WS Chronicle

Popular writer Malcolm Gladwell said mastery is not born but created, practiced, and executed. To help barbers across the state sharpen their skills last month, The Shave Cave Barber Lounge hosted a Barber Skills and Techniques Class. While having a master barber class is common in bigger cities, it had never been done in Winston-Salem. But Anthony Hamby, owner of The Shave Cave Barber Lounge here in Winston-Salem, and Caleb Cranfield, owner of Support The C Barbershop in Salisbury, changed that. 

Hamby, who has been working toward his goal of opening his own barber school for a few years, said the class was another step toward reaching that goal. 

“I kinda let that test take the wind out of me, so I really did it to get a better feel for teaching and build my confidence up,” Hamby continued. “And I’ve been getting a lot of game from this for 15 years, so it’s only right that I share that with other barbers trying to perfect their craft.”

Forty barbers from across the state attended the Technique and Skills Class led by Hamby and Cranfield. Hamby said because many Black barbers struggle with straight hair, and white and Hispanic barbers struggle with curly hair, that’s what the class focused on. There were also discussions about almost every aspect of barbering, from equipment and pricing, to making connections to customers.

“This is education on a professional level as opposed to a student level. That’s the biggest difference between this class and what you get in barber school,” Hamby continued. “We’re focusing on the tips and services that’s really going to improve your craft, not so much vocabulary words. There’s things you may encounter in a barbershop on a daily basis that you probably don’t face in school. It was even more important that we had the opportunity to sit down with each other and just talk and hear what other barbers are dealing with.”

The class has received a lot of positive feedback from barbers who were in attendance and instructors at Winston-Salem Barber School. Barbers who are still working toward earning their license received credit hours for attending the class. Hamby said he’s also received several videos from barbers using some of the techniques they learned. In addition to hosting more group classes, Hamby is also looking to start one-on-one classes as well.

“The good thing about the class is that the tips and tricks that you pick up, you can go back and instantly see the growth from it,” Hamby said.

The Shave Cave Barber Lounge is located at 4680 Brownsboro Road. For more information or to book a service, visit https://booksy.com/en-us/404448_the-shave-cave-barber-lounge_barber-shop_108476_winston. Follow @shavecavebarberlounge on Instagram.