Welcome to the team!

Steven Soto is the newest member of the Andis clipper cutting educational team. Steven brings proven experience, solid technical skills, and a warm and engaging personality to the stage. Steven lives and works in central Florida and will support Andis’ educational programming on the east coast. Look for Steven at a show in your area soon. Listen for him in Spanish as well as English too, an added qualification that will be valuable to him, Andis and you!

Betcha' can't... Bet I can!

I have been sharing my idea for the fast and easy cutting of a bald fade on textured hair for quite some time. Just like my reverse blend classic taper, the idea is to cut the top first and taper/fade down the sides, avoiding the hard “fade point” line around the head. I have been claiming to be able to complete this cut in 7 minuets.

I guess that because I am the Andis expert, no one has questioned or challenged this claim… until yesterday. A group of barber students surrounded the Andis booth and asked if what they had heard was true? Can you really cut a bald fade on textured hair in 7 minuets? Of course I can was my reply. With that, one of the guys plops down in the chair and says, “lets go, cut me”.

I asked for a minute to get my tools set and get the client draped and ready. I grabbed my Andis Ceramic Advanced and off I went. About 9 minuets later I was done. The crowd agreed that I was allowed the extra two minuets as I was demonstrating and explaining and this slowed me a bit. I also offered up that since I am not cutting hair daily in a shop I am not in fighting trim and not capable of cutting at peak speed. I wonder how fast I could cut it with a little practice?

Vision Quest

My recent classes have had a renewed focus on visual issues when cutting. One reason for this has been the introduction of the HeadLight clipper and T-Light trimmer. My new mantra, and the tag line we are using to promote the tools, “you cannot cut what you cannot see” is true, easy to understand, and has really resonated with hair cutting professionals. The other area where this line has become more popular is in the use and application of the world famous Andis clipper combs. The white comb for dark hair and black comb for light hair schtick has been a staple of my classes since the day Andis offered the white comb for sale. The addition of the promotional line “you cannot cut what you cannot see” has made the tip more memorable and applicable. Sales of the two combs are at levels never seen before and show no sign of slowing. I cannot help but wonder if this is just another reminder of the aging graying baby boomer factor in American demographics. Hair cutters are grabbing anything that can help stave off the challenges of getting older. Remember, this is coming from a hair cutter who got bifocals a few years ago and is now the not-so-proud owner of trifocals. My lenses offer distance, reading and a custom hair cutting length from my eyes to a head of hair approximately 18 inches away. I cannot cut what I cannot see.