Any barbers out there?

smashinator · Post by **smashinator** » Thu Jul 16, 2009 9:44 am

Any of you guys/gals a barber?

Contemplating a career change...

Priest · Post by **Priest** » Thu Jul 16, 2009 7:19 pm

A dying art that is finally making a comeback. Do it. I would love to be a barber, but don't have time to learn.

If you don't know of it already, check out

www.hawleywoods.com

It's where I get my hair grease from (Layrite is the best shit ever. Ever.)

Rench · Post by **Rench** » Thu Jul 16, 2009 7:55 pm

I've recently taken to just taking the guard off my trimmer and doing a once over every few weeks.

Does that qualify?

Seriously, as long as you learn to do a straight razor shave, you should have no shortage of business. Those ROCK.

-Rench

PS: insert something witty and tough sounding about using Christina's old oil for my hair here...it is 20w50 after all...

rubber buccaneer · Post by **rubber buccaneer** » Thu Jul 16, 2009 8:27 pm

Priest wrote:A dying art that is finally making a comeback. Do it. I would love to be a barber, but don't have time to learn.

If you don't know of it already, check out

www.hawleywoods.com

It's where I get my hair grease from (Layrite is the best shit ever. Ever.)

I thought you were a dapper dan man ?

Priest · Post by **Priest** » Fri Jul 17, 2009 4:43 am

rubber buccaneer wrote: I thought you were a dapper dan man ?

There's no way that wimpy shit will slick back my Yeti hair.

Finding a barber (outside of a boutique district in a major metro) is tough. You can find someone with a red and white striped pole, but generally they are all trained at Bettie's Beauty School (no offense to bettie, but she doesn't seem to teach classic, traditional men's haircuts anymore. Just faggotyass fauxhawks, sassy little bed-head dos, etc.) My recently ended multi-year hiatus from personal hygeine and haircuts aside, I always hunt down the Old Guys who have been cutting hair since the days when dudes actually got haircuts that didn't make them look like absolute dildoes. Unfortunately, all of these guys are dying of old age, and men are becoming doomed to look like douchey fuckwits (nothing worse than a 40 year old man with a haircut that belongs on an 18 year old punkassed boy because a hairstylist thought it "cute"). The woman that cut my hair this month wouldn't know a proper skin-fade from the roll of fat on her Newport-smoking ass.

I'm happy to be back to humanity in terms of my appearance, and will be happier to see another real barber in the world.

GOSTAZ · Post by **GOSTAZ** » Fri Jul 17, 2009 6:02 am

I have a real Barber Shop that I go to... Called Spiro's. Run by a greek dude that is probably in his 70's. Found it in the middle of hippieville Bethesdy... He RETRAINS people with experience when they come to his shop.

Getting a 3 on top 1 and a half on the sides Ivy League in his shop is one of life's rare predictable pleasures. His crew knows if you like to talk or just sit there and watch Discovery Channel.

Find a barber you like, and ask him for the hookup. McKnuckle is right, anyone can learn the fauxhawk from Bettie, better you should learn the craft from someone who DOES IT.

Good luck. A great barber is a cool thing.

smashinator · Post by **smashinator** » Fri Jul 17, 2009 8:01 am

Yeah, I recently found a proper barber myself. I've got a beard, so I haven't had a chance to test his shaving skills, but I've been happy with the haircuts I've gotten so far from him and the other barber that works in his shop. They do it right, cleaning up my hairline with a razor and giving a scalp and neck massage at the end. Plus they've done a great job trimming my beard.

I think I'm going to see if I can shadow him for a day or two and find out if I'd really be happy doing it before I decide to go to barber school. It is, after all, 9 months of school and a HUGE pay cut. Best to make sure.

Prior to this guy, I'd given up on getting haircuts in Arizona and had just taken the clippers to my melon everytime it got shaggy.

I went to an "Old Guy" barber a couple times who was either a new barber or an actual old, bad, barber who gave me a terrible haircut. I found a decent stylist for a while, but we moved and it was just too far to drive for a stupid haircut.

