This entry’s for all of the young professionals out there who want their hair cut. DC’s a tough town for the art of the barber. When I first moved here 4 years ago, I went in search of a decent barber shop. Not a salon, not a stylist, but a real, honest to God barber. It took me months to find a place that I liked. I settled on a guy named Charlie over on H St. by the World Bank. But one day, I went in for my haircut, and Charlie’s chair was empty, his marine sticker and picture of his family gone. I asked, but they said he’d just up and left one day.
Dejected, I settled on the Clarendon Barber Shop over by Lazy Sundae in Clarendon, but eventually haircuts were taking longer and longer, costing more and more. I’ve been on an eight month search for a real barber and it wasn’t until lunchtime today I found one: Rafael Rodriguez. Tucked into a shop in the middle of the first floor of International Square, across from the bank, there is his chair in Jose’s Barber Shop.
Rafael is an artist. His clippers were barely noticeable as they sheared off my 2 months’ growth, his scissors swift and precise, and his eye impeccable. He ever gave me a nice beveled sideburn, which is a pretty neat trick to get even. Best yet, he sped me through in 20 minutes. All for $20. Not a bad use of a twenty-spot. He sure bought my allegiance.
Sure, he’s no Charlie, but barbers like Charlie are a rare commodity. Nobody uses a straight razor to do your neck and sideburns anymore. Nobody keeps a good scalp massager on hand. These are things that have become antiques and eschewed in favor of a metrosexual who “styles” your hair, uses highlights, and uses copious “product”.
Give me a barber, any day of the week. Thanks Raphael for a great cut, I’m glad you’re here!
See also: Haircut photo
This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs
I live and work in the District of Columbia. I write at We Love DC, a blog I helped start, I work at Technolutionary, a company I helped start, and I’m happy doing both. I enjoy watching baseball, cooking, and gardening. I grow a mean pepper, keep a clean scorebook, and wash the dishes when I’m done. Read Why I Love DC.
