It's been a long time coming for popular serious drinks cocktail bar BBC, but they're finally, finally, finally offering their straight razor shaving service, available every Tuesday and Friday at their Xinfucun Zhonglu location. Just the details: In the backroom of BBC, from 4pm to 8pm on Tuesday and Friday, they'll have a professional... barber? Shaver? Old timey shaver? Shaving technician? Professional straight razor shaver? Bar-shaver? Sha-barber? What do you call those people? You know what I mean. A professional. It's a professional. Said professional will be offering up the full straight razor treatment to the Beijing gentlemen of refined tastes, merit, ability, aplomb, and aesthetics. It costs 200rmb, comes with a glass of Town Branch bourbon (on Tuesday) or Pearse Lyons whiskey (on Friday), and takes about 40 minutes. Walk-ups are accomodated if they've got an open slot, but it's better to call ahead to book an appointment. Or hit them on WeChat. *** To attain better insight into what's all involved in BBC's straight razor shave service, we nabbed some doe-eyed n00b off the streets of Beijing and threw him into the barbers chair to get shaved down. Gggyeah. The Setting: So this is what BBC's second room looks like these days. It's been converted into a one-room barber's den, with a single antique barber's chair, and tables of men's beautifying equipment locked and loaded to go. This chair is of Shanghai origin (of course) and dates back to a barber's salon in that city the 1940s. Then something probably happened right around then in the '40s or so, and demand for high-end barbers in Shanghai really bottom out. Nobody knows what happened, though. It's a mystery. Is this "art deco"? Probably, right? Anyway, it's all very slick. Great personality. Let's get into it! The Shavee: In looking for a guinea pig to undertake this procedure, basically our methodology was to trawl the Beijing Transit Authority, looking for any sweet, young thing fresh off the bus. Didn't have to wait long before we happened across this handsome and hirsute fellow, wandering around the streets of Beijing with dreams of sports bars in his eyes, looking like he had no place to stay. Lured him into our van with a jar of olives and away we went. The Shaver: ...is this very affable Chinese lady, who posses extensive training and experience in the art of old timey straight razor shaving. She's the manager of another men's barber salon in town, and is ready with business cards if you want to make it more than a Tuesday or Friday thing in a cocktail bar. She seemed to very much know what she was doing. There's also her assistant there as well for added service (she hands you your drink throughout the various stages of the shave). The Procedure: We start with a pre-shave oil to soften up the skin... ...a pre-shave trim... ...and a hot towel. The towel stays on for a bit, whilst one ponders the miracle of creation, the ineffable expanse of time, the unfathomable reaches of the universe, the quantum vicissitudes of life's grand design... ...and then it's time to LUBE UP. Product is coming from the esteemed Truefitt & Hill in London (the "oldest barbershop in the world" -- est. 1805), as well Taylor of Old Bond Street. Razors are from the German company, Dovo ("masterpieces in steel"), and, of course, they're using distilled water throughout the shave, because anything else would be unmitigated effrontery of the lowest order. So, the "first shave" is for broad strokes and taking care of the wider areas... ...it's a careful process that takes a bit of time... ...and involves a certain degree of trust, obviously. Then the hot towel goes back on.... ...as does a mid-shave balm treatment, involving an Alum block, which is a mineral salt that apparently helps to tone the skin and combat razor burn. Huh! The more you know... Then it's a round two of straight razor shaving. The second stage is to take care of the fine details and clean things up. Actually, I should mention, it's expected to be taking a sip from your whiskey at every single interval of this process: Home stretch. After the second stage, you get a face massage with essential oils... ...and an optional key lime aftershave, which hurts like hell but makes the whole bar smell like Horatio Nelson's brand new leather boots. It all ends with a rigorous towel fanning... ...voila! It's like he's brand new. That's it. Straight razor shaves at BBC every Tuesday and Friday, from 4pm to 8pm. 200 beans, all-in, which includes an adult beverage. Takes about 40 minutes. Pretty neat-o. Contact details here. Hot tip: They're recommending that if you usually use an electric razor to shave your face, switch up to a normal razor a few times before you come down to visit. Electric razors do something specific to the tips of your beard hairs and increase the likelihood of nicks when you use a straight razor. *** BBC is inside 55 Xinfucun Zhonglu, right next to Frost.