Barber Shop Shave - Your Expectations?

Thoughts and input on anything related to wet shaving or men's grooming.
JimDandy
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Barber Shop Shave - Your Expectations?

Post by JimDandy »

Gordon was kind enough to answer a question I posed in the Straight Razor Forum and it got me thinking. I'm curious about what members expect from - or would expect from a barber shop shave. Prep, shave, finish, the whole experience.

Tales from the trenches are welcome.

Regards,

Les
Perhaps one day we'll look back on this moment and crash into a parked car.
bernards66
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Post by bernards66 »

Les, Well, as you read in that other post, I've had some experiance with barbershop shaves....I was seeking them out even before the first shave forum started up. Unfortunately, they have all been in the US, no opportunity to check any out in Britain, Europe, or elsewhere. At this point, regretably, the only kind of shave I'm willing to pay any serious money for has largely passed beyond our ken. What I want is the kind of shave that Bill used to get at Trumpers in London 15 years ago. I want a properly heated towel, quality shave cream or soap applied with a badger brush, and the shave done with a real stropped cutthroat razor by a barber with years of experiance. And, at least two passes. I gather that there are still a few high end traditional shops in Italy and elsewhere in Europe that can provide this sort of shave, and probably in some more cosmopolitan centers in the Near East as well I suspect. But I'm finished, I think, with paying for LatherKing machines, disposible blade straights ( or worse ), inadequate skill, and no atmosphere. There is one barber in NYC that I'd like to revist and another that I'm willing to try based on info. gleaned here, but otherwise, I think I'm out of luck unless I can get to Europe.
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Gordon
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KAV
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Post by KAV »

How many public services are as much tradition, or show as actual service? The best pizza I ever had was in Chicago during a to brief training assignment. They were quick, it was hot ( Chicago in winter)
and incredible. Pizza in California ranges from the gawdawfull Chuck E Cheese to ersatz NYC or chitown eateries with prettyboy Bruce Springsteen wannabees throwing my dinner in the air to "hey mambo, mambo italiano..." there are at best 5 pizzarias listed in L.A. gourmet guides as outstanding- and far from my area.
Need I mention the rote ritual of ordering wine for dinner? Some guy with a sommelier's tool on a chain who brings wine out from Trader Joes and discovers it has a plastic cap! I used to eat at a provencal restaurant. I ordered the then popular ( and expensive) Poully-Foussie. The owner scoffed, brought out a bottle at half the price and marvelous; no ritual sniffing the cork or swirling it in a glass.He knew it was good, forget the dog and pony show.
I've had ONE barbershop shave. I used to get my haircut in a Oakland shop with 3 generations of a black family. The patriarch was a WW2 navy vet who survived a infamous dock explosion and persecution of the black sailors who refused to return to the same conditions. The music was all 40s-50s swing and jazz and he always put Lena Horne on for me. The shave and haircut was for my brother's wedding down here in SOCAL the next day. The soap and aftershave didn't come out of London, but somewhere in back east. Pop Anderson finished as his wife Claire came in with bagged sandwiches and Nehis from the italian deli, dressed in white gloves and a pillbox hat, crooned "Oh Chris, my man made you look gooood baby!' with a hand cupped on my cheek."
I miss them.
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drumana
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Post by drumana »

I was expecting (hoping for) an experienced and aged fellow to study my beard growth pattern, whip up a lather with brush and traditional cream/soap, lather me up, and provide for a comfortable and effective shaving experience that is worth the money that I paid for it.

What I got was a younger fellow who hastily slapped on some watery foamy stuff that smelled like public restroom soap (from the 'fancy' hot lather machine), and proceed to give me a poor shave. He even went across the grain in spots on the first pass because he didn't know my beard pattern. The irritation and nicks were worse than I thought. This was New Year's Eve two years ago, and I went to a party that night sporting a red and irritated neck. It was not what I expected from what I thought was a reputable Boston establishment...

I know it's possible to get a nice barbershop shave, but this experience left me with no urge to seek one out again... for now at least. I'd much rather shave myself. I give really good reliable, consistent shaves at no cost :wink:
-Andrew-
JimDandy
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Post by JimDandy »

Thanks for the replies, gents. Tell me, how close would you expect a barber shop shave to be?

Regards,

Les
Perhaps one day we'll look back on this moment and crash into a parked car.
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KAV
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Post by KAV »

Closer than I manage :oops:
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drumana
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Post by drumana »

JimDandy wrote:Thanks for the replies, gents. Tell me, how close would you expect a barber shop shave to be?

