Where to Find Authentic Barber Shops

Although the vast majority of today's salons feature high-tech styling products and contemporary decor, some customers crave the old-fashioned charm and casual atmosphere of an authentic barbershop. Because of a recent surge in the popularity of barbers, authentic barbershops are becoming easier to find.

• Search the phone book for authentic barbershops in your city. Although the listings may fall under hair salons or hair stylists, larger cities may have a separate listing for barbers.


• Browse the Internet for a barber. Input "authentic barbershops" and your community's name into a search engine. The results page should include the most popular barbers in your town.


• Ask friends and relatives if they know of a barbershop in your area. If you have a male friend that always has a clean-cut shave and a stylish haircut, find out the name of his barber.


• Contact barbershops and ask about the types of services they offer. Although barbers cut, style and shampoo men's hair, genuine barbershops also provide old-fashioned shaving services, complete with natural hair shaving brushes and straight razors.


• Look for a barbershop with a striped pole on the exterior of the storefront. In earlier times, these poles were a barber's trademark and served as a way to notify gentlemen that the shop featured the services of a barber.


• In small communities, barbershops can often be found in the town's main street area. Larger cities may have barbers in the suburbs or in the downtown area of the community.