Each year it is always so interesting to see which videos were our 10 most viewed videos of the year and 2018 was no exception! Some videos remain popular year after year, while others could be a surprise.
As we film throughout the year, we have a lot of fun meeting and filming with amazing barbers around the world. We always leave with good memories and are happy that so many people enjoy watching our videos. We are truly grateful to each one of you who has helped us on this journey.
“One of the only channels I automatically press the like button before even watching the video, keep up the great work Harry! You’ve given me years of enjoyment!” -Matt Ashby
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1. Classic Old Time Wet Shave by the Guardian Angel of Route 66
This video filmed in 2014 with Angel Delgadillo, the Guardian Angel of Route 66, has consistently been a favorite with viewers. It is our most viewed video, and we were so excited to see it surpass 4 million views!
We heard from Angel’s family recently that he is “doing great, still working, driving the truck, playing his saxophone and riding his bike.” This year Angel will be turning 92!
Many of you have asked about getting a shave with Angel. Anyone interested in getting a shave or a haircut should contact Angel’s Barbershop and Route 66 Gift Shop to inquire about pricing and to schedule an appointment.
2. Are You Comfortable Sir? – The Royal Shave with Head Massage at Truefitt & Hill
In 2017 we returned to India after 18 years! Our first stop was Mumbai. We had a pretty tight schedule with only a few days before we had to get a train to Aurangabad.
We were staying in the Colaba neighborhood near the India Gateway. On one of my walks I noticed the Truefitt & Hill Barber Shop that was nearby where we were staying. So we stopped by and asked about the possibility of filming a video there. We were told filming would have to be approved by their Marketing Manager. Since we had very limited time in Mumbai, we thought the filming might not work out as we assumed it may take a bit of time to get the approval.
In the meantime, we did have filming lined up for a haircut video and I decided to go ahead with a shave with one of the street barbers. In the end, we heard from Truefitt & Hill that we got the approval to film! We arranged to film the very last evening we were in town. Several of you noticed I did not have a lot of facial hair in this video. It’s because there was a day in between shaves and my facial hair does not grow that fast!
So I was treated to the Royal Shave by the awesome Kalim. This pampering experience was 45 minutes from start to end and concluded with a relaxing facial massage. This video is our longest video to date and in less than a year surpassed 1 million views! Many of you have caught on to Kalim’s catchphrase, “are you comfortable sir?”
3. America’s Most Polite Barber at The House of Shave Barber Parlor
It has already been five years since we filmed with Matthew Gallegos at The House of Shave Barber Parlor in Phoenix, Arizona. This video has continued to be popular with viewers. Matthew’s genuine focus on customer service quickly got him nicknamed as America’s most polite barber!
“Feel like a million bucks in exchange for $20” -Matthew Gallegos
We checked in with The House of Shave Barber Parlor not so long ago to see how all was going. Matthew excitedly told us since the video the shop has seen a lot of international customers stopping by. Now in the barber shop, there is a section of wall covered with money from all over the world!
In the interview we filmed with Matthew he shared his catchphrase, “feel like a million bucks in exchange for $20.00.” Matthew told us he kind of thought this one up on the fly during the interview. Prices have increased since then, but Matthew’s focus on quality of the services still goes above and beyond expectations.
4. Scissor Slinging Las Vegas Haircut Experience at Cliff’s Barber Corral
We originally filmed with Cliff in 2016 and instantly loved his sincere welcoming personality. The interview we filmed with Cliff at that time is still one we love watching!
None of us could have imagined how popular Cliff’s video would become. Currently, our Scissor Slinging Las Vegas Haircut Experience with Cliff is our second most watched video of all time!
In 2018 we caught up with Cliff again while in Las Vegas. We filmed a tour of Cliff’s Barber Corral and a podcast to share with our Pareon supporters about Cliff and his shop.
“They seem to put it on their bucket list to come see Cliff’s Barber Corral.” -Cliff Wolosin
In the podcast Cliff told us how he was surprised at the videos success but at the same time likes how it is nice as it is a documentation of his work. Cliff was also happily surprised that so many people had visited him as a result of our video!
To see more great videos from Cliff, check out his YouTube channel.
5. Conversation and Haircut with National Treasure Guardian Angel of Route 66
When we met Angel again in 2017, he pulled up to the shop in his vintage truck that looked like it was straight out of the movie Cars. He jumped out of his truck faster than I could capture him with the camera, and he immediately dived into work like a boss!
And yes, if you are thinking that Angel’s story sounds strikingly similar to the Pixar movie Cars then you are right. Angel along with others along Route 66 were interviewed by Cars writer John Lasseter while researching the movie in 2000. In the movie the fictional town of Radiator Springs is said to have been influenced by the history of Seligman, Arizona.
It was an absolute joy to see Angel for a second time! So happy we’ve been able to share a little of Angel’s awesome personality and sense of humor in our videos.
6. Haircut at Ruben og Bobby’s Retro Arcade Barbershop
We love to see what barbers around the world are doing in their shops. Love the shops that reflect the barbers personality and interests. On our last stop in Copenhagen in 2017, we had so much fun meeting Bobby and checking out his toy collections and arcade games.
