It's been a while since I've posted, but I just have to complain to someone who cares. A few months ago, I was excited to have this barber shop/salon for men open up in my town. It's a small franchise called Rooster's Mens Grooming Centers. I started getting my hair cuts there and was absolutely in love. The three ladies who I've gotten cuts by can take my subtle hints and do exactly what I'm looking for. Plus a hot towel, real (as real as a bic disposer can be) neck shave and neck and scalp massage. So, I've been all about this place since they opened. I got gift cards for cuts for all the men on my list for X-mas at this place. When my girlfriend asked what I wanted for my birthday, I told her that I wanted THE package from Roosters: a shave, a cut and a massage. I got it! I got a little nervous about the massage...it seemed a little weird for some stranger to touch me and I was nervous about farting in some cute girls face or something. So my GF made the appointment forcing me to go. The night before the app. the guy on the radio that advertises for the place was talking about their "Hot Towel Shave" that "It's just like the old days ONLY they use a REAL razor rather than slicing your cheeks off." That's when I knew that I was not in store for a fantastic straight razor shave, that my GF probably paid around $20 for a shave with aerosol foam and a disposer Bic. Of course, that's what I got. They have some great products, like a soothing pre-shave and a great bay rum aftershave, but the between, a girl stretched my skin and scraped it with a razor you get for a buck a six pack or so. WTF is the point? They pimp these shave and offer coupons for them, but really? You can do this at home for pennies. The menu cost is $17. Plus it's taken two weeks to get used to my DE again. Aren't "Barbers" trained to use a straight? I know not all of them are experts, but resorting to the cheapest of the brand name disposers is a good alternative? I'm not even going to get too deep on the Swedish massage performed by a dude with elbows and new age/world music.
I'm sorry you got such a bad experience but, PLEASE! I would love to hear about this! Never heard that we have a special type of massage here.
Some places you can tell are trouble. Rooster's really isn't that small of a franchise. We have one here and I don't think I've ever been tempted. I did take a chance with a Sports Clips once because it was Sunday and I had to have a hair cut. The lady I got was pretty good. I liked it because when they wash your hair they put a hot towel over your face which is really nice. I think there are two kinds of "barbers" the old school type that are trained in shaving and then there are beauticians, or stylists (not sure the exact wording) that aren't trained for shaves. I also read from a barber that in their school they don't cover shaving very heavily and its up to the individual how much they learn about it.
I guess the US holds the Swedes in high regard for their massage skill and have named this particular massage after you guys. I guess it's technically called a "Deep Tissue Massage" .
Sorry to hear about your experience Freemartin! If you're ever in Cincinnati, OH I can't recommend The Mariemont Barbershop Highly Enough! My best man and I went there before I got married this past June and man, they gave us the works. Full preshave routine, oil, hot towels, straight razor, warm lather, menthol aftershave, and of course, a Motorized Head Massage. That was somethin' else. I think it was about 20-25 dollars, but my god it was worth every penny. I was BBS for two or three days after that...man, now I want a real shave again...
Sorry to hear about the horrible experience. Barbers may be trained to use straights, but I don't think they're allowed to legally for safety/hygienic reasons. You might find a place that uses those Feather disposable straights...the law allows them as far as I know
Hi! I know this is an old thread,but hopefully it gets some attention! I work for Roosters Mens Grooming Center in Oxford,Mi. I am terribly sorry about your experience, It was nothing like it should have been! In Oxford we use Gillette fusions,a 5-blade razor which costs about 5 dollars a blade retail,and we only use them once.We don't use straight razors for safety and hygiene reasons,and also because most of us are licensed cosmetologists,not barbers,although we have been trained as a barber by Roosters. I also do the massages and the waxing for the shop.We dont have the men who work there perform the massages and we have never gotten a complaint about our shaves.I highly recommend that you write the franchise about your experience.If you are ever in Michigan,please stop by for the shave you should have had!
And infotech,you're right,there is one close by for you.I would try it at least once.I haven't been to the one in Texas,but I know they are very popular there.
Thanks for posting. It's rare that emplyee's of shaving stores make it over to shave forums. Welcome aboard I'll give some thought to giving them a chance. I'm about due for a haircut, but they would have to show me some good products to talk me into a shave...
The art of the barber shop straight razor shave is going the way of glass bottles and rotary telephones. Lost to time. Most barber shaves today use either a Mach3/Fusion or a Shavette which is a straight-like shave using a disposable SE blade. There's a place down the road from me that does the Mach3 shave. I've had no desire to check it out. The hot towel and massage treatment sound kind of nice though.
Is it V's? Their is one in Chandler I was going to hit up but did not know how the shave their worked.
Men's Ultimate Grooming (MUG's) in Superstition Springs Mall. Upper level near JC Pennys. They sell some Dovo straights, some Merkur DE razors and some Conk brushes and soaps. It's a decent place to check out, but I'd pass on the shave. Real nice folks working there though. Don't know about V's.
They haven't used disposable razors on me... I, too have been to the Roosters in my hometown of Greeley. I have always had a wonderful experience, complete with a frosty beverage. I have done the shaves a couple of times and they do use a mach III razor. I have never had them use a "disposable razor" as you say on my shaves. I go in about once a month for my shave and cut and I certainly can't complain...
Sorry to hear about your bad experience but I think the name "Roosters" was a dead giveaway of the quality of their services. Seems like a great place for a redneck shave, no offense to rednecks. At the very least, I hope the wings were good?