Charles Blades Barber Shop — Attraction in Oakland

I can’t believe Charles Blades has been there for 17 years and I didn’t know it. I have been searching for a solid barber experience in Oakland for a while. Definitely found it and my barber. I booked with Alejandro on a Sunday- also great bc most shops aren’t open Sundays. Ale was welcoming, asked me how I wanted my cut exactly, and took his time to show me so I would be happy with his work. Had good conversation about local stuff, sports, news, etc.. Ale gave me a straight razor shave and did an excellent job. No bleeding, skin is soft now and feels clean. Especially loved the hot eucalyptus towel at the end. A great luxury experience to relax after a long gnarly work week. In and out in an hour. Alejandro was mellow, easy going and kind. He thanked me several times for being a guest. I really respect that as a professional hotel executive. Service matters to me so much. Haircut looks fresh and clean - i left feeling great. Like a new man. Exactly what I needed. Thanks Ale and Charles blades for a great experience. I’ll be...

First I want to say that the owner and the people who work at this shop are wonderful people. I've had a chance to speak with most of them and they're cool / down to earth people that I"d enjoy meeting and chatting with at a social event.

That said, I'm super disappointed with the customer service. Multiple times now I've scheduled a haircut, go in 5-10 minutes before the scheduled time, and inevitably wait 20+ (sometimes 30-40) minutes AFTER my scheduled appointment time to be seen. I get that you can be overbooked, or that you can have hold ups, but when all the stylists are chatting with each other during their haircuts and generally letting themselves be so distracted, it just adds insult to injury. It's no wonder I can never get in at my scheduled time. Most recently, I left because I had been sitting there unattended for 30 minutes, in total waiting 45 minutes from the time I arrived.

Please, plase fix this issue. I love the shop but it's just not fair to customers to deal with this level of...

When I lived in Berkeley, it was more than worth it to hop over to Oakland for the fun atmosphere, fantastic music, great conversations, and excellent cuts Charles Blades Barber Shop offers. I moved down to Monterey and after a few attempts to find a comparable cut, I am resigned to trips back to the Bay for haircuts. It's absolutely worth it, especially with the expertise that Karen offers. Karen is down to earth and offers wonderful company and a phenomenal cut. I gave Karen a vague description of what I wanted and got the exact asymmetrical cut I was hoping for with check ins along the way to ensure we were on the same page. Karen does crisp fades and I have never been happier with my undercut. I appreciate that the staff is covid conscious because it makes the environment in the shop much more comfortable. Charles Blades has a rad crew who offers warm welcomes and excellent cuts. It's easy to call or book an appointment online and the ample parking nearby makes it a...