Do Barber Shops Still Give a Straight Razor Shave?

[bullet08]

Used to go to the barber near my old school until the older guys retired. Then used to drive to Ft. Bragg for the cut. They all do straight razor. But since the COVID-19, just started using the clipper that we use on our puppies.

 

[ashdigger]

This is a first for me. So he washes the truck whether it needs it or not? How often does he do this?

He generally comes every other week. I put a lot of miles on my ride. More than once I’ve changed my oil twice in a month. I change my oil, full synthetic, every 5,000 miles.

I live in Las Vegas, but work in California, Arizona, Utah and my home state Nevada, so road grime in the winter and bugs the rest of the time cake my truck.

He comes whether my truck is a mess or not. Again, I’m extremely fortunate.

 

[lightxmyfire]

This is my set up. The straight razor takes some practice but it's a really great shave at home and I won't be going back. I used to go to a decent hair cut place pre-COVID to do the rest, but since then my wife learned how to do my hair and she's damn good so I think I'm covered there too now!

 

[winton]

My last professional hair cut was just before I got married. My wife has been cutting my hair since then. I tried a straight razor shave once. Wife, "YOU REALLY NEED TO NOT DO THAT AGAIN!!!"

Someday, I would like to experience a real straight razor shave, but . . . .

 

[tbradsim1]

My wife is a Hairdresser, been cutting my hair for 55 years.

 

[condorlover1]

@admin . That place looks great. I am going to have to give that place a try out! Thank you for the heads up!

 

[crawdad]

Buy a safety razor and you can give yourself the closest shaves in your life. I switched back in March and I'm never going back to disposables.

i use a DE razor when I keep my face shaved and I use a straight razor when I want to cut away any beard I grow tired of.

 

[username]

I use a safety razor. But their are plenty of places offering straight razor shaves. I’ve had it done once. Was really nice. It’s like the facial hair equivalent of a manicure.

 

[warren]

Mine does. Many, these days, don't have anyone capable of a great shave. It's becoming a rare service not unlike the scalp massage. Once a place of refuge, most shops simply provide a quick cut, empty the chair, vacuum a bit and perform the next cut. No time for a leisurely haircut any more I suppose.

 

[sablebrush52]

One of the pleasures of going to the barber was a great straight razor shave. But many barber shops stopped offering them in where I lived in the 1980's because of AIDS. Barbers became spooked over even the merest possibility of a cut and exposure to blood.
Since I haven't been to a barber in almost 30 years I have no idea what the situation is today.

 

[B_Rock]

I haven’t been to an actual barber since high school in the 70’s. The ”Duke” ran the show in the my neighborhood in San Francisco and all my male family members spent time in his chair. That was the first time I received a razor cut (sideburns, back of the neck etc.). It was also the first place I ever saw a Playboy magazine, heard the F word used as all parts of speech and learned about throwing dice in the back room. Definitely a rite of passage of a bygone era.

Now I go to a ”stylist” that charges me $50 bucks for a haircut and with everything locked down here, I haven’t gone in months.

 

[macaroni]

I haven’t been to an actual barber since high school in the 70’s. The ”Duke” ran the show in the my neighborhood in San Francisco and all my male family members spent time in his chair. That was the first time I received a razor cut (sideburns, back of the neck etc.). It was also the first place I ever saw a Playboy magazine, heard the F word used as all parts of speech and learned about throwing dice in the back room. Definitely a rite of passage of a bygone era.

Now I go to a ”stylist” that charges me $50 bucks for a haircut and with everything locked down here, I haven’t gone in months.

Really well put--thanks for writing, reading this was very touching!
kindest
mike

 

[morgansteele]

But many barber shops stopped offering them in where I lived in the 1980's because of AIDS. Barbers became spooked over even the merest possibility of a cut and exposure to blood.Since I haven't been to a barber in almost 30 years I have no idea what the situation is today.

My barber is 74 years old and has been in the business since the 1960's. He explained to me the situation in the 80's. Essentially, there's some truth to the situation involving the 80's AIDS crisis. The issue largely related to the reuse of blades between clients, and the cost of blades relative to the price of a shave. The issue resolved when single use blades became readily available and cost-effective. But, when the latter occurred, men's culture had largely moved on from the regular barber shave.

 

[Papamique]

I have been restoring, honing, collecting and shaving exclusively with a straight razor for 10 years.

I also have a collection of hones and strops.

The straight razor shave you will get in most shops in the USA are actually shavette shaves that use a disposable DE blade. Very different from a true straight razor shave IMO.

I used a shavette for years before starting with a straight razor. Cheers.

 

[kcghost]

Ialways thought America had gone to hell when a person couldn't routinely get a shave a the barbers. I am so jelaous of Kevin I could spit.

 

[shermnatman]

EDIT: Fixed Capitalization in Title (See Rule 9)

Anybody remember when they were kids what a haircut cost? I remember $1.75 in Tulsa in the 60's and the barber lathered my ears and neck and swiped them clean from hair with his straight razor--then came the whisk/brush to clear the hair off--then some sort of powder he put on with a brush I think (what the heck was that stuff?). How much is your hair cut now (wife's been cutting my hair for 40 years now!).
mike

More often than not, Barber Shops used Pinaud's CLUBMAN talcum power.

You can get it today easily online; that, along with Clubman's fabulous Country Club Shampoo - same great Barber Shop scent - and every day you can smell just like a brand-new haircut. - Sherm Natman

 

[gerryp]

Never had a barbershop shave. I think I'm the only person who has ever shaved my face. Today I wouldn't have the trust that a barber would have the experience to do a good job. My wife gave me the only haircut I've had during the Covid thing, and it the best haircut I've had in memory. Maybe because she's the person who has to look at me!

Sweeny Todd made me a little uncomfortable with someone holding a straight razor to my throat. ?
It got to the point where the barber spent more time trimming my beard than cutting what's left on my head with clippers.

I cut my own hair now, which is fun because I can do things like run the clippers down the middle of my head for the Road Warriors' style reverse mohawk, then walk out to the living room and tell my gf "I'm done! Did I miss any spots?"
She looks at me blankly for a second or two, then goes back to whatever she's watching.

This is her typical response for most of my jokes.

 

[JOHN72]

Near where I grew up,there was a barbershop.Then ,at that time of the senventies,he was breathing elengance and good style.Ilove those balsam.........I still use these old ones........

 

[mso489]

An aside, but for some reason, women hair cutters always do a better job on mine than men who tend to get it a little too short and not as good looking. I like to think it is because women like me; that's my self esteem talking.

 

[LOREN]

EDIT: Fixed Capitalization in Title (See Rule 9)

Anybody remember when they were kids what a haircut cost? I remember $1.75 in Tulsa in the 60's and the barber lathered my ears and neck and swiped them clean from hair with his straight razor--then came the whisk/brush to clear the hair off--then some sort of powder he put on with a brush I think (what the heck was that stuff?). How much is your hair cut now (wife's been cutting my hair for 40 years now!).
mike

Sounds like me. I remember at first the barber put a board across the arms of the chair because when my father first started taking me to the barber I was too short.