Hands-on w/ Andis and Ivan

Premiere hands-on.
There are only just 3 spots available in the hands-on workshop at Premiere Orlando on Sat. afternoon June 6. Premiere web site is here to get more info and to register. More clipper education for your $ than any other opportunity in first half 2009. Do not miss this.
http://www.primereshows.com

Cutting my onw hair - Chapter 12

Cutting my own hair - Chapter 12
By now the worst of my last paid haircut disaster is completely behind me. What is living on my head can now only be blamed on me. And it is not too shabby. I am liking this experiment. I had an amazing opportunity in a hotel recently. There was a 3 sided mirror and a mirror on the outside of the bathroom door. Between the 3 way mirror and the careful positioning of the door I was bale to see all sides and angles of my head better than ever before. This provided me the arena for much more aggressive personal topiary efforts. I got the back blended in well… and cleaned up my own neck line with the interesting Swerve tool we have discussed here recently. Please be patient while more hair grows. I will soon post a pic of what I have created thus far.

Autographed mqn auction ends

The Ivan Zoot autographed ClipperGuy flat top mannequin closed on ebay this morning. Final bid was $20. Thank you to all who bid. $ will go to Success barber College in Merrilville, IN.
Stay tuned for more fun stuff.

eBay Opportunities

Ebay opportunities

In my programs I mention the presence of very old Andis tools available for sale on ebay. I use this as an example of the long term durability of our tools and the value they represent. I always say… “take care of your Andis clipper and it will live longer than you will.” This is a link to a current very old Andis tool,on ebay just to show you what I am talking about. This one is quite old and a good example.
http://cgi.ebay.com/OLD-ANDIS-MASTER-MODEL-M-HAIR-CLIPPER-BOX-BLADES_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQ_trkparmsZ72Q3a1205Q7c66Q3a2Q7c65Q3a12Q7c39Q3a1Q7c240Q3a1318Q7c301Q3a0Q7c293Q3a1Q7c294Q3a50QQ_trksidZp3286Q2ec0Q2em14QQhashZitem3ef4a7ab4bQQitemZ270392601419QQptZLHQ5fDefaultDomainQ5f0QQsalenotsupported

ClipperGuy in print

Andis is a valued vendor partner working with Regency beauty Institute. All Regency students are issued Andis tools, clippers, rimmers, dryers, irons, all the best tools to start a career.
This is a Neat-O little article published on line in a publication from Regency Beauty Institute, a great cosmetology school chain with a great real-world student program. This program provides real life training and experiences to prepare students for their careers. Good stuff.
The illustrations are mine as well... How cool is that?
TY
CG

http://www.regencybeauty.com/institute/star-beauty-show-chicago-ivan-zoot.aspx

Flat Top Week - Wrap up

Flat top week - wrap up.

Flat top week was a lot of fun. Monday’s offer of a technical… 70+ of you asked for a copy.
Tuesday’s videos were enjoyed by many. Wed web sites were a hit. The Thursday auction is getting traffic and the bidding is on the rise. Have you bid yet? Link is below. Get your bid in.
Friday I announced the flat top contest. Have you got a head to cut? Are you submitting a pic.? Get on with it! Win a FREE Andis clipper!

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&item=180356762018

Based upon the success and positive feedback we got from flat top week… fade week will likely be here soon.

Flat Top Week - Friday

Flat Top Friday

We have been taking heavy-duty flat top stuff all week. You must be flat top amped-up by now… so… go out and cut a few. Here is the Friday idea. Cut an awesome flat top or two. Email me the pics. First, I will blog and twitpic the top 10 best flat top pics I get form readers. Second the best flat top I see wins a free Andis Easy Style clipper. This is a new and hot Andis tool. See the link below for a pic of the New Andis Easy Style. This is a recent addition to the Andis line and one I have been having a lot of fun with recently. Light weight, high speed and torque rotary motor. Click adjust blade, soft touch grippiness… a lot to like in the great tool.
Here are the rules…
Enter as many flat tops as you like.
Each flat top must be sent to me in a separate email, subject line “flat top week”
Your flat top entry must be cut fresh this week (within the next 7 days of today) entries must be in by 5.22.09. You must prove this by taking your pic with a view of the front page of your local paper held up in the hands of the model. Every shop has a newspaper… easy to do this.

