For a long time I gave no real thought to where I got my hair cut. If you are anything like Matt he still doesn’t.. Sometimes he will pay a small, mostly blind Asian man in the markets $10 to buzz cut his hair, occasionally (much to his wifes dismay) he will cut it himself, and very occasionally he will come with me to the Barber. Prior to having a beard, I thought a hairdressing salon would do the trick…but then something incredible happened.
OK.. So every story has a beginning
When I was really little, a mobile hairdresser used to come to our house and cut my hair. All I really remember is that I used to wriggle around a lot and she cut my ear once.. I made one hell of a fuss, and cried every time she came over after that.
When we moved to Australia there was a Barber Shoppe next to school so that was the grooming place of choice, then there were a few other hairdressers along the way.
It all began with the beard! About 3 years ago, I was chatting to a fellow bearded mate about how it was annoying that my regular hairdresser wouldn’t wet shave my face. As apparently they aren’t trained in that.. He suggested I check out a new Barber that had just opened up, gave me the name of someone to ask for and sent me on my way.. This is where it all changed. Its really hard to explain, but until you have been to a proper Barber you won’t understand how big a difference it makes.
A True ‘Male Sanctuary’
As soon as I walked in I felt at home. A friendly and familiar face looked up and smiled to welcome me as I walked in. This was (it turned out) the owner of the shop (pictured), whom I had actually met years and years ago when we were both working Hindley St – make what you like of that haha.
I cautiously asked for Dimi and was sent down to the end chair.. Apparently that’s where they kept him so he didn’t make the place look untidy up the front.. or so Robbie said! I immediately realised what I had been missing out on. There was 1 TV with a PS4 attached, another playing repeats from the previous weeks UFC, and magazines from Hot4s to GC to Mens Health (and a couple others if you know what I mean!)
There was none of the background noise that you get in a hairdressers, and the vibe was definitely just banter and good times. All the barbers (3 or 4 at that point) were talking to and heckling each other, and everyone just seemed to be having a good time. So much of a good time in fact that the shop very quickly became too small. Now it has moved across the road and is complete with a pinball machine, big buck hunter and even more TV’s!
But surely its all just hipster ‘hype’ I hear you say?
You can make of it what you will, but I for one am converted. As the business has grown the vibe has remained unchanged. It is simply a place to go and unwind, to escape the daily grind for a little while and have a chat. No topic is off limits, and I am still yet to see any real ‘trend.’ You will have hipsters sitting next to tradies chatting with business men and everything in between. Imagine putting a sports club, inside a bar, inside a comedy festival, inside a family dinner and you’re getting somewhere close to the vibe.
The prices are reasonable (cheap if you compare it to a ladies hairdresser), and your significant other will tell you how good you look for at least a week following a fresh cut (not guaranteed, you might be ugly).
If you are in the general Adelaide area then I definitely suggest you visit Robbies Chop Shop, and if you’re reading this from somewhere else around the globe, I suggest you type ‘barber shop’ into google to find your local! You won’t look back!
