The Ultimate Man Day!

Down here in Louisiana it doesn't freeze or snow very often. Last night my significant other stayed over and we cooked and watched City of God and ended up not getting much sleep. I got up and got ready for work and completed my morning shave routeen. On my way to work I noticed both interstates were closed due to ice. We literally get one icicle and my city erupts into chaos. Traffic lights were out everywhere, schools closed, wreckes every few blocks, and I ended up not having to goto work.

I have been needing to find a new barber for the longest. My previous barber is a friend who owns a barber shop, but I am his only white customer. He gives an amazing fade, but always cuts my hair too short. Before him, I would always get these young girls who just got out of beauty school who think they know how to cut hair. Seriously, I have been to at least ten places around here where these so called barbers literally cut my hair under two mins flat and kick me in the arse on the way out.

So on my journey to find the ultimate barber I found an old school barber shop called Fant's. Right when I walked in there were two large leather chairs with an older gentleman who gave shoe shines and all along the walls were shelves upon shelves with coffee mugs and badger brushes. The shop smelled of Clubman talc and pipe tobacco. After finishing my hair he applied a walm lather to my sideburns, neck, and around my ears and shaved me with an injector razor. He then applied a generous amount of Jeris Osage Rub and dusted all the hair off while applying Clubman Talc powder. While he was cutting my hair we were talking about all the mugs and about DE Razors and straights as well. After I paid he handed me a magazine loaded with hair tonics and different aftershaves and barber supplies and told me to make a list of what I want and to bring it when I come for my next hair cut. He said he would put in a order for me when he places his next order for the shop.

I must say, today was a good day.

I would like to know about your best or fondest barber shop experiences, as well as, your worst.

 

My wife's cousin Ariane is a gorgeous, sexy-looking girl, sweet as sugar, 24 years of age and just out of hairdressing school. She found herself a job at a men's hair salon and she gives amazing haircuts. She knows nothing however about the old-school barbershop experience which I am in to. Several years ago I was in Istanbul, Turkey on a business trip and it just happened that I had no time to shave that morning. Not even a block away from the hotel where I was staying was a barbershop owned by a lovely gentleman who was around 75 years old at the time. (he is around 80 now) I needed a haircut and a shave, and the gentleman sat me down on his comfortable chair and first gave me a terrific haircut. He spoke no English, (no problem because I speak Turkish well) and he asked if he could shave me. (my beard was rough as hell!) I told him to go ahead and do it. He started off with 2 hot towels, he applied a type of moisturizing lotion, followed again by 2 more hot towels, then he wet an Arko stick and rubbed it over my face and neck for almost 2 minutes, then he wet his brush and lathered me up! He did 2 passes which made me mega-BBS, then he wiped off my face, and gave me the most fabulous facial massage which almost put me to sleep, and then did the lighterfluid/cotton ball trick to burn away the ear hairs. I was nervous about that, but he was so gentle and soothing that my nervousness soon passed. While he was massaging me again he noticed the Star of David on my chain and he asked me in Hebrew if I was Jewish, which I replied yes, and that I am also Israeli. After the massage, he splashed some lemony-scented cologne on me which stung like crazy, but then felt cool and refreshing. He turned out to be the president of one of the largest synagogues in Istanbul, and he invited me over to his house that Friday evening for Shabbat dinner with his wife and his son and daughter-in-law. The next morning I went to the synagogue with him where I was welcomed like a king. This was a beautiful barbershop experience which I will never forget.

 

That is truely a barber experience to remember.

 

I had an old school barber experience while I was in Texas. I was needing a haircut and Googled "Barbershop-College Station TX." One of the first ones that popped up was "Sonny's." I read some reviews on it and everyone was saying the same thing. They all said that it was an old school shop and that they did fantastic work. So I dropped my girlfriend off at work and went to the barbershop. I walked in and was greeted by Jose, an old Chicano barber. I sat down in the chair, ordered a number 4 on top, 1 on the sides with a medium fade. He faded it just right and did an awesome job lining me up. He used a straight razor on the back of my neck and to line me up. Then he splashed on some Clubman Pinaud on my neck and rubbed it in on the edges. The only thing stopping me from getting a shave was the fact I didn't have enough cash . He also told me he had been cutting hair since 1965 and came from Houston a couple years ago. WOW! Talk about old school! I'll definitely be coming back to see Jose.

It really brought me back to when my dad would take me to the barbershop uptown when I was a kid. That barber, Don a WWII vet who fought on the Siegfried Line; cut three generations of my family's hair (grandpa, dad, me.) I don't even know if he is still alive, but he always gave me a handful of Dubble Bubble and sent me out the door when it was all done.

 

I had been using the same barber for about 6 months and he kind of recognized me but always needed a reminder how I liked my hair cut. I followed him as he opened his own shop and one night last spring I was the last cut of the day and he and I just started gabbing. I ended up getting a 45 minute haircut as we talked about everything from kids to online marketing to his life growing up as a Mormon in Kingston, Jamaica. Ever since that cut he knows me by name, knows my number when I call to see how long of a wait he has (he always seems to have a wait) and I never need to remind him anymore. Not quite as luxurious as a Turkish shave, but it was a pretty interesting evening.

