The Truefit&Hill experience.
Hi everyone, as promised here is my account of my time spent at Truefit&Hill yesterday afternoon.
I arrived in good time for my appointment and was greeted at the door by a lovely gentleman who asked if he could help me with anything in particular. I told him I was here for shave school. He looked at me with a rather blank expression and went to consult his books. Not a good start I think. He returns and asks me if Im sure I have the correct location? Hmm lets think, oh thats right I meant to book in at Truefit&Hill in Las Vegas but went to London instead I dont think so. After a bit of consultation it was decided that in fact I had come to the right location and yes I would have my shave school after all. I was told to make myself comfortable and I asked if I may use the toilet. Whilst I was in there I couldnt help but think of all the others who had used this little room before. There is a song by prefab sprout called Hay Manhattan and the lyrics go
Hey Manhattan ! Here I am ! Call me star-struck Uncle Sam.
Strolling Fifth Avenue
- Just to think Sinatra's been here too
Well yesterday I was in the little room where old blue eyes had actually been.
Beat that Paddy Mcaloon, anyway I digress.
After a few minuets I was invited to sit down in the chair and it was folded back to get me into the correct position. I found myself staring right into a portrait of HRH The Duke of Edinburgh, but it seems that T&H go to him when he needs them. How the other half live!
It was decided I would be shaved then given my lesson. I was disappointed as I thought it would be fully explained what the process was going to be. I imagined he would look at my beard and show me like here you go this way here you go that etc. Sadly he just looked for himself and began the shave.
Now I dont know how easy it is for gents in the U.S. or indeed anywhere else in the world to have a Barbour shave but in the U.K. its almost impossible. Health and safety rule here and it seems we have inherited the U.S. blame and claim ideology. Please dont be offended anyone its just life and Im not bashing anyone here. The result is my local Barbour who claims to do traditional wet shaves actually does the cutting with a Mach 3? Even T&H are not immune to this. My Barbours weapon of choice was a pretend straight razor with the disposable blade in the end. Not what I was expecting an establishment thats was over 200 years old to be using. Perhaps I was naïve but I expected to watch him hone and strop the blade just before it touched my face not get a new one out of a packet!
I was given a hot towel which had been warmed in a microwave. Im going to use this idea in a modified Kyles prep from now on. After that was removed I had T&H pre shave prep oil rubbed into my skin.I decided I was going to buy some before I left the shop
This was followed by another hot towel then T&H almond shaving crème was brushed onto my face.
This was a revelation moment. Never before had I felt such thick lather on my face either from a can(Yuck never ever ever again) or from any amount of scrubbing with a brush. I decided I was going to buy some before I left the shop
The shave began and it felt wonderful to have my skin pulled tight and hear the blade cutting the hairs as it went old news to the veterans out there but an experience for me.
After the shave was finished I was patched up with lots and lots of styptic and given a final hot towel. Then it was time for my lesson to begin.
This was the really disappointing part. My Barbour spoke English however his accent was very thick and it made understanding him very difficult. He proceeded to show me how to place my head and hands etc and how to hold the razor. It made no sense to me whatsoever and seemed to totally contradict everything I had seen in videos on straight razor shaving. He made me simulate the shaving actions and this seemed to irritate my face. I didnt imagine I would feel disappointed about the lesson but I did. I had asked when I made the booking if I could bring my straight along for him to look at and perhaps sharpen. He took one look at it and asked what the hell I had been using it for. I explained I had bought it from Ebay without much of an idea if it was any good. He told me is was very pitted and blunt as a butter knife, which may explain how come I cut myself so much when I tried to use it before.
I asked if he could show me a shave ready straight from the case, there were none to be found in the shop. Imagine laying out $200 and then having it sent away to be honed? Crazy in my opinion! I bought my products and left not much the wiser for having been there.
So if your planning on visiting London and you fancy a shave in a place steeped in history then perhaps you may try T&H. Dont expect a cut throat . You can just wear your trainers as the complementary shoe shine was nowhere to be found!
So Im left in a turmoil now is there a future for me with a straight or am I destined for greatness with a DE? I would welcome thoughts from both camps please and of course I will try and answer any question you may have about my day out.
Below are the before and after photos guess which is which lol.
