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Pavan Shamdasani

How did the barbershop ever die out? Sure, there was a long period when clean-shaven was the look of choice for many a groomed man, but beards and other modes of facial hair never really went away. We can’t exactly work out what happened, but we’re happy to say the classic barbershop has returned.
Expert’s tips for a DIY classic wet shave, and where in Hong Kong to buy the tools
A combination of epic beards and an affinity for all things old-fashioned has seen many a modern man these days style themselves like something out the 19th century – which in turn, led wily entrepreneurs to tap in via era-appropriate barbershops. You might know about the age-old Mandarin Barber or possibly the last of the few Shanghai barbers – but here we round up some of Hong Kong’s newest and best, the freshest places for hairy gents to get a proper shave and a cut.
Hong Kong’s best kept secrets: where to get a classic wet shave

Fox and the Barber
A female-fronted men’s barbershop doesn’t seem like a likely candidate for most men, but hey, we’re all for feminism, and Sarah McGlynn knows her stuff. As the owner of Fox and the Barber in Central, she’s pushing forward the long-time London model of a high-end men’s grooming shop: the menu includes shaves, cuts and trims, but the focus here is on pure refinement, ensuring that any scruffy man who enters, walks out looking like a work of facial-hair art. Prices aren’t cheap, with a wet shave setting you back HK$440, but you’re paying for quality here – and with a range of high-end products available, including brands Truefitt & Hill and Baxter of California, you can keep that clean look going strong back at home.
41-43 Graham Street, Central, tel: 2405 6880, foxandthebarber.com

How Hong Kong’s first Korean barber adapted the male grooming experience to Asian hair and needs
Crow’s Nest Barbershop
Located on quickly gentrifying Haven Street in Causeway Bay, this spot plays double-duty for stylish men: on one side of the shop, it’s a hip watch store selling timepieces exclusively from Japanese brand Edwin, and on the other, the Hong Kong branch of famed Canadian barbershop chain Crow’s Nest. The design is classic monochromatic barbershop complete with black-and-white tiles. Services are as simple as they come: shave, cut or beard trim, or combinations of the three, and prices start at a reasonable HK$300. You can even enjoy a tipple while your barber works his magic, the shop serves drinks out of its old-school fridge.
27 Haven Street, Causeway Bay, tel: 2320 9976, crowsnestbarbershop.com

Hong Kong’s Shanghai-style barbers face the cut
ERA Barbers
Being a man can be confusing these days: do you go full metrosexual and embrace your feminine side, or would you rather throw caution to the wind, anger a bunch of feminists and load up on pure, unadulterated machismo? We’re not ones to judge, but if you’re part of the latter group, Era Barbers can help you. An offshoot of the Paul Gerrard salon, it’s based heavily on the owner’s fascination with all things 1950s, and the looks are pure rockabilly – think full wet shaves with hot towels, faded back-and-sides and other slick favourites. A cut is HK$550 and a shave HK$390.
36 Pottinger Street, Central, tel: 2577 3080, erabarbers.com

The Duke’s
Hong Kong’s limited space and astronomical rents mean that most guys never get the chance to build their long-envisaged “man cave” – you know, a place where whisky, tobacco, sports and other manly pastimes meet in perfect harmony. Get the next best thing down at The Duke’s, a three-storey spot in Central where fellas can get their dude fixes. With rare spirits and cigars served up, sports blasting all day on their many big-screen TVs and even a dartboard, it’s the perfect escape. Oh yeah, they also do haircuts, everything from hot towel shaves (HK$350) to beard trims (HK$300) and even permanent colour (HK$700), if you so wish.
6-8/F, 60 Wellington Street, Central, thedukes.com.hk

Hair House
The new wave of barbershops is admittedly a Western-centric trend – but the classic shave-and-a-haircut is a longstanding Eastern ideal as well. Hong Kong has a history of well-regarded Shanghai barbers. Local hairdresser Adam Chan wanted to blend the two worlds with his own barbershop, Hair House. After tiring of perms, straighteners and other ridiculous looks, he decided to focus solely on clean shaves, neatly trimmed beards and slick fades. So where does the East fit into all this? Simply put: the price. A wet shave costs HK$240 and a cut is just HK$350. It makes sense, considering you’re paying for something most men do in five minutes every morning.
2/F, 20 D’Aguilar Street, Central, tel: 6255 5450, facebook.com/hairhousebyadamchan


5 of Hong Kong’s newest and hippest barbershops

Adam Chan, at Hair House by Adam Chan, 2/F, 20, D’Aguilar Street, Central, Hong Kong on Auigust 17, 2016. [FEATURES] SCMP / Nora TAM

This image show Sarah Mcglynn at Fox and the Barber. 41-43 Graham Street, Central. [2016 FEATURES BARBERS] SCMP / May Tse

Crow's Nest Barbershop on Haven Street in Causeway Bay. 16AUG16 [2016 FEATURES] SCMP/ Jonathan Wong

This handout image shows an interiors of Era Barbers, 36 Pottinger Street in Central. Photo / HANDOUT [2016 FEATURES CHUNGKING]

Portrait of Co-founder Kenji Chow, in The Barber Room at The Duke's in Central. 16AUG16 [2016 FEATURES] SCMP/ Jonathan Wong

Cigar lounge at The Duke’s in Central. Photo: Jonathan Wong

Lifestyle

Fashion & Beauty

If you’re looking for a beard trim, or a decent wet shave and a haircut with a bit of old-school charm and refinement, here are a handful of winners


5 of Hong Kong’s newest and hippest barbershops

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}If you’re looking for a beard trim, or a decent wet shave and a haircut with a bit of old-school charm and refinement, here are a handful of winners

If you’re looking for a beard trim, or a decent wet shave and a haircut with a bit of old-school charm and refinement, here are a handful of winners