people actually use guards? o_O

I just strictly use scissor over comb, and get a better result, guards rubs onto the scalp so places like the occipital bone you'll have bumps on the fade on the back also.

not only does it look more professional doing clipper over comb, the job also comes out much nicer, if the guy wants a real close like a number 1 on the bottom I just use a comb as a guard at the bottom, and or freehand scissor.

and another note for JOANN. what everybody said is right but sometimes i  notice that even if you have everything blended perfectlty(no points) the hair still looks patchy in areas. i find this do to the fact that men have different texturess throughout their hair,especially in the side burn areas or when they are going grey. what i find that helps is taking my thinning shears and running over the area (scissor over comb) and thinning out the more dense hair patches. and i also look in the mirror to make sure both sides are symetrical and also looking at the back area to make sure everything has a clean outline.

another tip to is if you see a spot on the side of the head that seems longer , just slide the tip of your shears under that area and lift it up and then slide your comb under it and snip it off. most of the time this will take care of it. hope this helps and makes sense.

Using 'guards' (otherwise known as 'sleds') is incredibly amateurish. This is for home haircutting, not for a professional.

 Any well-trained barber can cut hair without using a guard on the blade. It's usually Cosmetologists posing as barbers who need guards to create even cuts, but Barbers can do it freehand.

It's such a shame that the real skills have almost vanished from the workplace today. Years ago any self-respecting Barber wouldn't be caught dead using a guard on his clipper.

The cutter who asks the client "what number guard do you want"? should be ashamed of themselves...The client can buy a clipper and guard set at Wallgreen's for $12.00 and do it at home if they want that degree of amateurishness.

Does anyone remember when clippers were not electrically powered but worked by hand? There used to be skill involved in Barbering, but today it's a bad joke. Can't anyone taper hair using a comb and scissors, or comb and (guardless) clipper?

I finish all of my short cuts with my trimmer and cutting comb to taper the line down nicely.  It just finishes the cut and allows it to grow in beautifully. The cutting comb is important in finishing this way- it leaves a cleaner look.

For my clipper cuts I'm using a cordless chargable clipper- Wahl  Flair. It's nice but I'd really like to get my hands on one that uses blades instead of guides- I want a better cut that I don't have to go over to get rid of the scragglies. Even though I'm excellent at really short cuts I still have yet to get the guts to do a total cut just using my trimmers and comb. We'll see, now that it's planted in my head I'll try it soon.

Hotlocks- what clipper do you have?

Wow from zero... Are you by any chance cutting Army guys?  hehe....

As long as you can fade from skin..... the top part is easy...   Personally I use blending shears.  This helps get rid of the line.  Don't press the clippers to hard on the scalp as you pass the natural curve of the head- continue upwards -or your haircuts will look like Marine jar-heads.  If you have changeable blades, you can start with a one and go back over the bottom half with the zero- again when you near the part you want it to blend press lightly and pull the top of the clippers toward you as you near the section you want to stop cutting.  (From the side view it will look as if you are drawing a backwards C agains the head)- I don't know how else to describe it.  You can also buy Oster clipper mate combs.  They have very thin ones which are meant for clipper over comb so you can get real close for blending.  Hope this helps!

I am a student and some of my guy friends are letting me practice on them and they like clipper cuts. I bought Oyster clippers and I have done good until last night when I accidentally got too close w/ the blending guard. I didn't use the blending guard on the guy before him and the cut turned out great I just blended with scissors and used the clipper over comb. I guess I just need some encouragement because after last night I am feeling really bad and I want to be able to do clipper cuts w/out mistakes and if something tragic happens I want to be able to fix it...Asking for advice...and any good LIGHT weight clippers that I can buy...

Thanks for your help. I will try Andi's...I did notice that the Oster clippers were heavy and kind of big for my hand. I am going to watch a salon owner/stylist do some clipper cuts tomorrow and I am going to contact one of the barbers to see if I can get some more tips. I just want to do the best artwork possible and I don't like feeling confused or like I don't have a clue...I know a lot of that comes with time and experience but even if I am nervous I don't want my clients to be able to detect it. Thanks again.

I have to disagree with you about clippers and guards. There are professional clippers and nonprofessional kinds. Believe me, I tried them all to save money.

I , for one, did not go to barbering school and did not learn clipper cuts until I was out on the floor. They taught us how to use the clipper with the guards (which by the way come with the clipper). And I for one am no amateur.

Have you ever tried doing a free hand clipper cut, scissor over comb on a 18 month old child? Or how bout any child?

This is what I do, I work at Kids Kuts. And that is all we do all day, cut kids hair. Yes, this is the field I chose. You can not take your time and you can not have open blades around children. One quick move and the clipper will pinch and the child (or anyone) will start to bleed.

Have you ever tried to fix a home buzz cut? I didn't think it was even possible to screw that up, but I've seen it.

I can assure you Brit was not talking about doing children in his post, he was talking about the art of Barbering and how it is not being passed down to the next generation of stylists, but now that you have brought it up. Back in the 30's 40' and 50's do you think a man would have taken his son to a beauty parlor to get his hair cut... NO, but then again the children had the respect of an elder, and would have sat still in a barber chair and gotten there hair cut, unlike most children today that have parents that can't control them.

Don't get me wrong. I do a tone of kids in my shop and I understand your post and the direction you are coming from. But I think you missed the point brit was trying to make.

I have many older male clients that want a traditional dry scissor over comb cut like a barber did in there day. In my area even the trained barbers are unable to do this  old school skill and I have acquired several older cliental from learning this  technical way of cutting

Not to put you down, only asking a question, but don't you feel your limiting your self working  only with children. How do you keep up the rest of your skills, with the chemicals and other changing technical things that are always evolving?

The stylist next to you is sloppy and fits right in with hack shops.

How long it should take iis how long it takes to do the cut and than do it right. If it takes 1/2 hour than so be it. Why do you want to do them faster?

Foolish man give wife grand piano, wise man give wife upright organ

mc 

Just remember one thing, You line of thinking is fine for useing the chop shop to learn and better your skills. Just be realistic that when you get to the point that you are bettrer and need to move on that most of those client are not going to follow you to a pricier place. They come to those places only for the price, and are willing to get a bad cut and get it fixed to save a buck.

Just my 2 cents

Mcoupland

Michelle

Don't sweat the small stuff.   

I once was told that hairdressers care more about blending where it does or does not, but most men just want a cut and out and are not bothered about the nitty gritties and that gave me full confidence in going on.

My question is:  how do you get a smooth bald shave on someone who has lots of lumps and bumps.  I did one and he had a carpet design instead of a smooth bald.  Poor man had to go back to the army the next day.

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Britboy,

There is nothing wrong with using guards.  I am a cosmetologist, 1500hrs, and barbers are what, 1000hrs.  Who knows more?

Barbering is a underappreciated skill, if you took a guy from the sixties and stood him next to a guy today (both having the same cut), who's is gonna look better?  The guy from the 60's who had his hair cut by a barber.  

There's nothing wrong with using a guard, but we should all strive to grow in our industry, and when you can give a guy a short hair cut with out using a guard on you clipper or by using clipper over comb technique, you've got skill.

"Who knows more"?  Well, when it comes to mens cutting, the barber by far.

Dear tenmoe

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Greg Zorian

Third Generation Master Barber

www.HowToCutHair.tv