Diary of a vintage barber enthusiast

2010-12-22T16:28:00.000-08:00

Greetings and happy holidays to all my readers. Kinda crazy weather in some parts of the world, heavy snow in Ireland and flash floods in Los Angeles County. So, here's a treat: 1940s Mohawks. Yes, a lot of folks have heard or read about US airborne troops parachuting into Normandy in '44 with shaved heads and Mohawks. But you never SEE images of these guys... well here goes:

Here are some photos of "Pathfinders", guys from the 82nd and 101st airborne divisions who parachuted in first. These pictures are screen caps I took from an Army Air Force film made on D Day minus one.

These images are great because they are the real deal - the image of the all American citizen soldier that was portrayed in the media was very different to what these warriors looked like.

I'm pretty sure the guy above on the right has had his hair shaved with a straight razor. I mean, even an Oster machine with a 00005 attachment wouldn't be that close. What I find interesting is that this guy's hair actually looks like a modern marine "recon" haircut AKA a horseshoe. Recently I was in contact with another barber enthusiast who sports this cut called Musclebuzz and he told me about a Los Angeles barbershop run by recon-wearing Mohawk Matt. Keep up the good work Matt.

2010-10-13T15:48:00.000-07:00

Courtesy of fellow barber blogger Frank Reiland I came across this new clip of Donny Hawley talking at his shop. It's beautifully shot - kudos to whoever put this video together. I find it very interesting that Donny talks about the hardships of barbers from the 60s to the 80s. This is exactly what Liam Finnegan, veteran barber and owner of the Waldorf talks about. Damn hippies ruined it for all of us!!! Anyway, a new Golden Age of traditional barbering seems to be back. Incidentally, in Donny's shop there's a b&w photo of his grandad motocross bikeracing in Dublin back in the 50s in "Shelbourne Park." This is only a couple of miles from me - I messaged Donny about this but I'm not sure he got it.

2010-09-08T09:28:00.000-07:00

Ok. Here's some 'vintage' footage of yours truly shot on location at
the Waldorf barbershop in Dublin. Spot prize for having the most
interesting guess about what I was talking about.

2010-09-01T16:02:00.000-07:00

I wanted to share this neat image I came across on the net of a Victorian gentleman shaving himself. It struck a cord because it reminded me of the video below of me shaving with a straight razor. What strikes me as unusual in the picture (or is it a painting) is that the subject is shaving - a mundane gentleman's task. Normally pictures from the period were more staged.

2010-08-01T07:06:00.000-07:00

Hello friends. I've been meaning to put together a shave video for a while and have finally done it. Shaving yourself at home with a straight razor is a different experience than shaving or getting shaved in a barbershop. You need to learn the basics, then figure out what works for you. Traditionally at a barbershop, one would start from the jawline and do the neckline later. I've found that doing the neck first works best for me. To keep this video as easy and practical as possible, I'm using a shavette (which we looked at in an earlier post) and I'm using a cheap shaving brush and palmolive soap - yes, that's right, just a bar of plain old soap. That's why it drys in a little faster than palmolive shave paste would do.

Horstator Piccolo 55

2010-04-26T03:08:00.000-07:00

Here is a picture I took of a new clippers that Liam at the Waldorf barbershop recently acquired. It's a Made in Germany clippers. I was debating with Liam about the age of this machine. Judging by the warranty and the instructions leaflet, and the illustration on the box, I'd guess late 40s to mid-50s. Liam thinks it's more modern, maybe 60s. In any case it does work and do a really good job. It's got a slower motor just like the Oster. There is a blade that is a 00005 which did give a tighter result than the Oster. There is a large chrome beak that juts out so it takes longer for the metal blade to heat up. That's one thing that I love about the Oster.

Below is a great clip about a barbershop in the late 50s. You can see that the barber is using a barrel type clippers.

2010-04-05T09:22:00.000-07:00

On Saturday I called in early to the folks at the Waldorf. I had left my vintage pre-war straight razor in to Liam for honing and was looking forward to collecting it. One of the best parts of calling to the shop is the atmosphere and the people who come in - you just never know who you are likely to meet - especially on a Saturday. Linda from the shop had a photographer coming in called Rosco. I have seen Rosco's work before through mutual friends - he does a lot of work for the Burlesque and vintage scene. Rosco was kind enough to take these photos of me getting a shave and haircut from Linda:

If you would like to contact Rosco for photography work, you can message him in Facebook - where he goes by Oyster Zepplin

2010-04-05T08:57:00.000-07:00

Well it has been some time since my last post.... time goes by very quickly. I have been practicing my straight razor shaving at home with a shavette recently. A shavette (or disposable straight razor) is a for all intents like a straight razor, except that you can change the blade when you shave.... so no honing or stropping. Here's an image of a shavette - and below it is the type of blade you use to put in it. These blades come in a paper wrap, and when you unwrap a blade, you snap it in half to get two parts, each with a sharp edge.

This shavette has done a nice job but Saturday I collected my freshly honed straight razor from the barbershop so I will no doubt being using that again soon.

