c/barbers

Shoutout to the old timer who showed me the flick of the wrist fade technique last month

My fades went from looking like a 5 year old did them to actually blending smooth after he spent 20 minutes adjusting my hand angle, has anyone else had a random stranger at a shop change their whole approach?

2 comments

amybarnes•4d ago

Finally hit 50 perfect fades in a row yesterday...

I've been cutting hair for about 3 years now, mostly at a shop in downtown Austin. Fades have always been my weak spot, especially the blend from the skin up. Yesterday I finished my 8th client of the day and realized I hadn't messed up a single fade all week. That's 50 straight cuts with no harsh lines or patchy spots. I honestly thought I'd never get there, I used to redo the same fade 3 times sometimes. My barber buddy Mark laughed when I told him, but he's been doing this 20 years so he gets it. Has anyone else hit a random milestone that caught you off guard?

2 comments

amy975•4d ago

Thought those expensive clippers were a gimmick but I was dead wrong

I've been cutting hair for like 8 years now and always used cheap $30 clippers from the drugstore. Last month my buddy at the shop let me borrow his Wahl Seniors for a fade and I swear the difference was night and day. The motor didn't bog down at all even through thick wet hair and the blade stayed cool the whole time. Now I'm kicking myself for wasting years on junk, anyone else made the switch late?

2 comments

uma_baker99•5d ago

The guy who asked for a 'modern mullet' and pointed at a 90s photo

Last week this dude comes in, sits down, and says he wants a modern mullet. I ask what he means by modern, and he pulls out his phone showing me a photo of Joe Dirt. I'm like, really? That's not modern. He insisted the back needs to be long and the front short, exact same as the picture. I tried to explain that modern mullets are more textured and blended, but he wouldn't hear it. So I cut it like the photo, and when I showed him the mirror, he got mad and said it looks outdated. I had to redo the whole thing for free. Has anyone else had customers describe a style but mean something totally different?

2 comments

amy975•6d ago

Keep catching new barbers fading too high on the sides

I've seen three different guys this month come in for a consult after another shop messed up their fade. Every time it's the same problem - they start the fade way too high, like up near the parietal ridge. In my experience, you want to keep that first guideline no higher than one finger above the ear. I know because I used to make this exact mistake myself back when I was learning. It leaves this weird disconnect between the fade and the top that's super hard to fix without buzzing the whole thing. Has anyone else noticed this being more common lately, or is it just the shops near me in Austin?

2 comments

wright.taylor•6d ago

That one customer who told me I should work for free

Had a guy sit in my chair last Saturday, midtown Atlanta, and after I finished his fade he said I was just starting out so he shouldn't have to pay full price. I've been barbering for 7 years, my station is covered in regulars. How do you handle people who act like your time ain't worth anything?

2 comments

river_hall44•7d ago

Showerthought: Most barbers I know can't name the actual angle of their blade

I was reading a trade journal last week and saw a stat that said 70% of barbers can't tell you the exact blade angle they use for a fade. They just go by feel. I thought about my own shop and realized I've never measured mine either. We spend hundreds on clippers and trimmers but nobody talks about the geometry of how we hold them. I found a little chart in an old barbering textbook from 1985 that mapped out angles for different hair types. It made me wonder if we are missing out on something by not being more precise about it. Has anyone here actually taken the time to measure and dial in their blade angle?

2 comments

hall.nora•8d ago

Client told me my fade was too perfect today

Guy sat down and said he wanted a natural look, then got mad because my blend was too clean and said it looked like a wig. Anyone else have clients ask for something then complain about the exact opposite?

2 comments

oliviahenderson•8d ago

My clippers died mid-fade on a paying customer today

I was about 20 minutes into a skin fade on this guy Mike from down the street when my Andis Master just STOPS spinning. No warning, no weird noise, just dead. I had to finish the rest with my old corded backup while he sat there looking at me like I was an amateur. Anyone else ever had their main clippers crap out at the worst possible moment?

2 comments

ellis.robert•8d ago

Had to defend my clipper cleaning routine at the barber meetup in Chicago

I went to that barber meetup in Chicago last weekend and got into it with a few guys over sanitizing your tools between every single client. They were all saying just a quick spray of alcohol is fine and doing the whole disassembly thing takes too long when you have a packed chair. Ngl, I felt like I was the only one there who actually takes my clippers apart every couple cuts to brush out all the hair and oil the blades proper. I saw one guy's clippers with hair caked so deep you could barely see the blade teeth and he was bragging about how fast he works. I tried to explain that if you don't keep the insides clean, you're just passing along bacteria and skin flakes from one person to another. They looked at me like I was crazy. Honestly, has anyone else dealt with other barbers acting like you're being extra for doing basic hygiene?

2 comments

noah_webb•9d ago

Overheard a client say his old barber used cold water for the final rinse

Tried it on my last three cuts and the hair felt way cleaner and less static. Has anyone else messed with water temp during the finish?

2 comments

the_henry•11d ago

Wasted $60 on that clipper sharpening stone set from Amazon

Bought a 3 piece stone set for $60 thinking I'd save money sharpening my own blades. First try ruined a $40 Wahl blade set because the stone wasn't flat and left grooves. Anyone else fall for that and just send them out now?

