S TR I D E
Barber-tun, barber-owned
By being true to our craft and being hands-on, we are
able to keep our works consistent. We take pride in our
DIY-or-die mindset, and that is what separates us from
the others, and that’s how we’ll be doing it in the next
couple of years. Built, not bought! them a brief lookover - the way they react to the music that’s
playing, the clothes they wear, the way their hair looks,
tattoos. I also have some templated questions just to keep
them talking, like asking them where they are from, where
they got their last haircut, what hair products they use.
Haircutting also entails forming a bond of trust
with your clientele. Tell us how you keep clients
(especially new ones) at ease. I notice how a
lot of barbers are people-persons and are very
conversational. Did this come naturally to you as
well when dealing with clients?
At first, when I ask about which hairstyle they want, I
repeat it to them just like when waiters repeat your orders to
you in restaurants. I clarify the instructions given to me, so
that they know what they’re getting. I also make suggestions
when they do not know what to get. For me, this is one way
of letting them know that they are in good hands.
I try to make sure to at least make small talk with clients,
especially the new ones. I become observant with the new
ones when they come in. You can start a topic just by giving I’m curious about the process of haircutting. Is there a
general sequence to doing it despite varying haircuts
or does it differ depending on the hairstyle requested?
When we’re doing our signature cuts, we stick to
our process wherein we cut sides first, then top, line-
ups, blowdry, and then styling. Some unusual heads or
hair pattern demand different approaches though.
Predictably, as presaged by your shop name, you
specialize in clean undercuts and vintage men’s
hairstyles. Why this direction?
I really love the classic look and classic haircuts. They
are the reason I got interested in doing hair. I wanted to
focus on those because you can get the other hairstyles from
salons. If you want classics, you go to Underboss.
“Stick to your process, no shortcuts.”
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