2010-02-08T18:22:00.000-08:00

Another very relaxing Saturday afternoon spent at the Waldorf catching up with friends. In this shot you can see another happy customer perusing the straight razor catalog then in the chair getting styled up for Saturday night:

My sincere thanks to Ger at the Waldorf for starting this shave and for Liam in perfecting it. Got it on Saturday, and don't need to shave till Tuesday. Nice!

This is what I looked like when I came into the shop earlier (about 3 days growth):

2010-02-01T07:24:00.000-08:00

Sweeney Todds Barbershop in L.A. | Lucky 13 pomades and shampoo | D.A.s at the Waldorf
A really nice message I got in today from our friends over at Sweeney Todds Barbershop in L.A. Todd the owner contacted me to say:

"My hats off to you!"
"The Waldorf and it's barbers are a rule by which all barber shops and barbers should be measured. I just happened to be browsing around on the internet when I stumbled across your blog. I too own an old shop dating back to 1927. It's last remodel was back in the early 50's. I've tried to maintain this asthetic but your crew takes it a couple notches higher. I've already sent your blog link to some friends and posted a bulletin on myspace. More people need to see what real barbering is all about. cheers! Todd."
Here's Todd:

Well this was a great message to get! Los Angeles is my favorite US city. There are so many Golden Era buildings around, and Sweeney Todds has been in operation since 1927 (wow - two years older than the Waldorf). I can see the shop has been restored recently, and I think it looks great.

.../..
I got a nice pompadour from Linda Finnegan on Saturday. Basically, I am trying to grow out the top again and keep the top nice n' tite. You'll see that Linda has styled in a Duck's Ass (D.A.) at the back. Here's a video I shot while in the chair:

In the chair before me was Dave, who get a great haircut from Linda. Amazingly, Linda did this with no scissors, using just the machine. Here's his finished haircut (you can see the beginnings of a D.A.):

Here is another customer from the Waldorf who in my opinion has the best D.A. in town:

2010-01-28T17:08:00.000-08:00

Pretty cool talking to this guy today, whose father and grandfather were barbers before him. Adrian worked in different fields but has been drawn back into barbering, and is now studying under the expert tutelage of Linda Finnegan. In this picture, Adrian shows Linda his straight razor (Sheffield Steel) that he is now using (and was earlier that day honed and stropped at the Waldorf). It was passed down from his grandfather Thomas's collection.

2010-01-27T01:31:00.000-08:00

I noticed we have some new blog followers and that's great. One of them is a barber called Frankie, and I found a link on his blog to a great Donnie Hawley video. Donny is the owner of Hawleywoods barbershops in California. Next time I go to L.A. I am definitelty booking an appointment and going down to Long Beach to the shop.

Donny calls the style I'd know as a "flat top boogie" a "flat top with fenders". Pretty damn cool.

2009-12-30T13:56:00.000-08:00

Some pictures from earlier today at the Waldorf:

2009-12-24T14:37:00.000-08:00

I was working at the Waldorf today on Christmas eve and we had a visit from artist David McDermott (dressed in the manner of Ebenezer Scrooge):

This little boy got his hair done in time for Santa:

Merry Christmas to everyone.

2009-12-20T18:13:00.000-08:00

I'm going to be going to see Imelda May in Dublin Tuesday. So yesterday I paid a visit to to Linda Finnegan at the Waldorf to get a special cut. In fact, it's something I've had on my mind to get done for a long time. I usually get a zero, that's a machine or manual clippers around the edges. Well today I got a straight razor (cut-throat!) on my head all the way around. So Linda blended in from a nothing - skin - to hair, and did a great job!

2009-12-16T10:24:00.000-08:00

Survey time!!! Do you want to help me improve men's barbering standards? Tell me what you think here: it will only take a moment. Click H E R E

2009-12-16T10:09:00.000-08:00

I had the pleasure of showing a friend around Dublin recently and bringing him to the Waldorf for the works. Paddy, in true journalist style recounts the tale:

A Grand time in Dublin City...

I HAD a wonderful time staying with Brian and his family and getting the VIP treatment of being met at the airport. How often does a towering BIG FELLA in a hat throw out his shovel like hand like an Irish No.7 and welcome you to his city like a long-lost-brother? From there on in I felt like a king and my feet hardly touched the ground on this 'flying visit' to Dublin.

We had a lovely walk down Fleet Street where we made a mental note to visit and old Dublin public bar later on the day, by the name of 'The Palace Bar' with photos of old members such as the writer Samuel Beckett.

Through the windswept Georgian alleyways we wandered and onto the hallowed ground of Trinity College, Dublin (TCD), where Brian guided me in to visit the old library and see the famous 'Book of Kells.'

As you'll see from Brian's earlier photo opportunities, we ventured into an old Gentleman's clothes shop which stocked a healthy range of hats.

Then, the bearded man was led comfortably to slaughter as we paced our way towards Westmoreland Street to the exhaulted Gentlemen's 'hairdressing & shaving saloon' that is 'The Waldorf.' Celebrating 80-years of battling 'tardiness' in men and transforming them into dapper blades fit to stride with confidence up the street with their perfectly groomed head held high, I felt it was a true honour to offer my throat into the capable hands of the proprieter, Liam.

When it came to feeling the cold German steel glide ably against my cheek, I was very much a virgin in the hands of a master barber. Jokes about an award winning pie-shop nearby, did little to settle my intrepidation of what was coming next.

