Unpopular opinion: Freehand fading beats guard systems every time

I had a client come in with a rough fade from another shop. The other barber had guards on, so I tried freehand to fix it. The result was much cleaner. Now I barely touch my guards. It took practice to get the angles right. But once you do, the control is unmatched. Anyone else ditch the guides for better fades?

4 comments

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4 Comments

cameron_hayes997mo ago

What was the biggest hurdle switching to freehand?

2

angela5877mo ago

Muscle memory from years of relying on rulers was the real wall for me (like, my hand just wouldn't listen). I had to consciously unlearn the urge to reach for a straightedge on every single line. The bigger shock was trusting my eye to judge spacing and angles without any guides. It made my initial line work look really wobbly and unsure for a solid month.

6

robin6287mo ago

Yeah, try drawing on unlined paper for a while.

4

oscarj157mo ago

Just drilled the same shapes over and over.

4