This review of an instructional videotape was written by a regular contributor to the Buzztown Barber Shop.
Note: Turn-around was very prompt. Ordered on Wednesday and tape arrived Monday. Hard to beat that.
The name of the tape is highly appropriate. Jay B. Funk is the barber/instructor cutting the three flat tops on this tape. In the accompanying literature, it is stated that he has cut 35,000 flat tops over the years. He also states on the tape that it takes him three to six minutes to cut a flattop. Add it up: That's between [(35,000*3)/(60*24)=] 73 and 145 days solid (no sleeping, eating, etc.) of cutting flat tops without time for anything else! Hyperbole? Probably not considering he has been cutting hair for 38 years.
If you are a professional barber, an amateur barber or even if you just have a flat top and want to see what goes into making a really good one, you should at a minimum see this video. You may want to buy it for the barber who cuts your flat top. It is only the price of four haircuts (and would you really return, let alone leave a tip, for a bad flat top?).
All of the flat tops Mr. Funk cuts begin by cutting the backs and sides with either a 3-1/2 (medium-length flat top) or a 1-1/2 Oster blade (short flat top) and then tapering to a 000 at the edges of the hairline. No high and tight or white walled flat tops are demonstrated on this tape. From the tape, however, it is not difficult to go to the high and tight or white walled flat top varieties using the same principles but just closer-cutting blades --- 000 Oster and/or TH clippers.
The first flat top on the videotape does not use a vacuum attached to the clippers while the second and third do.
Mr. Funk talks about the "problem side" of a flat top and shows how to prevent a lopsided flat top. The "problem side" comes about as the result of how hair grows in a spiral pattern coming out from the crown of the head. Since the hair will tend to lie down in the direction of the growth, this defines the "problem side" since the essence of a flat top is having the hair stand up. Mr. Funk uses Redken styling lotion to wet the hair, then brushes it back while blow drying the hair at the roots to make the hair stand up on both sides. The water and styling lotion will allow the hair to be more pliable so that it can be brushed back and this is important particularly on the "problem side". The styling lotion and blow drying then causes the hair to dry and stay in an upright position so that the hair can be cut off evenly.
The tops of all three flat tops Mr. Funk cuts are with a #1 Oster blade and are cut free hand (i.e., without a flat top comb on the top portion of the head). Positioning of the customer's head is important as is the positioning of the head of the clipper. The person getting the flat top should hold his head upright and level. That way, there will be no "uphill flat tops", as Mr. Funk says. The clipper head should be held so that the cutting head is parallel to the top plane of the flat top that will develop. In this way, perpendicular angles are more easily achieved. Cutting the top of the flat top begins with a single stroke down through the middle of the hair and it is important for the barber to bring the clipper back level through the hair. Once that initial stroke is made and is level, then begin working left or right side first keeping half the width of the clipper on the hair that has already been cut and half on newly cut hair. This allows for even, level strokes with the clippers at the length of the hair already cut. This makes the initial stroke that much more important. Also, Mr. Funk keeps his eyes level with the cutting top surface of the flat top so that he sees that he is cutting level. He does not mention this in the video but you can see him doing it. One thing Mr. Funk does state is that the barber should keep on looking at the flat top from the front to constantly check that it is level. Another feature that Mr. Funk uses when cutting the flat top is that while his right hand contains the clipper, it looks as though his right hand is being propped or steadied by his left hand. (Any other suggestions from professionals reading this would be highly appreciated.) Again, he does not mention this in the video, but you can watch for it.
Once the top has been leveled off, then Mr. Funk uses the flat top comb to taper the edge of the flat top to the shorter hair on the sides. He holds the bottom of the comb at mid temple against the head and the top of the comb at the top of the flat top and makes one and only one stroke of the clipper for each repositioning of the comb going from back to front. In the vacuum clipper cuts, he cuts the sides free hand and only later uses the comb and clippers to give it additional form.
This looks like a good flat top as it is, but Mr. Funk is not satisfied. At this point Krew Comb is put into the hair around the edges to make them stand up. This brings the longer hairs that have so far been missed standing to attention above the other hair. Again, the hair is combed back with the flat top comb in one hand and the blow dryer in the other. As Mr. Funk points out, the wax makes the hair stick together and the comb individualizes the strands of hair. Mr. Funk then uses a 000 blade on the Oster clippers and cuts the longer hairs to the length of those that are already flat. There were not many hairs that had been left uneven and long, but these have now been eliminated and the flattop looks even better. The other reasons that Mr. Funk says to perform this step is that the flat top will look flat the next day after washing the hair. He points out that it is the hairs on the sides that will grow fastest. Therefore, he slightly rounds and shortens the hair on the sides. The haircut remains looking flat and sharp, however. He calls this building "economics" into the haircut so that it will not need to be cut as often.
Finally, there is the checking the final product to see if it is level and flat from the front, back and sides. Mr. Funk uses a hair brush to check if there are any longer hairs left. It seems there are always a few more and a third passing of the clippers (again Oster 000s) is made. Once this is done, there is nothing more than the shaved outline to make the flat top look perfect.
In general the strokes Mr. Funk uses are from front to back, but in touching up there are some strokes from side to side and even back to front.
The tape lasts about 55 minutes and, as already stated, three flat tops are cut. One other point is that Mr. Funk has a very thick West Texas accent, so be prepared for that.
The tape is copyrighted in 1991, so it may seem a bit dated. However, I do not think this is the case. Good haircuts are timeless.
Note that this review was written by a consumer (though hopefully an observant one) and not by a professional. Criticism and/or other observations about cutting flat tops in general would be greatly appreciated. That is what e-mail is for, so comments can be directed to the Buzztown Barber Shop. As already mentioned, the price of this tape is the cost of about four haircuts, so if you are a consumer, as I am, buy it, let your barber see it and you might start getting an even better flat top. That is what I have done.
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