Walked into a shop in Austin and every chair had a different brand of clipper

I was visiting Austin last month and stopped into a shop called East Side Barber. Every single chair had a totally different clipper brand on it, like one guy used Wahl, another used Andis, and a third had some Oster model I'd never seen before. Not a single setup matched. It made me wonder if that's just how some shops run, letting each barber pick their own tools. Do you guys all use the same stuff in your shop or does everyone bring their own?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_amy15d ago

East Side doesn’t really do a standard setup for walk-ins, they’re more of a book-ahead shop where each barber owns their own chair and gear. It’s not that the owner gave up, it’s just how that specific place has always run.

maryadams15d ago

Every single chair had a totally different clipper brand" - wait, what? In one shop? That's wild to me. I've been cutting hair for over ten years and every shop I've worked at or been to had at least matching clippers on the wall, even if guys brought their own. It just looks sloppy to have a grab bag of brands sitting out like that. Like walking into a mechanic's garage and seeing every tool box painted a different color. I get letting barbers choose their own stuff behind the chair, but the shop should at least have a standard setup for walk-ins or new hires. Sounds like the owner at East Side just gave up and let everyone do whatever they wanted.