This is going to be fun.

Flat Top Week - Thursday

Flat top Thursday

The Flat Top party continues. To celebrate flat top Thursday week we are offering something special. Here is a rare opportunity. I have attached a pic of a flat top I recently cut on a mannequin at a class at Digrigoli academy in West Springfield, MA. I have autographed the mannequin… second pic. The mannequin is posted on ebay at the link below. Click there and have a look at the offer. Here is the deal. Bid on this unique signed collectable. Shipping to you will be FREE, our treat. ALL the proceeds of the sale of the mannequin will be donated to Success Barber School in Merrilville, IN near Chicago. They will use the $ to help pay for tools for students that need the help. How cool is that? Bid high… It is for a good cause.

Here is the link to the ebay auction:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=180356762018
FREE shipping.
All $ to a good cause.
Please bid this thing up way high!

Flat Top Week - Wednesday

Flat top week - Wednesday

Today is flat top week web site day. Have a click at the links provided for a few great flat top focused web sites. Good stuff.

This is a great general flat top site. Fun stuff.
http://www.pathguy.com/flattop.htm

Here is the wiki flat top page…
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flattop

I love this stuff for flattopping;
http://www.amazon.com/Krew-Comb-Stick-Groom-Flattop/dp/B000AMRHZO

Interesting…
http://www.essortment.com/all/howtogiveaha_rcav.htm

Flat info here.
http://hubpages.com/hub/The-Art-of-the-Flatop-Haircut

The Google images flat top gallery:
http://images.google.com/images?hl=en&q=flat%20top%20hair&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wi

Flat top wax…
http://www.thegreaseshop.com/servlet/the-76/Flat-dsh-top-wax-pomade-AGS/Detail

Info on horseshoe flats
http://www.geocities.com/rodeodrive/3696/Photos_hs.html

The Flat topper cutting tool. I have used this. I teach proper use of this tool. Good way to train on flat topping.
http://www.hairproducts.com/view_product_ACC-BRI100.htm

Flat Top Week - Tuesday

Flat top Tuesday

Flat top week continues
Flat top week just keeps getting better and better. Today is flat top video day. Links are provided below to some of the best flat top cutting video on the web. Pop some popcorn, fop down in the lazyboy and start learning. Then get a model and bang one out.

This is my YouTube flat top video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s3u4pxz0jnY

Here is a nice flat top from Slim the Barber
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3aT2bDt1XXQ

This is just a preview, but Bradley does a great job on his video. Worth a look.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZfAMT-2rKHU

1980’s Bridget Nielsen look here. I do not agree w/ using hairspray, but I do agree that the blow dry is critical.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZloyCRdtEKQ

A classic here. This is Kenny Alsup in an Andis video from the 1980s.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QbveA7Yeuhk

This is Slim’s father-in-law cutting a flat top.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zArgoKYjlxI&feature=related

This is Harold from Wahl cutting a nice flat.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EMmvRPaLWI0

Andis and Ivan Zoot on NBC tonight

Ivan Zoot ClipperGuy on NBC television tonight... Watch it here:
http://www.wwlp.com/dpp/news/local/wwlp_local_massachusetts_worldsfastesthaircuttervisitssalong_200905111200

How it is Made - Marvy barber Poles

Link below is to the site for the show schedule to watch How It Is Made... Featuring William Marvy Co. - World famous barber Poles.
Check it out.
https://pop.andisco.com/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://science.discovery.com/tv-schedules/series.html?paid=48.14293.126455.16541.1%26start=20

Welcome to Flat Top week!

Flat top week - Monday

I am declaring this week flat top week. All week I will be blogging great flat top stuff… Including a neat-O charity opportunity at the end of the week. If you love flat tops like I love flat tops this is to be a fun week.

Today, Monday starts out the week with my offer of a printed technical of the Andis “round-the-clock” flat top cutting system. Send me an email. I will email back a pdf of a simple flat top cutting system. This is the system I use every day. This is the system I developed to assist hair cutters who do NOT come from a classic barbering background or education in mastering this important cut and revenue generating service. Send the email to me at either my Andis email expert@andisco.com or my clipperguysays@yahoo.com address.