I had long hair for a while, and went to a new place near my house that gave me the girliest haircut ever. I looked like Jackie Onassis. I bought a clipper after that and mowed it all off. (I'm happy to say they went out of business lickety-split)

Anyway, I've been daydreaming about running a barbershop w/ a bar in Astoria, OR. Come in, have a drink, get a haircut and a shave. It'll be beautiful.

smashinator · Post by **smashinator** » Fri Jul 17, 2009 8:02 am

Also, Hawleywood's looks most righteous.

JustNate · Post by **JustNate** » Fri Jul 17, 2009 8:37 am

If they can't work a straight razor they don't get my money.

Priest · Post by **Priest** » Fri Jul 17, 2009 9:00 am

Gostaz will navigate me to this Greek posthaste!

GOSTAZ · Post by **GOSTAZ** » Fri Jul 17, 2009 9:52 am

Priest wrote:Gostaz will navigate me to this Greek posthaste!

Spiros Barber Shop
4701 Sangamore Rd Ste M12
Bethesda, MD 20816
(301) 229-3865

It is in the shopping center down the street from the place where I stay in Bethesda... Would love to see what he makes of you with short hair and tatz... Keeps parakeets in the shop. Good stuff.

rc26 · Post by **rc26** » Sat Jul 18, 2009 3:43 am

A friends wife used to cut my hair, she did it for almost 15 years. Then one day she moved onto an upscale salon...the price of a haircut jumped from $15 to $35. I had her cut it one time...then I found a barbershop down the street from my house. They charge $13.99 for a haircut...I've been going to them ever since.

Yeh barbershops...

SidVicious · Post by **SidVicious** » Sat Jul 18, 2009 9:15 am

Five years ago, I bought a $12 electric trimmer set and started shaving my head. never been back to a barber since.

motorpsycho67 · Post by **motorpsycho67** » Sat Jul 18, 2009 9:33 am

smashinator wrote:
Prior to this guy, I'd given up on getting haircuts in Arizona and had just taken the clippers to my melon everytime it got shaggy.

When I lived in Phoenix, I used to go to a place called Dee's Barber Shop up on Bell Road. Dee was pretty good. Old school barber shop.

Don't know if she's still there. This was '96-'98.

ninemileskid · Post by **ninemileskid** » Sat Jul 18, 2009 11:01 am

smashinator wrote: It is, after all, 9 months of school and a HUGE pay cut. Best to make sure.

But it is mostly a cash business

Zer0 · Post by **Zer0** » Wed Jul 22, 2009 11:57 am

smashinator wrote:I think I'm going to see if I can shadow him for a day or two and find out if I'd really be happy doing it before I decide to go to barber school. It is, after all, 9 months of school and a HUGE pay cut. Best to make sure.

Smash, it'd be an excellent idea to shadow this guy, like you said. Buy him lunch, or beer after work so he knows tyou're serious. Don't just ask him for advice, or what he likes about being a barber, ask him what sucks, what's made him wish he weren't a barber every now and then. Worst days, experiences, etc . . .

I'd thought of a different life as a barber, but I wouldn't be a good one because I'm a bad conversationalist, and wouldn't be able to concentrate on the cut while paying attention to my customer's babbling.

My barber's cool--nice and quiet and a meticulous cutter who can tune everything out, or chat, either way. He does the men, his wife, the women. He is great with my kids and uses clippers, but mostly scissors. He also takes his time, so after 30 minutes of a buzzer vibrating against my skull, and scissor cutting, I feel relaxed and refreshed walking out. Plus he remembered what I wanted the second time I came in. "the same?" "yup." and he does it.

smashinator wrote:Anyway, I've been daydreaming about running a barbershop w/ a bar in Astoria, OR.

There;s lots of side things you can have going on at your shop. Mac's out here in Long Beach is also a gallery, hosts openings and stuff. gsglbc knows the place better, but having been there once myself, it really is a class joint, and he's doing well for himself.

http://www.macsbarbershop.com/
http://www.yelp.com/biz/macs-barber-shop-long-beach

tucko · Post by **tucko** » Wed Jul 22, 2009 5:49 pm

Priest wrote:A dying art that is finally making a comeback. Do it. I would love to be a barber, but don't have time to learn.

