tl;dr
Haircut: 4/5
Experience: 5/5
Shave: 1/5
Experience: 5/5
I was driving along Quinnpool on my way to a wedding and was in desperate need of a haircut at some point. My eye caught the barber pole in the window of a skate shop so we stopped and went in. At first I thought the pole was just for decoration because there was no other indication that hair was cut there, but one of the staff said to just go to the back. In the very back corner was a door that said Oddfellows Barbershop.
I went in and got a friendly reception. The space is a converted garage and the door was up with fresh air coming in. A dog was loafing off to the side. It seemed like a great place with people just coming by to chat and hang out. Even though I didn't have an appointment (around 10:30am) they were able to fit me in no problem. When I mentioned I would also like a shave (I was hitting peak lumberjack) they were also able to make time. Stu was incredibly friendly but not overly chatty, which is the way I like it.
Haircut: 4/5
Stu had some great ideas about what to do with my hair and was great at taking what direction I was giving. Literally the only problem was that the neck trim ended up missing a big clump just under my shirt line, which I don't think is particularly great at any time but really unfortunate at $25 for a cut. I have no doubt Stu would have sorted it out if I saw it in time but you also want to trust your barber to take care of the details.
Shave: 1/5
As I mentioned, I asked for a hot towel shave partly through the cut. It was a really great experience while it was going on - three hot towels, a gentle technique, etc - but I think it ended up being rushed. I had to get out of there quickly because someone was waiting and it wasn't until I was in a bathroom later that morning that I noticed big clumps had been missed under my nose, moving towards my cheek, along my mouth, and on my neck. It was relaxing but ultimately I had to shave again and it would have been a better use of everyone's time if I just had some clippers taken to my beard and handled the rest on my own. Details matter. read more