🇺🇸 Sunny California meets Ghent for Level 2
Some people travel for beaches.
Some travel for business.
And then there are the rare ones who cross an ocean for steel, stone, and ritual.
Tanya Franco flew in from California not for waffles, not for postcards, not even for the beer, though Belgium made sure she tasted all three, but for something far more obsessive, the edge of a razor and the quiet discipline required to perfect it.
Her first time in Belgium.
First time in Ghent.
And she lands straight into Level 2 of the Scapicchio Academy, a program that remains unique in Belgium, and frankly, unapologetically demanding. This is not a spectator sport. This is two days of immersion where theory and craft are treated with the same reverence as a chef treats a knife or a sommelier treats a bottle older than he is.
Day one begins with the stones.
The All in One Honing Kit, already something of a cult object among passionate sharpeners, sits on the table like a surgical instrument set. Clean. Precise. No gimmicks. Tanya already knew the basics. Level 2 is where politeness ends and depth begins. We pushed into freehand sharpening, full wedges, Kamisori geometry, edge behavior, steel memory. The kind of conversations that sound abstract to outsiders but make perfect sense when you’ve spent enough time listening to steel talk back to you.
Sharpening at this level stops being a technique and becomes a dialogue. Pressure, angle, rhythm, all adjusted by feel. You don’t force a razor into submission. You negotiate with it.
Between the practical sessions, we went deep into theory, the architecture behind the craft. We opened the book written by Stijn De Sutter not as a manual, but as a map. History, protocol, structure. The why behind every motion. Because Level 2 is not about copying gestures. It’s about understanding the system so thoroughly that the gestures become your own.
Tanya absorbed it like someone who didn’t cross half the world to stay on the surface.
And when the stones were silent and the razors resting, Belgium stepped in with its second curriculum, food and beer. Ghent does not ease you into its flavors. It introduces itself loudly, rich stews, sharp sauces, bread with backbone, and beers that refuse to behave like casual drinks. Tanya explored the city the way it should be explored, hungry, curious, and without a return ticket in her mind.
It would have been easier to go to Bovino. Logistically simpler. Closer to the historic roots. But she chose the longer road, California to Belgium, and that gesture alone carries weight. It’s a statement about commitment. About respect for craft. About understanding that mastery is not downloaded, it is traveled to.
We are honored she made the journey.
There was an immediate connection in the room, the kind that happens when passion cancels out geography. Two days felt short. Productive. Focused. Honest. And if I had to bet on it, I would say this was not a farewell. It felt more like the first chapter of a longer conversation.
Thank you, Tanya, for crossing the ocean for the craft.
For trusting the process.
For reminding us why we keep the stones wet and the standards high.
Something tells me we will see you again. And next time, the razors will be waiting.
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
