Finally found a good barber in Brattleboro!…read more
Background: Until today, I've been making do with average cuts from the place at our local Walmart. For $17, the Walmart place is pretty good, but not out of this world. I've been hoping to find something a little better in Brattleboro for around the same price. Today, I gave Zico's a shot.
Atmosphere: Way better then my usual spot. Plenty spacious. There's a ridiculously comfy, plush leather couch to sink into while waiting. For refreshments, there's a spring water dispenser and Keurig machine with an assortment of tea and coffee. In addition to the usual magazine assortment, there's a current Reformer, and a wall mounted big screen HDTV. I didn't exactly mind the brief wait.
Haircut: Amenities are nice, but the most important part of a barbershop is the haircut itself. I was able to have it done by Zico, and couldn't be happier with the end result. He took his time, paid attention to details, and did a quality job. Incredibly, I hardly had to say a thing about how I wanted it to look. I literally just told him I wanted a "trim," and he made all the right judgement calls. Perfect length- not too long, not too short. Hair stylists tend to mess up my sideburns- I like them to look nice and clean, brought up a little but not destroyed, and most importantly, look even. Zico somehow nailed every aspect of them without needing me to say a word. Another pet peeve of mine, is how a lot of times barbers/stylist won't sufficiently clean up the back of my neck. They'll often leave fuzz, and a field of loose hairs. I appreciated the way Zico thoroughly cleaned up that entire area, better than anyone else. And, just like with the sideburns, I didn't even have to ask. After having my haircut, there always seems to be at least one aspect of it that I don't like, and I'm left feeling self conscious. Right now, my hair looks as good as I think it's capable of, and there's not one thing I'd change. I asked my girlfriend for her brutally honest opinion, and she even agreed that it was my best cut yet.
Price: At $20, it was $3 more than at my usual place. Initially, it feels like a lot more, probably because of the psychology of going over the $19.99 price point, but in reality, it's only $3. Some people pay hundreds; I'll gladly pay a few extra bucks if it's going to get me a great haircut.
