As up-beat lounge music plays in the background, buzzing clippers ring throughout the yellow trimmed walls. Jokes are being made about last night’s events while the customers sit on the black leather sofa, anticipating their haircut appointment.
Amongst the hustle and bustle of Coney Island Avenue, Scissors to Clippers, a local barbershop in the Midwood neighborhood, shines its bright white lights behind a glass-windowed store front. Opened nearly two years ago, Scissors to Clippers has become the desired barbershop New York City natives come to get their hair cut the way they have always wanted. Perfectly, every time, by two American born Israeli brothers, Kfir and Adir Argaman.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BqQKfVNapHI&feature=youtu.be
Customers come from all across the city, Long Island, and New Jersey because they know exactly what they will get at Scissors to Clippers; a personalized haircut that accentuates their image, culture, and style. Kfir (27) and Adir’s (25) combined experience is not only what keeps their shop relevant amongst the booming barbershop culture, movement, and industry, but what drives them to continually develop their style to meet the needs and wants of their customers. Argaman gives credit to the shops success based on their individuality. “We do all different styles, anything the customer wants… we also gives styles other barbers are too afraid to do.”
The ambience that exudes out of the barbershop is second to none. The up-beat atmosphere, the practical jokes, and the warm sense of community are the gel that keeps the barbers in sync and brings the customers back.
When a customer sits down in the chair, he knows he’s getting a cut from his barber, at his shop, the way he likes it, all while being surrounded by people that genuinely care for one another. That’s not something that can be created artificially; it has to come from the heart. Shop regular, Jack Gindy (20), explains why he specifically comes to Scissors to Clippers “I’m here about every week and a half because I know these guys will make me look my best, and take their time. I know I’m getting a quality cut.”
Brooklyn, the most populated borough of New York City, is home to over two and a half million people. Being the cultural melting pot that it is, you are sure to find every shape, size, and style of person. At the same time, self-expression has always been a sense of pride that we can all relate to. Whether it be the music we listen to, clothes we wear, or the food we eat, our outer appearance is what we rely on to tell the world who we are. And that’s where haircuts come in
A haircut has become more than just haircut. It has essentially evolved into the single most expressive part of ourselves that we show off to the world. While braids, a bun, or buzz cut used to round off the typical styles worn be the everyday person, barbers across the globe have transformed how one’s hair reflects their personality, style, and individuality.
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When Kfir borrowed a friend’s pair of clippers Nine years ago, it was not out of interest, but out of necessity. Money was tight in his family so saving every penny made a difference, and that meant giving himself haircuts. After a while, his friend noticed Argaman’s natural ability and started to get haircuts for free. Eventually word caught on that Argaman gave the best cut in the neighborhood. Argaman recalls “I emptied out a shed in my backyard, put in a barber chair, added some lights, and turned on some music. It was my first shop and was open for business.” But that wasn’t enough for Kfir.
A few years passed and Kfir was looking to make a barber shop of his own. So he turned to the person he could trust the most, his younger brother Adir. Adir was willing to learn the tricks of the trade if both brothers were dedicated to making it into something great. That was five years ago. Argaman admits “At first, I viewed it as a job, but as I got better at cutting hair, it became a passion.” Since then, they have both developed and tweaked their skills and hair cutting abilities to match the needs of their customers, because at the end of the days, that’s who they care about most – their customers.
One big step in their recent success has been the hiring of long-time friend and fellow barber, Emil White.
White, age 30, has almost 15 years of experience under his belt from all different scenes in the world of barbershops. Whether hipster Williamsburg, the sheik Upper West Side, or professional suburban New Jersey, White really has a firm grasp of what his customers want. Emil’s stylistic assets are exactly what Kfir and Adir were looking for when they brought him on board at Scissors to Clippers. Argaman points out how “Kfir and I really look up to Emil. We’re inspired by him and his understanding of styles.” Contrarily, and ever so humbly, White attributes his success to one thing in particular; he says “We listen to our customers.” He elaborated how the customers want to be heard and want their style to be seen. The culmination of the customers’ confidence and positivity leads to the single most important characteristic of Scissor to Clipper, the vibe. Or as Argaman likes to call it, “Positive, positive energy.”
Kfir set out to make a difference, make his mark on the haircut scene, and make people look and feel the way they want to. Along the way, Adir and White have been there to share their passion for self-expression and community with the people they care the most about – their customers. As water rushing down his head while his hair was being washed, customer Albert Dweck admits “I just can’t say what it is, but this shop makes me feel good.”