Showerthought: I just realized I spent years doing a three-pass shave with a straight razor the hard way.

For the first eight years in my shop, I'd always do the first pass with the grain, re-lather, then go across. I saw a barber in Tampa do his first pass across the grain on a tough beard, and it threw me. I tried it on a client with coarse hair six months ago, and the reduction was so much better on that first pull. Now I start across, then go with, then finish against. Who else has flipped their shave order?

2 comments

2 Comments

bethcarr12d ago

Read a barber's blog post that argued for starting across the grain.

jamiemiller12d agoMost Upvoted

Makes sense for coarse hair but would just tug on finer types.