Barber Shops.

[Sam Gamgee]

Ha, I almost made a Jayber Crow quip when you started this thread, but assumed that nobody would get the reference.

I'm a big fan of Berry's conservatism, and a big critic of his cynicism, and both are on full display in JC.

He laments the right things, but he only laments. A dose of hope would do him (and us) some good.

I enjoyed the novel, as well as a couple of his others. I tend to ignore the political statements in the books I read because I usually know what I'm getting into from the outset. I find most such things wearisome. I understand Berry's position and his outlook. He feels like most people do who actually care deeply about lost causes. It seems to me the only road back to his agrarian way of life would be via WWIII with its accompanying technological collapse.

I came away from Jayber Crow personally inspired to quieten my life a bit more and tend my own garden a bit better. That's about all any of us can ever do anyway.

 

[alexishector]

Something I've been considering doing in the coming year is finding a good barber shop to patronize. I've been going to a local Pro Cuts for a few years, and while it usually works out ok, I end up getting a pretty bad haircut a few times a year. Get what you pay for, etc.

I can get out of Pro Cuts for $21 with a pretty generous tip. Some of the hipster all-male barbers shops around here are $30-$40 for just the haircut; then you tip on top of that! That's a whopper of a monthly bill for me! Have to admit, though: getting the hot towels and first-class treatment in those kind of shops is great.

I also think it would be kind of cool to form an actual relationship with a local barber, someone that knows my name, vice versa, etc. At the Pro Cuts it's revolving door of Vietnamese women and a very impersonal thing.

Do you go to a legit barber shop or one of the chop-shops like Pro Cuts, et al? Do you think it's worth the extra money for Hair Stylist?

My barber Tony and his wife used to operate a shop in the shopping center down the street but sold it to a young entrepreneur to go into to business with their son a fairly newly minted barber. The son always seem a little off to me but did the business stuff as well as cut hair.

That shop closed after a couple years and they opened a bigger very nice one a little further away. I think that one had been going about a year. I saw on a neighborhood forum it appeared closed. I went by today to check it's gone.

I went back to the original shop nearest my home to get a haircut and the barber world gossip. I found out the son has pretty severe mental health issues which blossomed in a big way. Apparently he stopped his medication and trashed the business. I hope he gets back on his feet. I'd like to see his parents come back to their old shop but that's probably iffy. In any event I got a perfectly good more expensive haircut from a lady barber who's been there forever.

 

[Steddy]

I go to a barber shop and have the same guy cut my hair every time, $25. I have to keep it neat and clean for my work so I go every 2 to 3 weeks. I quit going to random butchers after I walked out one day looking like Vanilla Ice.

 

[RookieGuy80]

Barbershop for me. We have a local place in my little suburb I can walk to and get a very decent haircut for $20 including tip. Men's haircuts are still $16 and the boy's was $11 until last year. It's run by a very nice Vietnamese family who has been there for 30 years, I've been going to them for 25.

The haircuts are pretty decent, they still do hot shaves (with a shavette, damn safety regulations) and the hot towel on the back of the neck and all. But I still patronize them because of their incredible civic mindedness. Every other week they're doing a fundraiser for someone or something local. They are the kind of people you want to patronize.

 

[BingBong]

Nowadays I wet shave my head, been doing that a few years now. Before that, I used to go to a Greek Cypriot barber and get a No.2... then it went to a No.1... then a Zero, and not long after, I started shaving it twice a week.

The last time I went to the barber, he was kind of distracted and took ages. When he started running the small clippers over the same area a second time, I said "grows fast, doesn't it?".

 

[MartyA]

I went to the same small town barber for quite a few years until he got Alzheimers and his haircuts got worse, and worse, and finally comically awful. Very sad, but funny too. I could tell stories.

Then my wife made me an appointment with her beautician who had the patience and temperment to cut my severely autistic son's hair. I'm still going to her years later, although I never figured I'd get my hair cut at a place called "La Botique." She does a good job, and she's a great person. Eight dollars and I give a three dollar tip.

 

[trouttimes]

The military taught me how to cut my hair…high and tight. Not that much on top to worry about any more.

 

[pantsBoots]

Living rurally, there are lots of options for haircuts and they're mostly very affordable. My boys and I go to see Lightning once a month, who cuts hair 6 days a week from 530am to 5pm. He wears a pistol on his hip, is a good conversationalist, knows how to help calm kids who are impatiently waiting for their turn, and charges $8 per head regardless of whether it's a simple trim to keep me looking professional, or one of the broccoli-headed or mullet hairstyles my boys prefer. At that price, we can tip heavily and always do.

 

[condorlover1]

I go to a wonderful barber who waxes my ears to remove all the hair. It is amazing to see what exactly grows on the ear flap that sticks out of the side of your head! He also cuts my hair too so it is my 30 minute R&R every two weeks. Costs like $35

 

[eljimmy]

You are right. Barbers do charge a bit more now. I'm extremely lucky, my Son is going to Barber school and he is killing it. Free haircuts for me now but I totally understand what you are looking for. I had a barber for over 20 years and she did a great job every time and obviously knew me well. Nice feeling to have.

 

[BingBong]

I go to a wonderful barber who waxes my ears to remove all the hair. It is amazing to see what exactly grows on the ear flap that sticks out of the side of your head! He also cuts my hair too so it is my 30 minute R&R every two weeks. Costs like $35

Man, I got a 3 inch hair growing out my left ear. I think it's some sort of early warning antenna, won't let anyone touch it just in case.

 

[Sigmund]

This was my barber as a kid. I went back when I was in college and took the photo. Sebree, KY.

 

[JOHN72]

Part of my childhood was spent at my grandmother's house. Ten meters from my grandmother's house, there was a barber shop, then they had everything together in the same house, in one room they had the barber shop, I'm talking about the year 79 onwards. I still have in my mind, those fragrances so clean and fresh, those instruments, the razors. When that barber cut our hair, later, my three aunts, put the first hairdresser in the village, for women, in my grandmother's house. Today, that barber shop is a house in ruins, with a for sale sign.