Bone combs: curiosities and features

Bone combs, that is, commonly made of horn or animal bone, are among the oldest artifacts made by man for personal care, as evidenced by the finds discovered by archaeologists dating back thousands of years.

Until the advent of plastic and industrial production in the XX century, these objects were typically handmade by craftsmen called pettinai or pettinagnoli.

The processing generally involved a rather long initial phase for the preparation of the raw material which had to be left to soak for several days with a series of substances (from urine to quicklime, ash, tartar, salt, vinegar) in such a way that it softened so that it could then be molded into the desired shape.

Alternatively, the bone or horn were softened by heating them over the flame and then carved and sculpted.

The artisans expressed all their mastery in the decorations and even came to color the pieces using saffron, verdigris, green paste, creating very refined objects, real unique pieces.

The most valuable artifacts even provided for the use of tortoise shell and ivory.

Beyond the aesthetic aspect and the value that some of these objects may have, bone combs have some advantages:

being made of natural materials they do not electrify the hair;
they comb with greater ease and gentleness, gently stimulating the scalp without scratching it;
unlike plastic, which is waterproof, bone and horn are able to absorb the oils naturally present in the hair and redistribute them evenly throughout it. For this reason they are particularly suitable for those with long, dry hair and subject to split ends.

Conversely, bone combs:

don’t tolerate water and humidity;
are quite delicate and if they fall on a hard surface such as a floor they could break. However, with due attention they can last a very long time, as evidenced by the ones we keep in our shop, which no historical customer can give up.

Antica Barbieria Colla’s characters: Enzo Bettiza

Antica Barbieria Colla has always been a place where politics, culture, current affairs were debated; this is also thanks to the fact that among its customers there were various intellectuals such as Enzo Bettiza, a journalist and writer who died in 2017 whom Franco Bompieri considered a reincarnation of a Russian prince, not only because of his Eastern European origins; he describes him like this:

Text taken from Presi per i capelli by Franco Bompieri (Mondadori 2000)

« I remember Enzo Bettiza from the time when I worked in the barbershop at the Continental Hotel, in via Manzoni.

Tall, handsome, raven-haired, indifferent to the cost of things, he was already considered an eminent journalist, specializing in the politics of Eastern countries, which in my opinion he didn’t love, as one often doesn’t love his beloved homeland.

“Look” they told me “he was born in Split. It is true that he speaks Russian, but he also speaks German as if he were from Vienna, and French and English “.

“Exactly” I replied “like all Russian princes: he is a polyglot who reserves Russian for courting beautiful women and to give orders to the servants.”

When Enzo Bettiza is not around the world, he comes to his barber with a spare shirt.

After the service, which he wants accurate but unperceivable, he retires to the private dressing room and changes his shirt. Sometimes the change takes more than half an hour, so meticulous he is in tying the tie.

This is enough for me to say that in Enzo Bettiza there is the soul in exile of a prince, who survived the hated great October Revolution. »

Toothed scissors and other tools

In our salon we refer to the ancient tradition of Italian barbershop not only when it comes to shaving, but also in the case of hair treatment.

Hair health always comes first for us and this leads us to keep alive some traditional practices from which the hair greatly benefits.

As we saw in detail in a previous article while washing the head we always go for a skin massage which has the main purpose of reactivating the circulation of the scalp, essential to bring the necessary nourishment to the hair.

In this phase we use a traditional oval-shaped head scratching comb with thin and flexible bristles that allows us to:

make the massage more vigorous and deep, but still delicate;
stimulate microcirculation in the scalp, improving the activity of the hair follicle;
stretch the cranial muscles;
promote better absorption by the skin of the products that are subsequently applied, such as the Cap sicum & Menthol Lotion.

Another traditional aspect that continues to live within the walls of our shop is the use of toothed scissors instead of a razor to thin out the hair.

In fact, the razor cuts diagonally and this leads the hair to “fray”: this makes it frizzy, unruly and subject to split ends.

The toothed scissors, on the other hand, ensure a straight, clean and precise cut, which does not damage the hair structure.

