Professional straight razor shave on Saturday

**Juraj** · 02-03-2011, 01:14 PM

Gentlemen,

in order to see how good a straight razor shave can be, I booked a haircut and straight razor shave in a old style barbershop in Geneva on Saturday. Is there something I should be aware of, check out, ask, be interested in, take picture of ...?
My own SR shaves went by the order of magnitude up in quality and down in time since I found out my stropping technique didn't cover the most used section of the edge

Juraj

**Ronan the BARBERian** · 02-03-2011, 02:28 PM

Best of luck but you may be disappointed by the experience if you are hoping to get a closeer shave than you give your self, because the barber doesn't know your skin, your beard or how you may react to the different products and will probably will used a disposable blade as opposed to a real straight, chances are it wont be nearly as close as you give your self.

That being said, it should be with out any irritation and you can bask in the luxury of the hot towels and having some on else do all the work

**Psicko** · 02-03-2011, 03:19 PM

I agree with the above. If you can do proficient straight razor shaves, you may be dissapointed with a professional one. The barber will make you look good, and should be irritation free as already mentioned, but probably wont be as close as you are used to. I got one done at a barber shop, it was cool for someone else to do the work, but I went home and finished it to make it better.

**mdunn** · 02-03-2011, 04:03 PM

Good luck mate. Take lots of pictures!

**Juraj** · 02-05-2011, 10:01 AM

Right,

so I survived. Pictures will come a bit later once I get them sorted out, for now a brief summary:
Italian barber, very close to the shore of the Lake Geneva, the weather was really excellent today.
Preparation: Proraso preshave, face lathering with Proraso (lathering may have taken 5 minutes or so! But very nice indeed, I never tried Prorasos myself before). Brush he used was fairly firm, didn't look like a silvertip. Got a picture too.
Shave: Real, non-disposable straight. I took a picture of it, will post it sometimes later. Single pass, but the face is completely smooth in all direction except of ATG. I WANT to get that kind of technique :-/. I'm nowhere near that with a straight yet, and with DE I can get better shaves, but at a cost of three extra passes or so.
Post: Hot towel, cold towel, Proraso AS.
In total 25 swiss francs, and worth every single one. It's not something I'd do every day, but once every two months or so, why not. One pass and a result like that? That's not possible....

Post New Years resolution: I won't do anymore more than 2 passes, now I know that a smooth shave can be achieved with a single pass. Good technique here I come!

*EDIT* Haven't mentioned: not a single nick or weeper, no irritation at all anywhere.

/Juraj

**Seraphim** · 02-05-2011, 10:15 AM

The key here is that it was I'm Europe where they still know what they're doing...

**global_dev** · 02-05-2011, 10:42 AM

sounds great. my brother had a similar experience in AOS in LI, NY.

however, it's surprising that you say one pass got so close, especially on the neck. Which direction was the pass if you can recall? how was he skin stretching technique?

**Juraj** · 02-05-2011, 10:50 AM

Originally Posted by global_dev

sounds great. my brother had a similar experience in AOS in LI, NY.

however, it's surprising that you say one pass got so close, especially on the neck. Which direction was the pass if you can recall? how was he skin stretching technique?

Most of the strokes he did were N-S, that would be WTG. There were a couple of spots he went XTG (NB: I haven't shaved for 2 days prior to this). He didn't stretch the skin all that much, considerably less than I usually do (the skin didn't "shift", it was more of a pressing than stretching movement). It didn't result in a more stretched skin than the blade itself would be able to produce, the stretching was indeed very gentle. (does that make sense? English => not first language and all that).
At the beginning I noticed the approach was as follows:
The lather layer was quite thick. First blade movement was actually spine first, that he used to wipe off most of the lather off the skin, without any actual shaving (is that a common trick?).
Second stroke was mostly N-S, followed by quick "pass" with a finger (I assume to check for the hair growth direction).
Third+ stroke was either WTG or XTG.

**dakotaev** · 02-05-2011, 01:54 PM

Very interesting technique, it has inspired some curiosity in me, I may try some shave experimenting tonight.

**California Cajun** · 02-05-2011, 06:31 PM

Originally Posted by Juraj

Most of the strokes he did were N-S, that would be WTG. There were a couple of spots he went XTG (NB: I haven't shaved for 2 days prior to this). He didn't stretch the skin all that much, considerably less than I usually do (the skin didn't "shift", it was more of a pressing than stretching movement). It didn't result in a more stretched skin than the blade itself would be able to produce, the stretching was indeed very gentle. (does that make sense? English => not first language and all that).
At the beginning I noticed the approach was as follows:
The lather layer was quite thick. First blade movement was actually spine first, that he used to wipe off most of the lather off the skin, without any actual shaving (is that a common trick?).
Second stroke was mostly N-S, followed by quick "pass" with a finger (I assume to check for the hair growth direction).
Third+ stroke was either WTG or XTG.

I read something to the effect that a barber thought it was "a common mistake" to draw the skin taut to shave.

I also read a book from the turn of the last century advocating cold water shaving (it works) http://www.archive.org/details/shavingmadeeasyw0020th.

In summary there are many, many ways to shave. The first trick is to figure out what works for you. The second trick is to enjoy the journey.

**mr. s** · 02-05-2011, 06:35 PM

Originally Posted by California Cajun

In summary there are many, many ways to shave. The first trick is to figure out what works for you. The second trick is to enjoy the journey.

Here is a man who knows what he's talking about.

**EL Alamein** · 02-05-2011, 08:45 PM

Nice report, thanks for sharing.

Chris

**DE_Dude** · 02-06-2011, 07:05 PM

Originally Posted by California Cajun

In summary there are many, many ways to shave. The first trick is to figure out what works for you. The second trick is to enjoy the journey.

Yeah, you said it!

**Ronan the BARBERian** · 02-07-2011, 04:51 AM

Originally Posted by Juraj

Post: Hot towel, cold towel, Proraso AS.

In total 25 swiss francs, and worth every single one. It's not something I'd do every day, but once every two months or so, why not.

Interesting that in France and switzerland that the hot towel is part of the post shave rather than pre shave.

**Munxcub** · 02-07-2011, 06:38 AM

Originally Posted by Ronan the BARBERian

Interesting that in France and switzerland that the hot towel is part of the post shave rather than pre shave.

I might throw it in post, when I do it pre-shave my face leaks (nicks, weepers and the like...) something fierce!

**Bobtrumpet** · 02-07-2011, 09:17 AM

Originally Posted by Juraj

Italian barber, very close to the shore of the Lake Geneva . . .

Single pass, but the face is completely smooth in all direction except of ATG. I WANT to get that kind of technique :-/. I'm nowhere near that with a straight yet, and with DE I can get better shaves, but at a cost of three extra passes or so.

In total 25 swiss francs, and worth every single one. It's not something I'd do every day, but once every two months or so, why not. One pass and a result like that? That's not possible....

Does he make house calls?

**Juraj** · 02-07-2011, 11:14 AM

Originally Posted by Bobtrumpet

Does he make house calls?

I can ask him

he sounded quite excited about an entire community dedicated to straight shaving, and when I told him I've never tried Proraso he gave me the AS and cream just like that. Pulling over on a Vespa in front of the shop may have helped also, the ambience was as Italian as it gets (pictures of Mastroianni and Sophia Loren everywhere).