1069 N King St, Hampton Virginia 23669
I find it quite easy to sit here, in my upstairs room, and critique everything around me. Every meal out, and every service I receive - such as getting my hair cut or my beard trimmed. This is easy, because I have no risk here, in the land of google. Those that provide a service are the real risk-takers. Nobody fines me if my review isn't fair, but one unfair review can cost the future earnings of those that provide a service to the community. Even if their work is poor, it is of more value than my review. But today I will actually take a risk in claiming a new discovery. I have waited over a year for this moment, because I wanted to find another competitor to make such a comparison to. My challenge is that after a full year, I have failed to find any peer or contender to compare BK to. Let me explain... my search began in the hottest part of the summer of 2023. I went into BK's Barbershop, in a panic when my normal barber was closed for vacation. I noticed that the shop was not particularly big, and there were two customers outside waiting for the line to go down. This was the first indicator that the service was well-worth waiting for. If people are waiting in line to see you, even in the hottest part of the summer, you are clearly doing something right! After a short wait, Carl Booker invited me to his seat. I must preface further critique by noting a terrible observation about the entire barber industry: nobody ever listens to what you ask for. They all have their own ideas about what they think you want, then they project their ideas onto you, thinking that they know your style and character better than you do... and this leaves you walking away, vowing to just go find another barber the next time. But I am quite elated to report: BK does not have this problem! In any detail that could have been ambiguous, he asked for my preferences. I not only got EXACTLY what I asked for, but his attention to detail, and his respect and execution of the customers expectations are dramatically superior to every barber I have ever met. Cutting hair, or shaping a beard, those are not skills, they are arts. And BK is an artist. I am not a particularly attractive man, but BK sent me on my way looking better than I have since my early 20s!!! I knew when I came here that it was my last day living in the local area - I now live three hours away. During the year since my visit, I have been repeatedly disappointed by a dozen lesser barbers and have yet to find a barber I am happy with. I am giving serious consideration to making a 6-hour (round-trip) visit back to BK's once a month, the man is just that good!!!