The “Full Monty” of Straight Razor Shaving with Shorty Maniace; Father’s Day Hint

Male bonding at it’s best. Full-monty of straight razor shaving by Shorty Maniace who is named one of America’s top barbers by Esquire magazine. Shorty is a transplant to San Francisco from NYC and comes with 20 years of experience stuffed in his back pocket. His work is often praised in featured magazines such as GQ, Esquire, Details and the New York Times. Some fun trivia; Shorty was the man behind many of the Riki Lake TV show make overs back in the day when she was still plump. Needless to say I was thrilled to be asked to join in with a scruffy group of men for a preview class of Shorty’s first straight razor class here in our city by the bay.

Maniace has teamed up with Nick Burns (author of The Bearded Gentlemen:Style Guide to Shaving Face) to offer The Gentleman’s Shave: Mastering the Art of the Straight Razor– a monthly hands-on, shaving class at Mystic Hair in San Francisco’s Lower Haight district. “Shaving shouldn’t be a drag,” Maniace. “With the right equipment and technique, it can be an enjoyable experience. It’s the one activity where men can take care of his appearance and still feel like a ‘man’. ” Maniace was asked the most obvious question, ” Isn’t there an easier, faster ways to shave?” Maniace calmly and confidently replied that, ” Yes, that may be true, but what I am emphasizing, is that, in our chaotic daily routines, that shaving can be a morning meditation, a sun salutation let’s say. Straight razor shaving will slow you down and help you be in the moment. He spoke in what could be describes a spiritual tone. When you hop out of bed, but, before you turn on your brain, your TV, check emails, check text messages, take time to honor yourself, your face. The same face that will face this mad world.” Maniace with an impressive resume, is a walking encyclopedia of straight razor knowledge and the passion to match.

The 2-hour class kicks off on Father’s Day, June 19th, will cover the basics (that your papa never taught you), preparing your skin, proper grips, and razor handling, techniques for minimizing skin irritations, proper hygiene and post-shave care.

(In photos Left to Right: Grant Marek- Thrillist SF, Joe Eskenazi- SF Weekly, Stuart Schuffman- a.k.a. Broke-Ass Stuart, Shorty Maniace, Eskenazi, Mike Enders- Accidental Bear, Maniace)

Father’s Day is approaching and you are imagining awkward hugs and “I love you.” Skip that, and pick an active, hands on activity where hugs aren’t necessary. Maniace is offering an exclusive package for Dad. The $170 package includes the class, a starter razor, Derby razor blades, a shaving set from Baxter of California (full-sized bottles of Super Close Shave Formula, After Shave Balm, Best Badger Shaving Brush and a Double Edged Safety Razor), and a signed copy of The Bearded Gentleman: The Style Guide to Shaving Face ( a $215 value). There is also a smaller package available, but who doesn’t love a big package?

(In photos Left to Right: Dax- Stylist & Barber Assistant, J. David Hadley-Barber & Owner of Mystic Hair, Maniace, Dax, Marek, Eskenazi, Schuffman, Nick Burns, Enders, Maniace, $170 package , Maniace, Eskenazi, Steve Rubenstein-SF Chronicle, Burns, Maniace, Maniace)

Classes open to the public:
Sunday, June 19th 10am to 12pm (Father’s Day)
Sunday, July 17th 10am to 12pm

Call 646.752.6891 or email class@beardedgentleman.com to reserve a space.
I suggest calling early. Space is limited

For More information CLICK

www.shorty-maniace.com
beardedgentleman.com

Q & A with Nick Burns Co-author of The Bearded Gentleman: The Style Guide to Shaving

I have never had such an informative, enjoyable and dare I say smart conversation about facial hair. My usual conversations goes something like this, ” Uhh, you got something in your beard.”… ” Thanks!” Nick Burns co-author of The Bearded Gentlemen: The Style Guide to Shaving is loaded with helpful information to care for and tame that overgrown bush on your face or perhaps just your upper lip. His extensive back round as a journalist,  has covered skin care, fashion, and health for leading magazines and newspapers including The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, GQ, Details, Elle Accessories, Out, and Zink, and he pens the popular men’s style blog, HommeGrooming.com., makes him over qualified for me to ask him about how to best trim my unruly nose hairs (But I ask anyhow). Nick’s writing is witty and sharp as well as his answers to my questions I brainstormed for him.

Q & A:

Interview by Mike Enders

Accidental Bear:  How is it that you and Allan Peterkin came together to produce this much needed book together?

Nick Burns: Allan wrote a book called 1000 Beards: A Cultural History of Facial Hair and I interviewed him for a piece I wrote for the New York Times about the return of the mustache–a bunch of hipsters in Williamsburg started sprouting whiskers above their lips in 2008. We worked together on a few other articles after that and when his publisher asked him to write the follow up to 1000 Beards, he asked me to help out.

A B:  I would love to call you King of whiskers. What has been the fire under you that make you want to write about the topic?

Nick: I think “King of Whiskers” is too lofty of a title for little old me. Maybe Prince of Whiskers? Well, when your name contains “Nick” and “Burns”, writing about shaving is kind of like your birthright… sort of like being born into the royal family.