Used to hate those magnetic guard holders till a busy Saturday changed my mind

I was always a 'keep my clippers in a drawer' guy. Thought those magnetic strips on the wall were just for Instagram barbers showing off their fancy stations. But last month during a double-booked Saturday, I knocked over my whole tool tray twice trying to grab a #2 guard. The second time I cut my finger on a blade trying to catch it all. My coworker Mike just laughed and pointed at his magnetic strip. I borrowed his extra one the next day and honestly I can grab guards now without even looking. Set me back about 12 bucks at the beauty supply store on Main. Has anyone else found a random tool change that made a huge difference in your flow?

3 comments

3 Comments

margaret_lane1mo ago

Went through the exact same thing last year... kept knocking guards off my shelf during rushes and about lost my mind. Picked up a magnetic strip from a barber supply on Broadway for ten bucks and now I just slap guards on there without even looking. Made a bigger difference than I expected honestly, especially when I'm fading someone and need to switch between three guards fast. Only thing I'll say is make sure you mount it somewhere that doesn't collect hair clippings too bad or you'll be wiping it down every other cut.

briannguyen1mo agoMost Upvoted

Funny you mention that, I actually read somewhere that a lot of barbers are switching to those magnetic strips after dealing with the same headache. Some guy did a whole breakdown on it in a gear review blog I stumbled on last month, said it saved him like five minutes per cut just from not fumbling around. Makes sense to me, especially when you're doing a skin fade and need to grab a half guard then a one then a one and a half in like ten seconds. But yeah, the hair collecting thing is real, I saw that same guy mention he just wipes his down with a dry towel between clients and it's fine.

faith_smith14d ago

Tbh @margaret_lane I feel your pain on this one. I had the exact same setup with a cheap plastic shelf and those guards would go flying every time I bumped into it during a rush. Ended up grabbing a magnetic strip from a hardware store for like eight bucks and it honestly changed my whole flow. Not having to look down and fumble for the right guard when you're mid-fade is a game changer, especially when you're on your third client of the day and your brain is already fried. The hair collecting thing is real though, I mounted mine on the side of my station and it gets gross fast, but a quick wipe with a dry towel between cuts keeps it from turning into a mess. Glad you found something that works, it's the little stuff that makes the biggest difference when you're grinding through a busy day.