kaid59•12d ago

Watched a new guy's fade go from rough to clean in 3 weeks flat

Honestly, I had this apprentice start at my shop in Phoenix about a month ago. His first few fades were so uneven I had to fix every one of them myself. But around week 3, something clicked for him. He started using a smaller guard to blend the bald line and slowed way down on his clipper-over-comb work. The before and after difference on his cuts now is night and day. Has anyone else seen a sudden jump in skill like that with a new barber?

3 comments

3 Comments

henderson.vera12d ago

Oh man, that's such a relief when it finally clicks for them. I've definitely seen that happen with a few guys at the shop I used to work at. One kid was just struggling with blending for weeks and then one day he just got it, like a lightbulb went off in his head. It's wild how much repetition and maybe just time to let the muscle memory settle can change a cut completely. I always tell the newer guys to be patient with themselves because it's not just about learning a technique, it's about feeling it and that can't be rushed. Good for your apprentice for sticking with it.

the_cameron11d ago

You ever see a guy that just couldn't get the hang of sectioning? I had a buddy who was an apprentice at this shop I knew, and he kept mixing up his top and bottom sections for like three straight months. Then one day he was just doing a basic scissor cut on a mannequin and all of a sudden he stopped, looked at his clips, and was like "wait, I get it now." It was so random, like his brain just decided to work that day.

fox.derek11d ago

Got to admit, @henderson.vera, I used to think it was all about just practicing the moves over and over. But watching guys suddenly get it like that, it's made me realize there's a real mental part to it too. It's not just repetition, it's when everything finally lines up in their head.