Earlier this year my hairstylist of many years moved out of town. She was the first person I had found in Jacksonville that really did what I would call an excellent job with my hair.
Since then, I have struggled to find a good place to get my haircut.
Jacksonville has no shortage of Hair Cuttery, Supercut, Great Clips type places. I have tried a few of them and they are all just awful. The stylists seem to treat you as an inconvenience instead of a customer. They are more interested in gabbing with the neighbor stylist. They don't do a good job. And it still ends up costing 20 bucks.
I decided earlier today to go to the Old School Barber Shop in Julington Creek. It's a little bit of a drive from where I work (about 30 minutes) but I figured it might be worth it. I checked their hours and they are open until 7. I called to make an appointment but was told they don't take them. I got there around 615. I walked in the door and was greeted by a rude woman rushing at me. She proceeds to turn off the OPEN sign, tell me they aren't taking anymore customers and quite literally closes/locks the door on my face. Ouch. What a terrible experience. An hour of my life I will never get back.
Needless to say, I will never go there again. Any guys on here have suggestions to where to get a good cut. Trying to keep it under 30 if possible.
Pomade and Tonic. They are on Blanding Blvd (don't know the exact address) in the Lakeshore area. A true barbershop and good atmosphere.
Mr. Jaxbydefault highly recommends Courtney Law at Salon on the Square in San Marco. Loyal following of male clients and she absolutely will NOT treat you like an inconvenience.
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Yikes, that sounds like a shitty experience.
I've personally never had a customer service issue with the cheap places (Supercuts, Great Clips, etc) and I've gone to them 90% of my life. However, from a quality perspective I'd say I am only really happy with my cuts 2/3rds of the time. Great Clips is my go-to...they have a check-in service on their app which means I never wait more than a couple minutes...and my haircut is pretty simple.
I like Jenny at Blow Out Hair Studio by Five Points (disclosure: she is a friend) but I think her typical clientele is female and her price is $25-30.
Hilarious Ock. I still remember all us long haired fellows getting our first cut at boot camp ... San Diego ... 1960 ... two weeks out of high school. Its the first step to equalize us, to take us to zero for rebuilding.
But you can get an excellent cut downtown on Adams just east of Laura, next to the popcorn place.... just down from Magnificat. Its called ... ?? I can't remember.
Fellow takes his time .. excellent job. Cost is fifteen. I give him twenty.
We talk about all kinds of things, but mostly social issues, government ... conspiracies ... but mostly about ways to live right ...being non-violent ... giving ... concern about others.
He tells me about Islam, and I tell him about the freedom of being a non-religious person, and about how one can still be good while not believing. His voice is calm ... sincere. He's a thin black man .. about sixty five. His name is Abdul Jihad. He's a Muslim.
Early on, he would sometimes ask to shave me. He uses a straight razor. I always say thank you, but never mind.
He sometimes stands on the corner in front of Magnificat. The cut is always quite good.
Hawthorne in Five Points is the only place I go now.
Great haircut, cool people and free Intuition beer
Many places are closed Mondays... I found out recently... >:(
Depends on what you consider a good haircut. I have found that the chains tend to give me a haircut that 90% of the people would consider ok, but it lacks the detail I want. I have also found that women will give me a haircut the guys they see all around them get. That's the 90% again. So, I found that gay guys give gay haircuts...the best 10% :) because they wanna make the guy look great.
On another note, I don't know how to cut hair, so I am uneasy when someone asks me how I want it cut. It's their job to make me look good, not my job to tell them how to do it.
Try Old School Barbershop in Shoppes of Avondale.
Several excellent stylists and always less than $20.
Great space, too.
Quote from: twojacks on July 09, 2014, 08:25:33 AM
On another note, I don't know how to cut hair, so I am uneasy when someone asks me how I want it cut. It's their job to make me look good, not my job to tell them how to do it.
Ha. I know exactly what you mean.
For me, I usually bring a picture of how I want my hair to look and show the person cutting. And even then they still ask how many inches I want off the top. I honestly have no idea and don't understand how they don't.
