I've chronicled elsewhere on the board the worst straight shave I've ever had which occurred at a well-reviewed (on Yelp) barbershop in mid-town Manhattan. Because I'd had a really spectacular one about 4 years ago at the AOS in Vegas, I assumed that this was an anomaly and perhaps I just needed a better barber and so today I went to the AOS on Madison and 46th to try again.
The barber was an older guy, I'd estimate his 60's, and had the appearance of knowing what he was doing. During the shave, however, I could tell he was using quite a bit of pressure, especially on my neck and as he was lathering me up for the second pass, I could already feel some irritation around my adam's apple. Uh oh.
He finished the second pass and then did a semi-third pass on the jawline and neck. Again, the pressure was way heavier than what I used, but I was optimistic because otherwise he seemed to be quite skilled. When done, he applied a cold towel, wiped me down and then applied an unscented ASB. It felt pretty good, but I should have looked in the mirror.
Well, I walked the half mile back to my hotel and by the time I'd arrived back, the red bumps all over my neck were out and there were little dried spots blood here and there. Better than my last barbershop shave, but far, far worse than what I give myself. This is the last time I try.
I am left to wonder how much of this is due to operator error and how much to the nature of the shavette. I've never used a shavette myself, but am interested in the opinions of those who have. Are they more prone to causing irritation than conventional straights when not handled expertly? I'm sure they're capable of giving great shaves,but my question is whether there's less room for error.
The barber was an older guy, I'd estimate his 60's, and had the appearance of knowing what he was doing. During the shave, however, I could tell he was using quite a bit of pressure, especially on my neck and as he was lathering me up for the second pass, I could already feel some irritation around my adam's apple. Uh oh.
He finished the second pass and then did a semi-third pass on the jawline and neck. Again, the pressure was way heavier than what I used, but I was optimistic because otherwise he seemed to be quite skilled. When done, he applied a cold towel, wiped me down and then applied an unscented ASB. It felt pretty good, but I should have looked in the mirror.
Well, I walked the half mile back to my hotel and by the time I'd arrived back, the red bumps all over my neck were out and there were little dried spots blood here and there. Better than my last barbershop shave, but far, far worse than what I give myself. This is the last time I try.
I am left to wonder how much of this is due to operator error and how much to the nature of the shavette. I've never used a shavette myself, but am interested in the opinions of those who have. Are they more prone to causing irritation than conventional straights when not handled expertly? I'm sure they're capable of giving great shaves,but my question is whether there's less room for error.
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