Overheard a kid at the mall and it changed how I do fades

Last Saturday I was cutting this younger guy, maybe 19, and his friend was waiting. The friend randomly said, 'dude your part looks like a map line, how does he do that so straight?' I laughed but then I thought about it. I've been freehanding parts for 6 years but ever since I started using a thin comb as a guide, my lines got cleaner. It's such a small thing but I never told anyone about it. Has anyone else picked up a trick from an outsider's comment that you now use every day?

1 comments

1 Comment

verafoster38m ago

Freehanding forces you to build muscle memory, so adding a comb feels like a crutch that slows you down when you're in a hurry. That straight line is nice, but it comes at the cost of speed and flow, and clients notice when you're fumbling with an extra tool. If the map line works for you, keep it, but I'd rather trust my hands than rely on a guide.