Skullfade Barbers — Local services in New York

I write reviews pretty rarely, but this is precisely the time.

I have been looking for a haircut in New York for more than four years. A haircut that would fit my high standards. Trust me, I know what I'm talking about. I was previously a client of a seven-time world champion in hairdressing.

I needed three things:

A barber who knows what a haircut is and lines and shapes and proportions. Who understands haircut technology, owns haircut techniques, and knows what different types of hair are. And who sees what suits a specific face shape and what does not.

Comfortable and stylish barbershop. A place that is nice to be. Where everything is thought out for the convenience of the client.

Affordable price, not hundreds of dollars for your stylist's "brand."

To my great happiness, such a place opened in my area (FiDi). I've been a Bonefade customer for over a year, ever since they opened. I found everything I mentioned above here. My barber Lev has tremendous experience and has all the necessary skills described above. And even more. My friend gets his haircut from Mark, a great professional as well. But in general, all the team members go through a severe selection. Believe me, I can appreciate the quality of the haircut and see that all the guys do everything perfectly.

Lev, Mark, I've been waiting a year to test you guys in your work and write an honest review, haha. Thanks to you and the entire team for the job you are doing. For its quality and comfort of your customers.

Anyone who doubts - do not doubt. This is the best place for those who need a quality haircut and the right vibe. Simply trust such a picky...

Concerns haircut scheduled Friday, March 28 at 5:00pm (ET) at the Nassau location. I arrived several minutes prior to 5pm, yet was told to wait because my assigned barber wanted to squeeze in a "shave" for another customer (who apparently didn't have an appt). So I waited, and waited, and was finally seated around 5:12pm only after I complained. My barber proceeded quickly cut my hair in about 15 mins.

My issue, and it should be an issue for everyone, is that this establishment does not respect my time but demands that I backstop theirs. Scheduled haircuts require prepayment, and upon booking you'll receive a flurry of texts and emails warning no-shows will result in forfeiture of payment, and they also reserve the right to do the same with respect to late arrivals. Naturally, the business does not have a similar policy in favor of its customers.

I can mostly overlook the cheek by jowl conditions and general chaos of the place, e.g., they have 5-6 barber chairs jammed into an area equivalent to a smaller-sized Manhattan studio apartment, but I refuse to frequent a business that doesn't value my time on an equal footing. We're all busy, and forgive me for thinking that my time is just as valuable as Skullfade's. They disagree, and that's why I'll...

You may or may not agree, but more and more of the world seems to go by and get by with a mediocre job. And then adjust their expectations. Good enough becomes the new excellent. Sorry for that digression, but when you have a service that is clearly The best you’ve ever had then it’s worth noting how rare it is to be able to say this. I’ve been getting haircuts all over the world and from dozens of establishments, and aside from India where they take care of cuts with great gravity, Mark at Skullfade in FiDi gave me the most meticulous professional service by going out of his way to make sure that it was something that met with his approval as well as mine. So many haircuts and stylings are done now just with an electric razor. You hardly ever see scissors or old straight edge razor. Mark is familiar with these old tools and uses them to great result When it came to the beard, I’ve had this for 50 years, I care a lot to get it just right and asked for the specifications that I requested – historically commonly disappointed over the years. This however was performed with care, without worrying too much about time, and the result was just terrific

I’m sure there are people who cut hair and style it who are just as good as Mark. I haven’t...