Corky
Practically Family
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- Location
- West Los Angeles
The Robocut: a low cost haircut system for tough economic times
Back in the 1980’s I saw an informercial for the Flowbee, an electrically powered vacuum attachment made for cutting hair.
And for the cost of a few haircuts, I got a tool that enabled me to give others and myself a fairly decent haircut.
The device attached to the suction hose of a vacuum cleaner and the suction stands the hair up and allows the device to cut the hair in a clean and even manner. One set of attachments allowed the hair to be cut at specific lengths and another allowed the sides to be cut in an even taper.
The secret behind the success of this device is simple: when all of the hair on a person’s head is cut to the same length, the resulting haircut almost always looks pretty good on anybody.
When my son was small, this device saved us a considerable amount of money and countless hours of dragging him back and forth to barber shops.
The problem with the Flowbee was that after a certain amount of use, the blades got dull. Then the device didn’t work as well as it had before. It tended to pull and uncomfortably chop the hair. The kids stopped looking forward to getting haircuts. I looked around, but couldn’t find a replacement Flowbee anywhere. So eventually the Flowbee went to Goodwill and we went back to SuperCuts.
* * * * * *
Fast foward to this year: my son is now in his early 20’s and paying for his haircuts out of his own pocket money. So one day he asks me about whatever happened to the old Flowbee and can we get another one.
So I search the Internets and learn that there are supposed to Flowbees around somewhere, but the retailers are all out of stock.
But then I discover there’s another product, the Robocut. It is another vacuum powered haircut system, but with a major difference: the Robocut has replaceable blades.
So we order a Robocut. It arrives in a reasonable time.
Any vacuum with a hose will work, so we attach it to our shop vac with a universal tool adapter and some duct tape. Then we oil the blades as per the instructions, plug in the Robocut and the vacuum, and try out the system.
The results are amazing. After reading the manual and a little practice, we get haircuts that are entirely satisfactory.
My son, who's especially keen on his appearance, is very satisfied with the results.
Our first haircuts result in positive feedback from a few of the women that we encounter on the next day.
But the best part is that after a few haircuts, the Robocut has paid for itself.
This is a huge relief: first, that one no longer has to pay twenty dollars to a barber or stylist who does not bother to listen to what you tell him, and second, that one is not further obligated to tip him a few bucks for the privilege of doing so.
So if you are tired of paying too much for mediocre haircuts, or if you have a kid who needs a haircut now and then, consider investing in a Robocut.
The Robocut can be found on Amazon.com or at the Robocut web site.
The universal tool adapter can also be ordered from Amazon.
Back in the 1980’s I saw an informercial for the Flowbee, an electrically powered vacuum attachment made for cutting hair.
And for the cost of a few haircuts, I got a tool that enabled me to give others and myself a fairly decent haircut.
The device attached to the suction hose of a vacuum cleaner and the suction stands the hair up and allows the device to cut the hair in a clean and even manner. One set of attachments allowed the hair to be cut at specific lengths and another allowed the sides to be cut in an even taper.
The secret behind the success of this device is simple: when all of the hair on a person’s head is cut to the same length, the resulting haircut almost always looks pretty good on anybody.
When my son was small, this device saved us a considerable amount of money and countless hours of dragging him back and forth to barber shops.
The problem with the Flowbee was that after a certain amount of use, the blades got dull. Then the device didn’t work as well as it had before. It tended to pull and uncomfortably chop the hair. The kids stopped looking forward to getting haircuts. I looked around, but couldn’t find a replacement Flowbee anywhere. So eventually the Flowbee went to Goodwill and we went back to SuperCuts.
* * * * * *
Fast foward to this year: my son is now in his early 20’s and paying for his haircuts out of his own pocket money. So one day he asks me about whatever happened to the old Flowbee and can we get another one.
So I search the Internets and learn that there are supposed to Flowbees around somewhere, but the retailers are all out of stock.
But then I discover there’s another product, the Robocut. It is another vacuum powered haircut system, but with a major difference: the Robocut has replaceable blades.
So we order a Robocut. It arrives in a reasonable time.
Any vacuum with a hose will work, so we attach it to our shop vac with a universal tool adapter and some duct tape. Then we oil the blades as per the instructions, plug in the Robocut and the vacuum, and try out the system.
The results are amazing. After reading the manual and a little practice, we get haircuts that are entirely satisfactory.
My son, who's especially keen on his appearance, is very satisfied with the results.
Our first haircuts result in positive feedback from a few of the women that we encounter on the next day.
But the best part is that after a few haircuts, the Robocut has paid for itself.
This is a huge relief: first, that one no longer has to pay twenty dollars to a barber or stylist who does not bother to listen to what you tell him, and second, that one is not further obligated to tip him a few bucks for the privilege of doing so.
So if you are tired of paying too much for mediocre haircuts, or if you have a kid who needs a haircut now and then, consider investing in a Robocut.
The Robocut can be found on Amazon.com or at the Robocut web site.
The universal tool adapter can also be ordered from Amazon.
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