Rant: That old barber at the shop last week made me rethink my whole fade technique

I was just catching up with this guy who's been cutting hair since the 80s, right? He watched me do a skin fade on a client and pulled me aside after. Said I was rushing the blend at the parietal ridge, told me "youre fighting the head shape instead of working with it." He showed me how he uses a trimmer to follow the natural curve there instead of going straight across. Took me like 10 extra minutes on my next cut but the result was way cleaner. Anyone else ever get humbled by a veteran like that?

2 comments

2 Comments

skylergrant19d ago

Stopped reading halfway through your first paragraph. Wait, hold on. The guy watched you do a whole skin fade and then pulled you aside? That is wild to me. I don't think I've ever had a barber I didn't know just come up and give me unsolicited advice like that, especially not in the middle of or right after a cut. Feels like a real old school move from someone who respects the craft but doesn't care about stepping on toes. I bet he was right about the head shape thing though. Most guys I see now just buzz straight lines and don't pay attention to how the skull actually curves.

nora_wells5819d agoMost Upvoted

Old school barbers don't ask permission, they just teach you a lesson for free.