Frederick De Backer, Two Days in Ghent, and a Straight Razor That Doesn’t Care About Your Excuses
Ghent city center. The Coupure. Est. 1884. The oldest barbershop in Belgium, wood, mirrors, history in the walls, and that quiet pressure you feel when you realize: this place has seen thousands of faces… and you’re about to put a blade to one.
Frederick De Backer walked in for the two-day Scapicchio Workshop with exactly zero experience as a barber. No background, no habits, no ego. Which, honestly, is a great way to start. This course isn’t built for “already-good” people. It’s built for the ones who want to taste the craft, touch it, test themselves—and find out if this old-world ritual is something they can live with.
Day One: Steel, Leather, and the Moment It Clicks
We start where it should always start: control.
How to hold a straight razor without looking like you borrowed it from a museum.
How to strop properly without turning leather into spaghetti.
And then the real work: honing.
With the All-in-One Honing Kit (ROMAIN × Ardenne Coticule) and the ROMAIN “academy razor,” it gets practical fast. No mystical nonsense. Just hands, stone, feedback, and guidance—tip after tip, correction after correction—until the blade stops being a fear object and becomes a tool.
And Frederick? He just… got it.
By the end, more than six razors had been honed and put through the hair test, edges clean enough to prove the point. Not luck. Not “good vibes.” Technique, attention, and a surprisingly calm brain under pressure.
Natural talent? Sure.
But talent without focus is just noise. Frederick brought focus.
Day Two: Faces Are Different Than Stones
Day two is always the one that hits harder.
Because stone doesn’t flinch. A face does.
If you’ve never shaved another person, the first contact is strange—your hand hovering over someone’s jawline, feeling the responsibility land in your wrist. You don’t “try” shaving. You commit to it. Carefully. Respectfully. With the kind of concentration that shuts up your inner voice.
We do four full shaves, starting with a live demonstration by Scapicchio tutor Stijn De Sutter packed with the kind of details that actually matter:
Why a hot towel isn’t some magic trick to “open pores”.
What product order makes sense, and what’s just marketing.
Which razor approach fits different skin types—and which one causes problems.
It’s a lot. A heavy meal of information. But it goes down fine when it’s earned, not rushed. And once it’s in you, it stays—showing up later in your hands, your posture, your calm.
The Real Result
This wasn’t just “a workshop.”
It was two days of honest work: shaving, learning, drinking coffee, laughing at the awkward moments, and watching someone with no experience move—fast—toward competence.
Frederick completed an insane parcours for a first-timer. The kind that makes you realize this craft isn’t about being born ready. It’s about showing up, listening, and respecting the blade.
And in a shop that’s been doing this since 1884, that respect means something.
Want to join the Scapicchio Academy at ROMAIN in Ghent, belgium?
Get in touch to plan your 1-on-1 training with Master barber Stijn De Sutter and take your straight razor, honing and shaving services to the next level. Send us a Email
Ready for the real thing?
If you want more than just a good story and you’re ready to sharpen your craft (or your own look), you know where to find us.
From straight razor training and honing on natural stone to classic shaves and serious beard work in the chair, ROMAIN Barbershop & Academy in Ghent is where it actually happens—no noise, no shortcuts.
Book a service in ROMAIN
https://booking.optios.net/6064/select-location
Follow the journey
ROMAIN on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/romain_ghent
Stijn on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/desutter_stijn
Stijn on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@desutter_stijn
Academy info, courses or questions
Email: info@romainghent.be and we’ll take it from there.
Website ROMAIN: http://www.romainghent.be
Website Scapicchio Academy: http://www.scapicchioacademy.com
