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That time a barber in Chicago told me to stop chasing perfect fades

I was in Chicago last summer for a conference and stopped into a shop near Wrigley. Old guy, been cutting since the 80s. He watched me practice on a mannequin head for like 20 minutes while waiting. Finally he goes "You're overworking it. The hair is gonna move when they walk out the door anyway." I laughed it off but kept thinking about it. Next week I did a fade on a regular who always nitpicks everything. I did three passes instead of like six and he said it was the best cut I ever gave him. Has anyone else had a veteran tell em to back off?

3 comments

3 Comments

rowan_thomas8424d ago

Yeah that linda_dixon49 comment about knowing when to stop hits the nail right on the head. I had a woodworking buddy who used to sand stuff until his fingers bled and the piece would end up looking worse than when he started. The old barber's wisdom applies to so many things, like when you're seasoning food or editing a photo, you gotta trust your gut and let the thing be what it is. The real craft is in the stop not in the endless tweaking.

linda_dixon4924d ago

That's just how it goes with most things in life though, isn't it. People think more effort equals better results but it's usually the opposite. Overthinking a conversation makes it awkward, overworking a steak dries it out, and oversanding a piece of wood just ruins the grain. The real skill is knowing when you're done and getting out of your own way. That old barber probably saved you years of frustration with one honest sentence.

gracec1624d ago

@rowan_thomas84 I mean yeah, but sometimes overthinking a steak is how you get it just right for your own taste.