Serious question, walked into a new shop in Tampa and saw the barber using a straight razor on a beard with zero prep

It was a busy Saturday and the guy just sprayed some water from a bottle and went straight to the blade on a client's dry skin. I've been cutting for 8 years and that's a guaranteed way to get razor burn and a bad review. How do shops that skip basic steps like hot towels even stay in business?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_max1mo ago

Gotta disagree here, especially with what @nancy524 said. I've seen plenty of old school barbers do amazing work with just a spray bottle and a sharp blade. The real key is the razor skill, not always the prep. Some skins actually react worse to hot towels and heavy cream. It's not lazy, it's just a different method that works fine if you know what you're doing.

robertgreen1mo ago

Yeah, because nothing says a quality shave like a surprise splash of cold water and a prayer. I guess if your skin is made of leather, a spray bottle works great. My face is cringing just thinking about it. Let's not pretend a quick spritz is some kind of lost art, it's just skipping steps.

nancy5241mo ago

Honestly that's a recipe for disaster. Water from a spray bottle isn't enough to soften the hair. You need real lather to protect the skin. Some guys get lucky with tough skin, but most will end up red and bumpy. It's just lazy work and gives good barbers a bad name.