[dwessell]

Brett & Kate McKay have a great article over at their site, The Art Of Manliness. It's definitely worth a read from all of our members here. Heck, their whole site is worth subscribing too.

It really made me think of my last trip down to San Diego, and the Straight Razor shave of my poor old noggin. I quit going to 'Hair Salons' probably about 5 years back, I couldn't ever really stand them. All the horrid smells, and ladies snapping gum trying to chit chat with me. Since then I've just done it myself, especially now that I'm shaving my head on a regular basis.

But few things stack up to a good old fashioned barbershop filled with men being men.

[Wildtim]

I love going to my Barber shop. I reallymiss it when I find a $5 haircut coupon and decide to save a few bucks. The author is right the girl at the salon just isn't as good as a real barber who has a Koken chairiin a real barber shop with the wood paneling and all that even if the real barber happens to be a woman as a couple of mine have been.

[nun2sharp]

A man that knows how to cut another mans hair is far superior to todays clip joints. They ask you how you want it cut and they just oint get it, even w/ specific details.

[iron maiden]

I really enjoy my trips to the barber shop every two weeks. These guys can cut hair like they used to. I get the standard military high & tight and my buddy gets the gool ol' flat-top.

We talk straight razors, politics, and the decline of western civilization....it is wonderful.

[barneycg]

Wish I knew of a proper barbers near where I lived, most "barbers" I've been to are worse than the salons.

Looked at the art of manliness website ... some "interesting" conversations on the forums and the free e-book is a good read ... Personally I don't agree about always tipping unless the service is awful, it might be a cultural difference. I'll not tip if if the person was doing what I consider to be the acceptable minimum for that roll, anything better than this and I'll tip.

Barney

[DaveF]

There's a father-and-sons barbershop in town that I go to as well. They charge half as much as the foofy salons, they have sports and car magazines to look at instead of books of hairstyles, their TV's are always tuned to a sports channel, and it's great to hear them break each other's stones all day. The only problem is, none of the three can really cut my hair very well...the father always cuts it way too short, the younger son leaves the top too floppy, and the older son doesn't blend the sides with the top well.

So what do I do? I live with bad haircuts! No way I'm going back to the salons.

[hoglahoo]

Originally Posted by DaveF

The only problem is, none of the three can really cut my hair very well...the father always cuts it way too short, the younger son leaves the top too floppy, and the older son doesn't blend the sides with the top well.

So what do I do? I live with bad haircuts! No way I'm going back to the salons.

What do you do? Isn't it obvious? You let the younger son cut first, then have the father cut the top, and finally ask the older son to finish up your sides

[jnich67]

I thought most men still got their haircut at barbershops. Maybe I'm wrong. My mother cut my hair while I was growing up - she trained as a beautician. When I got to college, I started getting my hair cut at a barbershop run by two Italian brothers - Camillo Barbershop in Washington, DC off Tenly Circle. They did a super job. It was indeed a very manly place. Complete with Playboys kept on a high shelf. I've never even thought of getting my hair cut at a salon. Great article.

Jordan

[Mike7120]

I've never been in a real barbershop before. Parents always took my to the nearest salon and when I got older I just cut my hair myself. There is an old barbershop about 5 miles away from where I live and I've been wanting to check it out for some time now. Perhaps this weekend I will try it out.

[rastewart]

When I was growing up, in the fifties and early sixties, men went to barbershops and women to salons, period. Trouble was, the standard cut was either a crewcut, or combable length on top + high & tight on the sides and back. That never looked good on me and I never liked it, but I liked barbershops themselves (once that first little-tyke haircut was over with and I realized all that hardware was not going to be deployed in my dismemberment).

In time I learned that (for me anyway) the secret to getting a good haircut was to learn what lengths I want on the various parts of my head and to explain that very clearly and explicitly. Most barbers and stylists listen, a few don't. (The best haircut I ever got, by the way, was in Mazatlán, Mexico, in a little storefront shop in the part of town where the regular natives of the town lived, and cost me the equivalent of two bucks. And, yes, I did my explanation in Spanish. That gentleman was a good listener and very talented.) Currently I'm going to a salon because it's the closest location to my workplace, my regular stylist knows my preferences and does a good job, and it's cheaper than any barbershop along my route. But I'll look for a barbershop when and if my situation changes ... that ambience does, I truly believe, do a man's soul good. (And breathing in all the chemicals in a salon can't be good for you.)

The Art of Manliness is a great site. Thanks for bringing it to our attention, David.

~Rich

[Cobo]

My local barber is a angry Italian barber stereotype.

