Haircuts

[Chris]

Barber or Salon? Why? I vacillate back and forth and can't seem to settle on one over the other. Something nostalgic about a barber shop, but salons seem to offer more up to date options.

[maunahaole]

Power clipper with a 1/8" guide over my laundry tub.

[robin3mj]

It's a haircut. There should be no such thing as up to date or out of date.
I went to a salon owned by my wife's uncle who cuts hair for Clinton, Michael Douglas etc.
Once.

Barber.

[jscottyk]

Power clipper with a 1/8" guide over my laundry tub.

Same here except no guide and blade set to minimum. Occasionally I will seek out a barber just for the nostalgia but it's hard to justify doing it regularly when it seems even that is now $20.

[chasea]

A stripper cuts my hair in my living room.

I have to sweep, but don't have to travel.

Plus, you know, she's a stripper.

[Eric Estlund]

My dad was a career barber and stylist. He was the shit in 70's San Francisco before moving to New Hampshire and being forced to change his approach.

My last good hair cut was from him. After a few sub par for-hire jobs (including the worst haircut of my life for my wedding day) I've been doing myself with his hand-me-down clippers. At least I'm getting my money's worth.

Ignore the label, and go to the person who gives you what you need. Anything else is just spending money to sit in a fancy chair.

[sonny]

you're going to the wrong barber if he's not "up-to-date"--whatever that means

my man will offer you a beer, cut your hair and lecture you about the importance of properly manscaped eyebrows, then do your eyebrows because you agree they are important, and get a proper tip for $30
can't beat it

[Chris]

you're going to the wrong barber if he's not "up-to-date"--whatever that means

I just meant that it seems that at salons the girls tend to have continuing education regarding trends and techniques, where barbers are trained and that's it. Probably should have left that statement out...

[Saab2000]

I rarely comment here but I will. Good haircuts are such a crapshoot and when you find someone who knows what they are doing, tip them and keep going to them. There's nothing worse than going into a place where the young woman gets halfway into it and then asks here colleagues how to do something. Seriously? WTF is that about? The cute young ones are usually guilty of this.

The guy I went to in Appleton is the best but I hardly get there often enough. But his good haircuts lasted good longer than 5 days, which is the standard number. Bad ones look like they need trimming by the time you get home. And yes, trimming your eyebrows is part of the job.

Good haircuts don't have to be expensive. If you find a good haircutter (for lack of a better term) cherish this person. Not all are equal, or even close.

[rowdyhillrambler]

i get my hair cut at the Veterans barber shop, it is right next to the Greyhound bus station, if my haircut is shit i hop on the bus for a couple of weeks til it straightens up. The cut cost $9, I live in a small town. Although, my barbers extensive knowledge of The Smiths and late 70's punk is well worth the asking price. When you walk in the door there is a sign that says "happiness is a high and tight" and "men go to barbers"

[billrick]

I love my Vietnamese barber shop. $14 plus tip. It used to include a back rub but that now costs extra. They have a giant 30-inch snakehead fish in a tank and a bunch of broken toys in a bucket that my kids love. Trying to forget the fact that two barbers got shot in there last year by a former colleague.

[Nierman]

I'm on my second one of these over the past 15+ years. Cut my father and my son's hair as well and also do all the dye and waxing for my lady. I cherish the family time like a chimp picking mites. And I'm a tightwad mofo, or meaufeau, as I like to refer when I'm in stylist character... That time and money saved justifies the cycling obsession. Only thing I miss really is the shampoo & scalp massage from pretty lady.

[ElvisMerckx]

I cut my own hair with a vintage Andis Master. It's over thirty years old and still cuts great. I've been to a barber about three times, and to a stylist once. Not impressed. Another vote for DIY.

[cody.wms]

Power clipper with a 1/8" guide over my laundry tub.

Same here. I'm bald, so the options are limited. Sometimes I get fancy and cut my beard too.

[false_aesthetic]

My dad has been going to the barber, Steve, once a month, for ~35 years (longer than I've been around). Even now, he'll drive ~50 miles to see the dude. My dad's seen Steve battle cancer, talked with him when his wife had cancer, watched his kids grow up, etc. Steve's done about the same. I used to ask my pop, "Why do you keep going to Steve? You live so far away." His answer was, "Because he's my barber."

The dude I go to now isn't as awesome as other barbers but he has no problem doing anything from a proper shape-up to shaving a 16 year old with a straight razor just to make the kid feel grown up. He also happens to have a superb hip-hop selection playing all the time. Most importantly, he makes this guero feel comfortable.... I never got any of that at a salon.

[Dave Wofford]

and lecture you about the importance of properly manscaped eyebrows, then do your eyebrows because you agree they are important
can't beat it

I need to hear more about this. Have always had friends/girlfriends/wife cut my hair except one time I went "pro" and she wanted to mess with my unibrow. As that is a part of my Italian-American heritage I had to tell them no. Now that I'm a Dad, though I have to admit I hope my son doesn't inherit it.

[lukasz]

i get my hair cut at the Veterans barber shop, it is right next to the Greyhound bus station, if my haircut is shit i hop on the bus for a couple of weeks til it straightens up. The cut cost $9, I live in a small town. Although, my barbers extensive knowledge of The Smiths and late 70's punk is well worth the asking price. When you walk in the door there is a sign that says "happiness is a high and tight" and "men go to barbers"

I like your barber.

I go to some Uzbeks in a hole-in-the wall by my job. They come highly recommended by Eastern Europeans, for Eastern Europeans. Although that does not happen very often and I'm buzzing myself a mohawk that will never be put up once I know whether I am getting a job interview in the coming days or not.

[soupless]

My rule of thumb is that if the person cutting my hair has good hair, then I feel optimistic. It's worked pretty well.

In my opinion you've got two schools of barbery going on: 1. The real old school guys, who basically give you their shop's "house cut" kind of no matter what you ask for. They do one thing, and do it well (if that's what you're looking for.)
And then 2. The guys who have gotten into it in the last decade or so, who will give you your own cut using traditional techniques.

And I don't give a shit about your beer or vintage playboys, cut my hair well and i'll be the best customer you've ever had.

[xjoex]

3 years ago I bought a pair of Oster Classic 76 clippers. What a step up over the $25 clippers I had. I am sure I overspent, but hell I have not paid for a hair cut in 20 years.

-joe

[rmplum]

3 years ago I bought a pair of Oster Classic 76 clippers. What a step up over the $25 clippers I had. I am sure I overspent, but hell I have not paid for a hair cut in 20 years.

-joe

That's pretty good. I think my no-pay-for-haircut streak has to be 10+ years, using cheapo Wahl clippers that probably are due to be replaced. Paying for a haircut now seems like it would be a pretty traumatic experience after going for so long on the cheap.

rp