Are barber shop shaves dying out?

[kennethw]

I'm getting married in about 6 weeks. I thought it would be pretty fantastic to take the attendants and the officiant for a proper straight shave on the day of the wedding. There are 3 barber shops in the small town where we're getting married—in Healdsburg (Northern California, Sonoma County).

So I call around and get a recommendation for a good barber shop. I finally get the guy, and it turns out that NONE of the barbers in Healdsburg do shaves anymore. Is it really so bad that the barbers are giving up? I pressed the issue of course, and his response was that "it's just too easy to do at home now". Blasphemy. Of course, I have to stoke the fire and mention the growing trend towards DE & straight shaving, hoping to keep that ember burning.

I wonder if this is an isolated incident. Maybe they have a klatch, and they all decided at a drunken Christmas party that it was too much trouble. Or is it really that bad?

If so (and only if so), I believe that the barber shop is, eventually, going the way of the dodo. That's a truly horrible shame.

 

[Steelforge]

In Swindon (UK) about 10 years ago there were at least 2 barbers shops where they did straight shaves. Sadly now, both of them have closed when the elderly owners retired - I don't know of any others locally now. It's annoying as there are many "Barbers" shops around, just these days it tends to be used as a name for a place selling cheap gents haircuts, the kind of places you walk in and they can cut your hair to 5 different grades of skinhead with a pair of clippers in 60 seconds.

 

[english_barber]

In Swindon (UK) about 10 years ago there were at least 2 barbers shops where they did straight shaves. Sadly now, both of them have closed when the elderly owners retired - I don't know of any others locally now. It's annoying as there are many "Barbers" shops around, just these days it tends to be used as a name for a place selling cheap gents haircuts, the kind of places you walk in and they can cut your hair to 5 different grades of skinhead with a pair of clippers in 60 seconds.

Way back in 1988, when I started TGS, I saw exactly how the Barber Shop profession was heading and your experience in Swindon is the norm in the Uk at the moment.

I only employ Barbers with an extremely high standard of hairdressing and always stress the importance of "winning" customers with great haircuts and not trying to "get them out of the door". You must always get customers to see what they are getting and not focus on the price, so great haircuts, at the most expensive Barbershop in Berkshire! This policy has worked really well, our appointments are fully booked for at least a week in advance and keeps all five Barbers in employment. Speaking of which I will only pay salaries with no commission so there is never an incentive to rush haircuts. Currently I am recruiting a sixth Barber to cope with the increase in business seen this year alone.

We reintroduced wet shaving as a paid service in 2002 and have never been busier, why not make the 15 mile drive to Hungerford and visit us!

Regards, Robert

 

[Jonnybc]

We reintroduced wet shaving as a paid service in 2002 and have never been busier, why not make the 15 mile drive to Hungerford and visit us!

I would give your shop my custom if I were closer. I am fairly lucky regarding Barber shop shaves, I work in central London and although my old barbers closed about 10 years ago (to become a Gucci shop!) I still have plenty of choice.

 

[AACJ]

I've always been interested in getting a straight shave from a barber, even before my DE/Feather AC days. In my quest, I've had four mediocre shaves from two barbers in the area here, but I found an article in the paper of a small town close to where I live. Luckily it's by the homebrew store I frequent too.

So, my plan is to go buy some beer/wine making stuff, maybe have a nice lunch and get a shave and haircut, probably next month (October).

Hmm.....thats about time for the annual Virginia Gents Shave Day and get together.

 

[Tinzien]

I've always been interested in getting a straight shave from a barber, even before my DE/Feather AC days. In my quest, I've had four mediocre shaves from two barbers in the area here, but I found an article in the paper of a small town close to where I live. Luckily it's by the homebrew store I frequent too.

So, my plan is to go buy some beer/wine making stuff, maybe have a nice lunch and get a shave and haircut, probably next month (October).

Hmm.....thats about time for the annual Virginia Gents Shave Day and get together.

Excellent, I look forward to the Virginia get together! I might have to mapquest and find out how far away the shop in the article is from me.

 

[crackstar]

yeah, it looks like barbers today don't want to bother doing it anymore. Sure, they'll trim your sideburns, maybe shave the back of your neck, but a full face shave is becoming harder and harder to come by.

Jeff

 

[Steelforge]

Currently I am recruiting a sixth Barber to cope with the increase in business seen this year alone.

We reintroduced wet shaving as a paid service in 2002 and have never been busier, why not make the 15 mile drive to Hungerford and visit us!

