Traditionally, barbers have cut, washed, and styled hair for male customers, as well as tended to the grooming of facial hair. In recent years, many barbers have expanded their services to include coloring, highlighting, and advanced style options for hair. With these expanded services has come an expanded list of barber equipment, and barbers must now store a host of supplies to meet the growing demands of their clients.
The first piece of barber equipment every barber must own is a barber chair. This is a specialized chair that can be raised and lowered depending on the height of the client. The chair should also recline to make shaving and grooming facial hair a comfortable experience for the client and an easier experience for the barber. Barber chairs swivel and move in every direction to ensure a barber has access to all areas without having to request the client continuously shift in the chair.
Cutting tools are also a must have. Barber shears are an essential item, and most barbers have different shears for different tasks, such as thinning shears for thinning out thick, heavy hair. Clippers and trimmers are used for cutting hair as well as trimming beards and mustaches. Barbers use these types of tools to create clean lines and remove unsightly neck hair. There are many types of clippers and though most barbers have personal preferences for basic jobs, they still stock different types for different tasks.
Now that men are requesting more styles, barber equipment lists also include hair dryers, curling irons, and flat irons. These types of barber equipment are used to smooth and shape hair. Kinky, curly hair can be tamed, and straight hair can be lent some volume or wave by any of these heated styling aids, depending on the hair type and desired effect. Many styling products are used in conjunction with these tools, and there is a variety of products available specifically for men.
Barber equipment used for shaving will also be found at every barber shop. Though clippers and trimmers might be used to groom longer facial hair, barbers use professional electric shavers as well as traditional straight razors to ensure a shave is as close as possible. A bristle shaving brush is also sure to be found in a barber's arsenal, and a straight razor requires a leather strap for sharpening. Shaving mugs hold the shaving brushes, and some barbers still prefer fancy manual blades.
