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Visiting Chicago... Any good old fashioned barbershops?

Any good old fashioned barbershops with an old time hot towel straight shave? I'll settle for a hipster type place but I really want a rustic, authentic setting.
 
Both the Corner Barbershop and Merchant and Rhoades look good. I am however, averse to shopping malls so while I lean towards the corner barbershop, so long as the wife's happy in the mall, I could be off relaxing in a chair.
 
Check out Merz Apothecary (smallflower.com) and next door is Q Brothers (qbrothers.com) if your into shaving this is the hub!

4718 N Lincoln Ave, Chicago, IL 60625
 
Check out Merz Apothecary (smallflower.com) and next door is Q Brothers (qbrothers.com) if your into shaving this is the hub!

4718 N Lincoln Ave, Chicago, IL 60625

I second that motion!

Those are retailers for gear. Do they have a barber shop where I can get a traditional hot towel, wet shave? I need to entertain myself while the wife is shopping.

I'll probably stop by and look around but I have to restrain myself.
 
Brethren, I'm wondering if there are many barbershops with just one or two barbers for just haircutting anymore?

I thought I found a decent possibility near my house, but the barber was way too talkative the several times I went there. I felt I was being interviewed. Where do I work? How many kids do I have? What are my hobbies? And that sort of thing. I don't want to participate in a 18 minute interview while spending $18, though I might participate in an interview if the barber would pay me $18. :001_smile I just want to mellow out, with a minimum of talk while receiving a decent haircut. Am I being unreasonable?

So I then went to Supercuts and got a terrible haircut. It was embarrassingly bad. I will never return there.

Suggestions? What are my options? Are there any mute barbers around? And how do I find one?
 

jar_

Too Fugly For Free.
Those are retailers for gear. Do they have a barber shop where I can get a traditional hot towel, wet shave? I need to entertain myself while the wife is shopping.

I'll probably stop by and look around but I have to restrain myself.
For tradition you just can't do much better than Truefitt & Hill.
 
There are few barbers in Illinois who will still offer a straight razor shave. Because of the political/legal climate in Illinois, a barber is likely to be sued if they give a bad shave, nick the client, etc. Juries in Illinois, especially those in the Chicago area, are prone to award large sums to litigants. Thus, insurance costs are high for barbers who offer straight razor shaves. Many barbershops who formerly offered shaves no longer do so, except for the traditional neck shave after a haircut. Those who do offer shaves have to charge accordingly. While a shave and a haircut used to be two-bits, it will now cost $50 and up.

Remember also that Illinois health regulations do not permit a barber to use a traditional straight razor; they have to use a shavette. Also, most barbers apply foam from a lather machine rather than using a brush, which would have to be a disposable.

I am sure I would enjoy a shave if I could find someone who generates lather from a top tier shaving soap and applies it using a nice shaving brush and gives a close, comfortable shave with a well honed and stropped traditional straight razor...wait a minute....that is exactly happens each time I shave at home. I need look no further than my own shave den.
 
I am sure I would enjoy a shave if I could find someone who generates lather from a top tier shaving soap and applies it using a nice shaving brush and gives a close, comfortable shave with a well honed and stropped traditional straight razor...wait a minute....that is exactly happens each time I shave at home. I need look no further than my own shave den.

Ahhh.... I'm sure your den and technique are nice but you might be surprised how nice a traditional barber shop visit can be...

Do you tilt yourself back fully stretched out in a comfortable chair for the duration? Multiple hot towels prep to finish? Head/scalp/face/shoulder/arm/back massage? Singeing? Threading? Nose/pore wax? Facial/masque? Pampering yourself for an hour? Someone picks up your shoes and shines them while you're in the chair? Some places offer a beer or a drink. These are all services I've gotten in a proper barber shop. A good visit is easily worth the $$$.
 
Maybe you shouldn't go to Q Brothers then. I spent over $200 when I went there. It's a real traditional shaving mecca.

I remember one time walking into Pasteurs and getting a double whammy... I waked out with a bunch of soaps, creams and blades... My wife however outspent me on soaps, shampoos, makeup... WFT?
 
Absolutely you'll want to go to Truefitt & Hill. It's in the downtown area. Make a reservation for a shave, and then enjoy the great store. Check their website for the location, menu of services, and how to reserve.
 
Ahhh.... I'm sure your den and technique are nice but you might be surprised how nice a traditional barber shop visit can be...
...A good visit is easily worth the $$$.

I do get an hour-long massage once a month and enjoy the pampering. However, for my tough beard and sensitive face, machine-made lather and a shavette do not give as good a shave as a top-tier shave soap and a traditional straight razor. I am old enough to remember when you could get a traditional straight razor shave, including a head and shoulder massage, at any barbershop. Sometimes the "good old days" really were good.
 
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