#barber knowledge

[barberetiquette]

Appointment Vs. Walk-in

The modern barbershop has begun to update the way they do business by way of taking appointments. Both barbers and patrons have various opinions on the matter, and coming from a shop that functions on the appointment system, I'd like to explain why the client might benefit from them.  I'm sure many of you have been in a busy barbershop waiting for a haircut. Many have waited up to and exceeding a couple hours. I've spoken with many who have walked out without ever getting a cut. Once you're in the chair, depending on the shop, the barber may feel the need to rush your haircut in order to alleviate the growing number of customers resulting a less than perfect haircut. On top of that you have the enjoyment of everybody else waiting and staring at you with daggers in their eyes. I'm not saying it's always this way, but very often it is. We get many people who walk in to our shop and leave irritated because they don't want to make an appointment. I doubt they are thinking about anything I said above either. With an appointment, you are guaranteed to get a haircut. You will get a fair amount of time for the barber to do his best work. You won't waste time sitting around with a lot of other frustrated men grinding their teeth. I understand, many of you don't function best on a schedule, and that is perfectly fine. Both types of businesses are equally necessary.  It's just my opinion that a lot of time can be saved if you make an appointment, and KEEP it. 

[barberetiquette]

Terminology

Part vs. Combover: A part is a line combed into the hair from font to back. If this is how you like to style your hair, indicate to your barber that you like your hair "parted". A combover is a haircut balding men get in order to hide their hair loss. This  attempt is most often unsuccessful.  Usually a combover is created right where somebody would part their hair, but a combover is not the proper terminology for this style of cut:

[barberetiquette]

Posture

I know many people are completely unaware that their posture can affect the outcome of a haircut. If the barber needs you to move or reposition, he should know to ask, rather than expect you to know what he's thinking. 1. You should sit up straight, shoulders pulled back. Rest your arms on the arm rest, but don't lean to one side or the other. 2. Keep your head and eyes level and look straight ahead. The barber will either physically move your head or ask you to do so.

3. Don't relax your neck to the point of your head moving around every time the clipper presses against you. 4. In conversation, try to be conscious of whether or not you're moving while talking. Remember, even if you only move a 1/4" the result of that can potentially be really ugly.

[barberetiquette]

Your hair.

I would consider this one of the most important pieces of knowledge to pass on to a patron. The best haircut is going to be made possible when you show up with clean and dry hair. Having product in your hair makes it difficult to cut, gunks up the barbers tools, sticks to everything, and frustrates every barber at least the slightest amount. This is especially true if you use a petroleum based pomade such as Murray’s or any of the other greasy products out there. The lack of product in your hair can result in a better cut. If you need to have something in your hair the day you are getting a cut, try to use a very light hold gel that the barber can comb through easily. Avoid wearing a hat of any kind on the day of your cut. Hats will create an indention around the head that makes blending more difficult. This will be especially true if you put the hat on right after you get out of the shower. Your barber will probably have some product on hand to style your hair after your cut, and in many cases will be able to assist you in how to style your hair best.