Rockstar Hair: Chris Cornell

He's one of my favorite vocalists. Naturally, I was interested in what different hair styles he's taken on tour and around the world. If you're looking for a new haircut or style, Chris Cornell is a great guy to look at.



I am a Barber & Hairstylist in Salt Lake City, Utah. My emphasis is on 'bespoke' men's barbering and hairdressing.

Recent Haircut

This is a cut we did for a great friend of mine. It's about 95 degrees outside and he wanted to freshen things up a bit. He came in with fairly short hair already, but wanted to change his style! You have probably run into the same situation. We all know it's hard to make money telling men with short hair that there is nothing we can do until they grow their hair out a bit. Plus, there's no guarantee, if we ask them to come back in a few weeks, that they will. We decided to emphasize the length he DID have up top by throwing in a clean and classy fade aspect to his perimeter. What do you think?

This, to me is the essence of being a bespoke barber. It's all about custom tailoring a style. It's about executing a great cut with precision and patience. Bespoke barbering is not only about technical skill, but also applying great cuts to the right people in the right way.

Absinthe Parlour: Tonsorial Arts

Music: Symphony No. 7 in A Major, Op. 92: II. Allegretto

Absinthe Hair and Grooming Parlour is a full-service salon and barbershop committed to providing an unforgettable experience, with a dose of old world flair. Personalized attention and skilled artists create the alchemy of contemporary hair design that we provide.

Absinthe Hair and Grooming Parlour is also Salt Lake City's Original source for unique absinthe accessories such as: Spoons, Glasses, Fountains, Artwork and MORE. Our collection is ever-growing so check-in often.

www.AbsintheHairParlour.com

Rockstar Hair: James Hetfield

Few have commanded such a presence on stage as James Hetfield. Metallica's ferocious front man James Hetfield has also brought some interesting hair to the table. Who wouldn't want a peek at how JH, one of the four horsemen of the apocalypse, has seen fit to express his style and image?

Bespoke Men's Barbering in Salt Lake City, Utah. Barbershop

Music: Danse Macabre, Op. 40

If you are unfamiliar with "Bespoke" hairdressing or barbering... watch on. This short video explains the basics of bespoke barbering. It's alive and well in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Absinthe Hair and Grooming Parlour is a full-service salon and barbershop committed to providing an unforgettable experience, with a dose of old world flair. Personalized attention and skilled artists create the alchemy of contemporary hair design that we provide.

Absinthe Hair and Grooming Parlour is also Salt Lake City's Original source for unique absinthe accessories such as: Spoons, Glasses, Fountains, Artwork and MORE. Our collection is ever-growing so check-in often.

www.AbsintheHairParlour.com

Absinthe Hair & Grooming Parlour Salt Lake City, Utah
David A. Boyd

Haircut of the Day: Clean Texture

Short and clean with plenty of texture. Hair is cut to about finger length on the sides and fairly long on top. Some blending through the parietal is good but not so much that you create too much of a Faux Hawk look. The is a scissor and possibly a razor cut. Well suited for all hair types. For particularly straight or coarse hair, a bit more length on the sides would be advisable so that the hair is long enough to lay down well. The style is just as messy as you want to make it. Products would be fiber pastes or styling creams with a matte finish. Redken makes several great products for a cut and style like this. Maneuver and Dishevel are my favorites.

Scissors or Shears?

So I have had quite a few people ask me a great but simple question: should I be calling them scissors or shears?

Answer: Most simply, scissors are shorter than six inches and shears are longer than six inches. In addition, shears usually have double-ground edges and the finger holes are traditionally asymmetrical or different sizes. For the most part, what we end up using on a daily basis would be scissors technically. But, even the Milady's Professional Barbering textbook calls them shears.

What's the 'diff?' Different Kinds of Clippers for Barbering

Heavy Metal. Any great barber has great tools. Now, I wouldn't go SO far as to say that a barber is only as good as his tools. But the best tools can make a great barber more efficient, precise and professional. Sturdy, well-built and high quality clippers are at the center of the professional barber. If you are in the process of choosing your next clipper or just want to understand more about the basic differences in the various types of clippers, then read on. I'll go over a few of the big differences.