Regards,

Les
Waaaaay too close... your face might feel like this: :evil:
-Andrew-
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Squire
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Post by Squire »

My last traditional barbershop shave in the US was by our family barber who passed away decades ago. He also taught me the use of the open razor. Had a few good ones overseas but now I'd rather shave myself wherever I find myself.
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Squire
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sgtrecon212
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Post by sgtrecon212 »

I tried it once here in the Ft Wayne are.... The nice hot medicated towels, and such... very nice. But due to the sanitary rules in Indiana... No brush, a disposable razor, hot foam from a machine.. Pretty bland. He started with a disposable straight, and finished me with a MACH III.. !!!!!!! What!!!!!

He then toweled me off and proceeded to rinse me with hot water... no cold...

I was raw!.. No more for me.
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stagger
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Post by stagger »

Gordon- Come to Ruidoso, NM and you can still get the full treatment including a great shave with a Henkels straight.
Regards,
Mark -
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Sam
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Post by Sam »

My first barbershop shave was at a shop in Downtown Memphis, no longer there, that is reputed to have cut Elvis's hair long before he was famous. The haircut, mani (yes, not the full blown job but decent enough), face work (eucalyptus oil and other conconctions rubbed in before the shave) and then shoe shine and shave was lilke $25 with tip in 1985 or so. Regular straight, strop and all and there was a lather king, but he rubbed it into my face and then the hot towel. When it came time to lather me up, he used a brush. Helluva a shave and nothing like it since then, my last being about 5 years ago with a shavette and like Gordon, I said never again unless a proper straight.
Last edited by Sam on Sun Jun 27, 2010 2:45 pm, edited 1 time in total.
bernards66
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Post by bernards66 »

Les. At least as close as I can get myself. Unfortunately, this has rarely been the case, and when it was, razor burn often came along with it....which I don't get when I shave myself. I lay the blame mostly on those Shavette style razors, but also inferior prep lather and lack of sufficent skill have been factors more often than not.
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Gordon
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ThePossum
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Post by ThePossum »

Its been about 15 years since my last barbershop straight shave. The guy was older and had many years experience at it.

He began with a nice hot towel, then applied lather with his hand, it was from a lather king. He rubbed the lather in and massaged my face well. Applied a hot towel for a couple minutes to finish the prep.

He then applied the lather, again with his hand and again rubbed it in. Applied a bit more and then using the straight did his thing. He followed that with a second pass to get the last of the beard. He wiped the the remaining lather off my face, applied a cold towel and finished with some sort of astringent I believe before applying the final aftershave.

BBS shave, done in style and with the old tools of the trade but the lather and brush. How I would love to have a shave like that today. Unfortunately to get one remotely like it I need to do it with a 3 pass plus touch up with my DE, SE or injector.

Have been told of a couple barbershops in Chicago that do great straight shaves by a couple guys from another shave forum. I may just give on a try on my next trip to visit my daughter and son in law in Chicagoland.
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Post by Blue As A Jewel »

I was remarried in Vancouver in October 2008 - a couple of days prior to our wedding I decided to get a straight shave. My fiance and my sons accompanied me to a "barbershop" in Yaletown. I've put barbershop in parentheses because it wasn't your typical shop. It had checkerboard black and white floor tiles, dark wood panelling on the walls, two luxurious leather chairs and ummm... a Ducati parked in the corner - pretty chic (sheek not chick). The shelves in front of the chairs held an assortment of contemporary and traditional barbershop products

I went through all the prep, including the pre-shave and multiple hot towels - all were extremely enjoyable and relaxing. The Trumper's cream applied with a silvertip badger - all good. The shave with a Feather straight came next and started off with very high expectations from me - I was just starting with mine and was hoping to pick up some tips on technique.

However, by the end of the shave, my face was covered with weepers... in spite of how careful he appeared to have been. My youngest son was quite taken aback by the sight - a couple of cold towel applications and some balm and all appeared fine. Although my face was sore - and when I looked in the mirror an hour later there were remnants of the previous weepers.

Several months later I was giving myself a shave with my own Feather Straight - on finishing my son remarked that my face didn't look anything like it did in the barbershop.

I just smiled at him at said, everyone should experience a barbershop shave at least once - when he was older we'd look again together.
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Post by jbc »

Never had one ever but would expect nothing less then a finely honed straight, high end soap or cream and the hot towel and perfect lather. Why should I settle for anything less then the best, I can get perfect at home why should I pay someone to shave me if I am going to get an inferrior result. As far as how smooth it needs to be, the best I have ever seen in my life.
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Post by Blue As A Jewel »

jbc wrote:Never had one ever but would expect nothing less then a finely honed straight, high end soap or cream and the hot towel and perfect lather. Why should I settle for anything less then the best, I can get perfect at home why should I pay someone to shave me if I am going to get an inferrior result. As far as how smooth it needs to be, the best I have ever seen in my life.
In Canada, unfortunately shaves with a finely honed straight is very difficult if not impossible to find due to Health regulations.
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The Groom Room
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Post by The Groom Room »

