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The Truefitt&Hill Experiance

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 I’m sure I have the correct location? Hmm lets think, oh that’s right I meant to book in at Truefit&Hill in Las Vegas but went to London instead I don’t 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 couldn’t 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 don’t 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. it’s almost impossible. Health and safety rule here and it seems we have inherited the U.S. blame and claim ideology. Please don’t be offended anyone it’s just life and I’m 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 Barbour’s weapon of choice was a pretend straight razor with the disposable blade in the end. Not what I was expecting an establishment that’s 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. I’m going to use this idea in a modified Kyle’s 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 didn’t 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. Don’t expect a cut throat . You can just wear your trainers as the complementary shoe shine was nowhere to be found!

So I’m 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.
 
I'm sorry to hear that your visit was a disappointment. I think it's just reflective of the general direction of most businesses these days. The fear of lawsuits and the need to ever widen the profit margin seem to dip deeply into the well of customer perception.
 
If you go to Google and search for oldest barber in the world T&H will be the answer...personal barbers each week of the Palace, free entrance at Windsor Castle...you name it.

Anyway, tradition...(please complete)

That said my respects to Mr. Anthony Mancinelli, the oldest barber in the world, the only one and original, or 85 years of good shaves at Vails Gate, if alive.
 
That's a shame to hear I was reading about the shaving school a few weeks back sounds fantastic but like every advertising the real thing is a let down
 
Im sorry about your bad experience. I use straights about 95% of the time and I must say though a shavette is not a straight. I get nothing but clean irritation free shaves no cuts no nicks.
 
The Truefit&Hill experience.

I was given a hot towel which had been warmed in a microwave. I’m going to use this idea in a modified Kyle’s 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.

Valmara1971 OUT.

I was straight edged there years ago and seems nothing have changed, i walked out thinking I could have done better after a 24 hour Binge with no sleep. Happened again in the states and last year in Canada, all renowned places and yet, lot's of cuts, sore and grain left behind.

I think when you put a device to your face such as a SE,DE you quickly appreciate that less is more and our faces and beards are unique, so because of that we adapt our own methods until we find a our own shaving method.

But sorry to hear about your experiences.

John
 
I was straight edged there years ago and seems nothing have changed, i walked out thinking I could have done better after a 24 hour Binge with no sleep. Happened again in the states and last year in Canada, all renowned places and yet, lot's of cuts, sore and grain left behind.

I think when you put a device to your face such as a SE,DE you quickly appreciate that less is more and our faces and beards are unique, so because of that we adapt our own methods until we find a our own shaving method.

But sorry to hear about your experiences.

John

Thanks guys but I'm over it now it was yesterday and hey guess what the beard is back. Oh well get to play with my new gear getting rid of it once again. :smile:
 
I'm having a shave at The Gentleman's Shop in Hungerford tomorrow. Hope I get better treatment!
Looked at his video on shaving today I dont think it will be an SE shave but I could be wrong? I'm sure without 200 years of stuffyness behind it there will be nothing to get in the way of our enjoyment. Oh btw dont forget to that heritic he is being burned at the stake on B&B right now! Please post up your experiance and enjoy. :smile:
 
It would be worth trying Murdock in Liberty's. I went there after my wife bought me a shave there for my birthday. The barber used a proper cutthroat razor and although he managed to nick me a little right on the adam's apple, I have to admit it was the closest shave I've ever had, and I use DE's normally.
 
Sad for all of us that T&H can't do what one would have expected them to excel at. Too bad you had to have the misfortune of being the one that had the bad experience and deliver the bad news. All the more reason for you to be able to do it youself. The really sad thing is that there's better information on YouTube and the rest of the web than at T&H.
 
Its a shame you were disappointed, sorry to read that. Thanks for the write-up though.

At least you bought some decent products and have seen the benefit of hot towels.

From this day on I hope you use them if time allows!
 
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