BEFORE...

A paper towel was wrapped around my throat and then an apron draped and secured across my front, as I eased myself into the vintage leather chair.

The beard which had been allowed to grow for several weeks (for this very moment, like a young lamb), was initially taken off with some shears (just to reduce the mess of hairs). Then a hot towel was reverently brought from the chrome altar heating the towels in timeless fashion on the far wall.

The hot towel was wrapped around my face, encasing it in a shroud of white, frightingly similar to a pre-cooked pastry casing a meat pie! But NO!! I wasn't going to let my imagination get the better of this once-in-a-lifetime experience!

With just my nose left bare like a pink perescope drinking in the scents of the saloon, I found the hot towel extremely relaxing, absorbing all the nervous energy I had allowed to build up. Then on taking it off, Liam applied a brush (like a sable brush) to my face, and swiftly with a few flicks of the hand lathered me up.

The first touch of steel came from a very sharp blade that glided effortlessly across my skin, nimbly weaving in and out of corners and hugging across ridges like a bird rides the mountain thermals, as Liam's other hand unconsciously kept the skin drum-taught against the razor edge. I could hear the scraping sound of hairs being harvested that reminded me of butter being spread across dried toast.

DURING...

The second blade unsheathed, was from my old town of Belfast in the North (a long departed barber shop in Ann Street), a softer blade than the first that had been a gift from a barber, now long gone. But like many of Liam's vintage instruments, he honours their former custodian's by giving continued life to the very tools that they used to make a living in their lifetimes. So I dare say that although Liam was the man at my throat that day, he had many Guardian Angels of former barbers watching over him (and the wonderful photo gallery on the wall shows just some of the former barbers of the Waldorf through the 30's, 40's and 50's).

At times I had to pinch myself, as I sat in the shadow of greats like Frank Sinatra and George Formby who were patrons of this grand place as they passed through the Fair City.

Following the shave, Liam draped my face in a cold towel to close the pores and then finally ran his hand over where a beard once was to finally take away any stray hairs.

The most soothing balm was then massaged into my face, but no-one was overly ready to give me the ingredients! other than a whispered, "It's a special Waldorf...yackety-yack!"
AFTER...

Ooooopppps!!!! Wrong guy!!! this is the right guy vvvvv

To give you an idea of just HOW SPECIAL I was made to feel in this little oasis of dignity that hasn't changed much since the first Great Depression of 29, I arrived at 4.30pm and it was after 7pm when we left!! You don't go to the Waldorf for a haircut and a shave, you go for a way of life. This truely is a magical experience with old-time skills being used daily (such as singeing; razor hair cut; moustache tongs; head massage..etc) that in most 'hair shops' of today have been lost to the history books.

This is Brian folks...(MISTER 'H' to YOU...!)

And boy-oh-boy did I get the Rockefellar/Vanderbilt treatment or what!. He wielded those scissors and blade like a Prussian duelling champion! Working off the inspiration of a vintage 1930's etching hanging on the wall. I even got my hair cut using German steel razored across English bakelite (mmmm, maybe the comb wasn't bakelite..sounds 'good' though!).

It was at this most vulnerable points (for me anyway) that Brian suggests..."Paddy, fancy going to a swing-dance lesson?" Well c'mon fella!! what meat-head is going to argue with a man swinging a cut-throat like he was out cutting the lawn?! duh!! "Sure Brian - I thought you'd never ask!" And anyway, I was going to be the sharpest blade at this little ol' party with cheeks like a Michael Angelo! (best pizza on the Boulevard!).

Then Brian starts sniffing the Brylcreem and that whippet of a man is off, kneading my melon like it's a pound of dough! My gawd, I'd swear he's half Turkish the way he threw that head around the room like a Yankee's pitcher and if truth be told, that skull of mine felt pretty 'hard boiled' by the end of it, in a noirish sense of the word! I was ready to take on the world!!

Some of the special Prohibition WALDORF juice sprinkled from the Godlike hands of Father Brian like my first baptism, and I suppose in a sense it was...a REBIRTH if you will...
And boy...did I feel grand...!!

Gents, the Waldorf isn't just a barbers, ....it's a time machine honed from the finest German steel and steered by the finest Irish craftsmen...

Thanks to Liam, Brian and the crew of this fine ship, THE WALDORF.

2009-11-24T13:43:00.000-08:00

Here's a cartoon I came across from a member of www.thefedoralounge.com It comes from a 1932 men’s etiquette book called "Manners for Moderns".

2009-11-23T13:30:00.000-08:00

Recently I visited the Waldorf barbershop early on a Saturday morning and observed an unusual occurrence: 3 brother came into the shop looking to get rockabilly/40s/50s haircuts. I mean, it's not usual to see a few guys in the shop at the same time looking for these cuts but it was fun seeing as they are brothers. The haircuts were done by Liam, Ger and Linda so the boys were in the chairs beside each other. I like the way each haircut is different, yet it is noticeably vintage. These guys were actually heading off together to Memphis , Tennessee which they do every year. This was their first time at the Waldorf - they heard about the place when they saw it on TV recently.

