Mark Twain once said all things change except barbers — “the way of barbers, and the surroundings of barbers.” These days, it’s still possible to wander into a local shop to find a guy named Floyd wielding a pair of electric clippers like something out of a Norman Rockwell painting. But Twain may have been a little upset to see that in the age of cosmetology, the barber may be a dying breed.
Barbershops have weathered a storm that began in the 1960s when buzz cuts and flattops gave way to long locks and mop-tops. These cultural mainstays continue to thrive as unique social gatherings, but the question remains: Are the days of barbershops numbered?
There are few businesses in America’s ever-changing society that have maintained their traditions as long as barbershops have.
According to local barber Steven Vilhauer, the reason for the ongoing success of such establishments is clear: “It’s a place for men to hang out and get a simple haircut by someone who knows how to use a set of clippers,” Vilhauer said.
Dan Spencer, the owner of Jack’s Barbershop at 1754 West 11th Ave., says it may be a little more complicated than that. He compares his job to that of
a bartender.
“It’s not just about getting a haircut,” Spencer said. “It’s about the camaraderie with customers, being able to help people, encourage them, listen.”
Linda Martin, owner of Four Corners Barbershop at 2652 Roosevelt Blvd., has been cutting hair for 20 years. She says she enjoys freedom of self-employment the trade offers, as well as the relationships she builds with her clients.
“You get to see kids grow up,” Martin said.
The atmosphere of barbershops may be a big draw for many patrons.
“A person won’t go where they’re not comfortable. Our place is laid back, not stuffy,” Vilhauer said.
Barbershops have had to evolve over the years. And in an age of dye jobs and complex chemical work, barbers continue to battle salons for clientele.
Martin said there was a time when people would be willing to wait two hours for a turn at her chair, but an increasingly fast-paced culture has changed that.
“People are in more of a hurry. Now, if the wait is more than a half hour, they’ll just come back later,” Martin said.
Other modern issues have changed the practices of this classic trade. Vilhauer, who works at Les’s Barbershop on East 13th Avenue and Oak Street, says that since the arrival of AIDS as a public health concern, Les’s has drifted away from the hot lather and straight razor shaves that were synonymous with barbershops at one time.
Martin seems most concerned about the future of her trade. “I think the days of barbers are kind of dying out,” she said.
She added that cosmetology schools have overtaken barber schools around the country. She graduated from a barber school in Boise and said it was the only school of its kind left in the area. Even the instructors were cosmetologists with little experience in barber techniques.
The Northwest is not faring any better, according to Spencer, who graduated from a Eugene barber school in 1966.
“The school I went to closed around 1975, I believe,” Spencer said. “At one time, there were four in Portland, one in Salem, one in Eugene and one in Medford. But not anymore.”
It could be argued that if barbershops were to fall by the wayside, they would have done so by now. The allure may be less about haircutting than the dynamics created by a few people sitting in a room discussing the issue of the day.
And every day is different in a barbershop. Perhaps Spencer puts it best: “You never know what’s going to walk in the door.”