About two and a half years ago I moved to a new town, and round the corner from my house is a barbers. Being a man of few follicles, I have rarely had need to visit the barbers but one day I decided to treat myself and have a proper shave.
I find the barbers a weird experience. It might be because I am not a naturally outgoing person and I struggle with the small talk. It might be because the experience of someone you don’t know doing something very close up to me isn’t one I find relaxing (see also: when the optician puts his face right in front of your eyes).
However, it can also be enjoyable. I usually get my scalp done with a wet shave and it feels so smooth and lovely afterwards that I can’t stop stroking it. It also smells nice for the next few hours as well. The barbers also offers a hot towel and a steam machine which the staff are very keen to get you to try out. I’m not sure if they charge more for it – it doesn’t really seem to affect the price. These, my friends, are the good stuff. You need to get in on this if you’re not already. It’s so amazingly relaxing. I’m sure there’s some sciencey explanation for what it’s doing to you, but the feeling is like your face is having a giant warm hug.
Bass told me to try the hot towel treatment and it’s one of the few times that I have entirely agreed with his recommendation. I have since recommended it to my brother-in-law when we got smartened up before my wedding.
After trying out the barbers and armed with this new found sense of beard based adventures, I decided to try out all the other barbers in town. If the first barbers I tried had these exciting things, what amazing possibilities were awaiting me in the other ones?
There’s about 6 barbers in our town. Our high street is mainly full of hairdressers/barbers, charity shops, cafes and estate agents. Every few weeks when I felt like it was time for another treat, I took myself to a new one.
And every time I was disappointed. None of them did a wet shave. None of them did a hot towel, and I daren’t even ask whether there was a steam machine.
So after trying every barbers, I went back to the one just round the corner and I have never gone to another one since.