Regards, Robert

Hi Robert,

Yes I'm planning to visit your shop in the near future, its not far from me at all. I recently went through a phase of having extremely short hair so I'm currently trying to grow it out a bit until it's long enough to get a haircut! As soon as its long enough I'll be in for a shave and haircut.

I saw your advert for a barber. How long does it take to train one up? I have no experience whatsoever but quite fancy a change from the electronics/software industry!

Iwan

 

[mark the shoeshine boy]

it was explained by my friend,Bob the Barber of over 40 years...that shaving takes too much time for the money in our area. He sets 30 minute appointments for a $10 haircut and stays quite full.

Mark tssb

 

[english_barber]

it was explained by my friend,Bob the Barber of over 40 years...that shaving takes too much time for the money in our area. He sets 30 minute appointments for a $10 haircut and stays quite full.

Mark tssb

To be honest charging £17.50 for a shave and allowing a 60 minute slot is a bit of a loss leader against two £14.50 haircuts in the same 60 minutes.

However if a guy is interested enough to have a shave they cannot fail to leave without making a purchase, usally about £75 worth of shaving gear!

Regards, Robert

 

[english_barber]

Hi Robert,

Yes I'm planning to visit your shop in the near future, its not far from me at all. I recently went through a phase of having extremely short hair so I'm currently trying to grow it out a bit until it's long enough to get a haircut! As soon as its long enough I'll be in for a shave and haircut.

I saw your advert for a barber. How long does it take to train one up? I have no experience whatsoever but quite fancy a change from the electronics/software industry!

Iwan

That's the spirit! I've been a barber for 23 years and take great offence when having honed all these skills when all a customer wants do do with his hair is a number...

I only consider barbers with at least 5 years experience following the two years basic training, so I would keep the day job for now.

Regards, Robert

 

[BBRex]

Robert,

I wish I lived close by, I'd be there, quick.

Sure, they'll trim your sideburns, maybe shave the back of your neck, but a full face shave is becoming harder and harder to come by.

I don't think I've had a barber properly shave the back of my neck (using lather and a razor) in years. Maybe once, at a true barbershop in smalltown Texas. I was going to ask about a shave as well, but I don't think they were still providing that service.

 

[PalmettoB]

It's nice to see some true barbers still exist. I have been going to the same one since 1987. He still shaves the back of my neck and around my ears with cream and a straight razor. Of course, now there isn't much left upstairs, so I do just get the ol' number two buzz cut (sorry Robert...)

But I don't know what I'll do when he closes or retires. He trains other barbers, so maybe someone will keep his shop going. Oddly enough, I never got a full-face shave. Had a full beard until a couple of years ago, so it might be interesting to find out!

 

[letterk]

Luckily, straight shaves are becoming more frequent in my area. They're quite expensive, though.

 

[Jim]

In my neck of the woods I can get a barber shave from a couple of places-The issue for me is that its not a luxury experience- its some lucky tiger with a hot towel and 2 passes with hot lather machine soap and a shavete- 10 bucks.
At home I can get a better shave with better products,I am not all red and my face feels better.

In Italy I had a shave....took over an hour, I could not shave for 3 days I was facebald!

 

[crackstar]

Jim, now that I think of it, I'd rather do my own shaving. I'd feel funny having a barber work on me without a brush, and the last time a barber shaved me, he was so friggin heavy-handed, that he hurt me without meaning to. I really regretted not doing it by myself.

Jeff

 

[PalmettoB]

Jim:
I also would chime in here that I would rather do it myself, now that I think on it more. (Especially now that I have all the neat toys like a DE razor and a brush.) Hmmm...maybe that was why I never asked about it, even after I got rid of the full beard.

 

[rvbert0]

I'm in WV, and when I inquired at the place I normally get my hair cut, they said that the City had asked them to desist, due to concerns about adequately sanitizing the blades against AIDS/HIV transmission. They hadn't made it illegal, they just wanted to have it get phased out.

I guess that makes sense and seems logical for a reason there might be a decline in the number of shops offering this service.

 

[moses]

Annoying.

Btw. Someday I'd like a good barber shave. Partly just to see what it's like, and partly to pick up some pointers for when I do pick up a straight. If I can get over my overwhelming discomfort with another person holding a knife to my neck. Anybody know a good spot in Manhattan? There is an AOS just down from my office that will do it for $35, but, wel, I might prefer a real barber, so curious what else is out there?

 

[rikrdo]

Hmm.....thats about time for the annual Virginia Gents Shave Day and get together.

Could we schedule this for the 1st part of Sept...


to coincide with the Kentucky Bourbon Festivus??