Valmara1971 OUT.
Hi everyone, as promised here is my account of my time spent at Truefit&Hill yesterday afternoon.
I arrived in good time for my appointment and was greeted at the door by a lovely gentleman who asked if he could help me with anything in particular. I told him I was here for shave school. He looked at me with a rather blank expression and went to consult his books. Not a good start I think. He returns and asks me if Im sure I have the correct location? Hmm lets think, oh thats right I meant to book in at Truefit&Hill in Las Vegas but went to London instead I dont think so. After a bit of consultation it was decided that in fact I had come to the right location and yes I would have my shave school after all. I was told to make myself comfortable and I asked if I may use the toilet. Whilst I was in there I couldnt help but think of all the others who had used this little room before. There is a song by prefab sprout called Hay Manhattan and the lyrics go
Hey Manhattan ! Here I am ! Call me star-struck Uncle Sam.
Strolling Fifth Avenue
- Just to think Sinatra's been here too
Well yesterday I was in the little room where old blue eyes had actually been.
Beat that Paddy Mcaloon, anyway I digress.
After a few minuets I was invited to sit down in the chair and it was folded back to get me into the correct position. I found myself staring right into a portrait of HRH The Duke of Edinburgh, but it seems that T&H go to him when he needs them. How the other half live!
It was decided I would be shaved then given my lesson. I was disappointed as I thought it would be fully explained what the process was going to be. I imagined he would look at my beard and show me like here you go this way here you go that etc. Sadly he just looked for himself and began the shave.
Now I dont know how easy it is for gents in the U.S. or indeed anywhere else in the world to have a Barbour shave but in the U.K. its almost impossible. Health and safety rule here and it seems we have inherited the U.S. blame and claim ideology. Please dont be offended anyone its just life and Im not bashing anyone here. The result is my local Barbour who claims to do traditional wet shaves actually does the cutting with a Mach 3? Even T&H are not immune to this. My Barbours weapon of choice was a pretend straight razor with the disposable blade in the end. Not what I was expecting an establishment thats was over 200 years old to be using. Perhaps I was naïve but I expected to watch him hone and strop the blade just before it touched my face not get a new one out of a packet!
I was given a hot towel which had been warmed in a microwave. Im going to use this idea in a modified Kyles prep from now on. After that was removed I had T&H pre shave prep oil rubbed into my skin.I decided I was going to buy some before I left the shop
This was followed by another hot towel then T&H almond shaving crème was brushed onto my face.
This was a revelation moment. Never before had I felt such thick lather on my face either from a can(Yuck never ever ever again) or from any amount of scrubbing with a brush. I decided I was going to buy some before I left the shop
The shave began and it felt wonderful to have my skin pulled tight and hear the blade cutting the hairs as it went old news to the veterans out there but an experience for me.
After the shave was finished I was patched up with lots and lots of styptic and given a final hot towel. Then it was time for my lesson to begin.
This was the really disappointing part. My Barbour spoke English however his accent was very thick and it made understanding him very difficult. He proceeded to show me how to place my head and hands etc and how to hold the razor. It made no sense to me whatsoever and seemed to totally contradict everything I had seen in videos on straight razor shaving. He made me simulate the shaving actions and this seemed to irritate my face. I didnt imagine I would feel disappointed about the lesson but I did. I had asked when I made the booking if I could bring my straight along for him to look at and perhaps sharpen. He took one look at it and asked what the hell I had been using it for. I explained I had bought it from Ebay without much of an idea if it was any good. He told me is was very pitted and blunt as a butter knife, which may explain how come I cut myself so much when I tried to use it before.
I asked if he could show me a shave ready straight from the case, there were none to be found in the shop. Imagine laying out $200 and then having it sent away to be honed? Crazy in my opinion! I bought my products and left not much the wiser for having been there.
So if your planning on visiting London and you fancy a shave in a place steeped in history then perhaps you may try T&H. Dont expect a cut throat . You can just wear your trainers as the complementary shoe shine was nowhere to be found!
So Im left in a turmoil now is there a future for me with a straight or am I destined for greatness with a DE? I would welcome thoughts from both camps please and of course I will try and answer any question you may have about my day out.
Below are the before and after photos guess which is which lol.
Valmara1971 OUT.