Sample eval - Comfort The Guest

Comfort the Guest
This was a neat-O sample to play with. A Thermal water bottle. Fill it with warm water at 8 a.m. Midnight it is still spraying comfortably warm water. What a nice treat for a client. No more shot in the head with ice water. Nicely made. Good quality materials. Mine is brushed stainless. Several colors avail. Better get you one.
More info here.
http://twitter.com/comforttheguest

Cutting my own hair - Chapter 11

Cutting my own hair - Chapter 11

Taper guides

I have always laughed at the left and right side clipper guides that Andis sells with their home cutting kits. They seemed amateurish to me. I have used them to demo in consumer presentation, but have never considered them serious tools. Well, a change in perspective can create a change in attitude and opinion.
I have been using these angled, tapering guides to cut the corners and around the ear on my own haircut. They really work well. I knew that they would. I knew that they do. I can do the tight corner taper with a #1 guide on my own by tipping the guard… hey, that is the skill you develop as a pro… but these little suckers really make it easy. Since the front corner is the first thing you notice on a short tapered haircut it is important that this point looks good. And these guards have made this very easy. Try ‘em on your own head. Still would not use one on someone else.

Thoughts from Porto Rico

Roman inspired sandals

For quite some time we have heard that Roman inspired sandals were to be hot. My recent trip to Porto Rico proved this to be the case. They were everywhere. They were especially more noticeable in a nation that really loves its heels. Women everywhere wear heels. Heels in the restaurants. Heels all over the hotels. Heels in the streets. Even heels at the beach. A trip to them mall and poking around in shoe stores and you can hardly find a pair of flats. Away from the tourist areas this was even more obvious. At the mall in the neighborhood with the locals on a Saturday afternoon… every woman at the mall is wearing heels… except the ones in the Roman sandals. Then today in NYC… on the street… lots of Roman sandals.. Even saw variations of them I the form of Roman inspired sandals with a high heel. Likely to be seen soon in Porto Rico.

Pony clip time again

I did a pony clip clipper cut at the show today. Have not done one in a long time. Back in the day I did 'em all the time.
This one had a design, zebra stripes cut into the clippered bottom... stenciled in with black and white pencil too.
This is a pic I found on line for those of you who do not know what a pony clip is (or was).
http://www.hji.co.uk/hjimages/images/qhs2639/hji/medium/1984-ponytail-crop.jpg

NEW YouTube vid live today

NEW Video on YouTube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=weOdR5tw-_U&feature=channel_page
Secrets of Fading - Porcupine Fluff.
Watch it now.
Use the link above.
TY

Cutting my own hair - Chapter 10

Cutting my own hair - Chapter 10

The comb
So I never shut up about clipper combs. I have been the king of the clipper comb for years. I would never even dream of picking up a regular comb to cut your hair, much less mine. I started out just tapering the corners in the front of my head with a #1 snap on guide comb. Then I started moving up the head using a guard with heel pressure to build length. Next it was time to pick up the world famous Andis clipper comb. Of course, for me it would be a white one as I am still mostly dark hair. Grey in the corners and a few scattered here and there, but dark hair. The BIG Andis clipper comb seemed small. Too small. Working on my own head the angles and positions are awkward and new. The comb feels too small and dangerous. Time to step up to bigger. So what did I reach for? It was Flattopper time. Yes. I was to use the old standard flattopper comb. These things are the size of a ping pong paddle. I have had one for years. I used them in the beginning to cut flat tops. I have used them to train others. It is just a monster big comb. Nice big handle. A very safe tool for clipper cutting. Turns out, it is a great tool for use for cutting your own hair. The beige color is great for high contrast. I can see what I am cutting. The other small trick that has paid big dividends in my success and confidence to continue the project has been the #1 clipper guide comb. I have taught for a long time, the idea that beginners should attempt clipper-over-comb with a #1 guard on the clipper, thus moving the cutting action 1/8” away from the surface of the comb. Slows you down, Backs you off a bit. Very forgiving. With a #1 in place on the clipper and a flattopper in the other hand I am tearing it up. Well, not tearing, but clippering away. This combo has made the process safer for me and given me the confidence to go for it.

Below is the link for the flattopper. There is also a link for their “new improved version” the flatliner. I do not like the flatliner as well. Too dark to see hair. Does not feed as well. Handle shape is slippery. Go with the original falttopper.

http://www.amazon.com/Flattopper-Original-with-Level-Beige/dp/B0001B50PI