“I think maybe the number one rule is to just live cheap and go after your dream.” –Bobby Ågren
When Bobby started out with combining his passions of cutting hair and collecting toys and video games, he didn’t have a big budget. He didn’t have a car. It was normal for him to not have lots of money. Bobby says, “if you’re used to living cheap I think that’s a really good concept in life.”
Bobby went after his dreams and is doing what he loves: cutting hair and selling cool stuff. And next month Ruben og Bobby will be celebrating their 10 year anniversary!
7. Farzad “The Happy Barber” Deluxe Hot Shave
On our last day in Vancouver, BC we filmed at Farzad’s Barber Shop. We were so lucky we had the opportunity to spend our last evening with Farzad and Shelley Salehi in their classy and welcoming barber shop in Yaletown. Farzad found his way to Vancouver, BC from Iran over twenty years ago and brought with him his knowledge of Iranian barbershops.
He has an incredible story behind his long journey to Canada that was published in The Vancouver Sun – Close Shaves: The Journey Of Fazad Salehi.
During our evening with Farzad we learned so much about the power of human perseverance and acceptance. Farzad is a truly humbling person who says the best award or label he could receive is that of the neighborhood barber! That was what would make him happy.
8. Victory Barber & Brand Gastown – Gentleman’s Contour Haircut with Low Taper in the Back
The very first time we were in contact with the Street Thug Barbers in Vancouver, BC was in December of 2015. The original founders, Cameron Sterling and Josh Malcolm, have been providing free haircuts to those in need since August 1st, 2015. We followed what they were doing and stayed in contact up until we finally met in 2018!
The Street Thug Barber core members are Cameron, Josh, and Farzad Salehi who is also known as “The Happy Barber.” The Street Thug Barbers have volunteered their time every Sunday in Oppenheimer Park located in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside. It is an area with a significant homeless and low-income population. Cameron described their work in Oppenheimer Park much like the relationship they develop with the customers they see in the barbershop. It’s about connecting with people and being accepted by the community they serve.
We are very thankful we got to spend an incredible Sunday morning in Oppenheimer Park in the Downtown Eastside community. While waiting for a haircut, a lot of people took time to share their stories with us. Stories about life, family, relationships, and growing up. Although so many have experienced pain and tragedy, we were also able to share some jokes and laughter. Little did we know that the people we met on this day would steal our hearts.
After spending Sunday morning filming in Oppenheimer Park we headed to Victory Barber & Brand in Gastown to film this haircut video with Josh.
9. Santa Fe New Mexico’s Oldest and Only Traditional Barber Shop – The Center Barbershop
We started 2018 by hitting the road to Santa Fe, New Mexico where we filmed with the wonderful Vigil family at their 3rd generation barbershop. The Center Barbershop is the oldest and only traditional barbershop in Santa Fe. We are so glad we filmed and took the time to learn about the amazing history of this shop.
Life is full of ups and downs, and for the Vigil family this was no different. Their story is an inspiration to keep doing what you love and don’t be scared to take the risk to start doing it!
Read our blog post to find out more about the Vigil family and The Center Barbershop.
10. Frizebad Barbershop Head Massage and Romanian Hair Styling
Prior to our arrival in Bucharest we were lucky to cross paths with travel writer Mark Baker. Mark shares his personal work on his blog Mark Baker Prague.
We were grateful to tap into Mark’s expert knowledge as a writer for Lonely Planet. A couple years earlier Mark had seen a barber shop in Bucharest he thought we might find interesting. Mark was not sure of the address but gave us an idea as to where to search.
Frizebad Barbershop was in the area Mark told us to look, just around the corner from Pasajul Victoria and the Old Town. I was immediately struck by the interior. A perfect time warp reflecting the Romanian communist era of the 1970’s and early 1980’s. Surprisingly, original barber chairs imported to Romania in the 1930’s from Chicago still remained. I guess even the might of communist dictators stop when it comes to good comfortable barber chairs!
My initial contact with the barber shop did not appear to go well. There can be lots of misunderstandings when we don’t share a common language. The limited communication gave me the impression that filming would not be possible due to their customers’ privacy.
Leaving, I peered back into the shop feeling defeated. This was a great place with some obvious history behind it. I just could not simply walk away.
An Interpreter’s Helping Hand
I immediately started looking for an interpreter. Someone willing to wander back to the shop and explain our YouTube channel. It took a little searching, but I was fortunate to meet Ana, owner of Romanian Maple Tours, at a local tourist office. When I explained what we were trying to do Ana was like, “sure!”
Without Ana’s generous help arranging the filming we would not have been able to share this barber shop experience.
2018 truly was an amazing year! We are very thankful for the opportunities to travel and film in seven countries. Ultimately, we released twenty-five videos this year which is so exciting to see as this is a record for our channel! Read more about the videos we filmed in 2018 in our three part series: Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3.
So happy all of you have been a part of the journey!
