Razor-Faded Pompadour How-To

Greasers, rockers, bikers, psychobillys. Fashion’s ruffians. You know the guy—he’s got those sick tattoos and was born to raise hell… but he’s still pretty dapper when you get right down to it. He’s kind of a scumbag, but, you know, a gentleman’s scumbag.

The Schorem Barbers, aka The Scumbags of Rotterdam (our MOST POPULAR On Paper cover stars in 2014!), know a thing or two about badass barbering. As two of the most famous barbers in the world, they own an old-school men’s barber shop in the heart of working class Rotterdam. Co-founders Leen and Burtus have one objective. Sure, providing a vintage, badass ambiance is a must, but at the end of the day, it’s all about giving him a damn fine haircut.

Before

1. To begin, uniformly wet the hair. Starting on the right side, create a horizontal parting from temple to crown at the back of the head.

2. Starting at the front hairline, create the baseline with clipper over comb—working parallel to the part line, beginning at the temple and ending at the center back.

3. Freehand clipper with the clipper setting at 0, from hairline to just below the baseline.

4. Use your #1 guard to blend from the scalp exposure to the baseline, softening the line created in step 3. Work around to the center back.

5. Rewet the other side of the head, and rework the parting on that side.

6. Following the guide from the center back, continue setting in your baseline toward the left temple.

7. With the clipper in the zero setting, freehand the clipper from the sides and the back, working from the hairline to just below the baseline. Once again, add the #1 clipper guard to refine and blend the lines created between the scalp and baseline.

8. Invert an edger and create a line around the head, below the baseline. This will be used as a guide for the razor-fade. Continue this process around the head.

9. Add shaving cream. Straight razor shave from the pre-determined line down to the hairline.

10. Alternate using freehand clippers and an edger to blend the hair between the baseline and razor-fade.

11. Transition into the top horizontally, using a straight shear with the baseline as a guide. Overdirect the front to maintain its length.

12. Add grooming spray and blow-dry with a vent brush to add volume.

13. Once the hair is dry, use blending shear over comb to remove excess weight. Continue this in the area at the baseline.

14. Alternate slight cutting and rotation using blending shears through the transition area to remove weight and add directional movement. At the top, slide-hand through the lengths and use the blending shear to further remove excess weight while retaining length.

15. Add product from scalp to ends, and comb into shape.

Fresh, faded and FINE.
 

Watch the video HERE!