2009-11-22T08:58:00.000-08:00

Success! Both Danielle and I passed our Waldorf School of Barbering Examinations. We had a short then a long haircut. We were timed at 45 minutes per cut. The atmosphere was very professional and we were very focused. Sinéad M. the external examiner was extremely efficient and made exhaustive notes on her clipboard throughout the process. We got no assistance from Linda our instructor, who was patiently waiting for us in the office and monitoring the performance remotely.

When we received our verbal results, we got a score out of 100. The pass rate rate was set very high (much higher than a university pass rate!) There were 10 categories and we were individually marked in each category for each haircut (we each had a short and a long haircut). Items marked ranged from razor work to familiarity with tools to overall appearance.

I would like to sincerely thank Linda Finnegan of the Waldorf Barbershop. Linda has been a fantastic coach and tutor. She has been patient and has a gift for teaching. I am honored to have trained with her as she has been a World Championship competitor and winner in male barbering and is really a master at her craft.

For people looking to follow the Waldorf Barbershop and Linda please visit the shop's facebook page.

2009-11-17T14:59:00.000-08:00

Earlier today I was emailing Marcus from Northern San Diego County, sunny California. Marcus has a fantastic hairstyle that is both stylish but also short and neat. What I really like about this hairstyle is that, like mine, it's not straight on top. Here is a perfect example of how to make the most of curly hair on top, with a super-neat appearance. Amazingly this is a recent photograph even though it looks like it could have been taken back in the '40s.

The second photograph illustrates the haircut at the sides and back. A couple of people have written in questions to me asking about what to say to a barber to describe the haircut they want. Well Marcus (an 8 year US Marine Corps veteran - Semper Fi!) in the picture above writes to me with the following information:

"The haircut I usually get is known as a "Low-Regulation", but better known as "Low-Reg". It's basically just going around the bottom edge of the hairline and graduating it from 0-3 inches (maximum top length for modern Marines)."

2009-11-15T05:42:00.000-08:00

I got an email from Paddy with some very interesting links. Paddy is a friend traveling to Dublin later this month and we plan to pay a visit to the Waldorf barbershop. Paddy and I had been discussing our favorite show "Mad Men". Mad Men has definitely set trends in terms of men's and women's fashion (skinny lapel suits, skinny ties, "Joan Holloway" dresses, etc.). Well the show has inspired a lot of guys with the haircuts, which are sharp and masculine. Here are some great links:

(1) New York Times: Look the Part | Getting ‘Mad Men’ Hair

(2) This is an excellent article: artofmanliness.com The Mad Men guide to a manly haircut

(3) How to choose a barber - a guide

This is the look I like (in terms of both haircut and dress sense). Being a World War II veteran he has a more classic style than the other guys in the advertising agency:

2009-11-15T05:20:00.000-08:00

Last Thursday's class was the final class of the training course Danielle and I are doing at the Waldorf barbershop. Next week we'll be doing an exam. There will be an external examiner coming in to assess us. So I'm trying to get in as much practice as I can before next Thursday! Here are some photos we took on the night:
Danielle's first customer:

Danielle's second customer:

Paolo, my customer for the night:

Here is Linda interviewing Danielle and I, giving some final thoughts on the training program:

2009-11-09T05:32:00.000-08:00

As part of this blog, I like posting little "asides" about interesting things that relate to the Waldorf or the Golden Era. A customer I had in a few weeks ago is Aidan (you can find the post below in "older posts"). Well, Aidan was kind enough to bring in this amazing photograph to show me. His father was on the cover of the official Police magazine back in '52. Look at the style of this man. Now that's authority. This man would inspire confidence, and he's the kind of man in uniform that people would respect:

Gda. N. Bridgett, on Dame Street, opp. Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland. 1952.

Officer Bridgett's beat covered the Waldorf Barbershop, located on Westmoreland Street. At the time of the above photograph, the Waldorf had been in business a mere 23 years. This photo was taken in 1952, and one of my favorite movies "L.A. Confidential" opens in 1952, and is also about policemen.

The man who wrote the book "L.A. Confidential" is author James Ellroy. I met him on Saturday night at a book signing in Belfast:

2009-11-09T04:13:00.000-08:00

This is a picture of my good friend Conor, who after hearing about this new "Dapper" cut, went into Linda at the Waldorf to get himself one. Normally his hair would be slightly longer but this new, more defined style looks great!

2009-11-09T04:00:00.000-08:00

I am currently in week 9 of the Waldorf Barbershop training program. We had an interesting class and both Danielle (my fellow student) and I had two models for the evening class. Thankfully, it has become marketly easier for me to get people I know to volunteer for these free haircuts, as each week the prospective models can see the outcome of the previous week. Here's Danielle with her two models for the evening:

That guy (^) looks happy. This guy below was on vacation here from Germany with him mom. They seemed really happy to be visiting the famous Waldorf. I think he needs pomade for his hair now. His mom took lots of pictures. I think they had fun!

Here's my class mate (from my other class) Jim. He asked for a Rockabilly haircut. Seeing as how we'd have to grow the top a lot more, I gave Jim what the Waldorf now calls the "Dapper" haircut - you can see it's a neat style and certainly stands out. (Liam, Jim's friend in the reflection - he was model #2)

I think this looks great, and I am proud of my work on this one (a lot of scissors over comb....)

