NO PLANS!

In the newspaper one morning I noticed an article about this young barber who had just opened up an unusual barbershop. It seems he had spend a lot of time turning his shop into a turn of the century Barbershop. Somehow and somewhere he had found ads for barber supplies at the turn of the century. I did recognize some of the signs like Wildroot, etc. The article went on to say that the shop had a number of displays of clippers and razors. The article turned on one of my favorite subjects - Barber Tools! I really like to see what the first clippers (hand) were like, etc.

I had just gotten a haircut about 2 weeks ago so I had no plans on getting a haircut, but I did want to see what this article was all about. I have a fear of barbershops. I always have the feeling that the barber is going to cut the hair too short and I would panic. In fact I get really up tight when I go to the barber and until he has finished, I am a nervous wreck. I know it is not normal, but I just have that fear. I have noticed that my hair is getting quite thin on top and the area around the crown is beginning to leave as well.

I receive my paper in the morning around 5 AM so I had plenty of time to get ready before the shop opened at 7 AM. I was surprised at the hours the barber had posted. I guess he wanted to be of service to the guys on their way to work and for those who worked late and needed to get to the barber.

Anyways, I got ready and was on my way. I parked and walked to the shop. The lights were on and the door was unlocked. It was a little before 7 AM. I went in and the young barber was putting the magazines in order on the stand. Stan said he would be with me in a minute. I told him I wasn’t here for a haircut, but to look at the displays I had read about in the paper that morning. He said, “Go ahead. If you have any questions, feel free to ask.” I have to say he had quite a collection for a young man of 23. I did ask him how he was able to collect all of these and he told me he and his father had been collecting barber tools since he was a teenager. I was really impressed with his collection. He told me that he had a lot of shaving mugs but he hadn’t unpacked them for display at that time. I would have to come back in a week or two to see them.

When Stan finished getting the shop ready for business, he came over to me and said, “Ok! I am ready to be of service to you. Have a seat.” I felt a little guilty for taking advantage of his display and not get a haircut, so I sat down in the chair. I was surprised that the chair was extremely comfortable. I found out it was made in 1878. I was so interested in all of the things Stan had around his shop I had completely forgotten that I usually get really nervous before and during my haircut.

Stan put a cape on me and told me that the cape was not made in the 1800s but it was made in the style back then. He combed my hair and asked me what he could do for me today. He played a dirty trick on me….he gave me a pair of hand clippers that were made in 1910 and was telling me about them when he asked me what I wanted him to do for me. I was examining them when he asked the second time what he could do for me. I looked up and asked him if these really did cut the hair like modern day clippers. He smiled and said, “Sure! Here I will show you.” He began at my sideburn and up he went. I was totally taken in by the mechanics of the clippers. When he reached the top of my head, he stopped.

I asked him if he had others that worked as well. He looked at me and said, “I have a pair of hand clippers that cuts even closer than the clippers that are used to give a clipper shave. He picked them up out of the case and began to run up the side of my head right beside where he had just cut. He turned the chair so I could see in the mirror and sure enough, they really did clip close, in fact the area he had just cut was almost razor smooth.

Strange as it might sound, the actions of the barber hadn’t registered on me. I noticed some old scissors on display as well. I told him that one pair of scissors looked really strange and I asked him about them. He said that they were one of the first ‘thinning shears’ that were made. I asked him how they worked and if they still worked and he told me that they did and explained how they worked. I asked him if he could demonstrate them and he said, “Sure! But your hair is much too thin on top as it is.” I was having so much FUN that I wasn’t paying any attention as to what I was saying. I said, “Oh! Go ahead! I’m going to have you take it all off anyways.”

I was amazed how the thinning shears worked. They made a funny sound but I had to agree they did the work. I didn’t realize I had taken up about 15 minutes of Stan’s time by having him tell me about the instruments and demonstrating them. I had to get finished since I had to get to work.

