c/barbers

6

christopher952•3d ago

Tried a new blade on a client and it went horribly wrong

Honestly, I was cutting a regular at my shop in Austin last Tuesday and decided to try a fresh blade from a brand I hadn't used before. About halfway through his fade, the blade started snagging on his nape and pulled a chunk of hair out. He yelped and I froze, then he laughed it off, but I felt like an idiot. I swapped back to my old trusty Andis blade and finished the cut, but I had to blend that patch way shorter than planned. He tipped me $5 and said it looked fine, but I could tell he was checking it in the mirror. Has anyone else had a blade just fail mid-cut like that?

30

quinnmitchell•4d ago

Stopped by an old shop downtown and saw clippers from the 80s hanging on the wall

I was in Springfield last weekend visiting a friend and walked into this barbershop that's been open since 1975. The old guy still uses a straight razor for every neck shave and has a set of Oster clippers from the 80s mounted on a plaque like a trophy. It made me think about how much faster everything is now with cordless tools and how I barely even use a comb anymore compared to when I started. Does anyone else still bust out the old stuff just to slow down or am I being nostalgic for no reason?

16

brian_coleman•8d ago

Dollar store comb vs a proper barber comb

Picked up a pack of cheap combs from the dollar store to save money. Big mistake. First haircut and the teeth were already warped from the heat of my blow dryer. Switched back to my old Wahl comb and the difference was night and day. Straight, smooth, no snagging on wet hair. Anyone else find the cheap tools just aren't worth the hassle?

27

wells.reese•8d ago

Hit 500 haircuts on my chair this week and it hit different

I counted up my appointments last Thursday and saw I've done exactly 503 haircuts since I started renting a chair at Tony's shop on Main Street. That number surprised me because I didn't think I'd been that consistent. It's been about 10 months since I switched from the Sport Clips franchise to my own spot. I remember my first week here I did maybe 6 cuts and worried I'd made a bad choice. Now I'm averaging around 12 a day on busy Saturdays. The milestone made me realize how much my hand speed and fade technique have improved without me noticing. Has anyone else tracked their total cuts and been surprised by the number?

11

holly898•21d ago

Tried a new clipper blade from a different brand and it keeps snagging on coarse hair

So I've been cutting a lot of thick Mexican hair lately, the kind that's like wire. I usually use the standard Wahl blades but a guy at the supply shop talked me into trying a new brand called BladeTech. First two cuts went fine, third one it started catching and pulling on a client's cowlick. Had to switch mid-cut to my old blade. Anyone else run into blades that just don't work on certain hair types?

4

nina_butler•22d ago

I'll admit I was wrong about those expensive clipper blades

For like 2 years I was buying the cheap $15 blades off Amazon thinking they were just as good. Then last month during a busy Saturday a blade started pulling on a regular's hair, left a line right down the side of his head. He was cool about it but I felt awful. Had to spend extra time fixing it and he had to buzz shorter than he wanted. I grabbed a $40 Wahl blade the next day and the difference is night and day. Anyone else cheap out on blades and regret it later?

27

tessa_hill86•27d ago

The neckline shape I used to do vs. what I do now

Tbh I used to just follow the hairline all the way around, but about 6 months ago a client asked why it looked uneven from the back. Now I use a much straighter line across the nape and it looks way cleaner. Any other barbers switch up how they finish the back?

20

ryan952•27d ago

I finally switched from clipper-over-comb to using my trimmers for bald fades

For like 3 years I was doing all my bald fades with clippers and foil shavers, always getting those little lines and bumps. Last month I watched this barber from Chicago on IG who uses his trimmer with no guard for the initial bulk removal before the foil shaver. I tried it on my next client and holy crap, so much cleaner and faster. Has anyone else made that switch or am I way behind the curve lol?

32

emma_burns96•28d ago

Found out my clipper blades were dull and it was all in my head

I saw a post from a barber in Chicago saying most of us don't change blades often enough. Checked mine and they've been dragging for 3 months without me noticing! How often do you guys swap yours out?

13

gray_patel•29d ago

Swore by my clippers until I tried shears for a full fade

Tried a full scissor-over-comb fade on a client last Wednesday in Austin and it came out smoother than any clipper fade I've done in 5 years. Has anyone else found shears work better for certain head shapes?

21

taylorm89•1mo ago

Old barber told me to use cold water for rinsing razors. He was right.

Been cutting for about 8 years now. Always used hot water to rinse my straight razor between passes. This retired barber named Pete watched me one day and said 'stop that, you're dulling the edge.' Hot water expands the metal too fast he explained. I tried cold water for a week straight and my blades stayed sharp way longer. Anyone else hear this trick or is Pete just old school?

19

abbyd36•1mo ago

Finally had to pick between my old Oster 76s and a new cordless clipper

I've been using my old Oster 76s for like 8 years straight, they just won't die. But last month I dropped one and busted the cord connector, and I had to decide whether to pay $40 for a repair or just switch to something cordless. I ended up getting a Wahl Senior cordless model, and man, it's been a game changer for my walk-in appointments at the shop. No more yanking the cord out of the wall when I walk around the chair. My only beef is the battery lasts about 2 hours of nonstop use, which is close but still tight for a Saturday rush. Has anyone else made the switch and regretted it on long days?