1. Magnetic or Vibratory Clippers- These clippers are fairly common. For the most part they have one, fixed cutting blade that can be adjusted with a lever on the side to cut closer or farther from the scalp. Clipper guards or attachment combs, can be used to achieve longer styles than the blade alone would provide. Magnetic clippers are not as powerful as Pivot or Rotary motor clippers. Magnetic clippers utilize a spring mechanism to return the blade each time the magnetic motor pulls the blade in one direction. So you really only get an actual cut stroke in one direction. These clippers are great for overall cutting and trimming. Especially on fine-medium hair.

2. Pivot Motor Clippers- Pivot motor clippers, while not quite as powerful as Rotary motor clippers, are still 2x more powerful than Magnetic. They accomplish twice as many blade strokes since the the motor pulls the cutting blade in both directions. These clippers require little maintenance. Like Magnetic clippers, Pivot clipper have an adjustable blade with an adjustment lever on the side. They are also capable of accommodating removable clipper guards. These clippers are a bit more durable and quite powerful. They are a great choice for barbers that need a 'work horse' clipper that is heavy duty and low-fuss. They can be used on wet or dry, coarse or fine hair.

3. Rotary Motor Clippers- AKA: Universal Motor. These are the heavy metal. Rotary Motor clippers are the most powerful and durable. This is the heavy artillery that a barber wants to have around for all day use. The Rotary Motor is suited for medium to coarse, wet or dry hair. There are some 2-speed models that on the low speed setting are okay for some types of fine hair as well. A big difference with Rotary Motor clippers is that instead of a blade adjustment lever, they have replaceable blades or cutting heads. On rotary clippers you simply remove the entire cutting head, blades and all, and install a completely different cutting head to suit a much shorter or longer result. These clippers tend to have fewer moving parts and run fairly quietly. These clippers are generally the most expensive but can last for years and years.

Some additional considerations when choosing a clipper:

Would you prefer a cordless clipper?
How long is the cord?
Is there a 2-speed model?
Does it come with additional blades?
Does it tend to run hot? (some clippers get hot enough to be uncomfortable for your client)
How easy is it to service and clean?
How often will you be using them?
Are they too heavy to be used comfortably?
Are they too loud to be comfortable for your client?
Can they be used on wet hair?
What is the warranty like?

Tonsorial Arts: Tonsors of the world Unite!

Barber. The word barber is derived from the Latin root barba which means beard. Those who care for, shave, shape and groom beards are barbers. The word Tonsorial is from the Latin tonsorius, meaning the cutting or grooming of the hair with shears or razor (primarily in reference to barbers). The Latin tonsus is a noun meaning a way of dressing hair or a hairstyle. A tonsor is a barber.

Though it is a term that is rarely used, it is an interesting unique way to accurately describe what we do! Tonsorial Work Tonsorial Arts

If you are looking for a Tonsorial Artist or Tonsor in Salt Lake City, Utah. I'm your man. I am a full-time professional Barber & Hairdresser @ Absinthe Hair & Grooming Parlour.

Pioneers of Shaving: Alexander The Great

The origins of shaving go way back. The Bible itself contains references to barbering and shaving as far back as Moses in the book of Ezekiel. As early as 400 BC shaving and barbering had gained high status in Greece. A well-groomed beard was a status symbol to Greek men who had them trimmed, shaped and scented with oils regularly. Over 2,000 years ago, the barbershop was a gathering place where the news of the day was discussed. Whether sports, politics, philosophy or social issues, the barbershop was an epicenter of activity.

As far as shaving goes, It was in the 3rd century BC that the troops of Alexander the great introduced clean-shaven faces on a grand scale. In many battles with the Persians, Alexander's men would fall by the hundreds because of their beards. Persian soldiers would use the Macedonians beards to pull them to the ground and slay them. It was at this point that Alexander decreed that all soldiers under his banner would be clean-shaven. Consequently, barbers though less busy trimming beards, would be happily employed shaving the faces of Rome's men.

