Thread: Old Barbers - Worth a Try!

I've been getting my hair cut by an older barber forever - they do a great job for cheap. My barber is in his 80s, and I am very happy with him. He cut my hair for my wedding in August.

I hadn't thought to ask him about razors. I haven't gotten around to sending mine out to a honemeister, and it suddenly struck me - here I am getting my hair cut by someone who was professionally trained to use straight razors, using the kinds of barber manuals that the new generation looks at to see what they did back then.

I wasn't sure if my razor was sharp enough, and I have two razors that needed honing, so I asked him about them, then asked if I could bring them by. He looked at them, said the one was sharp enough, the other two can easily be sharpened, and he won't charge me for the honing.

I'll pick them up Saturday. I'll let you know how it goes ...

My barber was forced into retirement last year by a second heart attack, I miss that guy, he was a wealth of information, good conversation and a cheap haircut. Now Im paying twice as much and only have half the hair!

Bootstrap,

Who was your barber? I used to go to Red up on Roxboro St across from the old phone company building (Red's Barber Shop is now the People's Barber Shop).

You still in Durm?

I used to go to an older barber too. Sadly he had to give it up tho.

I still go to the same place only it's his daughter that cuts my hair now. Still a great cut but too bad he's not at the shop still so I can bug him about straights.

Just make sure his hands don't shake.

Barbers are a dying breed. Very few and far between. Im a Barber at an old school shop in Pa. Im young 35 and the other barbers that work there are 40 and 36. We are heavily tattooed and dress to impress, with shirts and ties. The shop has been in the same location for 20 years. We are trying to bring back the old style shop. Hot shaves, haircuts, shoe shines you name it. We also give free Pabst Blue Ribbon beer to the customers. The old school is the only school!!!

Joey the Barber

I always wanted to try a barber's shave..but here in SoCali..they aernt cheap about $20+....hence I taught myself how to use my str8's
(save myself a few hundred bucks)...lol

pcdad

Just got my haircut today to at the Barber near here. Like most of you, the barbers are all older gentlemen, except for one younger guy. He said that in many places, barber shops are seeming to make a small, but steady resurgence. Hopefully it continues the upward trend.

Gentlemen:

Old barbers are not only masters of their trade, but they are philosophers, as well.

My old barber also had a fine tenor voice, who entertained me with a string of juicy operatic arias. When he retired, I stopped going to the barbershop, because by then you could sneeze away the few hairs I had left on top.

Regards,
Obie

Exactly! It isn't just the haircut or shave, it's the social experience. I love how a good barber can carry on a conversation about world or community affairs and carefully skirt sensitive politicial or religious issues without you realizing that he not only avoided them, but he carefully steered you away from them too. What he doesn't say is often more important that what he does, and he still gets his philosophy across.

You young guys better grab that experience while it's still around, because it's getting ever harder to find. My hat's off you those of you who are entering the craft, and certainly it will come to be fully appreciated once more.