Hello everyone! It’s almost Halloween and I’ve been eating way more candy than I should be! Halloween brings thoughts of old times and traditions, at least to me.
So I thought I would share some fun facts and trivia about how barbershops use to be and surprising facts you may not know. Here they are in no particular order, so get ready to learn some barber shop facts!
One. Barbershops have been around in one form or the other since ancient Egypt around 5000 BCE. Talk about your old fashioned barbershop! They have found tomb paintings of barbers cutting hair.
Two. Barbershops were often social meeting places back in the day. Men would come in not only for a shave and haircut but also to socialize, catch up on the local news and more. Old fashioned barber shops today still offer a lot of that.
Three. The word “barber” comes from the Latin word “barba”, meaning “beard”. Back in the day most men had beards that needed to be trimmed or styled. So places to get a cut and beard trim became barber shops!
Four. Barber shops often doubled as medical shops. Barbers would pull teeth, stitch wounds, bandage cuts and do other basic, simple doctoring.
Five. Most people are familiar with the red, white and blue barber poles outside barbershops. Those colors use to stand for red for blood, white for bandages, and blue for veins since barbers use to do simple medical procedures as in number four above.
At some point they were made to rotate in a spiral movement to catch the eye and stand out so customers could easily find the local barbershop.
Six. Most states, including here in Florida, requires a barber license to practice barbering. You must pass a state approved barbering program which is 600 or 900 hours, among other requirements.
Seven. The number a barber refers to when they say they will use a “number two razor” is the thickness of the hair guard they put on the razor. 1 is the shortest while 8 is the longest.
Each number leaves 1/8th of an inch longer hair. So a number 1 will cut the hair 1/8th inch short, while a number 2 will cut it 1/4th and so on up to a number 8. I have the sides of my hair cut with a number 2!
Eight. The “shave and a haircut, two bits” song is a seven note phase often used as a comedic door knock melody. Two bits was an old fashioned term for 25 cents, the cost of a shave and haircut. Sorry but we charge more!
Nine. The first upholstered barber chair with a high seat and footrest was made around 1850. Conway Village Barber Shop still uses old fashioned, vintage barber chairs today!
Ten. Conway Village Barber Shop is one of the oldest barbershops in Orlando, established in 1978. We don’t pull teeth and we charge more than two bits, but we do offer a relaxing, old fashioned barbershop experience. Hope you enjoyed these fun barbershop facts!