I have found places like Hair Cuttery or Great Clips are like Russian Roulette. 7 out of 8 times, you get a decent cut. But that one time is usually terrible.
I have tried the Old School Barbershop in Avondale. I really was not that impressed. Just felt like a well decorated Supercuts. And the guy who cut my hair smelled like an ashtray.
I'm also voting for Pomade and Tonic. Those guys know what they're doing.
Pomade & Tonic, as mentioned, or The Razor's Edge on King Street. You won't pay more than $20 including tip and you will get great service and attention to detail. And you can get a real shave at either.
We have never found anyone who gives a great haircut. Most of the time these cuts are cookie cutter first day in beauty school styles to just terrible cuts.
Cutting hair is an art and Jax barbers don't seem to understand this.
Even if one does not want an up to date haircut style, can't JAX barbers at least be compentant enough to consistabtly cut hair with proper techniques? Without leaving the barbershop with stray hairs or uneven hair?
Quote from: stephendare on July 09, 2014, 09:12:40 AM
Quote from: BoldBoyOfTheSouth on July 09, 2014, 09:10:38 AM
We have never found anyone who gives a great haircut. Most of the time these cuts are cookie cutter first day in beauty school styles to just terrible cuts.
I finally got a good haircut in this town. (after 15 years on not being able to find a single stylist who would just do a decent mens haircut from the present decade.)
Bruce Musser over at Hair Peace in five points.
Whenever I travel to Miami, California or up north, I always feel self conscious about my hair as if I just walked out of a one stoplight town. I see up to date men's hairstyles and I want to put on a hat.
I should make an appointment with Bruce.
Quote from: PeeJayEss on July 09, 2014, 09:07:03 AM
Pomade & Tonic, as mentioned, or The Razor's Edge on King Street. You won't pay more than $20 including tip and you will get great service and attention to detail. And you can get a real shave at either.
Might have to check this place out.
Here is a good article... 8)
http://www.metrojacksonville.com/article/2012-jun-pomade-and-tonic
If you're in the Arlington area there's no shortage of barbers:
http://goo.gl/maps/8tnBr
I can't vouch for any of them (I just shave my head at home), but I'd like to go in to one of these places one day and just shoot the :-X :-X :-X :-X with them.
Wesley at Shampoo, near bold bean. $20 for scissor cut.
The only cutter I've seen regularly (other than my mom).
The chop shops (super cuts and such) are not man friendly. I tried for a good ten years and finally concluded it will never work out.
They don't pay attention to the nuances of skull architecture. :D
Not sure if you're going for the basic butch look or for someone who'll style it up alil bit, but Carol at Head's up Salon on Edgewood has been doing my hair for 10 years. She's pretty good with texture and the razor blade.
The best way to find a hairstylist is to look around you..go to a
mall or somewhere with lots of people traffic and sit and watch and find someone with your hair type and has a cut you like.
https://www.vagaro.com/PomadeandTonicTraditionalBarbershop
As mentioned above. Pomade and Tonic. Old fashioned barber shop that you can make appointments on line. Full service including hot towel shaves.
If you know where Cassatt Ave ends at Blanding Blvd, there is a church across the street. P and T are nest door to the right. You have to turn right and go down to the light and do a U turn.
Quote from: BoldBoyOfTheSouth on July 09, 2014, 09:21:24 AM
Quote from: stephendare on July 09, 2014, 09:12:40 AM
Quote from: BoldBoyOfTheSouth on July 09, 2014, 09:10:38 AM
We have never found anyone who gives a great haircut. Most of the time these cuts are cookie cutter first day in beauty school styles to just terrible cuts.
I finally got a good haircut in this town. (after 15 years on not being able to find a single stylist who would just do a decent mens haircut from the present decade.)
Bruce Musser over at Hair Peace in five points.
Whenever I travel to Miami, California or up north, I always feel self conscious about my hair as if I just walked out of a one stoplight town. I see up to date men's hairstyles and I want to put on a hat.
I should make an appointment with Bruce.
