The BlackBoard Barber Shop — Local services in Bakersfield

All of my teenage life I tried all sorts of styles in regards to haircuts from fades to mushroom cuts to even sporting braids! In my senior year in high school I stopped caring and said to myself, “I wonder what I would look like with a bald head”. At the time my friends and family told me I looked weird, some said I looked crazy and resembled a gang banger…that part comes into play a lot in life but that is another story in itself. When I first moved to Bakersfield in 2008 I wanted to find someone who could shave my head with a straight blade razor, I know a lot of guys out there will say to do it myself but I don’t have that kind of patience so I ended up finding one at Golden Valley Barber. He was a co-owner with his son and I really enjoyed being his customer, he was old fashion and knew his way with a blade. As the years passed on he retired, his son took over full-time and all the young barbers starting popping up in the shop, none had the same skill set as my barber so I left and never looked back. I started going to Great Clips, easy and convenient but not the skin bald head I liked but I could not find someone who could do the same thing….until now. Just recently I tried looking on Yelp and searched for “Straight Razor Haircut”, low and behold there were a few that popped up. I explored the reviews and The Blackboard Shop caught my attention and they accept credit cards, which entices me more because I hate carrying cash. Their Yelp page states they welcome walk-ins but I know it’s all by chance that you catch them during a slow time of the day, today was my lucky day I guess. It is located downtown near Jin Sushi and Chef’s Choice Noodle Bar, both places I’ve eaten at and never noticed the Barbershop across the street. They don’t have a large store front so that could be why, but when you walk it you feel that old time barbershop feel but with a modern touch. They have knick knacks from the 50s and 60s, for walk-ins you have a blackboard to sign in. As I stated it was my lucky day, as I approach the board to sign in, Menio approached me and said he can take me now. All of the seats are old fashion, I haven’t seen some like these since the 90s when I lived in Delano so this was definitely nice to see. One thing about Barbershops at least for me is the small talk between the barber and his client, Menio was engaging unlike some others I’ve encountered at other shops, he had real character to him so you know it wasn’t just some type of courtesy or professionalism he was trying to portray. I asked for skin bald and he gave me options, using a machine or a straight razor, of course I opted for the razor. He took his time and paid attention to the details, my head shape is not the friendliest shape for a straight razor but with his skills and precision he cut it well. One factor that shows how much skill a barber has with a straight razor is how your scalp feels after, I’ve had it where it felt agitated and burned tremendously with just water, this was the complete opposite, even when applying the aftershave onto my scalp, and it didn’t really burn. Looking around I noticed all the barbers had the same style of fashion, Vans shoes, Dickie pants and a skater type shirt or flannel under their barber jacket. It was pretty awesome to hear their banter with one another as well but not too rambunctious that bothers a mother and child waiting for a chair to open. The guys in the shop are friendly and say hello and thank you for coming to everyone, which is something you don’t get from most barbershops now. I left feeling good about my haircut, felt good I found a place I can return for another one and that I can recommend them to...

Tired of Walmart-esque barber shops? Check it out already!

Preface: Due to the number of compliments this review will contain, I must inform you that I am NOT a shill nor did I receive any form of compensation.

My first visit to The Blackboard Barbershop was as a walk-in. Mildly disappointed that my regular barbershop was packed and had inconvenient closing times, I found fellow reviewers singing praises about this establishment and decided to take the 0.5-mile drive.

As I approached the storefront, I was elated to see not one patron displeased. Conversations and, more importantly, honest smiles littered the shop. Tasteful artifacts reminiscent of Bakersfield's past furnished the shop walls, complemented with rich background music. Chad greeted me and quickly inquired if I was waiting for a particular barber. "No," I responded and took a seat. Not more than 10 minutes later, I was in his chair, conversing about our respective days.

The haircut experience was unparalleled and incredibly detailed. From the use of a shaving cream warmer and straight razor to a hot towel and finishing back massage, I knew I found my forever barber. My most recent visit to the shop was 06/06/18, and absolutely nothing...

I came in here after not having a haircut for 4 months and it was a mess of a pompadour/comeover. My desired haircut was a short textured haircut with a skin fade and lineup. I got Mikey to cut my hair and it took a good hour for the cut. When I looked in the mirror it was better than I could have ever imagined. Hands down the best fade, line up, and altogether haircut that I've had. On top of it Mikey was knowledgeable of the hairstyle and even told me the best product to use and how to maintain and style it on my own. During the long cut I noticed all the people that were walking away with finished haircuts and they all had really clean edges and fades from the other men who looked just as knowledgeable with their own stylish hairstyles. Also a plus for the cool atmosphere and scenery among the walls. I've been to many barbers and hairstylists in Bakersfield and this is without a doubt the best place to get a haircut. Also, the price at the moment is $20 which is the standard haircut price...