A barber is a person whose occupation is mainly to cut, dress, groom, style and shave men’s and boys’ hair or beards. A barber’s place of work is known as a “barbershop” or a “barber’s”.
Barbershops are also places of social interaction and public discourse. In some instances, barbershops are also public fora. They are the locations of open debates, voicing public concerns, and engaging citizens in discussions about contemporary issues.
In previous times, barbers (known as barber surgeons) also performed surgery and dentistry. With the development of safety razors and the decreasing prevalence of beards in Anglophonic cultures, most barbers now specialize in cutting men’s scalp hair as opposed to facial hair.
Barbering was introduced to Rome by the Greek colonies in Sicily in 296 BC, and barbershops quickly became very popular centres for daily news and gossip. A morning visit to the tonsor became a part of the daily routine, as important as the visit to the public baths, and a young man’s first shave (tonsura) was considered an essential part of his coming of age ceremony.
A few Roman tonsores became wealthy and influential, running shops that were favourite public locations of high society; however, most were simple tradesmen, who owned small storefronts or worked in the streets for low prices.
So what’s made me do a blog on the ubiquitous barber? Well I’ve had many interesting experiences and conversation in barber shops many modern barbers are also ladies.
A few years ago when I was staying in Cadiz I went down to La Linea near Gibraltar to look at the marina there and to walk around the Rock of Gibraltar.
I needed a haircut and was passing a hairdressers so I called in and ask if they could cut my hair? The young guy went to a lady at the back of the saloon who came over and said “yes” take a seat.
So she proceeded to put a gown around me and tuck it into my neck collar, before she asked me in good English how would I like my hair trimming.
Being in Spain I complimented her on her excellent English. So we got chatting as you normally do with a hairdresser. I could tell the way she was using her scissors that she knew how to cut hair professionally.
So told me a fascinating story as she wasn’t Spanish at all but polish. She told me she went first to live in Scotland Edinburgh. She couldn’t speak a word of English but she got a job straightaway as a hairdresser. Before long she was training other student hairdressers in the art of cutting hair.
I said amazing a true European! Then I said “why did you leave Scotland” she said “I wanted to live somewhere warmer”. Scotlands has beautiful scenery but it can be cold even in June.
“I came to La Linea I didn’t speak a word of Spanish” now she speaks fluent Spanish and has her own saloon business. What a fantastic brave person and hairdresser with such an artisan skill.
What really sparked off my blog was a few days ago in Ragusa Sicily, I asked one of the girls in the port marina office about where I’d find a barber or hairdresser. She gave me a map of the town and said it’s here in the square or piazza. I got there and there was no sign just small shop for odds and ends beach toys magazines etc.
I walked across to the cafe opposite and asked the waiter is there hairdresser here. Yes he said and he took me back across to the shop but it was next door with no sign with a green fly strip for a door. I thanked the waiter for showing me the shop entrance.
There was elderly guy maybe my age. 😀 He couldn’t speak word of English neither I Italian.
The barbers shop had basic white walls with a picture of Virgin Mary on the wall. Two rotating barber chairs.
I sat down he put a gown around me with tie at the neck. He rotated me around and washed my hair which is nice and relaxing. I’ve always found having my hair cut rather therapeutic for some reason?
After the hair wash he spun me around again so I was facing the mirror. Looked at myself thought “Paul you look tired”! Lack of sleep whilst sailing!
No communication had gone between us such as “how would like your hair cut?” I thought let’s go with the flow see how this all transpires?
Just using scissors he started to cut my wet hair and he cut it shorter than I usually have but I thought “it will soon grow again”.
Now there were no electrical trimmers in sight, all he had was a box with clear front panel to my left and inside were various cutthroat razors. So he got to work with a razor trimming my hair down with only the razor after his initial scissor cut. He was a craftsman with that razor. He went around my ears and edges of my ears with various razors.
He spent long time trimming around my neck with the razor and my ears and sideboards. Then he got his scissors to work up my nose.
He rotated me around again for further hair wash. After that wash another rotation around to the mirror. Were he then combed my hair used a dryer and sprayed my hair with cologne?
I looked at myself thought I look different not the way I usually comb my hair but I looked rather distinguished, who did I look like? I know?
Bill Clinton who I always thought was a handsome debonair man. At the end he smiled at me and I said excellence and we shuck hands. I thought his premises was so simple but he was an artisan 👩🎨 in art hair cutting.
There’s old saying in life never judge the book by it’s cover!
Don’t forget my Italian barber had no electrical trimmers!