Today I got a haircut. This is the first time in 3 years (3 years and 1 week to be exact) that someone other than myself has cut my hair. Who cuts their own hair? I do. Why?
- I'm picky. I usually don't like the way other people cut my hair.
- I hate taking the time to schedule an appointment, or wait in line at Supercuts for a mediocre haircut. I can give myself a mediocre haircut without having to wait.
- I'm cheap. I can save $12 every 5 weeks if I cut my own hair. That means I've saved over $360 in three years. Not bad, eh?
Side note: my favorite haircuts have come from little old men who have no doubt spent their life in the trade. They know what they're doing, they're extremely fast and if you're lucky they use a straight razor to shave your neck and side-burns. Have you ever been groomed by a straight razor? I'm not talking about the 50's style safety razors (the precursor to the disposable razor). I'm talking about the slit your throat straight razor who's only distinctions from a switchblade are that it lacks an automatic button and it is sharper. Don't ask me why, but there's something soothing about having a complete stranger put a knife to your neck and scrape away the hair.
So when I walked in the shop and a little old Vietnamese man named Ken jumped up to greet me, I thought "Eureka!"
The haircut ended up being better than I had hoped. When my head was all clean and tidy Ken went straight for the shaving cream brush and the straight razor and I just smiled. When that was done I got a neck massage with some electric gizmo that looked like a belt sander, something I hadn't counted on, but thoroughly enjoyed. I've finally found the man's equivalent of a pedicure. So I paid Ken my $12 bucks and kicked in an extra $5 for good measure and said I'd be back. If this keeps up I may be $520 poorer in 3 years...and it will be completely worth it.
4 comments:
I can attest that this cut looks superb. You know there really is something to letting a professional do his job. Your knife fetish is a little scary. But the $300 is a price I'm willing to pay to not have to spend the next three years straightening out the hair on your neckline. Or how bout when you forget to clean up the hair in the bathroom?
Where are the pictures? I think the idea of having a stranger hold a blade up against my neck scares me to death.
I just noticed that the guy getting his hair cut in the picture looks like you. Good find.
Thank god, I just moved from wisconsin where the barber did a shave with a straight razor and I must have called about 20 places and most of them either didnt shave men's beard or even if they did, it was with a disposable razor.. I hated the slice and dice job... Now thanks to your blog I can head out tomorrow to this place and get a beautiful SE shave...thnx man..
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