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.

Shaving brush: badger or pig?

Antica Barbieria Colla beard and hair care line was not created for commercial purposes, but to perform the services we have been offering for over a century.

Every time I introduce the line to retailers, customers, agents, distributors, professionals, friends, relatives etc., I keep explaining this concept, surely turning out repetitive.

It’s very important that this is understood because it’s the underlying idea of all our products.

We have to start from here to understand what I am now going to say about our natural bristle shaving Brush.

I’ve got any kind of criticism, remark, question and judgment about this product.

So since it’s finally possible, I’ll explain in detail its value and the reasons behind our choices.

As you can read in its tagline in the dedicated section of our website, this is a professional, handmade brush; its ultimate purpose is to ensure the highest performance during the shaving service.

It’s a countertrend choice compared to what it’s usually found in the market, where most brands have badger bristle for its brushes, which are nice, shining, soft and as I am quite often told “very charming”.

Although I do agree that aesthetic is important and badger is very fascinating, for us the pig bristle brush was the one and only to be launched in the market.

Why?

Because the pig bristle is firm, compact and resistant and it is the one we have been using daily at Antica Barbieria Colla for over a century.

Moreover:

1) The skin needs to be massaged (a lot) before shaving.

We start from a hand massage with the Almond Oil and Aloe Pre-Shave Cream, but then we have to keep massaging with the Almond Oil Shaving Cream and the brush, and you’ll agree with me that hands pressure is different from the bristles one, especially if they are soft and tend to open like the badger brisles; this is why we use pig bristles, which are firm, compact and resistant as pointed out above.

2) When we spread the soap, the brush knot has to be as much ergonomic as possible in order to adapt to the face shape; besides, the firmest bristles are the shortest one.

For this reason, the tip of the knot gets manually cut by our artisans in a round shape which will allow our barbers to reach every part of the face and for us it’s between 3.5 and 6.5 cm tall, not more.

3) Pig bristles last over time if treated right.

They don’t weaken nor lose their resistance, so the brush lasts at least two years; by this time, if any problem is encountered due to production, Antica Barbieria Colla replaces the brush for free.

Nevertheless, to ensure your brush a long life you have to take care of it according to the instructions.

Before using it for the first time, leave it to soak in water so the bristles absorb it and get soft and elastic.

A clarification: online you can find some videos where my father, Franco Bompieri, says to leave the brush in the water for 3 days; to be honest, I have to publicly admit Franco tended to magnify things in his stories, 6 to 12 hours are enough for the brush to be ready.

Being it a handmade product, it has a slight adjustment period and it might lose some bristles the first times, but this is going to happen less and less frequently as using it.

Lastly, for the sake of clarity: it’s an expensive product, but its price is due to its features and value.

We presumed to sell a different brush from the accessories usually found in the market; one can often fall into the trap of comparing it to alike items which are maybe cheaper just because they are synthetic and industrial.

The sound of scissors

In our official press release there is a sentence describing our shop with these words:

“Walking through its door is like travelling through time”.

Many wonder how we managed to keep almost intact within the walls of our shop the atmosphere it most likely had at the beginning of the past century, although over a hundred years have passed.

I asked myself the same question for long; after the years passed listening to my father’s stories and the many hours I spent in a place that became my second home, today I believe I can say why it seems time has stopped here.

Certainly it has to do with our location, via Gerolamo Morone, one of the historic street in Milan city center, and with the fact that most of the inside furnishings and objects are the original ones. But besides it, our shop has succeeded in keeping alive those attitude and professional values which have distinguished it since its foundation in 1904: the work of the barber is sober, discreet, silent and respectful of the customers’ privacy.

We want to offer to those sitting in our barber chairs not only a beard and hair service, but also an exclusive moment for themselves, far from the outside bustle and noise.

This is the reason why we have always chosen not to have any background music, neither the classical one so appreciated by many customers of ours who regularly attend the La Scala Theater; we want the only score to be the sound of the scissors working and the noise of the streetcar n.1 crossing the nearby via Manzoni, as it was at the old times of Dino Colla.