I was waiting for my turn last Saturday and this old timer was telling the owner that kid cuts take half the time so he charges less to get them in and out fast. Got me wondering if I should drop my kids price from $20 to $15 too, or would that make me look cheap? What do you guys charge for little ones?
Walked into a supply shop last week and grabbed this new cordless clipper everyone was talking about, the one with the fancy ceramic blade. Thought I was getting a deal at $120 but man, I should have asked to feel it in my hand first. The motor sounds fine but the blade gets hot after like two heads, and I do 6-8 cuts a day easy. Plus the battery dies faster than my old corded model ever did, around 4 hours in. Now I'm stuck using it for the rest of the week because the return window is only 7 days and I already used it on three customers. Anyone else here ever bought a clipper without trying it first and regretted it? What brand do you swear by for heavy use?
I was setting up my station last Tuesday before my first client, and this older guy named Frank who comes in every week just to hang out was telling me about his 40 years cutting hair. He said 'you're rushing the blend because you're scared to take it higher' and honestly it hit different coming from a guy who's been doing this since clippers had cords that weighed 5 pounds. I tried his method on my afternoon client and the fade came out way smoother with less back and forth. Has anyone else gotten a tip from an old timer that made you rethink your whole routine?
I was skeptical when my mentor swore by the old style Wahl blades over the ceramic ones everyone's pushing now. After 6 months of testing both on real clients at the shop on 3rd Street, I'm sticking with steel - they cut cleaner and last twice as long. Anyone else find the newer stuff isn't always better?
Been cutting hair for 12 years at my shop on Main Street. The last three months I kept wondering why my fades were coming out uneven. Changed blades, oiled more, even sent my clippers in for service. Turned out the blade was just a hair off center. I checked it with a flashlight and saw the gap. Took me 30 seconds to adjust it with a screwdriver. Made a huge difference. Any of you guys ever had this happen and not realize it?
I was working on a fade this afternoon and this guy in the chair next to mine tells his son 'anyone can cut hair, it's not hard.' My guy, I've been at this 11 years and I still mess up blending on certain head shapes. I had to bite my tongue because I was mid-taper. Has anyone else had to deal with people acting like this job is simple?
Honestly, I was cleaning out my drawer last week and found an old blade I left loose in a plastic bag. I looked it up and apparently storing blades touching each other or in damp places ruins the edge way quicker. I've been losing about 2 months of sharpness per blade just from poor storage. Has anyone else noticed their blades dying faster than they should?
I’ve been barbering for about 3 years now and always struggled with that harsh line where the fade hits the temple area. Tried different guards, clipper over comb, even watched a dozen YouTube videos but it still looked choppy. Last week I tried something simple: I used my trimmers with zero guard and went in at a 45 degree angle instead of straight across. Also kept the skin stretched tighter with my free hand. First try on a regular client and he said it was the best fade he’s ever gotten from me. No line, no mess, just smooth blending. Has anyone else found a weird little trick like this that fixed a common problem for you?
Been doing this 12 years now. I see guys rushing with clipper over comb on top. Sure it's quick but you lose all that natural texture. Scissor over comb takes me maybe 10 extra minutes but the blend is way cleaner. Had a client last week who got a clipper over comb cut somewhere else. Came to me to fix it. Took 25 minutes just to soften the lines. Anyone else stick with scissors for the crown and parietal ridge?
I kept a tally on my phone for 6 months. When I crossed 1,000 fades without having to redo one, I thought that meant I was top tier. But my coworker says quantity like that just means I'm rushing, not improving. He says a barber should focus on maybe 5 perfect haircuts a day, not 15 okay ones. Meanwhile my regulars keep booking me solid because I'm fast and consistent. What do you guys think - does hitting a big number prove skill or just speed?
A client asked me why his layers looked like a lawnmower hit them and that's when I realized I was cutting with the teeth facing the wrong way the entire time - has anyone else had that dumb moment?
Kid straight up said it's slower than shavettes. Told him about old Mr. Garcia who came in every Thursday for 40 years, and how that razor let me feel every bump on his jaw from a fight in '88. Ever have a tool teach you something about a person?
I been watching a ton of barber vids on Insta lately and half the big names swear by fading up (starting with a 0 and working your way up into longer lengths) and the other half say fading down (starting with the top guard and going shorter) gives you less chance of messing up the blend. I tried both ways this week on two different clients and honestly the up fade looked smoother after one pass but took way longer to get right. The down fade was faster but left me fighting with the transition line around the parietal ridge. What's your go to and why does one work better for certain head shapes? I'm in Phoenix so I see a lot of dome shaped heads and it feels like the method matters more depending on the client.
Was doing a fade on a regular client in my chair in Brooklyn when my clipper snagged and jumped. The blade was dull as hell and I didn't notice until it caught his hair wrong and skipped right across my thumb. Blood everywhere, had to stop the cut and put a bandage on, then use a backup clipper to finish. Anyone else ever get cut up bad from not replacing blades on time?
I've been cutting hair for about 4 years now, mostly at a shop in Portland. Last week I hit my 1,000th cut on some regular named Dave who always wants a skin fade. I know it's just a number but seeing that count climb made me realize how much I've improved since I started, especially with my clipper work and blending. Anyone else keep track of their numbers like that?
Cut the time in half right when I needed it most. The texture came out way smoother too.
I ordered a set of clipper blades from a site called BladesRUs last month and they were dull right out of the box. Cost me $45 plus shipping and they couldn't even cut through a dry hair test I did. Any of you guys dealt with fake blade sellers and found a way to spot them?
Saw a guy do a zero-gap fade with just a trimmer and a comb, no foil shaver, and now I've been trying it on my last 6 clients to mixed results, has anyone else messed with this technique?
I used to think hot towels and warm lather were the only way to give a proper shave. Then I spent a morning watching a 70 year old barber in downtown Cincinnati work on walk ins. He told me cold shaves reduce irritation and swelling, and after trying it on three clients with sensitive skin I had to admit he was right. Has anyone else here switched to cold shaves for certain skin types?
The stones were too soft and the guide was useless, just ended up ruining two good blades before I trashed the whole thing - has anyone else had better luck with a specific brand or method for sharpening at home?
I've been fading for about 5 years now and usually keep my clippers at a 45 degree angle. For some reason today I dropped it to about 30 degrees on a tricky crown area on this guy Mike. The blend came out super smooth with less back and forth passes. Has anyone else messed with different blade angles for specific head shapes?
Got this older guy in the chair. Thick wiry beard, hadn't had a proper trim in months. Usually I just lather and go. Decided to wrap his face in hot towels for a full 30 minutes, swapping every 5. The hair softened way more than I expected. Cut through it clean with zero tugging. Customer said it felt like a spa day. Anyone else do extended towel treatments for coarse beards?
So I've been at this shop for about 4 years now, always did the whole routine. Oil my clippers every night before I leave. Thought it was just what you had to do to keep them running smooth. But last week this guy in his 60s who's been cutting since the 80s came in to use our chair for a day, and he watched me oil up and just laughed. He said I'm basically washing out the grease that's already in the bearings by doing it that often, and all you really need is to oil when the blades start sounding dry or after a deep clean. Now I'm torn. Half of me thinks he's right and I've been wasting oil and maybe even wearing down my clippers faster. The other half thinks that's old school thinking and regular oiling prevents rust and heat buildup. Anyone got a strong opinion on this? How often do you guys actually oil your Andis or Osters?