It is these precautions, which might seem simple details, to distinguish the method of Antica barbieria Colla that has been handed down since 1904.

Antica Barbieria Colla’s characters: Enzo Jannacci

Enzo Jannacci, singer, songwriter, comedian and actor, can rightfully be considered a symbol of the city of Milan; on his death in 2013, he was buried in the Monumental Cemetery in the Famedio, the place where those who, in different ways, have contributed to improving the Lombard capital rest and are remembered.

And his music, from the 1960s onwards, has certainly helped to make Milan known, even to those who were not born there but came and stayed there, like Franco Bompieri, of whom as well as being a client he soon became a friend.

The memories related to him are many, among them the fact that he was a shy person and able with his music to tell about Milan rising after World War II .

Charismatic, serious and true, he was able to talk about the past while always being current.

Enzo Jannacci was born in early June and whenever possible we always went to his parties, full of joy, smiles and music.

When he came to the barbershop it was not just to cut his hair, but mainly for the treatment with the candle and also because he loved to have his head scratched: he had his own comb with very hard teeth, which he had managed to recover in one of his trips; he used to ask Franco or whoever for him (in recent years Giordano was serving him) to fearlessly rub on his head during washing, because then the lotion penetrated better and he would have felt “lightened by all thoughts”.

He was a nice, sunny, but also melancholy man.

As evidence of the great friendship and esteem that existed between Franco and Enzo, there is a song included in the 2001 album “Come gli aeroplani”, which is called “Ti luna“: this is nothing more than a poem by Bompieri, present in his 1984 book “Augusto di Setteprati“.

Use and brief history of the electric razor

After talking about the straight razor and the safety one, an article dedicated to the electric razor could not be missing.

Electric razors have always been essentially of two types:

foil razors;
rotating razors.

Foil razors are suitable for those

having a sensitive skin;
having relatively thin hairs;
preferring a close and daily shave.

Rotating razors are ideal for those

having normal to hard skin;
having a full beard with thick, long hairs growing in different directions;
who don’t shave every day.

Both types have a common ancestor: the father of the electric razor was in fact Jacob Schick, a former colonel in the US army. In the early 1910s, while recovering from an injury suffered during a gold exploration, he found it difficult to shave and began to think of a razor with a shaving head driven by a flexible cable and powered by an external motor. This prototype, however, was far from practical and was rejected by manufacturers.

After the First World War which forced him to interrupt his project, Schick progressively improved his original idea and in 1928 he created the first real electric razor, then patented in 1931, which enjoyed great commercial success: in just under a decade he arrived to sell about 1.5 million pieces.

However, a series of technological innovations led in a short time to overcome Schick’s invention, based on blades that moved back and forth, as in a normal hair clipper.

Shortly after the Remington Rand Corporation introduced the first foil razor, which used oscillating blades covered by a thin layer of metal and guaranteed greater comfort; the design principle of today’s foil razors has remained the same.

Among the leading manufacturers of foil razors today are the German company Braun, founded in Frankfurt in 1921 by Max Braun, and the Japanese Panasonic, born in Osaka in 1918 by the will of Konosuke Matsushita.

In 1939, Philips created the rotating razor, equipped with a head with an internal rotating blade that shaved the hairs captured by a fixed external protection. This mechanism is also still in use today and is particularly appreciated for shaving difficult areas such as the neck and chin.

Even today Philips is one of the largest manufacturers of rotating shavers.

The first wireless razors appeared already in the 1940s, such as the dynamo one that we keep in our shop: it worked without electricity and without batteries simply by pulling a wire, but starting from the 1960s with the advent of rechargeable batteries it became more of a collector’s item.

The electric razor has certainly revolutionized the world of shaving: it is practical, fast and less irritating to the skin, but undoubtedly with its use, the rituality and craftsmanship of the ancient art of barbering that Antica Barbieria Colla aims to preserve is lost.

Antica Barbieria Colla’s characters: Luchino Visconti

Throughout the history of Antica Barbieria Colla it has often happened that the fathers have passed on the custom of serving themselves in our shop to their children, who have in turn become our customers in respect of a sort of family tradition.

