Cut my hair... please!

March 3, 2009 8:59 PM

[SeattleHaircutFilter]. I am a man in his late 20s in Seattle looking to invest in a decent, not-too-expensive, but not necessarily cheap haircut. I'm more or less looking for a place where I can go in and say "oh, I'm not sure, use your best judgment," and walk out with something better-looking than I would have known to ask for. Does anyone know of such a beast in this town?
posted by You Can't Tip a Buick to clothing, beauty, & fashion (16 answers total)

Rudy's
posted by qxntpqbbbqxl at 9:09 PM on March 3, 2009

I SECOND Rudy's...if its ANYTHING like the one in SM. I LOVED this place before I moved to shitty-haircut ville.
posted by hal_c_on at 9:44 PM on March 3, 2009

Weldon Barber and Bombaii Cutters, if Eastside is your thing.
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 9:45 PM on March 3, 2009

It's a bit girly but they get a lot of men and I have never had a bad haircut from them. Recommended over Rudy's (I'm male and in my early 20's). Price is the same as Rudy's too.

Tenpachi in the U District
posted by kinakomochi at 9:47 PM on March 3, 2009

Oops I lose at linking
posted by kinakomochi at 9:48 PM on March 3, 2009

Eastside is less my thing than it could be -- I'm reliant on public transportation. I respect the Rudy's suggestions (and the fact that they're practically next-door to me), but I've heard mixed things about them from friends. Tenpachi I will look into...
posted by You Can't Tip a Buick at 10:19 PM on March 3, 2009

Rudys.
posted by Artw at 10:33 PM on March 3, 2009

Valentine's Men's Grooming Salon. It's in Greenwood, but totally worth the trip. First and foremost, the stylists are all professionals who take their time and ask lots of questions. You will get a thorough haircut which will grow out well.

The kicker is the atmosphere & experience. You walk in and are greeted by attractive women in their 20s. They seat you in comfy leather chairs and offer coffee or tea. When your stylist is ready you sit down and get your cut. After the cut, the girl takes you back to a very dark and quiet room, seats you, tilts your head back under warm water and washes your hair. And gives you a short scalp massage.

Then the girl takes you over to the styling area where they have every hair care product known to man. She asks you how you would like it styled, picks out some goop and styles your hair for you in front of a mirror.

All that for $30 + tip. I was expecting some high pressure sales pitch for some sort of spa package, but surprisingly it was very chill and I was out of there in 30 minutes.
I think between the girls and the stylists they could help provide suggestions, but it's best if you come in with some ideas about what you want--or at least what you DON'T want.

Here are some ridiculous men's hairstyles which may help eliminate some options.

I found Rudy's to be an overpriced "chop shop" where they hustle you out as fast as possible.

Valentine's
posted by manuelw at 10:44 PM on March 3, 2009

Tava at Salon Ciba, definitely. Holly's good, too.

I wouldn't recommend Rudy's unless you've got a young lady by the name of April on the other end of the shears. Too inconsistent and unnecessarily random.
posted by batmonkey at 11:16 PM on March 3, 2009

Bad experiences at Rudy's. Good experiences at Sal's on Pike.
posted by gam zeh yaavor at 12:08 AM on March 4, 2009

Came in to recommend Valentine's as well.
posted by proj at 4:20 AM on March 4, 2009

I've always been happy with the haircuts I got from Jami at Tart, in Ballard (warning: obnoxious website). Not cheap, but they grow out very well. I'm a woman, but I know she does men's haircuts as well.
posted by The corpse in the library at 9:17 AM on March 4, 2009

I'll be more specific and say: Rudy's in Belltown.

I've had my hair cut at various Rudy's since the first one opened many moons ago and have had mostly good, but sometimes not so good results. (And I've had my haircut at other Seattle places, including spendy ones). BUT, for the past couple of years I've been going exclusively to the Belltown Rudy's branch and have never had a dud haircut.

Even more specifically, I'd say that Kelli at Rudy's Belltown is my preferred Seattle haircare professional. If you call them (206-448-8900) you can find out when she works and then request her when you show up. Let her know the Internet sent you.
posted by donovan at 11:40 AM on March 4, 2009

Vain in Belltown (I think they have a new location in Ballard as well) is fantastic. A little pricier than a place like Rudy's (I think cuts start at $30, depending on who you go with), but a bit more reliable IMHO.
posted by stilly at 12:48 PM on March 4, 2009

Rudy's is a possibility, but man, the quality really varies A LOT from stylist to stylist. You might get a great cut, you might end up looking like shit.

If you can get to Columbia City (the 7, 9, and 48 come down here), then you really ought to check out Pure Alchemy Salon. Danyale is the proprieter; her day job is as head of hair and makeup at the Seattle Opera. She is totally amazing and I recommend her services wholeheartedly.
posted by Sublimity at 7:01 PM on March 4, 2009

Rudy's really does vary from place to place and person to person. Avoid the Phinney Ridge one on weekends unless you have a Russian novel you need to finish while waiting. And it seems like they have a high turnover rate for the good ones. (I just get my head buzzed nowadays so it really doesn't matter that much.)

If you're really willng to spend on a grown up place, try Capelli's downtown. $30 or more for a cut, but I've heard really good things about them.

There's a place on Queen Anne I've also heard good things about -- very old school, relatively inexpensive -- but I can't remember if it's Bostonian or Counterbalance.
posted by dw at 9:36 AM on March 7, 2009