He seems to have one hair cut that he gives every one (though mind you, he's pretty good at that one haircut... It's just it doesn't suit some people). When I asked him about if he ever gave straight razor shaves he said no, I was surprised as he's about sixty five or so, so I said "Really? You've never given a straight razor shave?" (I wanted to talk straight razors, stropping and so on with him, of course :P) He angry replied, "Not for twenty years, is that 'never' enough for you?!"You have had to seen and heard his tone of voice. I actually got up, left and drove to First Choice (which I hate), sat through the staring at my rather strange current hair cut for about twenty minutes and got them to cut it for me.

I've been known to be a little grudgeful, so I'm sure after telling this story none of my friends were at all surprised with it ending, "I'll never step foot in that ****hole again."

Maybe I'll try a barber in a different town one of these days, maybe they'll know how to not be a total dick. :P

[Blade Wielder]

After seeing the post on the main page which linked to a "great" article and site, I had high expectations. After having read only a paragraph or two once I got there, though, I grew very critical of the author.

The guy immediately starts complaining about the hair cuts he's received from salons over the years, saying that all of them left him disappointed. I don't know what kind of hairstyle this guy wears, but come on -- could every one of these trained professionals have done that bad of a job? He later explains that they only use scissors to cut hair. Well, that explains it. Whoever cuts his hair has to use electric clippers, otherwise it's a lousy job. Scissors are simply no match for his melon's crop.

I had to laugh at his estimation of the conversation you're going to find at a salon, too. The entire article had an anti-female tone to it, and he tries to leave the reader with the impression that the women who'll cut your hair at these places are nothing but untrained, gum chewin' broads who want to yack about their kids and leave you "feeling awkward" in the chair. What a charming generalization. But he doesn't stop there. He goes on to describe barbershops as places of awe and wonder!

"Barbers...are interesting guys with interesting stories to tell. On my visits to the barber shop, I’ve met a retried Army Ranger colonel, a musician who spent 13 years on the road in a jazz band, and a man who is the third generation in his family to take up the profession. Each of them had fascinating stories to share."

I've been to a few barbershops too, and as much as I'd like to characterize them all as "interesting guys with interesting stories," somehow I doubt that these guys majored in Barbering with a minor in the Raconteur program. The fact of the matter is, this guy is happy to hang on every word these guys spit out, so he's automatically going to be enamored with any topic of discussion. And would you look at all the fascinating people he's met at the barbershop! I can't help but wonder that if he had stopped slouching in the salon chair like a goon and chatted up some of the staff and clients, he might have been exposed to some equally interesting people. One of his main quasi-arguments is that the barbershop is (or was) the hotbed of working class news and conversation; ironically, what the original "salons" were to 17th and 18th century Europe.

I was pretty weirded out by his descriptions, too. I mentioned his girl phobia earlier, and later in his article he mentions how he doesn't care for bars as avenues for discussion since they're co-ed environments. Whatever turns your crank, pal.

Did everyone else just skip over this stuff? Here are a few interesting quotes:

“Next, the barber brushed a warm lather into my beard that smelled like man and not like that crappy artificial goo you buy in a can."

This is a telling line. Are we to understand that the author of this article craves only authentic “man goo”? Seems that way, doesn’t it?

"“A heavenly man aroma filled the air."

I don't know about you guys, but I'd have a little difficulty detecting "heavenly man aroma" in a blind scent test.

“What a great way to bond with the men in your life!”

He's referring to the overall barbershop atmosphere in this quote.

My take on barbershops is that yes, they can be pretty neat places. I enjoy straight razor shaves (a lot more than getting my hair cut), reading magazines that cater to my tastes, etc. But as the author alludes to in his dumb little post, there's a reason the "golden era" of barbershops was so many years ago --- this was before the advent of at-home shaving and grooming, when men were given the freedom to do it themselves. Disposable blades may be slightly demonic to us straight razor shavers, but to most men back in the day, they were a godsent. A blow to the barbering industry, he's right; but that's business for you. A service is worth more to people if it's something they can't manage on their own. Shaving at home took the sorcery out of it. Sure, most guys aren't applying hot towels to their faces and applying hot later, but they're getting the job done okay. I don't know about you, but I would hate the idea of having to drag my ass down to the barbershop every time I wanted to spruce myself up a bit.

