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Appreciation post: the barber supply shop on Division Street still writes receipts by hand
I stopped into this little supply shop on Division Street in Portland last week to grab some clipper oil and a few new neck strips, and the owner, a guy named Ray who I figure is pushing 70, still writes every receipt out by hand in a carbon copy book. What really got me was the shelf of clippers behind the counter, most of them older models he's been fixing himself for years, and he told me he's turned down three offers from folks wanting to sell the place to him. I stood there for a good ten minutes while he showed me a set of Wahl clippers from the 80s he rebuilt with parts he keeps in coffee cans under the counter. It hit me how much of the trade has moved to ordering everything off a screen and never talking to anyone who actually cuts hair. Buying a $9 bottle of oil turned into a whole lesson about sharpening guards. Has anyone else got a local shop like this, or is it all online orders for you guys now?
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the_faith19d ago
There's an old hardware store near me that's the same deal, the owner still writes everything in a ledger and knows every regular by name. I started going there just for screws and ended up staying 20 minutes while he walked me through how to fix a stripped hinge on my cabinet. What worked for me was just asking questions and actually listening instead of rushing out, because those guys love to teach and you walk away knowing way more than you paid for. Now I skip the big box store for small stuff because the trip is worth it even when it costs a buck or two more.
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