This is guest post from the recently featured FPS, J.J. Alvarez:
Barbering is the only job that satisfies me. Being able to give a good gent a trim, cut, touch-up, fade, beard trim, stylize facial hair (friendly mutton chops, handlebar mustaches, sideburns) gives me the artistic outlet that for many years I yearned for. I have been perfecting my craft for about 5 years now, and of course learned from my Father, who learned from his Father. Though as a youth when neither felt up to giving me a cut (which was usually a crew cut) my Grandfather would take me to Joe's barber shop, which was and still is a barber shop done in the old ways.
There at the shop you still see older gentlemen cutting hair with white jackets and black slacks accompanied by a pair of black dress shoes, most wear glasses and get the occasional deaf ear but have yet to fail when it comes to a good trim.
I'd have to say that Joe's barber shop and my grandfather were the main inspirations, but I promised myself if I cut hair it was going to be the way my forefathers did it. So armed with a good set of clippers, sharp scissors, a good comb and a steady hand I started testing out what I had on my brothers and uncles. I was eager and excited, but kept a very professional stoic face. In the years to come I sought professional apprenticeships, obtained my barber's licence and became proficient in shaving not only myself but others with a straight razor, learning how to properly care for my tools, how to shop for good clippers, and how to buy a good strope to sharpen blades, the proper way to clean my tools and of course how to carry myself as a Barber.
I love what I do, and though I wear my hair short (mainly due to the fact I always wear scally caps) I am able to give any man the desired cut he wants, or give him a good clean shave using the best lathering soap and well sharpened blade, or shave the mountain man beard into a finely waxed mustache, sideburns combo. Whatever the order is I can fill it, as of right now I am Barbering out of my house (which has the already vintage feel of a good ol' fashioned barber shop) and keep prices set to the working man's value, $7 for a cut, $5 for a trim $7 to cut and style facial hair, and never charge to help one maintain a mustache, as a longtime member of the Handlebar Mustache Club its my civil duty to help fellow handlebar wearers, and of course kids cuts are free.
And by request I offer the best Irish coffee while you get trimmed or wait, and no cut is started until I get a moment with my pipe and a rich bowl of Royal Viking!
Barbering is the only job that satisfies me. Being able to give a good gent a trim, cut, touch-up, fade, beard trim, stylize facial hair (friendly mutton chops, handlebar mustaches, sideburns) gives me the artistic outlet that for many years I yearned for. I have been perfecting my craft for about 5 years now, and of course learned from my Father, who learned from his Father. Though as a youth when neither felt up to giving me a cut (which was usually a crew cut) my Grandfather would take me to Joe's barber shop, which was and still is a barber shop done in the old ways.
There at the shop you still see older gentlemen cutting hair with white jackets and black slacks accompanied by a pair of black dress shoes, most wear glasses and get the occasional deaf ear but have yet to fail when it comes to a good trim.
I'd have to say that Joe's barber shop and my grandfather were the main inspirations, but I promised myself if I cut hair it was going to be the way my forefathers did it. So armed with a good set of clippers, sharp scissors, a good comb and a steady hand I started testing out what I had on my brothers and uncles. I was eager and excited, but kept a very professional stoic face. In the years to come I sought professional apprenticeships, obtained my barber's licence and became proficient in shaving not only myself but others with a straight razor, learning how to properly care for my tools, how to shop for good clippers, and how to buy a good strope to sharpen blades, the proper way to clean my tools and of course how to carry myself as a Barber.
I love what I do, and though I wear my hair short (mainly due to the fact I always wear scally caps) I am able to give any man the desired cut he wants, or give him a good clean shave using the best lathering soap and well sharpened blade, or shave the mountain man beard into a finely waxed mustache, sideburns combo. Whatever the order is I can fill it, as of right now I am Barbering out of my house (which has the already vintage feel of a good ol' fashioned barber shop) and keep prices set to the working man's value, $7 for a cut, $5 for a trim $7 to cut and style facial hair, and never charge to help one maintain a mustache, as a longtime member of the Handlebar Mustache Club its my civil duty to help fellow handlebar wearers, and of course kids cuts are free.
And by request I offer the best Irish coffee while you get trimmed or wait, and no cut is started until I get a moment with my pipe and a rich bowl of Royal Viking!
My hat is off to you! The Barber Shop here in town is tremendous, and I can have my haircut no where else. Once you've been to a true barber, there is simply no going back to SuperClips and "stylists". Keep fighting the good fight!
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