Loading…
29
Visited a salon in Boise that only uses shears for men's cuts
I was in Boise for a family thing and popped into a high-end barbershop to check out the vibe. The head stylist told me point blank, 'Clippers are for amateurs, we only use shears here.' I watched them do a classic taper fade entirely with thinning shears and a comb, which took about 45 minutes. In my experience, that's an inefficient hill to die on when modern clippers with guards exist for a reason. Has anyone else seen a shop take a hardline stance like this against clippers?
2 comments
Log in to join the discussion
Log In2 Comments
jana_lewis165mo ago
My cousin's a woodworker and he's the same way about hand planes versus power sanders. He'll spend a whole day on a finish I could do in an hour with an orbital sander. I get the pride in the craft, but sometimes it feels like people make the hard way part of their brand. That barber probably charges a premium for that 45 minute shear fade, framing it as artisanal.
7
elizabethhart5mo ago
You said people make the hard way part of their brand. That really hits home. But where do you draw the line between a real skill and just putting on a show? Is a hand planed finish actually better, or is it just for the story you can tell about it? I wonder if some customers pay for the time spent, not the final result.
3