c/barbers

Chose the old clippers over the new cordless, guess who was humbled

After 12 years behind the chair in Cleveland, I finally swapped my trusty corded Oster 76s for a brand new cordless set and within two weeks I was back to digging out the extension cord because the battery died on a kids cut who wouldn't sit still, so now I'm wondering if any of you long timers ever switched back to what you know works or just pushed through the learning curve?

2 comments

fisher.adam•4d ago

Retired barber's 12-year-old comment still sits in my head

This guy in his 70s came in for a trim last spring and watched me fade a kid's sides, then said 'you're doing the easy half, the hard half is what you leave behind.' He meant the neckline and the back crown shape, and I've redone my finish work routine 3 times since. Has anyone else had an old-school barber drop a line that totally rearranged how you cut?

0 comments

lopez.karen•4d ago

Clipper oil vs blade wash, am I the only one who thinks one is a scam?

Tbh I been cutting for like 6 years now, mostly walk-ins in Austin. Every barber I worked with swears by blade wash for cleaning clippers between cuts. But I found out last week that the cheap clipper oil I use actually does the same job if you spray it on and wipe it off fast. One old timer at the shop told me, you're wasting money on that blue stuff, just oil and wipe. But another guy says oil alone leaves buildup that ruins the blades over time. I tested both on my own Wahl Seniors for a month, oil only on one, wash on the other. Both cut fine, no jamming. So which is it, are we paying for marketing or is blade wash actually saving us from dull blades down the road? Has anyone else run this test or seen long term damage from skipping the wash?

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the_oscar•10d ago

Saw a barbershop in Portland do something smart with walk-ins

Stopped by a shop in Portland Saturday and they had a clipboard system with color coded rows for walk-ins vs appointments. No shouting, no crowded front desk, just a simple list. I asked the owner about it and he said they cut down missed cuts by half after 2 months. Thinking about stealing that idea for my own shop, has anyone else tried a similar system? Do clients actually respect it?

1 comments

lunakim•10d ago

Busiest Saturday I've had in 3 years, and my clippers died at noon

So last weekend I had back to back appointments all day, eight heads booked solid, and right after my 5th chair my Andis clipper just gave out, motor on the fritz. I had to finish the rest of the day with my backup Wahl and a lot of extra neck shaves, but honestly the clients were super chill about it. Has anyone else had a tool fail mid-buzz on a packed day, and what did you do to keep the line moving?

1 comments

alice336•10d ago

Clipper oil vs blade wash, stop mixing them up

Saw a guy at the shop yesterday soaking his clippers in blade wash thinking it was oil, stripped all the lubrication and the blades started running hot by the 2nd haircut. Took me a minute to realize why so many new barbers burn through blades, the bottles look too similar on the shelf. Has anyone else caught themselves reaching for the wrong one when you're rushing between cuts?

1 comments

alexw75•11d ago

Old timer told me to stop hot towel shaving, I should've listened

Guy who's been cutting hair in Cleveland since the 70s told me not to offer hot towel shaves on every service, said it slows you down and most guys just want a quick fade. I thought he was stuck in his ways, kept pushing it. Took a 20 minute hit on my schedule almost every day for a month before I realized he was right. Now I only offer it before 10 AM or if someone asks. Anyone else get solid advice from a senior barber that took a while to click?

1 comments

the_ryan•12d ago

The $120 clipper that bit me back after 4 months of trust

I bought a fancy cordless clipper on a whim last fall in Phoenix, figured the price meant quality. Worked great for about 16 weeks, then the blade started pinching skin on a fade line, drew blood on a regular client. Took it apart, the drive gear was worn to nothing, no replacement parts sold separately. Ended up back on my old $40 corded model, honestly more reliable. Any of you guys had a pricey tool crap out just after the honeymoon phase?

