The shave and haircut

[mozartman]

Thanks to the holiday weekend, today I was able to indulge in one of man's finest small indulgences: the shave and haircut. This afternoon I gave myself a fearsomely close BBS shave (Fendrihan mk2 razor, Astra SP blade, Lisa's Natural Herbal Creations soap, Nivea balm) and then proceeded directly to the barber for the haircut. The barber, a nice young fellow with a carefully groomed but full beard, told me that in my jurisdiction, it is no longer necessary to learn how to shave with a straight edge to get a barber's license, and he decided not to.

It is still possible to get a shave from the barber in some of the tonier establishments in my area, but I haven't tried it in many years. So, I ask: How many of you routinely get a shave from your barber? How much time and money is involved? Why is it worth it for you?

 

[Cliff]

I miss my old barber/stylist. He used to lather up my neck and shave the back of my neck at the end of the haircut. Anyway, he retired and I have a new guy who worked on my wife's hair for years. He doesn't touch a razor at all just does the back of my neck with electric clippers. I miss the one minute bacck-of-the-neck shave. I understand, according to my barbaer/stylist that they don't teach 'the razor' at all anymore. Too bad.

 

[ccpastork]

Long ago and in a land far away, every Barber gave a shave and a haircut (two bits). Well, not too far away and not too terribly long ago...don't recall ever paying two bits either, more like $7.

Sadly, a GOOD Barber who knows his/her way around a straight razor/shavette is hard to find, unless you do not mind selling organs or your children. In the last year I have tried two separate places and have yet to experience anything close to when I was in the Army.

There are a few more places to try, but at $45-$55 it will likely be a long time before I try again. The last one was with my son, two days before he got married. It made for a truly manly afternoon, but the shave was barely passable and the Barber nicked me twice.

I know a couple of high end places, but that would require winning the lottery...which I understand you have to play to win?

To answer your questions:
1. Rarely get a shave except for my neck after the haircut.

2. 45- 1 hour: a haircut and a shave, which includes hot towels and a cold beverage (shot of whiskey if you desire).

3. $45 - $55

4. Worth it only for a very special occasion. I enjoy it for the nostalgia and for bringing back memories of time with my dad at the country mercantile while visiting with other ranchers.

 

[Macfrommichigan]

I am paying $25 (with senior discount and tip) for a haircut from a master barber. Don't think he does shaves, but heck, I can shave myself. I can't cut hair.

 

[santamariasteve]

I refuse to believe that any barber with a straight edge razor can give a closer shave on my face than I can with a four-pass shave using a Merkur Futur set on 1.5, a Schick Injector Type E-2, or a Gillette Red Tip, among several other safety razors.

Yes, I've had several straight edge shaves over the decades. They're ok, but I consider them to be an expensive novelty that has gone the way of the Ford Model T car.

 

[ccpastork]

I refuse to believe that any barber with a straight edge razor can give a closer shave on my face than I can with a four-pass shave using a Merkur Futur set on 1.5, a Schick Injector Type E-2, or a Gillette Red Tip, among several other safety razors.

Yes, I've had several straight edge shaves.

+1 my experience as well, so far.

 

[xxvaleria]

Back in New Mexico, I used to go to a master barber for haircuts. At the end of the haircut, he would use a shavette with a new blade to trim the hair on the back of my neck an even the trim around the ears, and he only charged the normal rate for a haircut. He was really good, and was a state examiner for the barber licensing department. I really miss him since I've moved.

 

[Uncle Sam]

I get my hair cut from a guy that's being doing barbering for 40 years. Had a partner who retired on him so he runs his shop solo. Gotta make an appointment, no walk ins. Charges $15 and I've been going to him for about 5 years now. He does haircuts and that's it. While he uses a shavette for clean-up, I don't allow him to use one on me.

No way, no how would I ever let someone shave me with a straight. I don't care if he's the best barber in the world, I'll shave myself, thanks.

 

[mozartman]

Thanks for those interesting answers. Where I am, straight razor shaving is still taught as an elective in barber school, but no longer required for the license. But in the posher neighborhoods of NYC and environs, there are still places where the conspicuous consumption crowd can pay insane sums for just about anything, including a shave as well as a haircut. A colleague of mine somehow won a $400 haircut as a prize. I think a shave was included in the price, but he opted for the haircut only. Like him, it looks like most of you prefer the diy method.

 

[Nick Flores]

Before a wedding two months ago in the Philippines I pampered myself to a straight razor shave, hair cut, manicure and pedicure. It was 120p for the haircut, 80p for the shave and 200p for the manicure and pedicure combined. At the current exchange rate that would be about $2.34 for the haircut, $1.56 for the shave and $3.91 for the rest. I left feeling like a new man and it was defiantly worth it but I prefer DIY.

 

[MntnMan62]

I was reading this post and it occurred to me that regardless of whether I use a straight or a double edge, the key to ensuring a close comfortable shave is knowing the mapping of my beard. If I go into a barber and ask him for a shave, I can't imagine the shave will be all that good simply because he can't possibly know all the twists and turns of the grain of my bears. I suppose after he has had a chance to shave me several times he could get to know my beard. But I know that I would probably be disappointed with a shave from a barber for this reason. Am I wrong? Can someone who doesn't know your beard mapping deliver a BBS shave anyway?

 

[Badgerstate36]

Here in Ohio, they arent allowed to give a straight razor shave unless they are a licenced barber. A while back, I got a haircut at one of those, "sporty, mens' barbershops" where all girls work they and they are beauticians but not barbers. When the girl straight razored my neck, I asked her if it was difficult to learn and she laughed, told me that she wouldnt know because she never learned and the proceeded to show me the feather guard that they put on he straight razor. She informed me that they all are beauticians, not barbers and arent legally allowed to do a straight razor shave, so they do the shave with the guard to give you the experience.
I'll admit, I was kind of bummed out. I mean, who doesnt want to get a straight razor neck shave from a beautiful woman?
Now, I go to an old fashioned barber shop where they straight razor my neck and its a pretty good shave but its not great. Like one of the above posters said, unless you go to the same barbershop and get the same person every time, they arent going to know how your beard grows in and arent going to give you the best possible shave. Thats something that often takes years.