As for a barber's hair cutting ability, he's right to highlight their use of the clippers. If you've got something that doesn't resemble a military haircut, well...they'll fix it so that you do. I recently got my hair cut and I went to a unisex place, where on side there's a row of chairs where men traditionally get their hair cut, and on the other side, the mirror opposite -- the same amount of chairs, but catering to mostly women's styles. I had hair past my shoulders when I walked in that day. I was prepared to have it hacked off, but to leave some substance. I knew from a past mistake that if I went to the other side, I wasn't going to be barbered, but butchered. The man who sat me down in his chair about, oh, five or six years ago now, listened to my directions at length; I told him exactly what I wanted and for him not to go too short. He nodded his understanding, yet the second he put the scissors to my hair, he chopped off exceedingly too much, practically readying the clippers with his other hand as he did so. I let him know how ****ing stupid he was, obviously, and never again had him touch my hair. My most recent trip to that place was a scheduled appointment with the owner. On the phone she even requested that she didn't want to be rushed through the cut. Fine by me, I thought, since that's exactly what I want from someone cutting my hair. Sure enough, when I got there she took her time, spending over an hour shampooing, conditioning and cutting my hair -- exactly how I wanted. My hair cuts are usually few and far between, but I can't remember a better hair cut. I've had nothing but compliments, and I made it known to her that I would be returning when I needed another one.

So yes - I agree that barbershops are cool, especially if you're in search of a relaxing shave. But as for haircuts, they're basically automatons. They have two or three pages in their book of styles and when you've chosen one, they go at you with the head lawnmower and a comb. No thanks. As far as skills goes, I'd say the people at the unisex places are far better off. They know how to use a razor (even though traditional shaves may not be part of their services) and they cut both men and women's hair. Find the right stylist and you'll be much happier with the result.

[EdinLA44]

Thanks for the link to the article and to the AoM site. I enjoy a nice barbershop shave too but finding a good barber is getting more and more difficult.

[CloseShave]

Here's a great barber shop video that I saw at the B&B siite: CBC.ca - Living Vancouver. It's about getting a barber straight shave. It's hard to find these shops anymore.

[Chady]

Have to say that I'm pretty much in the same boat as bladeW here. Although I've only been at one barbershop. My best experience thus far has been with a woman in a salon.- Hows that for a sentence that can be misinterpreted?

[Blade Wielder]

Yeah, that guy's free to inhale all the "man aroma" he likes -- I prefer to have a cute little number run her fingers through my hair and give a scalp massage as she washes and conditions it. There's usually the unavoidable chest contact from her throughout the cut, too. Just a couple more things you're not going to get from your angry, stereotypical Italian barber - if that's who you go to.

"Hey Luigi. How about that local sports team, huh?"

"You wanna hair cut, o' not? Sitta down! I donna gotall day!"

*Inhales deeply* "What is that lovely musk hanging in the air? I tell you, only in barbershops, eh Loo-eej?"

"Ehhh, that's-a ma meatball sandwich from Subway. I justa peeked it up. I hope you donna mind if I eat while I a cut, ehnn?"

[poona]

Great video. Very traditional too.

Only problem I forsee for that guy is that he may acquire a condition called 'White Finger' through the vibrations of that massager. Perhaps he doesnt use it that long.

Cool concept though.

[poona]

Originally Posted by Blade Wielder

Yeah, that guy's free to inhale all the "man aroma" he likes -- I prefer to have a cute little number run her fingers through my hair and give a scalp massage as she washes and conditions it. There's usually the unavoidable chest contact from her throughout the cut, too. Just a couple more things you're not going to get from your angry, stereotypical Italian barber - if that's who you go to.

"Hey Luigi. How about that local sports team, huh?"

"You wanna hair cut, o' not? Sitta down! I donna gotall day!"

*Inhales deeply* "What is that lovely musk hanging in the air? I tell you, only in barbershops, eh Loo-eej?"

"Ehhh, that's-a ma meatball sandwich from Subway. I justa peeked it up. I hope you donna mind if I eat while I a cut, ehnn?"

LOL

"The unavoidable chest contact" hahaha classic.

[DaveF]

Maybe I need to find one of these "unisex" places, then, because every salon I've been to feels like I accidentally blundered onto the set of "The View". Eight to ten women with varying degrees of impossible hair chatting about things that would make a vicar blush, while I slouch in my chair and try to disappear. I always feel as if they are staring at me and waiting for me to leave.

Yes, some of them have been comely, but I am always way too self-conscious and keyed up to appreciate that. I just want to get the hell out of there as quickly as possible, and the fact that they always want to shampoo my head, blow it dry, and apply hair goo just prolongs the agony.

I'll take the relative anonymity of the barbershop any day. As I said, my haircuts are not as good, but I am out of there in 20 mins, I don't feel like a stranger in a strange land, and it costs half as much. If I can find a reasonable compromise between the two extremes by going to a unisex salon, I would be thrilled.

[RayG]

I have had bad haircuts and good haircuts from both barbers and salon hairstylists. And I have had my hair cut by the local barber, and beside models on 5th avenue.

Bottom line is, not all barbers are the same, and it really depends on how you want your hair, and how picky you are. For instance, if you've got really long hair, then going to a barber is just asking for trouble.

The key I have found is adequately communicating how you want it done, and the other person understanding.