Note to Jim: I used the Pashana tonic by mistake when I gave you the tonic friction. The Pashana is a very strong aroma - I meant to use the usual citrus Waldorf tonic. Hope the Pashana wasn't too awful, lol.

2009-11-02T12:14:00.000-08:00

Exposé's Glenda Gilson reports from the Waldorf about a growing trend of men asking for the 1940s haircut. Here's the link to the show, it aired earlier this evening:

2009-10-29T11:09:00.000-07:00

Exposé time today at the Waldorf! I drove in to the barbershop in town in my 1941 Buick. There was an air of excitement in the shop first thing and after a quick tidy up the 40s and 50s customers came in to the barbershop for filming. There were 6 of us (3 x 1940s and 3 x 1950s), and we were a motley crew of students/engineers/designers/fashion outlet managers etc. Just shows the wide spectrum of people who are enthusiastic about the Golden Era. We did some filming in the barbershop first and then did a shoot in a cobbled street in Temple Bar with my car.

Here is Glenda Gilson, the show's presenter:

And here are some stills from some footage I took on my iPhone:

I was pleasantly surprised to meet another 1940s man. It's great fun being with other fedora wearers when you have a old jalopy like mine. Thanks to Linda for organizing the day. We are all looking forward to when the show airs. I'll be sure to post it here on the blog.

Earlier, inside the shop:

Going back to work after getting just the right haircut:

2009-10-25T15:35:00.000-07:00

Speaking of '40s haircuts... I want to post this picture of The Sartorialist himself, Mr. Scott Schumann. Schumann was in Dublin recently promoting his new book on street fashion, and street photography. You can clearly see he is a fan of the '40s haircut and the style of the Golden Era.

As one commentator (Sarah-Jane) on his blog states - after meeting him in Dublin:

you looked like a 1940's movie star!

2009-10-25T15:12:00.000-07:00

I brought along two customers this evening, both are fellow students from my graduate school class. Here is Aidan in a before and after shot:

Aidan told me his father worked near the Waldorf and knew of the shop quite well. I guess this is not surprising considering there were two branches on Westmoreland Street at one point, one opening in 1929 and the "newer" one in 1946. I actually learned a lot on this haircut, it was an exercise in restraint, as not a whole lot of hair came off. It ended up remaining a really distinctive style, which is perfect for Aidan.

Also in the chair was Seán, a fellow classmate. Seán got a "one" attachment on the clippers at the bottom which I blended in to the slightly longer hair above. This was really good practice. I also spend time finishing the nape of the neck to make it extra sharp. We went a little longer on top than Seán was used to, I think I may have converted him into going for a more classic style.

When I got to the Waldorf to start the class, Linda was working on this Rockabilly, whose haircut really stood out. This is Dave and I believe his pompadour rocks (he'll be on the Exposé TV show when it films here later this week):

2009-10-25T14:52:00.000-07:00

Week 8 on the Waldorf barber training program. Here's Danielle with her appreciative customer for the evening (I like this photo, it think it's a neat composition):

2009-10-20T16:01:00.000-07:00

I this this kid is great! Not only has he got a killer pompadour, but he's a real entrepreneur - he's got a sponsorship deal going on with www.Highlifepomade.com. You gotta admire a highschool with business acumen like that!

2009-10-20T15:52:00.000-07:00

Great news! TV3's show Xposé is coming to the Waldorf next week to film some of the period haircuts that people are getting there. I'll be there getting my favorite 1940s bespoke razor cut by Liam. There will be several Rockabilies coming in to show what a great job Linda does on their hair. In general there has been an increase in interest in Rockabilly (of course), but also a huge increase in guys looking for the 1940s haircut. Who walked out of Inglourious Basterds and didn't think Aldo Raine's (aka Brad Pitt) haircut wasn't cool??!! And of course George Clooney (fellow Golden Era fanatic) is the poster boy for the 40s smart haircut!

2009-10-19T15:42:00.000-07:00

Here is a picture I took of the book I am borrowing from Liam at the Waldorf. Man, I wish a guy could still walk into a barbershop and ask for a "forward boogie"! Too cool.....

2009-10-19T15:33:00.000-07:00

As part of my training I spent a day in the Waldorf with Liam, Linda. Ger and Elaina. We had great fun that day. It was a busy one and I got to meet and deal with a lot of the regular customers. I had a great time, and it was good experience for me to interact with all of the customers. It's quite easy to do this, as the regular customers are fans of the place. I got to look after quite a few hairwashes, frictions and even a haircut. I will be going back soon to practice hot towel shaves, I'll bring a friend with me as the customer. I'm feeling very confident about shaves - I'm getting planty of practice in at home with my vintage straight razor. Here's me, quite balmy, after running around the shop all day - a barber's work is never done!

Here is Linda quizzing at the end of the day. After Linda left I spent a hour talking with Liam (he is a wealth of information) and I was lucky enough to borrow another cool boo from his personal collection. This edition was printed in Los Angeles (say An'GLeez) in 1958!