Something similar happened with one of the most illustrious Milanese families, that of the Visconti di Modrone: Giuseppe Visconti di Modrone began to frequent the barbershop at the beginning of the twentieth century and continued until his death, then followed by several of his descendants, including his son Luchino Visconti di Modrone, one of the most important Italian directors and screenwriters of the twentieth century.

Franco Bompieri, who was his barber, says:

« Visconti used to like high taper and short hair, short at an unspecified level, so he often accused me of having done everything wrong, giving me quick and playful fists on my shoulders.

I delude myself thinking of it as a way to establish a human relationship.

Visconti was the director who, with The Earth Will Tremble, but above all with Rocco and his brothers, had given dignity to poverty and immigration, the conditions of my first life.

Visconti was also the director of Senso, shot for the most part in my region, on the river Mincio, on the thread of a beloved Verdi: it was natural that I saw him with special eyes and soul.

No confusion: the interest and perhaps also the love Visconti carried for man and the things around him and that come to life from the passions and sufferings of which he gave unique representations, could never have filled our profound difference in social rank, but I am sure that more than a subtle thread was pulled between us. Perhaps because, as a son of a horsemanship, I was still wearing a well-known smell to Visconti who was, in his youth, a passionate breeder.

One day I asked him: “Why did you leave horses for theater, Mr. Count?” “Horses gave me great satisfaction, almost the best of what you can get from a living being, but they do not speak”. Despite The earth trembles, he was still a Visconti. »

The safety razor

Some time ago in this blog we published an article on the history of shaving and the straight razor; today we would like to continue where we left off talking about the safety razor, that is a T razor with interchangeable blades.

This type of razor was conceived by King Camp Gillette, an American inventor and entrepreneur who in 1895 had the idea of producing a device that was economical, did not require sharpening and strop and had the right size to shave the face of an adult man. In fact, it seems that Gillette hated the freehand razor, considering it dangerous, as well as a waste of time.

Having worked as a young man for a manufacturer of disposable packaging, he had the opportunity to reflect on the advantages of interchangeable products and thought of producing cheap and replaceable blades to attach to a simple handle.

In 1901 Gillette founded the American Safety Razor Company, later renamed the Gillette Company, and patented his razor. If in the first year, 1903, sales were disappointing (just 51 razors and 168 blades), in just over a decade they reached 450,000 razors and 70 million blades per year, also thanks to the massive advertising campaign to make the new product known; with the First World War then, the company was commissioned about 3.5 million razors and 32 million razor blades for American soldiers. The success was such that the company opened branches in Canada and Europe and the effigy of Gillette’s face began to appear on all packages.

The T razors that are found on the market today are distinguished mainly on the basis of the materials in which they are made (from plastic to metals for those of higher quality), for the type of design and for the type of headpiece.

The main designs are:

TTO (Twist To Open) or Butterfly – turning a pin at the end of the handle opens the head halfway (like the wings of a butterfly) and allows to change the blade;

two-pieces – the cutting head unscrews from the rest of the razor in order to change the blade;

three-pieces – the upper part of the razors unscrews from the handle and it’s divided into 2 pieces (the head and the guard, where the blade lies upon); this type of razor is the easiest to clean, but changing the blade may initially be more difficult.

With respect to the type of headpiece we distinguish:

the closed comb – there’s a protection bar that stretches the skin facilitating the sliding of the blade and reducing the risk of cuts and irritation. This is therefore suitable for beginners, those with sensitive skin and those who shave frequently;

the open comb – instead of the bar we find a sort of toothed comb that allows the blade to apply greater pressure. This makes the razor very aggressive, suitable for those with experience, a very hard beard and who don’t shave too often;

adjustable razors – the allow to adjust how much the blade protrudes thanks to a pin placed at the end of the handle, thus varying the degree of aggressiveness of the razor. This model is also more suitable for expert hands.