1 comments

rose_cooper•12d ago

Hit 10,000 haircuts last week, still feels weird to say

Been cutting hair at the same shop on 5th Street for 18 years. I never kept track until my log book from 2007 showed the count. Ten grand is a lot of necks and cowlicks. My hands ache some days but it's wild to think about all those first haircuts for kids who now bring their own kids in. Any other barbers ever hit a number that made them stop and think?

1 comments

nathana48•12d ago

Cheap clippers died on me mid-fade on a Saturday

My $60 cordless clippers gave out at 11 AM with a full chair waiting, blade just stopped mid-pass on a skin fade. Swapped to my backup after 10 minutes of swearing, but now I'm eyeing a $200 corded set since I can't trust another wireless junker. Anyone else lose a tool at the worst possible moment and just bite the bullet on quality?

1 comments

king.derek•14d ago

TIL clipper oil works great on my door hinges, but not on my clippers

Last weekend I was doing a house cut and my Wahl clippers started squeaking mid fade. I grabbed the first oil I found, which was cheap WD-40, and that fixed it for about 15 minutes. Then I remembered I had a bottle of clipper oil in my bag that I barely use. I put two drops on the blade and it ran smooth for the whole cut. Later that day my bathroom door hinge was squeaking, and I figured I'd try the clipper oil on it just for fun. It actually worked better than the WD-40, silent for over a week now. But here's the weird part: I tried that same clipper oil on my older pair of clippers and it made them sound worse, like it was too thin for that model. So now I'm wondering, has anyone else found that different oils work better on certain clipper brands or models? Or am I just overthinking a $5 bottle of oil?

0 comments

joel603•16d ago

Switched to zero gapping after 6 months of fighting fading

I used to set my clippers with a guard and blend with freehand, thought that was the only way. Watched a few barber streams and tried zero gapping my Andis on a spare head, took like 20 minutes. The fade lines just disappear now, no more patchy spots that need 5 touch ups. Does anyone else zero gap or is that too aggressive for most of you?

1 comments

joseph_adams66•19d ago

Clippers today vs the old Oster 76s, who else feels the difference?

I cut hair for 25 years now, mostly in this shop on 5th street. My old Oster 76s from the late 90s still hum like a tractor, but I picked up a newer cordless pair last spring for the convenience. The weight is different, the blade feel is lighter, and honestly I find myself switching back mid-cut just to get that smooth drag. The new ones shave time off but I don't know if they shave quality. Is better tech worth losing that old hand feel, or am I just stuck in my ways? Has anyone else noticed this gap between the older workhorses and the modern stuff?

1 comments

umamartin•19d ago

Clipper slipped during a fade in Portland, worst 10 seconds of my career

Had a regular in the chair last Tuesday, mid fade on the right side, and my clipper guard just popped off and chunked a bald strip right above his ear. He didnt even flinch, just looked in the mirror and laughed saying "well thats a new look." I apologized like 5 times, grabbed the 0 guard and blended it into a skin fade on that side to even it out. Told him the cut was free and he tipped me $20 anyway. Anyone else ever had a guard fail mid cut, how did you handle saving the style?

1 comments

ben_nguyen•20d ago

Hit 10,000 haircuts yesterday, didn't expect to feel that one

Crossed 10k fades and scissor cuts after 14 years behind the chair, and it snuck up on me mid-shampoo. Started thinking about all the kids who sat in that chair as toddlers, now they're bringing their own kids in. Anyone else keep a tally, or just me?

1 comments

margaretm23•20d ago

My old boss swore by cold shaves, I thought he was nuts, now I'm not so sure

He said cold water on the face before a shave makes the hair stand up straighter and the razor glide better. I tried it on a client in Tulsa last Tuesday and the shave was clean, no irritation, even with his sensitive neck. Anyone else test this out or is he just lucky?

1 comments

lindamartin•21d ago

I finally tried a straight razor on my own head and my clippers feel obsolete

Last Sunday I got brave and did a full straight razor shave on my own scalp after watching a guy in Chicago do it at a barber expo. Holy cow, the difference in smoothness is unreal. My usual foil shaver leaves stubble by noon, but this lasted almost 2 days. The tricky part was the back of my head, took me 45 minutes and a handheld mirror setup. Did anyone else switch to razors for bald clients and never look back? Or do you still stick with clippers for speed?

