MANTENO, Ill. (AP) - Most guys would consider shaving nothing more than a daily inconvenience. Others opt for beards just to avoid the whole skin-scraping process.
A few, though, consider shaving a relaxing respite. That’s because they’ve found barbers such as Manteno’s Adriano and Pasquale Summa. These straight-razor specialists consider the comfortable removal of facial hair to be a nearly forgotten art form.
“We’re doing at least 50 shaves a month,” Adriano said. “Maybe as many as 100 some months. It’s relaxing and it’s better than they can get at home.”
Twins Matt and Mark DeVries, 36, agree. They’re regulars at the Summa Brothers’ busy Main Street shop, which they opened in November 2013.
“My wife loves that I get shaves here. She likes the way I smell,” said Mark, of Manteno.
“I haven’t shaved my own face in a year,” said Matt, of Bourbonnais.
There’s no doubt: Shaving is definitely getting more attention these days. The razor companies keep adding more blades to the models you see at the drug store. Another movement is trying to bring men back to simpler times with a single blade. There are more shaving cream brands on the shelves. And the makers of electric shavers haven’t given up.
“How big is this trend getting? Four months ago we expanded into the building next door, and we filled that space with a lot of razors and cremes and other shaving items,” said Kirk Johnson, the manager of Merz Apothecary in Chicago.
Greg Rattin, of Kankakee, also is an advocate of getting a better shave at home. He’s gone back to a double-edge safety razor, the kind his grandfather might have used. He appreciates the experience of shaving now.
“Using a shaving brush, whipping up my own lather then shaving with a single blade … the whole process is very relaxing and satisfying,” he said. “It takes a little longer than using canned foam with a cartridge razor, but it’s nice to take a little extra time and slow down.
“It can almost be Zen-like.”
Time in the chairs at the Summa Brothers shop was that way for the DeVries brothers. The first step is a skin conditioning treatment. Then, hot towels are applied for a couple minutes. While those are in place, Adriano and Pasquale get out their old-fashioned mugs and brushes and work the shaving cream.
“The brush is important,” Adriano said. “It makes the beard stand up.”
Johnson concurs. He tells customers that applying foam with your hand will only coat one side of the whisker. He added that old line products, such an English lather that dates back to the 1870s, are gaining favor, especially with the 20-something crowd.
The Summas use a disposable-style straight-razor system, so blades are used only once.
But do customers ever get cut?
“Sure, there might be a nick once in a while,” Adriano said.
“But this isn’t some barber shop horror movie,” his brother said.
“We’re not like Johnny Depp in that ’Sweeney Todd’ movie,” Adriano added with a laugh.
In fact, the brothers shaved with patience and precision. The process on this afternoon included no nicks and a quick clean up of those stray hairs around the back of the neck. The aftershave was applied within about 25 minutes of when the guys came in.
This is a shop that offers a lot of soccer conversation and games on TV, but the DeVries brothers didn’t have many opportunities to talk about one of their favorite sports. Sitting still remains a very important part of this process.
The Summas noted they learned shaving techniques in their barber school coursework but added experience is the best teaching tool.
“Anybody can pick up a hammer, but that doesn’t make them a carpenter,” Pasquale said. “You have to have the touch. You get that on your own face, and then you learn from every shave you do.”
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Source: The (Kankakee) Daily Journal, https://bit.ly/1FCNmLx
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Information from: The Daily Journal, https://www.daily-journal.com
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