I am in a unique position here as I have unusual habits concerning haircuts. For the past several years I have taken to growing my hair out, as you can see in my ridiculous pic, at the start of fall, keeping it longer throughout the winter, only to chop it all off and start all over again in the Spring. For my annual follicle reset this year, I went with Blackbeard Co. simply because, after a bit of research, they were the closest coiffures with the best website ;) I highly value, see, a business that allows me to limit human interaction as much as possible especially when it's patronage makes that unavoidable. Anyway, I made an appointment early on a Monday, as soon as they opened actually, and requested Luche, figuring if anyone on staff was most apt to make a good first impression on a new potential client it'd be the owner. When I arrived, (three minutes late) I was surprised to see there were not only already three barbers on staff, but two were already working on their respective customers. This was a good sign! When Luche greeted me, I got the feeling, taking one look at my long, unkept, wavy, past-the-shoulders locks, he was taken aback by what I went going in figuring he'd consider a challenge. We shook hands, I sat down, then requested the James Dean, the David Lynch, the Morrissey: the classic yet modern pompadour. I wanted it short on the sides with more length than is usual for the style and he seemed to know exactly what I meant. He asked if he could put his "personal touch" on it which I was all for; after all, there's a reason I went to an artist with his own business rather than Supercuts. His method was lackadaisical, somewhat low-energy, though some might say laid back. He lazily ran his electric razor around my head, never once turned me toward the mirror nor allowing me to see what he had done to the back once the length was removed. All this was deeply concerning to me! I didn't see a lot of focus and didn't feel the "deft hand" or any intensity of an artist at work! It seemed like he wasn't taking this as seriously as other barbers I'd been to and I was nervous about what the result would be. However! Once the reverse cape came off and I got a look at his work (complete with styling and product) I was totally shocked. It was a little shorter than I'd have liked on the top and I could tell his "personal touch" was heavily influenced by his time cutting hair in Miami as the sides, especially around my ears, were almost faded and cropped so tight and close to my skin it matched the tight beard that I wear, but overall Luche did an awesome job and it seemed effortless to him, so effortless that it felt like he wasn't even trying. This annual Spring cut is a source of great anxiety for me, but Luche delivered big time. Had he left an inch or so of length on top I'd say it was exactly what I wanted. As for his "chairside manner", he was low key and thank GOD talked more about himself than asking me questions about me. As an introverted, misanthropic ex-retail manager, I absolutely despise small talk of any and every kind. Blackbeard loses the fifth star only because Luche also trimmed and treated my beard without me asking and charged me the extra $10 for it. It wasn't really a problem for me, but I felt it was worth mentioning; some might have felt coerced. I can't really say, no beard service, please, once he takes a razor to it. In conclusion, though my taste runs in the exact opposite direction of the urban vibe a place like this is going for, I'd recommend Blackbeard Co. to any typical bro-dude who likes to keep his hair in uniform conformity to the last 100 years of American male style. The pomp is as classic as it comes and Luche nailed it. read more
