Best of Newcastle: top 10 barbers revealed
We’ve counted your votes and the results are in. Find out which Newcastle barbers made the cut.
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It’s time to find out who made the cut.
We went searching for the best barbers in Newcastle and asked you nominate your favourites.
We compiled the shortlist and then it was back over to you to vote for the best.
After tallying the nominations and the votes, it’s clear local barbers do much more than cut hair.
The barbershop is a place where locals can unwind, have a chat and hang out and many of you have built strong relationships with your barbers.
The 10 best barbershops in Newcastle were recognised for a wide range of reasons; from nailing the perfect fade to making customers laugh out loud with their banter.
There are barbers who have been cutting hair for decades and new kids on the block who are making waves in the industry.
Here they are — the best barbers in Newcastle as voted by you.
Equal 10th: Devi Barbers and Room Six Barber Shop
Devi Barbers: 2/140 Nelson St, Wallsend
Room Six: 5-7/120 Hunter Street, Newcastle
Coming in jointly at number 10 on the list are Devi Barbers and Room Six Barber Shop.
Room Six barber Alex Douglass started in the industry seven years ago.
“I was always cutting mates’ hair and realised that I should probably become qualified because I was doing it so much,” he said.
Douglass said building connections with clients was key to keeping them coming back.
“I love making people feel better about themselves when they sit in the chair,” he said.
“A good cut is one thing but good banter and a few laughs on top of that can make someone’s day.”
Paul nominated Room Six for the best barbers in Newcastle and has been a client for four years.
“Alex is a legend,” he said.
“Great guy, great barber, great friend.”
Andrew has also been a customer for four years and said customer service and detail was “second to none”.
Adam said Alex was “the hardest working barber in town”.
“No fuss, humble dude, best service going,” he said.
Devi Barbers in Wallsend were nominated for their attention to detail and talent with the clippers.
Long-time client Tyler said barber Timothy was “by far the best barber in Newcastle”.
“Consistent fade and even cut with clean lines,” he said.
Harry said Timothy was “the man”.
“Eye for detail, never rushes even if he runs behind,” he said.
“Everything is done with precision.”
Julian said Timothy was an “absolute perfectionist with attention to detail to the very last strand of hair”.
9. Chrome Barbers, 2/19 Bolton St, Newcastle
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Chrome Barbers were nominated for their friendly staff, great customer service and “old school professionalism”.
Long time client Giordan said barber Andrea delivered a “world class experience” and was great to talk to and “full of helpful advice”.
Mark has been visiting the Bolton St salon for 20 years and said Andrea was “polite, funny and considerate to everyone”.
Finding the perfect barber shop for children’s haircuts can sometimes be tricky, but not at Chrome — Sophia said Andrea was “amazing with both my sons”.
8. Postal Barber Co, 97 Young St, Carrington
Postal Barber Co received recognition for its consistency, professionalism and the ability to guide clients to the perfect style.
Darcy nominated Postal Barber Co and said his barber Ian always delivered a “great haircut” and was “open to new ideas”.
“Takes requests well but can operate independently when (the) client is unsure,” he said.
Daniel cited Ian’s attention to detail, listening skills and consistency with haircuts and beard trims as the reasons why he regards Postal Barber Co as the best in Newcastle.
Con said Ian was “on point, very neat and extremely professional”, while Tom said Ian provided “consistent, good quality hair cuts every time”.
7. Craig’s Barber Shop, 26/1 Taylor Ave, Thornton
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Craig Jones opened his Thornton barber shop five years ago starting with just himself and it became so busy he has since employed two staff.
He said Thornton was an “awesome little place”.
“It’s only a small suburb but everyone knows each other,” he said.
Jones has been a barber for more than 30 years after falling into the industry.
He was on his way to a job interview and stopped to get a haircut first. While he was there, he was offered an apprenticeship and the rest is history.
Jones enjoys the social side of barbering and getting to know his clients.
“You see the customers, the kids growing up,” he said.
6. The Lane Way Barbers, 56 Cleary St, Hamilton
After working in the industry for more than 30 years, Matthew Lane knows a thing or two about barbering.
The hardworking Lane opened his Hamilton barbershop in 2005, and now has two other staff.
Customers enjoy the competitive prices and the salon’s central location.
Paul nominated the barber shop to be in the running for the best in Newcastle.
He said Matthew was a “great bloke” and “always provides a perfect job”.
5. The Lincoln Room, 380 Hunter St, Newcastle
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An American style fit-out, luxury treatment and traditional services are all on the menu at The Lincoln Room.
The Newcastle barbershop is owned by speak-easy cocktail bar Coal & Cedar and located just next door.
“The two businesses go hand-in-hand really well,” barber Branden Evans said.
Evans began his career as a barber four years ago.
“It’s just always been an interest of mine,” he said.
“The lifestyle was alluring and it’s good to meet new people.”