2009-10-12T05:20:00.000-07:00

I dropped into the Waldorf on Saturday and asked Liam to cut my hair in a "Mark K" style. Mark (aka bobjesus) is a friend and fellow Waldorfisto with a great style:

Liam used the old "Oster" machine clippers that produces a totally different sound - actually quite a slow, relaxing sound! There are no attachments as such, you just change the actual metal blade. And these blades get hot which is actually quite nice. I got a "zero" as you can probably see from these pictures, and just lighly razored with a straight blade on top - no scissors:

Here are the "Oster" clippers:

2009-10-12T02:42:00.000-07:00

Speaking of straight razors: here is a pre-war new old stock Solingen razor. I've been shaving with it all week. It was perfect out of the box, just a light stropping:

It's got the "Bismarck" stamp and came straight from Solingen in Germany, in its original box, unused.

2009-10-12T02:36:00.000-07:00

Danielle is shown here practicing one of the more difficult straight razor strokes.

2009-10-12T02:32:00.000-07:00

For last week's class, I had quite a difficult haircut. Piotr's hair was very long and thin and shaggy and was all different lengths. Initially he didn't want it to short but we ended up getting there anyway, as he was happier for it to be short when I was in the middle of the cut. I cut this hair with a scissors and did the lower parts with machine clippers over comb.

Linda introduces Danielle's customer's haircut (Danielle says: thanks Adeodato):

The finished job:

Wrapping up:

2009-10-04T16:40:00.000-07:00

Waldorf Adare, Westmoreland Street. c.1972.

(Just kidding, thanks photoshop!)

2009-10-04T16:00:00.000-07:00

Linda tells us what kind of haircut Patrick will be getting:

Doing around the ear, note that Patrick's hair around the ear is still long.

A few pointers about the nape of the neck, what to do and not to do:

The finished job (actually it was 2 hours! Thanks again to Patrick for his patience.... )

2009-10-04T15:47:00.000-07:00

A little late but here are the picture's from Thursday night's class:

Danielle here with her friend Isaac (he looks happy with the haircut:):

Danielle actually did an amazing fade on the hair at the back - it took ages but I think was worth it:

This is my customer for the evening, Patrick, who is studying to be an Architect in Dublin. He told us that he enjoyed learning so much about his hair, and had never heard so much talk about his hair....

We actually decided to do a more complex cut on Patrick, i.e. only scissors over comb the whole way round (no machine). Here are the results after an hour and a half:

Patrick was great to work with as he was happy for us to go with what ever style we wanted. Co-incidentally, Patrick had just come from a optician's store, where the model from week 3 works....

2009-10-04T15:31:00.000-07:00

Sunday evening here, and my father in law called over. I gave him a haircut in a chair in the kitchen with fading light and my two young boys running around the place. Thankfully the finished job turned out well. I believe he was pleased. Once again, PJ, thanks for giving me an opportunity to practice on you. Hopefully now I have more or less proved myself when it comes to my barbering skills! Here are two "after" snaps:

2009-10-01T18:44:00.001-07:00

Soon I'll be posting pictures of tonight's class at the Waldorf. It was a good one. In the meantime, Danielle has stumbled across my barbers' book online, so you can read it right here on my blog for free (just scroll down):

2009-10-01T18:28:00.000-07:00

I cut a famous person's hair! Tom has appeared in Braveheart, and more recently in the "To Arthur" Guinness campaign. He's a great character and had everyone laughing at Friends of the Elderly today.

You may recognize Tom from this TV spot! Tom, I hope you are reading this, you did say you wanted to find this video, so I found it for you.

2009-10-01T18:19:00.000-07:00

I've had a very busy day today barbering. I called into Friends of the Elderly in Dublin where I had arranged with Quinn (a lovely volunteer there) to set up a mobile barber station. I carried out five haircuts, and each was gentlemen was happy for me to take a photograph, so I am sharing these here.

First in the chair was Jim. I started with some spray water from the can, then gave him a tonic friction using Pashana Ocean Breeze. This has a lovely, old time barber smell and always goes down well.

This was a a nice haircut. I like the back in particular as there is enough on top to brush around to the center and create a "DA" effect. The hair at the back of the head tapers into the #4 blade on the machine but is distinctive enough to create a look that was very popular in the late 30s.

Next up was Gerry, who kept me entertained with stories of Dublin life in the 1940s.

The next haircut was one that I thought looked particularly good. Brendan has a great head full of hair, and I an very partial to this hairstyle myself.

Before:

After:

You can see Quinn in the background and the next two gentlemen waiting in line for the barber's chair. I really likes doing this cut because the customer Brendan liked having very short hair around the edges (just the way I like to get mine done). So I have a #1 attachment on the lower back of the next and at the temples. Looking closely in the mirror you will see the barber.

Next up (Michael) had a very distinguished look after the haircut. As with all the others, today I used Nu Nile hair pomade to ad luster and shape the hair after the cut. The hair on the back of his head was actually quite long before the cut.

2009-09-28T16:47:00.000-07:00

Over the week end I practiced some more on my two boys. Up to now I have found it exceptionally difficult to cut around the sides and the back of the hair, as toddlers tend to get very upset and move about a lot when they hear the machine clippers so close to their ears. This has meant that previous haircuts on the boys have been OK on top but not very well blended in on the sides/back. This is the first time that I truly believe I achieved a better result than if I had brought them into a barbers (or even a hairdressers!). I experimented with different styles with I'll show below:

Going for "The Butch". This was a machine buzz all round (#4 on top down to a #3). I left the front 1"out and cut the bangs with a scissors over comb, graduating back into the machine #4. I blended the different blade attachments using scissors over comb to get a perfect transition. I used the edge of the full sized Wahl clippers to go around the ears and clean the back of the neck. I used scissors over comb again for the neck line to clean any fine hairs. Finally I shaved fine hairs of the back of the neck with my Solingen straight razor featured below.

