Turkish Barber Shave - Great skill or not so much

[Den]

Looking around youtube and came across this vid. While watching I found the barber looked like he had really great skills, especially with a shavette which I've read can be trickier than an actual straight. At the end the customer has quite a few little nicks. The barber at one point asks or simply comments that the guy must shave with an electric, due to his bumpy/pimply skin I assume. Some of the comments on the vid seem to suggest the same. If that's worth anything.

Aside from the nicks, looks like a really cool classic whole in the wall type barbershop. :001_smile

(I assume this is Turkish, although maybe one of you can clarify that)


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XbO7NjtVLuw&feature=related

[dieselfuel79]

My vote is "no" for the shave above. I may be wrong, but I think a Turkish shave is followed up by the barber using a piece of twine, and pulling it tight, then using it against the customers skin to get the smallest bits of stubble let over. (I think it's referred to as "threading".) This, or lighting what looks like a Q-tip on fire, and banging it gently against the customer face.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sbOuCslWosQ

[Jacob Robertson]

That one doesn't look great, but there is another by Ali's Turkish Barber that looks okay.

[Dooliano1969]

I know a turkish barber who shaves with his foot

[jbradley]

An Air Force buddy of mine & I were talking about Turkish shaves the other day. He got one while stationed in Turkey, after the shave, which was excellent he said, the guy rubbed alcohol on his face, and in his ears. Then he lit it on fire, burned the hair in his ears, and from his eyebrows. He said it was a great shave, very smooth, but the fire scared him half to death.
Johnnie

[EssMart]

I got two shaves in Istanbul when I visited this past October. One was ok, with a small weeper on my neck and a bit of irritation. He used one of the match type styptics on that. The second shave was fantastic and he did burn the hair in my ears and all the peach fuzz off, just using a lighter. There was no twine involved in either for me - both barbers used permasharp shavette type blades, Arko soap, and Arko aftershave lotion. Lemon alcohol fragrance was rubbed on my neck, (on the back mostly, not the shaved part) by the second guy.

The best part was the first shave cost about 7$ and the second around 4$us! Way better then 20, 30, 40 or more at the barbershops around here.

[Biyiksiz]

Yes, it is Turkish. I've only had a Turkish shave once, years ago, but it was very professional and comfortable and I had absolutely no nicks afterwards. And I did get the threading and ear hair burning afterwards. Didn't have much ear hair back then, but I could really do with a little scorcher now. The guy on the video above looks like he's working a bit too fast, maybe because he is being filmed and wants to show off. He seems pretty disappointed with all the nicks, maybe he isn't used to shaving people with bad skin.