. A straight in one hand and a mirror in the other, a slight head tilt forward and you can line up one whole side to the centre in one stroke. Then use various combinations of heel and toe to shape a nice curve.
 
I can’t imagine that anyone else would be able to shave my face better than me. I’ve spent nearly a thousand SR shaves getting to know every twist and turn of my beard map. With repeated trial and error I’ve learned how to deal with every trouble spot. Nobody knows my face as well as I do.
 

rbscebu

Girls call me Makaluod
I wonder if she'd be upset if you brought in one of your razors for her to use on you. 😁
I did that with my barber in Cebu. He had shaved me a few times with his Dovo that was handed down to him by his barber father.

One morning I arrived with one of my SRs and asked him to shave me with it. He was most impressed and asked me how I honed it. I tried to explain diamond pasted balsa strops to him.
 
In Montenegro, Podgorica, there is barber shop just for men, full of old photos and nice decoration, leather chairs and stuff.
They use brush to make lather in bowl, and they shave with SR. One of the best shaves I ever head one pass ATG and instant BBS. Also I had no idea my head could be tilted back so much and that skin on my neck could be so tight.
Funny thing is that most of the guys working there have big beards and don't shave .
 
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