This was before - he seemed happier then....

Here is the older fellow. This style is "The Vanguard". Again I am very much on the clock when it comes to the machine on the sides and back. I scissor cut the top and blended it into a #4, using thinning shears to expedite the process. After a few days I can confidently say the blend looks well. As the hair was long enough at the ears (#4) I actually used the scissors to create the shape here.

Note the "prepared tissue*" i.e. neck strip, folded down over gown.

*The Barbers' Manual (1956 ed.), A. B. Moler, page 56.

2009-09-25T19:54:00.000-07:00

I have two young lads aged almost 2 and almost 3. I do get some practice in on them. Here are some pictures of boys with traditional hairstyles.

The Butch
The Flat Top
The Ivy (as in Ivy League)
The Crew
The Vanguard
The Junior Contour
The Executive Contour

2009-09-25T19:06:00.000-07:00

This is a very old technique that is known as "singeing". It's a service that the Waldorf continues to provide. There is even an old sign on their wall advertising singeing. By searing the ends of the hair, split hairs are avoided. Bill Clinton apparently is a fan of this!

2009-09-25T19:00:00.000-07:00

This is a video clip I shot a couple of months ago. I think people will find this interesting. Here Liam is brushing my hair with two very old paddle brushes to condition the hair and bring up a nice shine. Linda recommends "Sweet Georgia Brown" pomade which is a favorite of mine. It has a fantastic sweet smell that is very different to all the modern gels made these days. Poor audio on this one, my finger was covering the microphone.

2009-09-25T17:39:00.000-07:00

When I called in last week to drop in my razor for sharpening I took this quick snap. Here we can see Liam in action; the lady barber to his left is Ger. That day Ger was performance a text book Waldorf open razor shave to a customer. Needless to say, I was taking notes!

The red chairs you see in the foreground date from the late 40s I believe. It's great to see them still in active duty.

2009-09-25T17:33:00.001-07:00

Last week I called in to Liam at the Waldorf to get my old Solingen open razor sharpened. I have a strop at home but what this razor really needed was a hone. I need to pick up one of these honing stones and practice honing myself. To show you what razor honing is all about, down below is a video of Liam at the Waldorf honing another razor.

Written on the blade is "Bismarck" Best German Hollow Ground".

And here's me stropping the blade later at home on my leather strop (a 1940s Illinois Razor Strop Co. strop)

2009-09-25T15:48:00.001-07:00

Linda keeping a very close eye on proceedings.

2009-09-25T15:46:00.001-07:00

This is from last night's class. It shows Danielle in full swing with
her customer David. It was only later I realized just how radically
different David's hair looks in the 'before' and in the 'after' photos
you see below.

2009-09-24T16:42:00.000-07:00

I came across this and couldn't stop laughing. Liam doesn't do his shaves quite that quickly.

2009-09-24T16:01:00.000-07:00

Some people have asked "who is Ed Crane?", so here is a short clip to explain.... He's the barber.

2009-09-24T15:34:00.000-07:00

Linda quizzes me on how tonight's class went:

2009-09-24T15:25:00.000-07:00

Linda gives her thoughts on how tonight's class went....

2009-09-24T15:15:00.001-07:00

This is David before his Mad Men makeover!

2009-09-24T14:32:00.000-07:00

Finished haircut. This is Rob, in fact. Nick is Rob's friend who's
coming in next week.

2009-09-24T13:51:00.001-07:00

Danielle, my fellow student, posing here with David her customer. I
told David that he looked quite "Mad Men" with that tie and those
glasses.

2009-09-24T13:48:00.000-07:00

Walking back from the Waldorf. This is the Palace Bar. Very busy
tonight - it's Arthur Guiness' 250th anniversary.

2009-09-24T12:58:00.000-07:00

2009-09-24T12:56:00.001-07:00

This is Nick, final year History major in Trinity. This is the haircut
that I did for Nick tonight.

2009-09-24T12:48:00.001-07:00

My new barber smock in action. Liam Finnegan was impressed!

2009-09-24T05:34:00.000-07:00

Getting ready to call into the Waldorf tonight for class. Here is a
picture of equipment I keep in my bag.

On top is the water can that mists the water. Left is the hairdryer,
Italian made I believe. The razor has a changeable blade that slips in
to the handle. Two scissors, both Italian made. One is a regular 6"
and the other is a thinning/tapering shears. The clippers is a Wahl
model, professional grade. Made in the good ole US of A.

2009-09-23T16:24:00.000-07:00

A couple of months ago, the Waldorf celebrated 80 years in business. Pictured here outside the barbershop: father/daughter duo Liam and Linda Finnegan. The distinguished gentleman between them is the Waldorf's Oldest Customer, who still gets a very regular haircut, arriving always by taxi.