I'm not sure where these mythical cities are where everyone has their own hairstylist, but every city I've been to in this country has a bunch of Supercuts stores. Jacksonville may be 2nd (or 3rd) fiddle to a lot of places in a lot of different ways, but there is literally no one that will look at your hair and say "Oh, they must be from Jacksonville! that place only has bad hairstylists."
Getting a good cut is as much about knowing what you want as it is about the quality of the stylist/barber. Take a picture of one of those "modern" cuts to a half-decent barber and they'll be able to make it happen.
Quote from: fieldafm on July 09, 2014, 05:35:11 AM
Hawthorne in Five Points is the only place I go now.
Great haircut, cool people and free Intuition beer
Whoa, now this I need.
I've been going to Cliff's for a while... 1559 University Blvd W, in the shopping center with Tijuana Flats. Typical old guys kind of barber shop, nothing fancy. I usually get James (the owner), or his son if I can.
barbers are not stylists. The majority of schools push out hair stylists. a barber is totally different. Ask the people at the shop what kind of license and school they went to. Nearly all of the "old school" shops just have the same stylist folks as supercuts, great clips etc.
Go see Farrel at Pomade & Tonic. he is a master barber and the guys in his shop are all barbers. The only guy in town who has ever come close to NYC barbers. and just $15... Been waiting 12 years with shitty haircuts from all over town...
Quote from: TheCat on July 09, 2014, 10:56:59 AM
Wesley at Shampoo, near bold bean. $20 for scissor cut.
The only cutter I've seen regularly (other than my mom).
The chop shops (super cuts and such) are not man friendly. I tried for a good ten years and finally concluded it will never work out.
They don't pay attention to the nuances of skull architecture. :D
+1
Wes does a great job. He's also a cool guy, plays guitar with my clerk. I have no musical talent I just have to hear about it from others. But I've been going to him for years never had a bad haircut.
Men's Haircuts are among the most technically difficult cuts to execute. Taking into account the bone structure and shape of the man's head must be carefully accounted for. A barber often follows the "guide" accentuating the natural bone structure when what is need is careful precision tailoring to create the ideal head shape.
Finding a Salon in Jacksonville (http://salonjax.com) where the provider looks at the whole person and not just the length of the guard is important to get a good haircut.
Quote from: Jacksonville Salon on October 03, 2015, 03:43:07 PM
Men's Haircuts are among the most technically difficult cuts to execute. Taking into account the bone structure and shape of the man's head must be carefully accounted for. A barber often follows the "guide" accentuating the natural bone structure when what is need is careful precision tailoring to create the ideal head shape.
Finding a Salon in Jacksonville (http://salonjax.com) where the provider looks at the whole person and not just the length of the guard is important to get a good haircut.
Holy crap this came out of left field! Last post on this subject was in 2014??
Anyway, interesting post, I had no idea us guys made things so complicated for barbers/stylists. If ours are so complicated why are my haircuts $15 while my wife's are over $100? I once paid $50 for a haircut and vowed to never ever ever ever do that again. A $50 haircut from what someone told me was a "great" salon for men turned out to be the exact same thing I get for $15 at a cheap barber shop.
@Jacksonville Salon made an account just to shill for your business. Bad form.
I think the men's barbershop market is in desperate need of filling in Jacksonville. I lived in Denver over that last year, up until recently
I loved visiting my neighborhood barber ( literally walked there ) at http://www.properbarbershop.com/ (http://www.properbarbershop.com/) .
Great cuts every time. Employed a razor for a majority of the cutting and made me feel confident in my look. I wish I could find a place here that could emulate that experience.
My barber told me they used to serve a glass of whiskey during cuts if you wanted one but ran into issues with not having a liquor license
Quote from: CCMjax on October 03, 2015, 10:42:38 PM
Quote from: Jacksonville Salon on October 03, 2015, 03:43:07 PM
Men's Haircuts are among the most technically difficult cuts to execute. Taking into account the bone structure and shape of the man's head must be carefully accounted for. A barber often follows the "guide" accentuating the natural bone structure when what is need is careful precision tailoring to create the ideal head shape.
