Chat with an old-timer barber changed my whole approach to fades

Had a guy in his 70s sit in my chair last Tuesday. He used to barber in the 70s and 80s. He watched me do a fade and said "you're fighting the hair instead of reading it." Hit me hard because he was right. I was so focused on my clipper technique that I wasn't paying attention to how the hair naturally laid. Now I spend an extra 2 minutes just observing the growth pattern before I even pick up the clippers. Has anyone else had a veteran barber drop some knowledge that changed how you work?

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lucas_hunt1mo ago

That phrase "fighting the hair instead of reading it" really stuck with me too when I first heard something similar. An old barber told me I was "forcing the shape instead of finding it" and it made me realize I was just rushing through cuts. Now I run my fingers through the hair a few times before I start, just to feel the direction it grows. It saves me so much time fixing mistakes later. Did you start doing anything different with your clipper angles after he told you that?