-David A. Boyd. I am a full-time professional barber in Salt Lake City, Utah. I am owner & operator of a full-service salon & barbershop by the name of Absinthe Hair & Grooming Parlour. Among our various services, I offer hot towel shaves with a straight razor as well as just about any men's haircut and style that you can imagine!

Check out our Website HERE: www.AbsintheHairParlour.com

Turn of the Century: Intro to Short cuts for the fashion forward

The first years of the 1800s introduced a semi-revolution in men's hairstyles. A significant tax on hair powder brought an abrupt end to the practice of wearing powdered wigs for the general public. Although, for men in prestigious professions such as lawyers, military officers and older conservative men maintained the powdered wig.

What emerged was often referred to as the Bedford Crop. The young men who considered themselves to be fashionable maintained short cropped hairstyles often with longer sideburns.

Classic Coiffure: The cuts and styles of Famous Painters

This is a catalog of some hairstyles and facial hair of some of my favorite artists/painters. As far as Barbering goes, one of my favorite places to look for new ideas and inspiration is in the people that have been so inspirational in their own medium. As you can imagine, looking to creative geniuses for new ideas just makes sense to me.
Alfons Mucha (Czech art nouveau painter)
Gustav Klimt (Austrian symbolist painter)
Piet Mondrian (Dutch Painter)
Salvador Dali (Spanish Catalan surrealist painter)
Vincent Van Gogh (Dutch post-impressionist painter)

Haircut of the Day: James Dean

James Dean- This cut and style are certainly suited to medium wavy-curly hair. A great balance of lived-in casual and polished style. Clean and short haircuts don't have to feel so severe or clean-cut.

Absinthe: Full-Service Salon & Barbershop

So I operate my own place in Salt Lake Called Absinthe Hair & Grooming Parlour. We do offer a full array of Barbering Services including Straight Razor Shaves.

You can Check out our website HERE

www.AbsintheHairParlour.com

The Heavy Artillery is Here!

I just grabbed my first Oster brand Titan Clippers! So far so good. They've gotten a good work out so far! I was told by Oster that they have the exact same motor as the Classic 76 but with an updated look as well as 2 speed settings. My friend Shawn told me that the titan also has a longer cord and doesn't run as hot as the 76. The box mentions specifically that they are good for cutting damp hair too.

I also have a relatively new T-Finisher from Oster that I love. It's powerful and smooth. Makes cleaning up in and around the ear a breeze as well as shaping facial hair.

Some of My Own Portfolio Work

Here is a small collection of the Barbering and Styling that I have done here in Salt Lake City, Utah. I operate a salon & barbershop in Sugar House called Absinthe Hair & Grooming Parlour. We offer a full spectrum of Salon Services as well as Barbering (Including Straight Razor Shaving).

Hair Styles of the Greats: Famous Authors Part II

Alexandre Dumas (French writer: The Count of Monte Cristo & The Three Musketeers)
Edgar Allen Poe (American author: Tales of mystery and macabre)
Ernest Hemingway (Nobel Prize Winning American author: For Whom The Bell Tolls)
John Steinbeck (Pulitzer Prize Winning American author: The Grapes of Wrath)
Mark Twain (American author: The Adventures of Tom Sawyer)

Hair Styles of the Greats: Famous Authors

When looking for inspiration regarding your next style; who better to ask, than the men whose literary works have inspired millions of people? What follows is a collection of the hair cuts and facial hair of some of the most influential men to have written books about subjects. Consider if you will, the various styles that helped to define these men and how they each chose to express themselves via hair, mustache and beard.
Sir Aurthur Conan Doyle (Scottish Physician and Writer: Sherlock Holmes)
Oscar Wilde (Irish Writer & Engineer of Decadence/Flamboyance)
Robert Louis Stevenson (Scottish Novelist: Treasure Island, Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde)
Leo Tolstoy (Russian Writer: Ana Karenina)
Victor Hugo (French Writer: Les Miserables)