What's new

Review - Classic Barber Shave - Vienna, VA - Barber Shop

In the small shopping center at the corner of Maple Ave. E (route 123) and Branch Rd. SE (not the center with the Giant) is a very small barber shop that only calls itself Barber Shop. From the outside this place looks like a hole in the wall, and it is, but do NOT let that disuade you from walking inside where you will be promply and polietly welcomed.

The shop appears to be run by a family of Koreans who employ a single American who tends to set up shop on the left chair in the room. *** NOTE: Avoid getting a trim or anything from this guy!!! He seems much more interested in giving out his card at the end than he does giving a quality haircut. He has messed up my hair on two or three occasions and I would not let him near my face at this point. AVOID!!!! ***

In general I have my hair cut by Trudy (yes, I know not your usual Korean names) and she goes an excellent job. All of the Koreans throw in a neck and shoulder massage for free at the end of a haircut. :)

I have been going there for awhile but did not try out their shave service until this morning.

Trudy was busy so I was put under the care of (whom I suspect is) the matriarch of the family who is in the shop on rare days. She appeared to not do that many shaves and had some difficulties with the chair but wow was she carefull when she had the cut-throat in her hand!

I was seated and laid back with my feet placed on a footpad so I could relax. A couple of hot, wet towels were brought out from the back room along with a big mug of lather. The lather smelled like a classic barbershop sort of foam and is the same stuff they use when they straight-edge the back of your neck and sideburns during a cut. It sort of smelled sort of like Proraso but not quite.

My face was given a quick study and a even quicker massage more to test for skin stretching than a comfort luxury before I was lathered up with a badger brush. As an aside, the brush did not feel stiff like a boar but it was short and did have a comfortable umph to it as she lathered my face up.

After the lather came a hot towel, and she was very carefull to make sure it was at a temperature that was hot but not too hot for me. She got it right the first time and I almost went to sleep (at 10:30am) right then and there.

After the towel came another round of lather and then she began in with *very* short strokes of the straight-edge which was a shavette sort of cut-throad but with a much nicer handle, etc. Before she began she made a point of showing me that she was putting in a fresh blade, etc. I do not know what kind she used though.

The initial north-south pass started out very much like someone coloring around the lines in a coloring book before working on the rest of the image. She was very light and carefull, and the skritch-skritch of the blade was at first very odd but then comforting. Her stretching was comfortable and she worked at her pace versus that of a clock. Now and then a couple of folks would come to check how she was doing before going back to their customers.

After the first round of shaving came another hot towel, then another round of north-south followed by another towel. Afterwards came the south-north and she was just as carefull about using short strokes and working at her pace.

After the south-north work there were a couple touch-ups and then a final towel and a short gentle massage while the towel was still on. A application of Clubman A/S followed and I was surprised at the stinging I briefly felt because I don't usually use a A/S with alchohol. Looking in the mirror I noticed two *small* nicks, no irritation, but also skin that GLOWED with TOUCH ME NOW-NESS! When my hand explored it found a face and neck that was smoother than ice in Canada during the NHL hockey lock-out! I was most impressed that she was able to turn the underside of my chin into glass because I have a small problem spot that always feels a little scratchy after a regular shave even when I work at the area.

So, for my first ever cutthroat-shave, 5 towels, a BB smooth face and what seemed like 30 minutes of bliss the damage only came out to $10 + tip!!

Even now, six hours later I can't keep my own hands off my face because it's so enjoyable hahaaha! :blush:

I plan on trying Trudy's shave at the end of the week before I go on my weekend trip to see how she does her shaves and get my usual haircut.

The interesting part is that the lady who did my shave could tell that I did not use a cartridge blade and even went so far as to (motherly) chide me for using too much pressure on one part of my neck that I have a pressure problem with. Hehehe it was kind of funny and somewhat embarrasing because the other Korean barbers sort of clucked in agreement.

Apparently having a 31 year old walk into the shop and request a shave spurred a few others who were waiting to do the same when their time was called. Usually when you enter you are asked if you just want a haircut but they changed their minds when they go into their chairs. *grin*

I'm going to see if they have a "you bring it we'll use it policy" in the store. I would love to bring a tub of QED soap, a Momma Bear soap or a Nancy Boy shave creme to the store and see what magic they could work.

Mods: Would it be possible to add a Barber Shop section to the review list so people can easily look to see if a shop is in their area and if it's good or bad based on user input? Please? :) If so, please move this review there. Thanks!
 
Actually one of the above *was* used in my shave because I had just picked up a box from FedEx before going to the barber shop. They did not want to seem like they were endorsing a product through its use but they liked it and I let someone else use the product as well. However, I need to find out from them if this BYOSC was a one time thing or not, they were kind of hedging around an answer. I decided I wanted something more than typical barbershop lather for my innaugurial straight-razor shave.
 
Is this anywhere near Vienna metro?

As for the guy that gives bad hair cuts. Reminded me of a story from college. There was a barber shop directly across the street from the campus. Small shop , two barber chairs, most of the time only one guy in the shop doing cuts, and most the of the guys that were there for haircuts seemed to be retirees. Very few younger guys went there and the majority that did were like me college students from the neighboring college. Anyway, I got back after a haircut and my roommate told me the guy had completely missed a lock of hair. Held it out so I could find it and the thing was an easy 2-3 inches longer than the rest of my hair. Had to have my roommate trim that lock. How do you miss an entire lock of hair?!
 
fuerein said:
Is this anywhere near Vienna metro?

As for the guy that gives bad hair cuts. Reminded me of a story from college. There was a barber shop directly across the street from the campus. Small shop , two barber chairs, most of the time only one guy in the shop doing cuts, and most the of the guys that were there for haircuts seemed to be retirees. Very few younger guys went there and the majority that did were like me college students from the neighboring college. Anyway, I got back after a haircut and my roommate told me the guy had completely missed a lock of hair. Held it out so I could find it and the thing was an easy 2-3 inches longer than the rest of my hair. Had to have my roommate trim that lock. How do you miss an entire lock of hair?!

Yep, this is pretty close to the Metro. If you drive up towards Vienna and take a right onto 123 it is a couple lights down. It's in the same strip mall as the Blockbusters and Sweet Ginger Japanese Resteraunt. :001_smile
 
This is like 2 minutes from my Dad's place in Vienna. Definitely going to have to check it out on my next visit. Thanks for the post.
 
Top Bottom