It’s mid-February, my face is itchy and that can only mean one thing: Time for a straight razor shave at Cullen’s Classic Barber Shop! One of the many great things about Cullen’s Classic Barber Shop is that it’s very close to the MBIP World Headquarters. In fact we can get there quicker than The Ramones can get through the song, “Blitzkrieg Bop.” Watch...
See we’re here already and they still had about 15 seconds left. Well, three quarters of them are dead now, so maybe they have slowed down just a little bit, but still, it’s really close and handy. So now...hey ho, let’s go...inside!
There’s the proprietor of this barber shop, Ryan Cullen and that’s Brock Cassidy who’s getting his camera action down because he’s going to be taking the photos of the whole shaving process today! Great to see both of them, but before we get down to the sharp business of a shave, let’s take a tour of Cullen’s Classic Barber Shop!
The Tour
Here’s some landscape shots of the barber shop. I love the paneling and wooden floor. It’s got a nice manly-man clubhouse feel to it!
And if you’ve ever been to or seen pictures of the MBIP World Headquarters, you know I love pictures on the walls and there’s plenty of fun ones here to gaze at. This is just a small sampling of them. Also note the big screen TV where vintage movies play throughout the day.
The top of this series of photos are two bobblehead barbers from a shop in Rotterdam called, Schorem that Ryan met on a trip there, you can read about them right here. And speaking of inspiration, Ryan’s other barber influence is his girlfriend, Vanessa Coletrain (yes, it rhymes with, Soul Train!) and you can see her and read about her right here. There’s also a magazine rack, books and assorted knick-knacks on the coffee table and if you’re in the mood for something stronger than coffee, Ryan’s also got an impressive whiskey bar off to the side!
In addition to hot towel straight razor shaves, Ryan also does haircuts, razor, clipper & shear work and beard lining and taming. Ryan has hair and beard products for sale in the shop including Reuzel Pomade from Schorem and items from the Alluvian grooming line that are made right here in Peoria!
There’s Brock and Ryan wondering when in the hell I’m going to quit taking pictures and get going with the shaving process!
So I decided to surrender the camera to Brock and get in this vintage barber chair that dates back to 1963. It may be the original chair used by Bill Honaker, who first opened up this space as a barber shop in the early ‘60’s. This spot has been a barber shop that entire time and Ryan is keeping the spirit alive with his vintage decor and old-school barber shop atmosphere in the shop.
Electric Razor Shave Part One: The Goatee and Sideburns
Okay, the MBIP Camera has been handed over to Brock and it’s time to start making this beard disappear! Just like last year, we thought we’d try out a couple of looks before we take the whole thing off. The first is the sideburns and goatee look and we all agree that if Reba McEntire steps down from her duties as Colonel Sanders, I may have a shot for that role!
Electric Razor Shave Part Two: The Mustache and Soul Patch
Next up is a mustache and soul patch and then just the ‘stache. Hey, I look a little like Scott Turley in that last photo! I need to get a hat though!
Electric Razor Shave Part Three: Completion
Next is a half ‘stache photo and then poof: Beard-be-gone! I like growing the beard, but it’s always a relief to have it shaved off!
Hot Towel Time
This is my favorite part of the straight razor shave, the hot towel on the face. It’s so relaxing and it’s the only time in the whole process that I stopped running my motor mouth! I'm sure Ryan and Brock were relieved to have this brief moment of silence!
Lather
Okay, time to lather up and get ready for the main event: The straight razor shave!
Straight Razor Shave
I have to admit, I always get a little tense before having someone shave my face with a razor that could slit my throat with the trip of a foot. Brock expertly captured that tension by getting a shot of my hand in the midst of a nervous grip! He's got some mad photo skills going on there!
The tension was for naught though. Ryan’s a real pro and shaved away the remaining stubble expertly and now the face is once again naked! I feel free and lighthearted like Peter Pan in a steam room!
Thanks to Ryan for a wonderful and relaxing shave and thanks to Brock for taking such great photos! It was a fun afternoon and I’m looking forward to next year’s shave already! Cullen’s Classic Barber Shop is now appointment only, so if you’d like to duplicate this experience or get a hair cut, you can call the number below. We’ll see you all tomorrow!
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7312 N. University Street (In Windsor Square Shopping Center)
Peoria
309-691-6889
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Related Post: A Shave And A Tour @ Cullen’s Classic Barber Shop.