There’s so many barbers in Buffalo Niagara that it can be overwhelming. Use our list of barber shops to make sure you find the right one.

by Max Fisher

A good or bad frame can often make or break a great picture

The Eternal Haircut Question

Throughout my life I seem to always come back to one question, although I never seem to find the answers and I doubt, at this point, that I ever will. It’s a question that keeps me up at night staring at the ceiling, pondering, and then when I feel the answer inching closer and closer into my brain, it all of a sudden vanishes, leaving me at square one. Sometimes I look in the mirror, and I wonder, “Is it time? Is it too soon?” It seems like the question is always burning me from the inside.

I’ll admit it’s somewhat of a vicious cycle, but I’ll be the first to admit that I have no idea when it’s time for me to get a haircut. Is it when you’re looking full-on Caveman and it looks like a family of birds could be nesting on your head? Should you go every month? Surely that can’t be good for you, and all those haircuts are going to add up to a pretty hefty bill over time. Should you get it cut for special occasions like weddings and dances or big parties? What about dates? If I consider myself Rico Suave with the ladies should I get it cut after every two dates or so? (What would Rico Suave do?)

My neuroses aside, for those that have their haircut schedule down, please share your secret. It’ll save me from a lot of sleepless nights. There are literally too many great barbers in Buffalo Niagara to count, so let’s take a little time and talk about what makes a great Barbershop!

One Must Vibe

First off, it comes down to the vibe of the place and the people that work there. Barbers have an unspoken secondary function as a conversationalist and sometimes psychologist. They’re like bartenders with electric razors and hot towels that don’t serve beer or have to have bats or shotguns under the barber chair in case customers get too rowdy. But they’ll listen to your problems and give you advice on whatever troubles you have at the moment. The Barber you decide to go to should be a mix of the two. (Please don’t cancel your planned session with your psychologist.)

Still, your Barber, at the very least, should present their place of business and, by extension, themselves with a demeanor that makes you feel comfortable talking to them. In my experience, when I finally decide to get a haircut (and oh boy is that an arduous decision for me to make let me tell you. On second thought, perhaps I already told you enough), I go to Village Barber Club.

Village Barber Club

Let’s get this out of the way. Yes, it’s on Elmwood, but cut me some slack on this one. With all the Barbers in Buffalo Niagara, if you find one you like, it’s best that you stick with them. This is a very small thing but I like it enough to mention it. When you walk through the door, three steps lead you into the entrance. I like it because that extra effort that you have to put into going inside the Barbershop makes me feel as if I’m really entering a new place; like a not-so-secret basement. Whether intentional or not, those three steps add to the feeling that you’re entering a club.

Once you get inside, the place is super chill with a cool hardwood rustic feel, a flat-screen that’s usually playing a playlist of hits from the early to mid-2010s, and on the other side of the shop there’s usually a radio playing WBLK. Still, the amazing thing is that the two wildly different types of music don’t seem to overlap and become obnoxious (they must have some kind of volume control or something, it’s kind of weird). As for the barbers themselves, they’re all masters (I know in the Barber world that word gets thrown around a lot, to the point that it feels like anyone with an internet connection and a printer can be a “Master Barber,” but believe me these guys are legit). Every time I get in the chair, I know I’m in capable hands, and the prices are always reasonable.

Not to mention that they’re very personable. What do you want to talk about? They let you steer the conversation, or they may interject and ask what movies or music you’ve been watching or listening to. They understand that being a barber is as much a profession about socializing as it is about cutting hair, and sometimes when they sense that someone’s not feeling all that talkative that day, they lay off. They’re a listening ear when you need it. A good conversationalist when you want it and just a damn good barber if that’s all you want for the moment. Every time I get out of there, I’m always beyond pleased with my haircut. I bounce up the stairs ready to take on the world with my freshly cut hair (until three or four weeks later when the whole cycle begins anew; but that’s my problem, not their’s).

Tonawanda

Village Barber Club

Buffalo

Village Barber Stylist

Williamsville

Woodell Barber

Tonawanda

Xclusive Cuts

Buffalo

PJ’s Barber Shop

Hamburg, Orchard Park

The 3 Dog Barber

Lancaster

What do you think of our guide to barbers in Buffalo Niagara? Have a favorite? Know a great one that we missed? Let us know.

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