 

Being called by name and remembering how to cut you makes a big difference. It's that little bit extra that sets them apart from the rest. I always try to remember my customers at the store and ask about family members I know or anything personal. I have a dry cleaner that I use who is 30 mins out of my way, when I could easily goto $1.99 cleaners and get my shirts ruined for cheaper. This guy knows me by name and always makes time for small talk. He sows my buttons back on and always checks for little spots or anything extra to do. He will tailor my pants for like $7, just making that little extra effort makes the drive and a little higher cost worth it.

 

This is something I will remember for the remainder of my life. This barber's warmth, kindness, hospitality, as well as his skill. I still cannot believe how warmly I was received at the synagogue and the respect I received. The rabbi honored me with an aliyah, which is when somebody is called up to recite prayers from the Torah. After I finished, as I was returning to my seat, the barber, whose name is Avraham shook my hand, kissed me on both cheeks and hugged me and said "V'ayishkoakh"! which in Hebrew means may your strength continue.

 

I am Jewish also.

 

Shalom u'berakha!

 

Shalom friend!

 

Wow, these are all great stories. I don't have any such stories to tell, but I've enjoyed this thread very much, and look forward to reading more posts in it.

 

I know my barber for 11 years now. I started to go to him when he was working in someone's saloon, his haircuts are very professional, he seldom uses electrical trimmers, doing most of the work with scissors. He doesn't know how to shave but that's ok with me. I followed him when he started doing haircuts at his home and then when he opened his own place. I visit him once a month, he is around my age, in these 11 years we both settled down, establish our own families and had kids. As long as we'll both live in the town, I'll be his client.

 

Many years ago (1969-1970) I was stationed at a very small Army post (270 people assigned) in California. We were 10 miles from the nearest town but we didn't have a full time barber on post so we had to go into town (about 20,000 population). Since I didn't drive at the time it was always a matter of catching a ride with some both ways. Well the barber shop was even then old school. One day I was in town and stopped to get a hair cut. And while I was there it started to rain and it keep on raining. I guess that I may have made a remark about the joy of having to stand out side and catch a ride. The barber asked if I had to get back right away, if I could wait a bit he would drive me out. Any way I assumed that that was the way he had to go anyway so I thanked him and waited. When we were in his car and almost to the post gate I asked if he had to go much farther. Oh no he lived a ways out on the other side of town. 20 mile round trip out of his way in the rain. That was one gent and nice guy. And he had my custom the rest of the time I was stationed there.

 

I'm really enjoying reading these stories!

 

In the mid 1980's I was in high school and looking for a place to get my haircut. I wandered into a shop near my home. It was a traditional old school barbershop, nothing like the "salons" I'd been in before. There were a bunch of older men shooting the breeze, reading the paper, drinking coffee and getting their hair cut. At 16 years old, I was by far the youngest person there, but everyone made me feel welcome. Sal the owner made me feel like an old friend. I was offered a cup o' joe, and when I left I was told that the cup was mine and I could hang it with the other "regulars". I went down there a few times a month, just to hang out, sometimes getting a haircut, always good conversation and cameraderie. When I went off to college, I sure missed that place. Life happened, and after 10 years I eventually moved my family back into the old neighborhood. When my boy wanted to get his hair cut, but not at a salon, my first thought was of Sal at the Rosemont Barbershop. We took a trip over there, and the place was still open! Nothing had changed except for a new crop of men hanging out at the shop, and I was no longer a boy but one of one of the men. Sal immediately recognized me and we had quite a conversation catching up while my boy got his hair cut. I went to that shop for another 10 years before Sal passed. During that time, Sal and I became good friends, attending BBQ's, parties, etc. at each others homes. Wow! The things I learned about sports, politics, women and life in general from that man. I sure miss that old fart!

 

I'm positive that I could walk into any of these barber shops listed and have an amazing experience. Suprised I havent't heard any horror stories. I don't really have any horrific stories that I can recall from any barbers, but deffinietly a few from places like Today's Cuts & Saturdays.

 

Yep. there's nothing like it. I remember one Saturday, I wandered into the shop with a can of gel, some disposable razors and not more than 5 hairs on my face. With no male role models at home, I had no clue about shaving. One of the guys stood by the sink, showed me what to do, and walked me through my first shave.

 

Well I do remember one time when I went to a shop that was run by a man and his wife (they had aspirations of becoming a salon I think). But anyway he did do a mean hair cut! But one day I went in and he wasn't there so I let the wife have a try. She took the top of my ear off with an electric clippers. I never went back.

 

All this reminds me of the many different places I've gone to over the years. Like the barber shop next door to where I grew up and the barber sponsored the local Kory league ball teams and years later was busted for having taken too much interest in some of the boys.

But on a better note was the one place I really liked. At the time it was one of the top shops in town. And I was in my middle teens, still in high school, so it was a big deal going to a real barbershop! It had a real live pretty lady manicurist and everything, great intro to the adult world. And both the barbers were really nice guys who treated me as if I was one of the other adults. But the strange thing about the place was its location. It was in one of the two big department stores in downtown. Well that may not have been so strange, but with in the department store is was tucked away behind the elevator shafts between the sales floor proper and the men's room so that guys were tripping in look for the rest room and they would get the strangest look on their faces and duck out again. One time a gent from England came in looked around and asked in good polite European fashion where he could "wash his hands". The barber thought for a second and pointed to one of the basins. The Brit got a very strange look on his face! At which point the manicurist took pity on him and said or you can go on through that door to the restroom. But it was great place to learn about being, well feeling like, an adult. Oh I forgot to mention the other strange thing about its location behind the elevator shaft on the toy floor. Well considering this forum maybe not so strange, we still have our toys.