Appreciation post: I switched from a traditional razor to a straight razor for men's neck shaves

I had a client last month who always got razor burn with our standard cartridge. I offered him two choices: stick with the usual and use a heavier pre-shave oil, or let me try a straight razor I'd been practicing with. I picked the straight razor, and it went great. The single blade gave a cleaner cut with less irritation, and he booked his next appointment on the spot. It took me about three weeks of practicing on oranges to feel confident enough to try it on a client. Has anyone else made a similar switch for specific skin types?

4 comments

4 Comments

ruby6591d ago

Funny how the simplest tools often work the best. It's like swapping a complicated coffee machine for a basic French press, or using a cast iron pan instead of some non-stick thing with five coatings. We keep adding features and layers to stuff, and sometimes the original, straightforward version was solving the problem all along. That single blade probably just cuts the hair without all the extra tugging and scraping.

ericw9322h ago

Honestly, that's a great point about simpler tools. My own attempt at using a straight razor looked less like a skilled barber and more like a cat trying to fight a roll of wrapping paper. It takes real practice, which you clearly put in. The orange trick is smart, way better than my idea of using a balloon (do not recommend). It's cool that the single blade fix worked so well for your client's skin.

evan54319h ago

Yeah, my buddy who cuts hair had a client with really curly, thick beard hair that always got ingrowns. He finally talked him into trying a single blade shavette, not even a full straight razor. The difference was crazy, no more bumps on his neck. He said it was all about getting that one clean pass without the lift-and-cut thing cartridges do.

colethomas19h ago

That bit about the lift-and-cut thing with cartridges really hits home. I had a similar issue with my electric trimmer, it would always pull at my sideburns before cutting. Switched to a basic pair of barber shears for that one spot, and it was a night and day difference. Sometimes you just need the right simple tool for a very specific job, even if it seems like a step backwards.