Old school straight razor shaves vs modern safety razors

I used to do full straight razor shaves on every client for 5 years because it felt more authentic and gave that old barber vibe, but after cutting a guy's earlobe last March I switched to safety razors for the safety and speed. The straight razor gave a closer shave but took 15 extra minutes per head, while the safety razor cuts that time in half with almost no nicks. Anyone else made the switch and stuck with it or went back to the straight blade?

2 comments

2 Comments

gray_gibson8d ago

Man, that earlobe thing hits close to home. I was trimming my buddy's neck with a straight razor once, the kind I'd been using for years, and he sneezed right as I was going for a clean line. Gouged a little trench right under his jawline. Blood everywhere, looked like a crime scene. He was cool about it but I haven't touched a straight blade since. Now I just use a safety razor for everyone and honestly, the time I save means I can fit in two more haircuts in a day. Plus nobody's left bleeding on my floor.

beth_hunt8d ago

A couple nicks here and there is part of the job, feels like you're both overreacting a bit... I've been cleaning up my own face with a straight razor for decades and never had anything that bad happen.