Evans has watched as the industry “exploded” over the past few years.
“It seems to be going from strength to strength,” he said.
Recently he has noticed longer styles coming back into fashion after years of requests for super short cuts.
“For years it’s been about the fade but I am noticing a trend of people growing out their undercuts and going for longer styles,” he said.
Evans said many of his clients become “quite good friends”.
Josh was one of the many who nominated the barbershop as the best in Newcastle.
“The attention to detail and quality of the cut is always impeccable,” he said.
“Always great banter too.”
Daniel also highlighted the banter, and said combined with Evans’ passion it made for “a great experience”.
Equal 3rd: Jimbo’s Barbershop and Thommo’s Barbers
Jimbo’s Barbershop: 279 Hunter St, Newcastle
Thommo’s Barbers: 58 Ridley St, Charlestown
A career change from banking to barbering has led Ben Lyon to a completely new lifestyle.
The manager of Jimbo’s Barbershop on Hunter St completed his TAFE training five years ago after many years of cutting hair at home.
“I was in banking for awhile and decided to quit my job,” he said.
Lyon said the barber community was close-knit and he enjoyed the social side of the job.
“You end up making a lot of friends,” he said.
Jimbo’s Barbershop also has another location in Newcastle and two more salons in Port Macquarie.
The newest in the group, the Hunter St salon has been voted into equal third place in the best barbers in Newcastle.
Lyon said the team were “really surprised” to be nominated.
“It’s actually quite nice to be recognised as a place to go,” he said.
The salon was nominated for its professionalism, talented barbers and “the best banter”.
The barbershop shares its third place with long-running barbershop Thommo’s Barbers in Charlestown, which was also nominated for its great banter.
Long time client Shane described Thommo’s as “typical old school barbers with lots of banter and great service”.
Chris has also been a client for many years and said the Thommo’s team were “great, friendly blokes who know how to give a proper men’s haircut and grooming in all styles, old and new”.
Dan has been visiting the barbershop for 35 years.
“Awesome bunch of blokes who continue to deliver the tradition of an old school barber shop,” he said.
2. Gents of Toronto, 1/60 The Boulevarde, Toronto
Gents of Toronto will celebrate its first birthday in November having made waves in the local community.
Mark and Daniela Hastings moved from South Australia to Newcastle to open the salon after finding the perfect venue on The Boulevarde.
“The community just welcomed us straight away,” Daniela said.
Mark, a barber for 25 years, and Tania Stephens are the dynamic duo behind the clippers while Daniela runs the admin side of the business.
Daniela said clients “get more than a haircut” when they walk into the barbershop, with many people highlighting the peaceful nature of the salon.
Daniela said Mark’s philosophy for the barbershop was simple: memories and nostalgia.
“So for the older gentleman he wants to create an environment where they can relive that old world charm barbershop,” she said.
“And for the young ones it’s to create new memories.”
1. Walkabout Barbers, 7/363 Hillsborough Rd, Warners Bay
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After counting the votes, there was a clear winner: Walkabout Barbers is the best barbershop in Newcastle.
Brian Dowd opened the barbershop three years ago after struggling to find a suitable venue for a haircut for his son, who was diagnosed with autism when he was two.
His Hillsborough Rd barbershop includes a sensory room to make the haircut process much easier.
“Sometimes it takes them two or three visits before they move from that room to the barber shop,” Dowd said.
With his background as a trauma specialist, Dowd soon combined his skills in the barbershop — a place where men often feel comfortable opening up.
“When I’m behind the barber chair and cutting hair we’re accidental counsellors, but the best thing about me is I’m a qualified counsellor,” he said.
Dowd said the barber chair was a “magical chair”.
“When men sit in the chair they start to speak and they speak from a different place,” he said.
Dowd has also taken his concept on the road with a mobile barber truck, partnering with local health services to provide free haircuts in remote and regional areas.
The truck has visited 32 communities in the past year, delivering 60 haircuts a day when they are on the road.
“Some families that we’re working with, they’ve got four or five boys in their family and they’d have no chance of going in and paying for that,” he said.
“They’d usually do it themselves at home.”
Walkabout Barbers has grown significantly in a short space of time but Dowd has much more he wants to achieve.
“We’ve got no plans in slowing down, we want this to grow,” he said.
Dowd has plenty of support from locals too.
Leah nominated Walkabout in the search for the best barbers in Newcastle.
“Amazing love and patience in cutting hair of special needs children, also amazing attention to detail in their trade,” she said.
Ian said the Walkabout team “go the extra mile especially for children with extra needs”.
Kelly said Dowd not “only does an amazing job but also trains barbers and runs outreach programs to remote and regional communities”.
Thomas said Nathan “knows exactly what to do with the most difficult hair” while Cathy said he was an “amazing barber and extremely patient with special needs children”.
“Welcomes everyone from all walks of life,” she said.