One of the great things about living in London is the awesome selection of barbers for men to choose from. A hotspot for guys who give more than a quick 20-minute trims worth of a damn about their hair, London has every type of barber you could want, from the uber-prmium to the uber-edgy and alternative. Then there are those that are a perfect mis of the two, one of them being Jack the Clipper.
I’ve ranted before about my dismay at the cattle-like one-in-one-out barbers; it may be £8 quid, but where is the value in a bad haircut? I know this is a massive and sweeping generalisation, but it hold true in many instances. You just can’t get the level of detail, care and attention when your rushing your customer out. I urge men to take time and pride in going to the barbers, at the end of the day it’s fun, it’s a welcome bit of self-indulgence and the results leave you with a refreshed confidence.
The other week, I was invited along to Jack the Clipper to tryout their ‘Royal Ripper’ treatment - it’s the whole package and their most premium offering…
This is truly a cut above the rest, the stuff normally reserved for royal blood. Have a butchers of this – We start with a wash, just to get those hairs fine and dandy, followed by Jack’s best cut, a style like no other and a shave of your life. Then comes a right royal indulgence, a face mask, eye mask treatment, threading and all topped off with a hot towel massage. - Jack the Clipper
Jack the Clipper has multiple London locations, including Shoreditch and Mayfair - I headed to the Mayfair branch for my cut. It’s a nice little venue hidden in the back roads near Green Park. The inside is charming and compact with three salon chairs (all iconic Belmont chairs, of course) with metal, leather and wooden facades giving it a warm yet masculine feel.
Part of the Royal Ripper treatment involved a Turkish Flame Shave - I’ve never had this before but I’ve always been intrigued. The rod you can see hanging off the light in the above picture is literally lit on fire and then the barber rapidly taps you with it, in this case the hair around your ears etc. (don’t worry, my ears aren’t hairy!) It’s an intense feeling, and rather hot as you’d expect, but it’s pretty cool, and the technique can be used to trim your head hair too.
The cut was finished with a slick beard trim - actually one of the best I’ve ever had - and a face and eye mask, with hot towels, and then moisturiser. It left me feeling totally energised and my skin felt great.
The staff at Jack the Clipper are friendly, but their not much for the banter, which does seem a little odd for barbershop. After a couple initial questions I wasn’t spoken to again until they were finished, the barbers just spoke to each other and laughed about - and unfortunately not in English so I couldn’t join in! It’s a shame as I like to talk! 😛
If you’re not fussed about conversation then Jack the Clipper is definitely for you.
A classic wash, cut and style starts at £26 and a shave and hot towel treatment is from only £17 (prices change dependant on location - both incredibly priced compared to other London salons and considering the whole experience of being there.
The Royal Ripper cost £54, £64 in Mayfair - which is a fairly steep increase just for location, but for the thoroughness of the appointment, which lasts about an hour give or take, and the amount of treatments involved, it’s well priced for the indulgence and I’d happily go again for the quality of cut (and especially the shave).
Make your appointment at jacktheclipper.co.uk
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