My mentor swore by a 0.5 blade for skin fades, finally tried it and he was dead wrong

Old school barber named Ray at the shop I apprenticed at said you gotta use a 0.5 guard for any skin fade or the blend looks trash. Used it for 2 years. Last month I tried a 1 guard with a different flick technique and the fade came out way smoother. Ray's got 30 years experience but that advice just cost me time. Anyone else find their mentor's gospel tip was actually holding them back?

2 comments

2 Comments

dakota4797d ago

Have you tried using a 2 guard and just really opening up the lever? That's what finally clicked for me after years of fighting with smaller guards.

samf957d ago

That thing about the flick technique is spot on. My buddy Jake was stuck for years doing it the way his old boss showed him, same story with a 0.5 guard for everything. He switched to a 1 guard with a bit of an upward angle on the flick and his skin fades went from okay to clean in like a week. Sometimes the old heads just repeat what they were taught without ever trying anything different.