Stan wanted to know how I wanted him to finish up the cut. I just looked at him and thanked him for his time and told him to give me his favorite cut. I didn’t have any idea what that cut was or why I said it. I also found myself enjoying the time in Stan’s chair, that I wasn’t one bit nervous. When he finished, he had shaved the sides and back and given me a really short buzz cut on the top. Much to my surprise, I loved it. I paid Stan and gave him a big tip. As I left, Stan invited me back in about 7 days to keep the cut looking sharp and by that time he should have the mugs out on display.

As I left, I could feel the cool air around my head. When I arrived at work, Bob, my best friend couldn’t get over my new haircut. He had a dozen questions about it. He knew how much I hated to get my hair cut and how I about panic that the barber might go too short. It was then that I finally realized that I hadn’t realized those fears this time. I thought to myself that was truly amazing. Bob asked me what cut I was going to get the next time and I told him I was thinking about getting my head shaved and then I laughed. I didn’t have any intention to do something drastic like that.

Bob asked me what hairstyle Stan had. His question took me by surprise. I told Bob I didn’t have any idea. I couldn’t remember what hairstyle he had. Now I am a very good observer but I must admit that I must have been so interested in the goodies tools of the trade that Stan had on display that I didn’t even register his hairstyle, just like I didn’t register my statements about letting him select the cut for me.

Bob wanted to know if I was going to go back to Stan and I told him I sure was. Bob wanted to know if he could go with me the next time. I told him I was going in 7 days and would be there at 7 when he opened. When the day arrived for my second visit to Stan’s, I found myself really looking forward to going and as the last time, I was there before 7. Stan had just opened when I arrived.

I went in and there on display were about 30 beautiful shaving mugs. I had no idea as to variety there were of them. Thank goodness they were behind glass. Stan came out and said, “Hi Dave, I see you have a great haircut there.” I laughed and asked him some things about the mugs. He told me that he had one that was quite old and was going to use it today. He wanted to know if I wanted to be the first. I told him I would be honored.

Stan offered me his chair and away he went. Just then Bob came in. I introduced Bob to Stan and then Bob said, “Well! Stan. I had to come and see what kept Dave here from being nervous about his haircut and what hairstyle you had since Dave couldn’t tell me.” Bob looked and talked with Stan and of course I was right in the middle of it and I didn’t realize that Stan was using his electric head shaving clippers all over my head. Bob smiled but didn’t say a word. I guess he figured I knew what was going on. As we all talked, Stan mixed up a good lather in his special mug and showed me the mug and the lather. I thought the process was most interesting.

As Stan was putting the lather on my head, I finally realized that Stan was going to shave my head. I looked up and he was smiling and I realized he had a bald head. I don’t know why, but I wasn’t nervous about going bald or what folks might say. I did ask Stan if he was going to use one of his old razors and he said, “Of Course! When I do, you will have been treated to all of my oldest instruments.” Stan picked up a beautiful straight razor. He began shaving my head right on the top. After a few scrapes, he cleaned off the razor and put it down.

I said, “What’s the matter Stan?” Stan smiled and told me that I would get a much smoother and comfortable shave if he used one of the new TURBO blades. He switched to that and I ended up with a shiny head. I couldn’t resist feeling it. Stan smiled and said, “Everyone does that the first few times they have gone bald.” I couldn’t get over the feel and the comfort. If you had asked me three weeks ago if I would ever shave or have my head shaved, I would have laughed at you. As I was getting up, I couldn’t believe that I actually had let someone shave my head.

Bob sat down and Stan put the cape on him. He asked Bob how he wanted his hair cut and Bob said, “Just like Dave’s.” In no time Stan had Bob looking great too. Now we left and were rubbing our heads and each other’s. I knew I was going to be back and had to get a tan going. Thank goodness it was springtime. Our fellow workers couldn’t believe what we had done when we arrived at work. I know they were most impressed that I had gone the BALD route, ME! - The one who was so particular about my hair and how nervous I would get even when I thought about getting my hair cut.

Bob and I go every week to have Stan give us a good shave. I do enjoy shaving my head but there is something about having it done in a barbershop and especially if it is a shop like Stan’s.