Today's WSJ had a review of several men's salons. I won't copy the entire article, but here are a few snippets. Reviewing The Mark Matthew Fine Gentleman's Grooming Club in Studio City, they wrote: "We opted for what the spa calls its Quick Shave -- a shave with a straightedge razor on the down stroke and a standard razor for the up stroke. We found the succession of lotions and aftershaves to be overkill. Worse, we still ended up with stubble on parts of our face." Here's what they said about New York's Nickel Spa: "Here we opted for a straightedge shave for both our scalp and face. (We returned the next day for a facial. We were told that a having a facial on the same day as a shave would irritate our skin.) The haircut and shave were a disaster. We suffered numerous cuts on our neck and one on our left cheek. 'That doesn't happen often,' says Hector Peña, a general manager for Nickel Spa. 'We haven't been having complaints with it.' We also noticed that the spa technician missed some spots on the top of our head. We pointed it out, but he said, 'Oh, no, that's just a birthmark.'" They liked the shave at Truefitt & Hill in Chicago the best: "Wielding straight razor and comb, our barber gave us a splendid haircut. The hot lather shave -- once against the grain, once with -- even 24 hours later, was the closest and smoothest we've ever had. A manicurist quietly buffed our nails and massaged our hands while we luxuriated beneath a succession of eight hot towels."
Interesting opinions. I have heard from certain sources that T&H use disposal straights which in some circles is not worth the trouble. The other places just sounded bad. I myself have had a T&H Manicure here in Toronto, and was quite pleased with the results.
I read it I read the whole article. I thought it was good. And, contrary to some opinions, the disposable Feather blades do give a nice shave. To date, in fact, I have found nothing that allows me to give a better shave in the shop. Elizabeth