The safety razor has progressively replaced the straight one for reasons of hygiene, safety and practicality: it is a good compromise between shaving efficiency and comfort and the blade protruding only slightly from the head, while coming into close contact with the skin and cutting the hair at the level of the bulb, cannot sink into the skin and cause deep cuts.

We hope Mr. Gillette won’t mind, but in our shop where we have been performing the traditional Italian shaving for over a century, we definitely prefer the use of the good old straight razor, albeit with an interchangeable blade.

Antica Barbieria Colla’s Characters: Roberto Benigni

No more than a few weeks ago the Venice Biennale, the institution that organizes the famous Venice International Film Festival, has decided to award the 2021 Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement to the Italian director, actor and screenwriter Roberto Benigni, who already won the Academy Award in 1999 for his movie Life is beautiful.

When we hear the news in the shop, we immediately look at that autograph on the wall and the memory brings back an anecdote from some time ago:

« With the candle flame, I singed the ends of Roberto Benigni’s battered hair, in a patient attempt to strengthen it. He looked at himself in the mirror with wild eyes and an amused grin.

“Oh no, you have to do this thing to me in a movie, it’s too funny”.

…

I keep manipulating Benigni’s scalp with thaumaturgical intensity: burning, massaging, washing, rubbing, drying, in a game to save his remaining few and fragile hair.

He had more when I went watching him for the first time in a theater in Milan. Fifteen spectators, a handkerchiefs on his face, convulsed grimaces to make it fall. Finally, here comes a sharp, sly, sneering face, a voice full of dialectal inflections and the vitriolic satire typical of his main character at the time.

It seems to me I have done a good job, deserving the autograph hung on a wall in the shop: “To Franco, the greatest in the world”. »

Antica Barbieria Colla’s characters : Franco Moschino

Around the mid-1980s, while Milan was establishing itself internationally as one of the capitals of creativity and fashion, Antica Barbieria Colla counted among its customers Franco Moschino, who had recently founded his line and was pointed out by many as a subversive because of his irreverent, ironic and nonconformist style.

“What a shame! The opened the Villa Reale* to present Moschino’s rags” headlined the Corriere della Sera, one of the most prominent Italian newspaper.

Today, Moschino is considered one of the “sacred monsters” of Italian fashion and a precursor of social responsibility thanks to his commitment to the fight against AIDS, the reuse of garments and the enhancement of sustainable collections.

Franco Bompieri, who at that time was his barber, described him like this:

So sweet, so sensitive, so profound in investigating life, Moschino did not claim to be the bearer of great messages and if these emerged, they were the inevitable consequence of his personal commitment to the problems of the world and of the people he realized in his acting.

The conceptual understanding of his work as a stylist, but also as a painter, an excellent painter, certainly had roots in surrealism and tradition of the costume, of the dress, not only Italian. Moschino used to dig into tradition.

One day, while cutting his hair, I asked him: “How is fashion born, your fashion?”

“In the old cemeteries”, he answered, “especially in those of the little mountain villages, where, in the small images of the dead, there is fashion for everyone, even for you: mustache, beards, haircut, images of life, in short, with the evocative power of death“.

*The Villa Reale is a neoclassical palace in the center of Milan, nowadays home to the modern art gallery of the city.

Antica Barbieria Colla’s characters: Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh

It was back in 1966 when Guido Mantovanini, second owner of the barber shop, received an unexpected call. There were many famous people who were daily sitting on Antica Barbieria Colla chairs, but being chosen by the English Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh was really a thrill.

Here we tell you through the memories of Franco Bompieri that time.

« We were about to close the shop that night in September 1966. The Clubino janitor stopped in the doorway and with displayed indifference said:

“Tomorrow, around ten-thirty, Prince Philip of Edinburgh would come to get shaved”.

Guido Mantovanini, the owner, who always respected the rule that all customers are the same, at that announcement whitened a little, and said:

“Get ready”.

“Is it for tomorrow, isn’t it?” I resisted.

“It’s for tomorrow, but we get ready nevertheless”.

