greetings,
it's just like anything else. do you work on your car, take it to the dealership or have a superb mechanic that will not give the car back unless it is prime?
i have been to barbershops but only one i consider true. he used a shavette and i don't think an 1800's english blade honed by a samurai would of made a difference in the shave. prep and skill.
the haircut was like 30 minutes. the prep for the shave was like 30 minutes. the shave was like 30 minutes. pure fu&^%^ perfectionist. much more rare than the rarest blade i tell ya. man, for 2 hours i was the king being served by a royal servant. One thing to mention is that it isnot just the shave and experience. The true barber is the main pipeline (grapevine) on what is going on. the particular cat shaves the governor and other politicos so he knows what's going on. Also knows what is going on, on the street.
My favorite part however was as i was walking out a son was bringing his pop in for a shave. I'm estimating the son was in his mid forties and was wheeling in his father, maybe even grandpa for the traditional mens grooming.
Traditional barbers are rarer than hens teeth or dubli duck magnetic wonder whatever. It's all about the spirit of the people. regards, m.a.d.