Finding a Salon in Jacksonville (http://salonjax.com) where the provider looks at the whole person and not just the length of the guard is important to get a good haircut.
Holy crap this came out of left field! Last post on this subject was in 2014??
Anyway, interesting post, I had no idea us guys made things so complicated for barbers/stylists. If ours are so complicated why are my haircuts $15 while my wife's are over $100? I once paid $50 for a haircut and vowed to never ever ever ever do that again. A $50 haircut from what someone told me was a "great" salon for men turned out to be the exact same thing I get for $15 at a cheap barber shop.
Apparently, in some cities it is normal for a man to pay $70 for a haircut.
I have been getting my haircut from the same woman for over 20 years now. Her price started out at $20.00 and I'm paying $30.00 now + tips and gifts over the years. She starts off with a dry cut and finishes up with a shampoo and making sure my hair is prefect before I leave. :)
Never had a bad haircut from Hawthorne. $35 I think?
Quote from: Adam White on October 04, 2015, 03:29:20 AM
Quote from: CCMjax on October 03, 2015, 10:42:38 PM
Quote from: Jacksonville Salon on October 03, 2015, 03:43:07 PM
Men's Haircuts are among the most technically difficult cuts to execute. Taking into account the bone structure and shape of the man's head must be carefully accounted for. A barber often follows the "guide" accentuating the natural bone structure when what is need is careful precision tailoring to create the ideal head shape.
Finding a Salon in Jacksonville (http://salonjax.com) where the provider looks at the whole person and not just the length of the guard is important to get a good haircut.
Holy crap this came out of left field! Last post on this subject was in 2014??
Anyway, interesting post, I had no idea us guys made things so complicated for barbers/stylists. If ours are so complicated why are my haircuts $15 while my wife's are over $100? I once paid $50 for a haircut and vowed to never ever ever ever do that again. A $50 haircut from what someone told me was a "great" salon for men turned out to be the exact same thing I get for $15 at a cheap barber shop.
Apparently, in some cities it is normal for a man to pay $70 for a haircut.
Ha!
Anything over $20 is too much to me. Get over that, and I'll just shave it bald myself.
Quote from: lastdaysoffla on October 03, 2015, 10:47:39 PM
@Jacksonville Salon made an account just to shill for your business. Bad form.
I think the men's barbershop market is in desperate need of filling in Jacksonville. I lived in Denver over that last year, up until recently
I loved visiting my neighborhood barber ( literally walked there ) at http://www.properbarbershop.com/ (http://www.properbarbershop.com/) .
Great cuts every time. Employed a razor for a majority of the cutting and made me feel confident in my look. I wish I could find a place here that could emulate that experience.
My barber told me they used to serve a glass of whiskey during cuts if you wanted one but ran into issues with not having a liquor license
My old barber shop in the heart of Roscoe Village in Chicago was I think $18, and they'd give you beer while you were sitting there. Never had a bad haircut there either. When Jax gets a place like that I'm there. That's all you need fellas.
Barbershop on Bowden is kinda that place. Guy does pretty good with guy cuts and they give you a beer. But the one time I had a shave it was pretty awful.
I won't be a bit surprised if someone makes a thread on where to get good treeshade, air, or where to find a good collared shirt in Jacksonville... Responses be like, "Yeah, for the best treeshade, air, and collared shirts the nearest metros from Jax you gotta go to Orlando or Atlanta". Sorry, I'm in a sarcastic mood today.
Quote from: I-10east on October 05, 2015, 07:33:36 AM
I won't be a bit surprised if someone makes a thread on where to get good treeshade, air, or where to find a good collared shirt in Jacksonville... Responses be like, "Yeah, for the best treeshade, air, and collared shirts the nearest metros from Jax you gotta go to Orlando or Atlanta". Sorry, I'm in a sarcastic mood today.
To be fair, when I was growing up, you'd have to leave Jax to get decent air! I remember sitting in the oppressive heat in class at Susie Tolbert Sixth Grade Centre (no AC), trying to keep down the puke because the smell of the pulp mills was so pungent. Times really have changed.
