Finding a good barber...?

[imported_truzoom]

So I've been in a new city for a while now, and getting my hair cut every 2 weeks has been sort of a gamble on how it'll turn out. I started out on a recommendation by a family member, but I'm not really feelin the place or the people who work there.



Aside from word of mouth, are there any ways to know beforehand that you are getting your hair cut by a pro? Just today I got mine cut, but the lady was so busy talking about her ex husband that she lop-sided my head so I had to buzz it down when I got home (not a problem, but an inconvenience). :wall

 

[stilez]

I can't stand a bad haircut!!!



I actually flipped out at Supercuts, the only time I went there. The lady had to be dislexic or something as she gave me completely what I didn't ask for. I stopped her in the middle, screamed at her (turns out she was the manager ..ha), and walked out without paying. But anyways,



Word of mouth was huge. I would say if you are critical, start off at a salon. The few times I've been to them, I've never recieved a bad haircut. Also, I asked around at school once I came. A couple classmates had a similar haircut to me and I just let them know I needed to find a place that did nice fades and shape-ups. Other than this, I'm not sure what to do other than try out places.

 

[Bill D]

I've found the waiting factor to be considerable from shop to shop. I've going from waiting and waiting patiently for slow barbers to the point of frustration even though it resulted in an great haircut or in another shop, I may have little to no waiting and get a comparable one. I suppose its just trial and error.

 

[JaCkaL829]

If you lived near me I would recommend my cousin. He's been cutting my hair for the past 5 years, and i'm always pleased. He got a really good rep among our friends and has drawn in some pretty loyal customers.

http://www.personal.psu.edu/users/a/j/aja175/ricky/

Above is his website for when he was cutting out of his basement. He know does it at a barber shop, so no more basement cuts for me which means I gotta pay :laugh:



Anyway I agree with Sean, maybe try politely asking people with a similiar hair cut thats GOOD to recommend them who they go too. If not its pretty much trial and error. :doh

 

[Accumulator]

Best haircuts I've ever got were from the guys who do my wife's hair. The *best* of them was incredible, best haircuts I've ever had right from the start, but he left town so I tried all sorts of barbershops and beauty salons. Spent three years (!) trying to find somebody decent. The old guy who's done it forever did an OK job so I finally stuck with him, but when my wife found a new guy she liked I had a talk with him (a pretty long, involved talk) about what I wanted and by the second or third try he got it right. I visited the old guy and even he said it was a really well done job. It's a little weird being the only guy in the beauty salon most of the time, but he's so much better than any of the guys at the barbershops it's a laugh to compare them. When the old guy was impressed I knew I'd found somebody good.



The only general rule I've learned is to ask for "scissors over comb" as a technique. No way somebody with electric clippers is gonna match somebody who really knows what they're doing with this technique. And anybody who does a haircut in 10 minutes is working too fast to really do it right. Well, at least in my experience.



Oh, and I tip really well when I find somebody good. Guys don't always think of this, but you wouldn't believe how much women tip for their hair treatments. Good people expect a good tip and while it shouldn't matter, it does. I'm paying over twice as much (and that's every week) but IMO I'm getting my money's worth. Beats looking in the mirror and thinking my haircut looks like crap.

 

[Bill D]

And anybody who does a haircut in 10 minutes is working too fast to really do it right. Well, at least in my experience.

Yeah, I'd say this generally true but my former barbers down the Jersey Shore sure crank out some excellent work in that time or less. I miss them.

Oh, and I tip really well when I find somebody good. Guys don't always think of this, but you wouldn't believe how much women tip for their hair treatments. Good people expect a good tip and while it shouldn't matter, it does.

Excellent point and I always tip with the hopes to keep the barber motivated to strive to do his best.