Talking to an old school barber changed my mind about clipper guards

I was at a shop in Chicago last month, just waiting for my turn to use the chair, and this older barber named Mike started chatting with me. He said I was too focused on using guards for everything, like I was scared to freehand even a little bit. Told me flat out that relying on guards every time makes you lazy with your blending and your eye for shape. It hit different because I realized he was right, I've been grabbing the #2 guard for every fade without thinking about the actual head shape in front of me. He showed me how he does a full fade with just shears and a trimmer on one side, and I swear the result was smoother than anything I get with guards. Now I'm trying to practice one cut a day without any guards, just to build that confidence. Has anyone else had an old timer call you out on something you thought you had locked down?

3 comments

3 Comments

davis.noah5d ago

Switched to freehand blending a few years back and never looked back.

wood.faith5d ago

Wait, @davis.noah, did your mentor ever tell you a story about a guy who assumed he could freehand a shape-up and ended up giving his buddy a lopsided hairline that took two weeks to grow out? My buddy learned that lesson the hard way when he tried impressing a shop owner with zero guards.

dakotab935d ago

Freehand blending is one of those things that separates the good from the great, honestly. If you really know your angles and textures you can pull off way cleaner lines than any guard setup. Maybe it's just me but I think the lopsided stories just come from people not putting in the practice before trying it on a real client.