^Speaking of decent air, I have an article in the works about Jax's old smell. It will be a look back at what was responsible for the smell, the history of the places creating the stink, a map of their locations, and an update on what's taking place on those specific sites today. I have one more company to research a bit on, so it should be ready by the end of the week.
Quote from: Adam White on October 05, 2015, 09:04:54 AM
To be fair, when I was growing up, you'd have to leave Jax to get decent air! I remember sitting in the oppressive heat in class at Susie Tolbert Sixth Grade Centre (no AC), trying to keep down the puke because the smell of the pulp mills was so pungent. Times really have changed.
Right on.
Quote from: thelakelander on October 05, 2015, 09:49:40 AM
^Speaking of decent air, I have an article in the works about Jax's old smell. It will be a look back at what was responsible for the smell, the history of the places creating the stink, a map of their locations, and an update on what's taking place on those specific sites today. I have one more company to research a bit on, so it should be ready by the end of the week.
That's great news! It was such a big deal for so long - sometimes you just couldn't escape it. I'm really looking forward to the article.
My dad's entire accounting career was in the paper industry. His first job was at an Owens-Illinois (OI) office, directly across the street from the Alton Box mill in Talleyrand, in the late 1960s. OI had sold the mill to Alton Box a few years earlier. OI must have officially left around 75' because he had to select a pulp mill in Valdosta or a large containerboard plant in Central Florida to transfer too. Over the years, the containerboard plant he picked had several owners (OI, Tenneco, Nekoosa Packaging, Georgia-Pacific, PCA, etc.) tied to various mills across the country. Growing up in the 1980s, we'd visit Jax a few times to catch up with their friends still living in town. The smell was downright horrible (especially in the Northside), but typical of pulp mills. The one thing that stood out about Jax was the concentration of facilities. Most mills were isolated or near small towns. In Jax/Northeast Florida, there were multiple mills and related industrial users, that when combined, kicked that bad smell up a notch.
Quote from: I-10east on October 05, 2015, 07:33:36 AM
I won't be a bit surprised if someone makes a thread on where to get good treeshade, air, or where to find a good collared shirt in Jacksonville... Responses be like, "Yeah, for the best treeshade, air, and collared shirts the nearest metros from Jax you gotta go to Orlando or Atlanta". Sorry, I'm in a sarcastic mood today.
In honor of I-10 . . . . Jacksonville's best tree by far has to be the one at Landon Park about 20 feet northwest of the San Marco Blvd gate entrance. Beautiful evenly balanced branches, provides great shade, great air, and great for kids to climb (it's got it all!). No, no wait, it has to be the one due west from the historic farm house at Alpine Grove Park since it's on the river. No wait, the one big one at Stinson Park because it's on the river aaaaaaaand has a view of downtown! You gotta check it out! ;)
I recommend Combs Barber & Style Shop, which is in the BB&T Building (20 North Hogan Street). They have been a Downtown business for decades. The late B.J. Combs was the original owner, and now his son Johnny and daughter-in-law Sue run the shop. Both do very good work, and their prices are reasonable. 904-354-1125 is their number if you want to make an appointment.
Central Barber at St Johns Bluff and Atlantic.
No falutin styling here, this is a mans' barbershop.
If you like old Navy stuff, you will like Central.
Cliff's Barbershop on University at San Jose ( same shopping center as Gene's Seafood ) is always a quality cut.
They just put in all new Barber's chairs. But still have an antique cash register so bring greenbacks!!!
I don't know if they still do this at Central Barber, but I remember going there years ago with friends on the midnight shift who would get off at 0700 and stop by Central to get a buzz (cut!) and chatting with Navy, JFRD, JSO, and others on shift work, drinking strong coffee and listening to some very lively conversations at that time of day while I perused Esquire, Sports Illustrated and Car & Driver. Learned a lot there from people you don't often hear much from and seemed amazed a female would even come in there! It's quite manly. No, I didn't get a cut while there, but it was a fun place to lurk.