1 comments

sagew50•22d ago

Clipper oil vs. the cheap stuff, I switched back after three weeks

I used to think spending $12 on Andis clipper oil was a scam, but after a month of using hardware store 3-in-1 and hearing my blades start to grind in the middle of a fade in Denver, I'm wondering if the price difference is actually protecting my gear or if I just got unlucky, so has anyone else run this comparison and stuck with the cheap option?

1 comments

oscarw83•22d ago

Walked into a new shop in Denver, the clippers were filthy

Stopped by a place off Colfax that opened two weeks ago, the guy's clipper blade had hair and dust caked between the teeth, looked like it hadn't been cleaned since the box. He went straight from one head to the next without even wiping the guard down, and I counted three different clients in 20 minutes. Has anyone else run into this at new spots and walked out, or do you say something to the barber first?

2 comments

reesemoore•24d ago

Guy asked me to cut his hair into a perfect hexagon

Last Tuesday this dude walks in with a picture of a honeycomb on his phone and says he wants that look. I tried to explain it would look like a geometry fail, but he insisted... so I took my clippers and made the best six-sided mess I could. He paid $25 and left saying it was 'artistic freedom', has anyone else gotten a request that made you just stop and blink?

1 comments

gonzalez.reese•24d ago

That $50 clipper case I bought is the worst money I spent this year

Everyone talks about cases protecting your tools. I figured spending a bit extra on a hard case for my travel kit was a no brainer. Paid $50 for one with foam inserts cut for specific clipper shapes. Three months in and the zipper already went. Foam started shedding bits into my trimmers too. My old canvas bag from a trade show in Denver held up better for 6 years. Whats the point of a fancy case if it falls apart faster than the tools it holds? Anyone else swear off the hard case route and stick with something cheaper?

1 comments

parkerp80•24d ago

Remember when we all used the same clipper blade angles for everything?

Back in 2002 when I first started at Lou's shop on 5th Avenue, every barber I knew used the same basic trick. We held the clippers flat and just glided over the head. Balding guy, kid with a buzz cut, business man wanting a fade. Same angle, same pressure. Took me about 15 years to learn how much better things get when you adjust the angle for each head shape. Now I'll tilt the blade almost 45 degrees on some guys to blend into a cowlick, or stand more upright on someone with a flat crown. Started changing how I did it around 2015 after a customer with a really bumpy skull complained about lines. Took some trial and error, but now I look at each head for a minute before I even turn the clippers on. Anyone else make that shift in their own work, or are there still folks out there doing the one-size-fits-all glide?

2 comments

paigep20•28d ago

Guy in my chair told me my clipper technique was too slow and it actually helped

Had this older dude come in for a skin fade and like 10 mins in he goes "son are you painting a portrait or cutting hair?" At first I was annoyed but then I realized I was being super careful and taking way too long on each section. I sped up my motion and the fade actually blended better. He tipped me 20 bucks too. Has anyone else gotten harsh feedback that ended up being a legit game changer?

2 comments

sandrat24•1mo ago

Pro tip: stop throwing away your old clipper blades after one use

I used to toss my Andis blades after they got dull, figured it was cheaper than sharpening. Last week I dropped a set on the concrete floor and the impact actually made them cut better somehow. Anyone else ever had an accident that ended up fixing a tool?

2 comments

troyreed•1mo ago

Old barber at the shop made me rethink how I do fades

So this guy named Earl who's been cutting hair since the 80s watched me struggle with a blended fade on a kid last Tuesday. He just pulled me aside and said "you're fighting the clippers, let them do the work." I realized I was pushing too hard and using too much tension on the skin. It hit different because he showed me how light my hand should be, and now my fades look way cleaner. Anybody else get a random tip from an older barber that changed your whole approach?

2 comments