Professional Shaves

[tortswon]

From time to time I travel nationally and internationally. I think it would be great to know where I could get a professional shave. I propose to use this thread as a resource for those of us who may find we need a shave when we are away from home and cannot do it ourselves, for example, because i is late in the day and away from our hotel.

I invite you to post the name, telephone number, and location where you can get a professional shave in your home town so if a member comes there, he will know where to get a real shave. I don't think prices should be posted as a barber may give a special rate to a regular.

I suggest that you place the name of your town in the title for ease of use. Hopefully, this will be a useful resource for membership. I will post my home town suggestion separately so the city name can be in the title. Best, Sam

 

[tortswon]

When I need a real shave late in the day, I go to see John at Silvio's. Silvio's is located on 20th St. between Walnut and Sansom in downtown Philadelphia. John can be reached at 215-561-3810. Ask for John as he does not always pick up the phone. Best, Sam

 

[chipinque1]

Ok.

The only 2 places that I know in Monterrey are:

- Hotel Ancira. The oldest and one of the finest Hotels in the city. The adress is in Hidalgo street at the downtown ("zona rosa"). Fine but a little bit pricy straigh razor shaves !

- Peluqueria "Astoria". Its an humble barbershop in the same Hidalgo street a few blocks of the refered Hotel. Its cheaper and it was the place where I find the experience of shave.

Near there you can find a lovely mexican handcraft shop where president clinton always buy exquisite handcrafts when he come to Monterrey.

 

[benvh]

In San Diego, Lefty's Barbershop is the place to go for a great haircut and/or a straight razor shave. There is one downtown as well as Pacific Beach. Brian is the owner and works out of the downtown shop. I highly recommend going to see him.
619-238-4301

Ben

 

[tortswon]

Gentlemen, thanks for your responses. If possible, please post telephone numbers. Best, Sam

 

[Leche]

In San Diego, Lefty's Barbershop is the place to go for a great haircut and/or a straight razor shave. There is one downtown as well as Pacific Beach. Brian is the owner and works out of the downtown shop. I highly recommend going to see him.
619-238-4301

Ben

Are they still allowed to use real straights in San Diego City limits?

 

[Blumenkohl]

Everytime I've travelled to Italy I've gotten at least one professional shave at a local barber. Giving yourself a shave is luxurious. Letting someone (who's trained in it...had it passed down through generations) else do it for you? Sublime. Any local barbershop in Italy. Each one is a unique experience.

 

[Hansel]

Just saw an utterly disappointing video of a barber shop shave on Youtube...
He used what looked like a fancy Trac-II razor instead of a straight or a DE...

I don't know for SURE, but there MAY be a shop in my town thats offering professional shaves again, some twenty years after they stopped! The owner is in his late 60's, and had another employee who was in his mid 70's or so, retired US Navy from WW2. The older gent finally retired, and he's got a younger guy in his 30's who will be working some days and says that he trusts his hands to be steady enough to offer straight razor shaves.

I'll pop in there soon and post it here if they're offering shaves again!

 

[benvh]

Are they still allowed to use real straights in San Diego City limits?

Not sure about the laws here, but they definitely use them. The downtown location has been open for over a year now.

After each haircut they go around the ears and neck with a straight razor and hot lather and finish it off with a bay rum splash. It's a great haircut/experience for 16 bucks. It's one of the few gems in San Diego.

 

[taprater]

Last place I went to in Seattle for a shave and a haircut I wasn't too thrilled with the shave the haircut was amazing but when he finished with the shave and pulled out a M3 for the "touch-ups" I was sadly disappointed.

 

[tortswon]

Everytime I've travelled to Italy I've gotten at least one professional shave at a local barber.

My barber is from Abruzzi. John is a gem. I got a shave yesterday and it was great. He now knows the grain on various parts of my face and I can just sit back and relax. What I noticed most yesterday was the sound of the razor going over my face. To those who have never had a real professional shave, I highly recommend it! Best, Sam

 

[Hansel]

I don't see why there should be any problem at all with using a straight razor for shaves...

Dunking the entire assembly into some alcohol, boiling it, or using some bleach should pretty much render it sterile. Use a new towel for every customer, don't strop or sharpen a blade before it's been cleaned, and I think you'll be fine...

 

[Laz]

Orozco's
345 W. Foothill Blvd.
Glendora, CA 91741
(626) 335-7046

Ask for Duke.
He uses a straight edge razor. Other barbers there may provide straight razor shaves, but I don't know.

 

[john parker]

My barber is from Abruzzi. John is a gem. I got a shave yesterday and it was great. He now knows the grain on various parts of my face and I can just sit back and relax. What I noticed most yesterday was the sound of the razor going over my face. To those who have never had a real professional shave, I highly recommend it! Best, Sam

Perhaps your experience with the same barber over a period of time is why my experience with professional shaves are so much different. Probably 45 years ago I went to the barber for a shave with a straight - it was terrible! I did much better myself with a DE. My second experience was probably about 25 years ago when stuck ashore in Napoli without my dop kit. Went to a well established shop and got a shave. As bad as the first! But!! Each of the two barbers only got one look and one shot! Maybe if I went back a number of times it would have turned out much better. Thanks you for sharing you experience; it may explain a lot to me. John

 

[tortswon]

Although John has been my barber for years, we only started doing the multipass shaves recently. Previously, he would do a literal "once over lightly" that would take 5 minutes. What he is doing for me now is a multipass WTG, XTG, ATG and cleanup. He has done this for me only a few times but it feels good afterwards.

If any of you go to an old fashioned barbershop, you might want to ask if you can get a full shave. I had no idea John could do it until he had been my barber for 25 years. Best, Sam