If you don't know of it already, check out

www.hawleywoods.com

It's where I get my hair grease from (Layrite is the best shit ever. Ever.)

Layrite is indeed the shit to get. As for Hawleywoods, I'm just not the "make an appointment" kinda person. That's why I go to Mac's.
http://www.macsbarbershop.com/

smashinator · Post by **smashinator** » Thu Jul 23, 2009 9:27 am

Macs looks most righteous.

Zim · Post by **Zim** » Thu Jul 23, 2009 5:29 pm

SidVicious wrote:Five years ago, I bought a $12 electric trimmer set and started shaving my head. never been back to a barber since.

10 months ago I did the St. Baldrick's thing at my barber. He told me "Who knows, maybe you'll like this look".

Bought some HeadBlade stuff the next day and haven't been back.

Too bad though, because I miss the 1 1/2 all over, the cornea burning glow of the comb/scissor bug burner, the blue liquid-filled jar, the buzz, hiss and steam of the shaving cream dispenser and the weird warmth of it being applied, the skillful scratching of the straight blade, and the smell of the Clubman slapped onto the back of my neck.

All this from a barber with a lazy eye. First visit... yeah, you wonder what the result is going to be. Second visit: no worry, you're in good hands.

My wife took my son (1.5 yrs) to her hairdresser. 20 buck or some bullshit like that for 2 minutes in the chair. It's just not right.

Now? "Oh", I thought, "this bald thing will be easy! Never have to go to a barber again!".

Yeah.

Daily pre-wash, then liquid-sandpaper exfoliant, then daily head shaving, and, in colder/dryer weather, daily moisturizing. Plus hats or sunscreen in the sun. Sweating is a dog, because now there's no hair to absorb any of it. And back-of-the-head zits. I'm 38 for fuck-sake! Enough with the goddamn zits! At least I'm the first to know when it's raining.

I had to counter the artificial chrome-dome with a lame-ass Van Dyke/Gotee whatever the hell you call it. My wife says I now look like a serial killer. Nice.

Sometimes I wonder if the MPB, fuzzball receding hairline look was better.

GOSTAZ · Post by **GOSTAZ** » Thu Jul 23, 2009 5:54 pm

If you tire of the bald look? Dude, the Ivy League is the shit. Not that I am a foofay or anything but check out the stats..

Not a lot of hair, helmet head is minimal.
No product needed... you use a reasonable shampoo and you are done.
I have not combed my hair in going on 6 years.
I brush my hair/scalp once or twice a day.
No razor zits.
Enough hair to catch sweat, but you flick your hands through it and you cool off.
You can rock the serial killer/angry guy with ease...
Last but not least? You never have to fuck with your hair... there is too little of it.

The Ivy League is the thinking man's flat top.... not quite as severe. I discovered it when my old barber's guide on her clippers broke. She took a hunk out of my hair, and asked me what to do... I told her cut it all down. It freaked me out for about a week, then? I NEVER HAVE TO FUCK WITH MY HAIR.. WIND? I laugh! Rain? Convertible? Nothing matters.

Gives me more time to freak about ear hair.. Being north of 40? Ear Hair SUCKS!

Zim · Post by **Zim** » Thu Jul 23, 2009 6:44 pm

GOSTAZ wrote:Ear Hair SUCKS!

Dude, I have Barbula. (I love how they show a goat.) My barber buzzed my tragus (yes, I had to look it up) and freaked me the hell out. What the fuck! Ear hair?! Fuck, give me my AARP application already. Shit.

Ever since I've had to run a razor that way. All you youngin', watch out! Make sure the ladies don't run a tongue over a hairy tragus.

Whiskeywrist · Post by **Whiskeywrist** » Thu Jul 23, 2009 9:04 pm

I'm in the club of weekly application of the cheap clippers, zero guard.

Almost always have a "follow up" later that day, when I find the little strips I missed on the first go, but it still boils down to minimal maintenance.

I always have a stocking cap tucked into the hammer loop of my Carhartts to moderate temperature, and that's it.

Bald works.

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Any barbers out there?

Any barbers out there?