Prince Philip was in Italy for a hunting party, organized by the Marquis Medici del Vassello in his reserve “La Mandria” in Piedmont.

After the hunt, a big party at Palazzo Belgioioso, residence of the Marquis; to sleep the Prince had however preferred the “Clubino” guesthouse , very close to Palazzo Belgioioso and Antica Barbieria Colla. »

Is Shaving an art or just a trend?

The art of shaving is a very timely topic and since a couple of years it ignites lively debates among the strong defenders of the different schools of thought.

Besides, many articles have been written, especially in the last few years, according to which “Male Grooming”, Male Spas and Male Make-Up are on the rise.

I am glad to hear that, but at the same time it makes me smile, since 7/8 years ago people used to tell me “Beard is fashionable now, but then?” or in the last 3 years “Beard is outdated, what are you going to do?”, and now they say “You should count yourself lucky, male grooming is growing”.

I do count myself very lucky, not only because of the business trend of the moment, and I do believe when a solid tradition is behind what you do and due to it everything you do has a meaning, even if trends keep changing, you are knowledgeable about what you do and this will always be acknowledged.

In our shop, shaving has always stood for the traditional Italian shaving, a true ritual with some distinct moments: each of them has its specific purpose, but all together they contribute to a moisturized, soft and supple skin once the treatment is over.

First of all, it is essential to soften the skin and the hairs: this will help to draw the razor and to avoid rashes.

This is why our treatment starts with a face massage with our Almond Oil and Aloe Pre-Shave Cream, which thanks to its composition has a double action: softening on the one hand, refreshing and smoothing on the other. After that we apply a hot towel to open the pores and let the product in more deeply.

Next, the Almond Oil Shaving Cream is applied: its formula was carefully designed to soften the skin even more and to act as a protective barrier between the balde and the face, avoiding skin redness.

The soap is spread with circular movements using the Natural Bristle Shaving Brush: it’s made of pig bristles which makes it easy to melt the soap down and ensures a deeper skin massage.

Following the actual shave, there is one last fundamental step: soothing the skin after it has been stressed by the razor. To do so, our barbers will massage your face again with the Apricot Hull Aftershave which is calming, cooling and softening, and apply another hot towel to lock in moisture. The treatment ends with a final massage to nourish the skin with one of our Aftershave Milk: the customer can choose among three fragrances the one he likes better.

Then there’s also the straight razor shave, which in my opinion is even more fascinating, but we’ll talk about it later on.

The right treatment for sebum? Nut Shampoo

In the past, inside the walls of our barbershop, there used to be quite a heated argument about the nature and usefulness of sebum. Franco Bompieri thought for a long time it caused many damages and considered it a real poison.

According to science, sebum is a fat an oily substance which is also responsible for our body personal and typical smell, since its composition is slightly different from person to person.

Under normal circumstances, sebum is a valuable ally in protecting skin from dehydration; it also has a mild antibacterial effect, but as soon as it gets to much, it turns into the hair worst enemy.

Hereditary factors or hormone imbalances can cause an extra sebum production and here’s where troubles start: dandruff, greasy hair, and when it’s particularly serious, an unpleasant smell.

But besides aesthetic and hygiene aspects, which are indeed important, it’s hair vitality and health to be threatened by excessive sebum: it suffocates the hair blocking the follicle and preventing blood circulation.

Wrongly, people with oily hair tend to wash it often, but this can be counter-productive if suitable products aren’t used: those with aggressive formulations might eliminate all the sebum from the scalp; as a result, sebaceous glands will just produce more sebum.

It’s then fundamental to use a specific shampoo, rather than washing hair less frequently.

As oily hair is quite common among men, even since the 1920s the founder Dino Colla wanted in his shop a specific product with nut in its formula, a fruit with great sebum-balancing and astringent properties.

Nut Shampoo is still part of our line: its regular use helps normalizing sebum production without drying the hair, keeping it clean for a longer time.

Its gentle formula with magnesium for oily hair has a purifying action on hair and scalp thanks to the synergy of Nut, Sage, Lemon and Mallow extracts.