2 comments

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olivia_carr7•13d ago

Bought a $400 clipper set and it's actually worse than my $80 Wahl

I went and dropped $400 on a set of Gamma+ X-Ergo clippers because everyone in my shop raved about them... within two weeks the blade was pulling and skipping on thick hair. My old $80 Wahl Senior from 2018 still cuts cleaner and doesn't heat up as fast. Anyone else have a pricey tool that just didn't deliver?

2 comments

jessec39•14d ago

Took me 3 weeks to figure out my clipper blade gap was off by a hair

Been cutting for 5 years. Swapped to a new blade and suddenly my fades looked trash. Blamed the clipper. Blamed the comb. Even blamed the lighting. Then I pulled out a feeler gauge and realized I was off by 0.2mm. Total newb move. How do you guys check your blade alignment without going crazy?

2 comments

noranguyen•18d ago

Had to choose between a neck wipe and a hot towel today

This dude came in fresh from a 10 mile run, sweating like crazy. I grabbed the alcohol wipe by reflex but he asked for the heated towel instead. Three minutes later he was asleep in the chair and I had to wake him up to finish his lineup. What would you pick if a client shows up all sweaty?

2 comments

aliceg61•18d ago

Old timer at the supply house told me to stop using clippers on wet hair

Been cutting for about 8 years now and always thought wetting hair down made for a cleaner fade. This old barber named Frank at the local supply shop in Phoenix told me I was wrecking my blades and making more work for myself. He said try dry clipping first then go back with the trimmers after. I laughed it off but gave it a shot on my next three clients and honestly my fades came out way smoother with less pulling. Has anyone else switched to mostly dry clipping or am I just late to the party?

2 comments

burns.fiona•19d ago

Client told me my fades were too high. Changed everything.

Had a regular for like 2 years. Never complained. Then one day he says "man, my barber used to take it way lower." I was doing what I thought was clean. He was right. Started dropping my blend lower on the sides. Took a few weeks to get comfortable. Now my work looks way more natural. Anyone else have a client call them out on something obvious they missed?

3 comments

jesse_craig26•21d ago

Was dead wrong about those expensive foil shavers, they actually work

I spent 8 months swearing my $30 Wahl was just as good as the $200 Andis foil shaver a buddy recommended, but after 5 straight head shaves with the Andis I get way less irritation. Has anyone else avoided making the jump to a pricier tool and regretted waiting?

2 comments

the_oscar•23d ago

Hit 10,000 haircuts last week and didnt even realize it til I counted back my books

Been cutting hair since 2012 out of my dads garage then my own shop. I keep a simple log of every cut for tax stuff. Flipped back to check something and saw I crossed 10k around last wednesday. Thats wild to me cause I remember stressing if Id get 5 walk ins a week when I started. Now I do about 35-40 a week easy. Any of you guys keep track or just wing it?

3 comments

terry_barnes•25d ago

Vent: Why does every new barber keep using way too much product?

I was at the shop on Broad Street in Philly last Saturday and watched a kid dump half a jar of clay onto a comb for a simple fade. Dude, you don't need that much hold for a crop top, now the guy's hair looks greasy by noon. It drives me nuts because it wastes money and makes the cut look messy. Anyone else notice apprentices going overboard with pomade or clay?

2 comments

karen_nelson40•26d ago

Just realized feathering with clippers over comb is way better than I thought

I used to think clipper over comb was pointless. Always stuck with shears when blending. Then I watched a video from a barber in Chicago and tried it on a client last week. The blend came out smoother and faster. Anyone else skip it at first and then switch?

2 comments

abby308•28d ago

Was skeptical of clipper oil alternatives for years until a shop veteran showed me the light

I always thought you had to use the expensive branded clipper oil but this old timer in Detroit put me onto mineral oil from the drugstore. After 6 months of using it my blades run smoother and I save about $12 a month. Has anyone else made the switch or do you stick with the name brand stuff?

2 comments

emerycarr•28d ago

Had a hot trimmer meltdown at my station in Phoenix

I was halfway through a skin fade on a regular client last Thursday when my Wahl trimmer just stopped dead. The clutch got so hot it froze up, right in the middle of his neck line. I had to finish the outline with my clippers and explain what happened while he sat there. It totally killed my flow and now I keep a backup trimmer on hand for every appointment. Anyone else have their clippers or trimmers die on them at the worst moment?

2 comments

irisg57•29d ago

Finally switched to a magnetic guard system after 12 years

I found out last week from a post on a barber forum that magnetic guards don't slip or fall off during a cut like the clip-on kind do. A guy in the comments broke down how he saved 20 minutes per day not having to reattach guards that popped loose. I ordered a set from Walmart for $30 on Tuesday and tried them on my first three clients yesterday. Has anyone else made the switch and noticed a difference in their speed?

2 comments

hugo238•1mo ago

Clipper blade caught a guy's ear in Springfield last Tuesday

I was doing a fade and my Andis blade slipped on the zero gap and nicked him right behind the ear. Had to stop everything, apologize, and offer a free neck shave next visit. Has anyone else had a blade catch in a weird spot and have to smooth it over with the client?

3 comments