24

mila_reed•1mo ago

Warning: Don't try a new clipper blade right before your busiest day

I bought a fresh set of Fade blades last Tuesday. Put them on Wednesday morning. Big mistake. Walked into the shop in Austin at 9am and had 8 people booked back to back. That first head started buzzing and the blade was skipping like crazy. Had to stop mid-fade and swap back to my old blade. Anybody else had a new tool mess up their whole schedule?

3

fiona_johnson82•1mo ago

Dropped my clippers mid-fade and nearly ruined a client's haircut

Honestly, I was at my station last Thursday doing a skin fade for a regular, and somehow my cordless Wahl Magic Clip slipped right out of my hand. It hit the tile floor and the blade guard popped off, but thank god the blade didn't bend or chip. I just picked it up, wiped it down, and finished the cut with no issues. Customer didn't even notice, but my heart was pounding for a minute. Has anyone else had a close call with dropping their tools on a job?

9

ivanlewis•1mo ago

Clipper fade technique has gone downhill since the old days

I see too many younger barbers leaning on the trimmer to finish a fade instead of using their clippers with the right blade combos. Last week a kid at my shop in Philly spent 20 minutes on a zero gap trimmer line that could have been blended in 5 minutes with a half guard. Am I the only one who thinks the basic clipper fade is becoming a lost art?

1

gibson.seth•1mo ago

Clipper blade caught fire mid haircut yesterday

I was doing a skin fade on this high school kid in my shop in Austin when my Wahl Legend blade just started smoking and sparked up. Had to stop mid stroke and tell the kid to hold on while I grabbed my backup clippers from the drawer. Has anyone else had a clipper just die like that on a paying customer?

5

avery_carr57•1mo ago

Had an older guy at the shop show me why my fades kept looking muddy

He said stop using the 1-guard closed and start with the 0-guard open first, then blend down. Been doing that for 3 months now and my clients actually notice the difference. Anybody else get a random piece of advice that fixed a major problem overnight?

21

blairm35•1mo ago

PSA: let your clipper blades cool down between cuts

I was doing a full head of thick curly hair yesterday and just kept going without stopping. After like 20 minutes my clippers started pulling and snagging real bad. The barber next to me pointed out the blades were hot to the touch. I ended up having to switch to my backup set and finish with shears. Anyone else forget to take breaks on dense hair?

13

abby_carr57•1mo ago

Had a guy tell me to ditch my clipper oil, thought he was crazy

An older barber at the shop in Austin told me to stop using oil on my clippers and try a dry lubricant spray instead. I figured he was just stuck in his ways since I've always used oil on my Wahl clippers for 3 years. But after a week of using the spray, my blades ran cooler and I didn't have that greasy buildup on my comb. Anyone else switch away from oil and find it works better?

11

laurar38•1mo ago

The difference a sharp blade makes on a bald fade is wild

Switched to a fresh blade mid-fade on a client last week and the before and after was night and day. That dull one was leaving a rough patch on his crown that I had been chasing for 10 minutes. Has anyone else noticed how much time a new blade saves on heavy fades?

22

charlie384•1mo ago

Hot take: I think a dull blade is better for certain beard lines

Everyone in my shop swears by fresh edges for beards, but I actually got cleaner lines on a tricky jawline last week using a blade that had 3 shaves on it already. The less aggressive cut helps me finesse those tight neck curves without irritation. Anyone else try this or am I crazy?

26

richardh44•1mo ago

Finally got the fade right on my 10th try...

Been cutting hair out of my garage for about 4 months now and kept messing up the transition between the 1 guard and the open blade. Watched a guy on YouTube named John from Chicago explain that you gotta overlap your sections more than you think. Tried it on my buddy Dave last Tuesday and he actually said "dude that's the best cut I've ever got from you". Feels good man. Anyone else struggle with that specific part of the fade or just me?

18

xenan64•1mo ago

Hit my 1000th straight razor shave last week and honestly felt nothing

Everyone talks about celebrating milestones like 500 or 1000 shaves but I just finished the job and moved on to the next client. The real surprise was realizing I screwed up number 47 way worse than any milestone mattered.

23

jennifer358•1mo ago

Heard a guy at the barber supply store say something that stuck with me

I was picking up some new clippers at the supply store on Broadway last week and overheard this older barber telling his apprentice that he never charges less than $35 for a beard trim. It made me realize I've been underselling my beard work for way too long. I bumped my price from $20 to $28 and actually had more people book this week, not less. Has anyone else noticed that raising prices a little can actually bring in better clients?

17

terry1•1mo ago

Had a kid ask me why I cut hair for a living last Tuesday

Honestly I was working on a fade for this kid maybe 10 years old and he just blurts out "is this your real job?" out of nowhere. I told him yeah I've been doing it about 8 years now and he said "that's cool you get to talk to people all day." His dad was in the chair next to him getting a beard trim and just laughed. It hit me different though because I never really thought about it that way. Anyone else have a random comment from a client that stuck with you?