Unfortunately, most states in the US now require barbers to use disposable DE blades, and brushes are getting more and more obscure (they cannot be sanitized). So, that's why the hot lather machines are there. In the older days, clients had their own brushes, mugs, and soaps... all of which had their names scribed on the articles. Again, it was this way because these items could not be sanitized. How do you sanitize soap once it has been swirled with a brush that was just used on your face? Next, how would you sanitize the brush now? Even the fantastic horsehair neck dusters cannot be used (can't be sanitized between each client). However, the steel blade of a straight razor CAN be sterilized between each customer, but the health boards can't make sure the barbers are sanitizing them, unless someone writes or calls in a complaint. So, they require across the board that all barbers use disposable DE blades in their straight razors, and the hot lather is applied to your face with your hands (no other impliments needed for more sterilization). In some states, you even have to apply the lather with gloved hands, and are required to wear the gloves throughout the entire shave process.

Yes, all these regulations do suck a bit, but are there for keeping poeple healthy. They sacrifice many of these luxuries, for the more important issue of keeping clients safe and healthy.

If you are wanting a great shave from a barber, then do your homework. Check out those who do great work, ask for references, and talk with the barber himself/herself. Ask around who might be considered a Master barber (actual barber license), and who might be top notch at shaves (sometimes referred to as a shavemaster). Just because a barber has been trained to shave, doesn't always mean they CAN shave. All these 'disposables' is making it more and more difficult to master the straight shave, as these razors are very inexpensive and flimsy. Most barbers do not want to invest the big bucks for a top of the line straight razor handle that holds the disposable DE blades (Feather Artist Club, Plier, etc...)

When I lived in Omaha, every other Monday, I went for a shave at a barber shop. One of the barbers was a shavemaster, and pretty much, that's all he did. I never really saw him cut hair much, but man did he shave well. Sometimes, he took 30 minutes or longer in order to do a great job, and really was gifted at making you feel relaxed. His hands never moved fast, and he knew exactly when to apply pressure, and when to feather the touch. You could also tell that he truly loved and enjoyed his job, because he was so highly skilled at something most other barbers couldn't do. He had a passion for doing an outstanding job. It's these types of barbers you want to shave your face.

Anyway, keep searching, and you'll find that 'gem of a barber' who is a master at the wet shave.
- Troy

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okie
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Post by okie »

I expect them to use a str8 and after looking all over oklahoma City to find a shop that did shaves he pulled out some multibalde hacker after the best round of hot towels, preshave oil and lather. What I thought was going to be the best shave of my life fell flat. Anyone know of a shr8 shave in Oklahoma?
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bernards66
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Post by bernards66 »

Troy, While it's true that in some locales there are downright prohibitions on using real straights and brushes for barbershop shaves, in many places that's not so. There are, of course, health regulations governing their use and generally barbers don't want to bother so they will tell you "it's illegal...". I've heard this in more than one place where I knew that it wasn't really true. But, no matter. Having been at this for some time in the US, my view is they can either do it right or I'm not interested. I've spent all the money that I intend to on LatherKing machines, disposible blade razors and the rest. I don't care anymore what their 'reasons' or excuses are, whether they're really valid, or anything else. If one won't provide what I want I'd prefer to skip the whole thing.
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Gordon
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ZethLent
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Post by ZethLent »

I have had only two barber shop shaves. The place I have been going for the last three years does them but I have always declined, when offered. They do look like they are well trained and know what they are doing but, my beard is tough and frankly I just haven't worked up the muster to give the okay. (My barber shop is Dunhill in Ginza, Tokyo, Japan. There are only three barber chairs and ussually two or three staff for each patron.)

Anyways, my first barber shop shave was in 1997. I was new in Japan and didn't know enough Japanese to know what was going on. I ended up telling the guy to stop and left with a towel on my neck to slow down blood loss.

The second time was ten years after the above experience. I was back in Japan and looking for a place closer to home to get my hair cut. I went to a cheap barber shop and not expecting a shave sat down for a hair cut. What a disaster. Another hack job. Even though I do very well in Japanese now, and giving the man the benefit of the doubt when he started preping me for a shave. He was old and looked like he had been at it for decades. But the aftermath was a couple of weeks of nursing ingrowns on my chin and super light touch wtg shaves.

Thus my hesitation at Dunhill. But from what I see of other gentlemen getting the service, it does look quite appealing. They have synthetic brushes that are able to withstand sanitization. They have various soaps or creams and they use a Feather folding straight. And all the while they have a humidifier misting your face while you are being shaved. I do wonder but am still leary.

For me I expect the cheap Japanese barbershops to give a shave worthy of two thumbs down. And I have yet to report of the Dunhill experience but my interest is there, and I may report on one someday in the future.
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