Here is a fun shot, in the style of a wax statue. At the door to the barbershop is David McDermott, artist, and Waldorf customer.

2009-09-23T13:35:00.000-07:00

My favorite TV show; the barbershop scene (season 3 episode 6):

2009-09-23T13:14:00.000-07:00

I came across this interesting picture when searching for the barbershop scene in Mad Men season 3:

2009-09-23T09:48:00.000-07:00

This is the barber's smock. I will post a picture soon of me in it.....

Ed Crane gets his in a specialty store in Sacramento, I got mine in the Uniform store at Arnotts' new annex store at the GPO Arcade.

2009-09-23T09:37:00.000-07:00

I am looking forward to Thursday night's class. In the meantime I really want (and need) to practice on as many people as possible. This is a call to any body who wants to, to let me know and I can do a free haircut. I am a volunteer with Friends of the Elderly and I have arranged to call in to them next Thursday to do haircuts at one of their gatherings.

Note to self for later on blog: get up a picture of my new barber's smock. It's pretty much a dentist's smock, but it gets you into the spirit of barbering straight away when you put it one. Just look at Ed Crane across the screen to get an idea of the look.....

2009-09-22T18:11:00.000-07:00

Ok, for those who haven't seen it, here is the (now) famous youtube video that people are talking (and blogging) about:

2009-09-22T17:37:00.001-07:00

Naturally, I have been studying my textbooks on the latest techniques at home....

2009-09-22T17:31:00.000-07:00

Hmmm... choices, choices....

2009-09-22T17:21:00.003-07:00

Quite an unwilling young customer. Tsk tsk! But you look better now Tom.

2009-09-22T17:21:00.001-07:00

This, in fact, is Dorian before his haircut....

2009-09-22T17:20:00.001-07:00

This is Dorian. He is starting History in Trinity this week.

Dorian: I hope you see this. Yes, I do think you look a bit like Christian Bale....

2009-09-22T16:53:00.000-07:00

Now that's what I call a barbershop!

2009-09-22T16:30:00.000-07:00

Here are the finished haircuts that I did week 1 and 2:

The YouTube video below is Linda finishing off the above haircut and giving me some pointers on what kind of practice I need to be doing.

And these are pictures of the two guys from week 1.

2009-09-22T16:10:00.000-07:00

I am lucky to be doing this Waldorf course under the expert tutelage of Linda. It's just me and the lovely Danielle. I found out later that we have a lot of friends in common. Danielle is a lindyhopper! Yay!

I love jitterbuggin' too....

Danielle actually had a tricky haircut that night, her "customer" would have been right at home on the set of "The Tudors".

2009-09-22T15:55:00.000-07:00

Ok, I'm posting this Tuesday.... Last Saturday's Irish Times ran a feature on the Waldorf, and the vintage haircuts they do there.

Linda took a quick clip of the shop, showing the Times' photographer working, a veritable "behind the scenes". David "College Cut" McDermott is being snapped, and the Wadorf's littlest helper Emily is knocking around.

Incidentally, I'm in the chair getting a forties cut from Liam. Liam is Linda's Pa.

2009-09-22T15:48:00.000-07:00

OK. So we're up to week 2 of the Waldorf barber course. Here is have a final year medical student, again from Trinity. Plucked from the grounds of the college!

I think I did a good job here. In this clip Linda introduces what's going on....

2009-09-22T15:42:00.000-07:00

This clip features Linda interviewing me about the class.

2009-09-22T15:39:00.000-07:00

Part one, have to do this in small pieces....

2009-09-22T15:24:00.000-07:00

You know, what I found interesting here was that both of these guys wanted a college cut. "College cut", of course, in the modern sense of the word. Kinda funky, so that "I can do something with it".

I get it. But what I find amusing is that one of the Waldorf's old-time - and I mean old-time - customers, is artist David McDermott. McDermott is from New York (born in Hollywood, CA) and now resides in Dublin. He is a formost authority on the real "college cut". But that's a story for another day....

Oh, here's McDermott:

2009-09-22T15:13:00.001-07:00

Customer #2 in the chair.

2009-09-22T15:12:00.001-07:00

Not bad for a first haircut.

2009-09-22T15:11:00.001-07:00

My first customer. Thursday, Sept 3.

A Trinity student plucked outside the SU shop in Front Square.

2009-09-22T14:54:00.000-07:00

This is me in the chair, getting a bespoke razor cut from Liam. My favorite style, the executive contour.

2009-09-22T14:40:00.000-07:00

Here are a few of the regulars:

(Linda is very popular among the Rockabilly fraternity)

2009-09-22T14:32:00.000-07:00

This is the kind of thing that made me so interested in this place. Here's Liam, the proprietor, with a customer named Con. Con has been coming to the Waldorf for 60 years straight.

2009-09-22T13:44:00.000-07:00

First post, time to catch up and give details about all the fun I've been having at famous Waldorf Barber Saloon over the past few weeks.

I've been a customer at the shop for about 10 years. It's down a steep narrow staircase beside the old Bewleys building on Westmoreland street, In Dublin.

For the past 3 weeks a young lady and I have been getting expert tuition from Linda Finnegan on the traditional skills of barbering. I look forward to posting some video and pictures of my experiences.