Introducing some of the uk's finest barbers and men's stylists

Pete Cranfield, 28, is joint owner of All Star Barbershop in Liverpool. 

Says Pete: "All Star Barbershop is a family-run business. Me and my brother opened the shop in Summer 2009. It has a great male-orientated, relaxed atmosphere."

All Star Barbershop does buck some of the barber traditions - for a start it operates an appointment system. Explains Pete: "After a year of working as a walk-in shop, we changed to appointments. Our aim is to spend the same amount of time with each customer, to make them feel comfortable and give them the best quality service. We work to 30 minute appointments; we did a lot of research and used our experience to decide that this is a sufficient time for an appointment. Our research also revealed that a lot of shops work to a 20 minute appointment time, but we like to give our clients that little bit extra."

The shop is situated on an affluent suburban road in south Liverpool. The immediate area has a variety of outlets. There is also a university closeby, which means the salon attracts a large number of student customers - not that that fazes Pete. "I pride myself on being able to provide any member of the public with the highest quality haircut, so my clientele is quite diverse. Since working to appointments and building up my reputation, I have gained a lot of new clients. I have even started working out of hours to accommodate some of my high-profile customers."

Pete's barbering career stared early. "Since I was 14 years old I knew I wanted to be a barber. I used to take great interest in what my barber was doing as he was cutting my hair, and always pictured myself doing the job. When I went on my work experience from school, I asked my teacher if I could go to the barbershop. As I was heavily involved in sport at the time, my teacher told me I would be wasting my time going to the barbers and that I should do something more sport-orientated. When I left school at 16, I went to college to do a Btec in sports science, but after two months, I decided I definitely still wanted to be a barber so I enrolled at my local barbering school and managed to get an apprenticeship at the barbershop that I used to visit."

Pete is passionate about his work. "I love everything about barbering. I love the traditions, I love the creative flare I can express through my job and I love meeting new people all the time. I have always had a massive passion for it. I enjoy the fact that, to my customers, I'm much more than just their barber; I listen to their problems and give them advice on all kinds of issues. I like knowing that my clients feel they can talk to me about anything. "

Asked what he feels makes a good haircut, Pete responds: "A great men's haircut to me is made up of several key features. I like nothing more than seeing a tight taper on a tailored haircut or a lean shape in a longer haircut. It should emphasise his best features and hide his worst. A great men's haircut is one that is designed to fit the man, one that allows the owner to style the hair himself, and fits into his lifestyle. I like to use traditional barbering techniques and mix them up a bit to create my hairstyles."

Daniel Rymer, 28, is an award-winning men's hairdresser, working at Bespo'ke Male Grooming Company in Bristol as a creative director.

Daniel describes The Bespo'ke mission as being "to deliver great men's hairdressing together with face and body treatments in a stylish and relaxing environment."

It's an ethos that seems to be working. Says Daniel: "The salon has grown year on year and we're just about to open our second salon in June in the centre of Bristol which is going to be my baby. We don't have to advertise as word of mouth from our loyal customers ensures we are a busy salon."

Continues Daniel: "The current salon is based on the outskirts of town with no walk-in trade. We ensure all our clients receive the best service so they tell their friends and family about us. Currently, our clientele is mainly working professionals but we hope the new salon will attract younger clients because of its city-centre location. This will allow us to demonstrate our creativity."

Daniel trained as a hairdresser, and decided to specialise in men's hair. "I don't see myself as a barber, more of a men's stylist," he says. "I came into hairdressing after finishing a product design degree. I couldn't see myself sat behind a computer all day and wanted a career where I could push my creativity to the max. I've always been around hairdressing as my mother owns a successful salon in my hometown.

"I wanted to learn as quickly as possible and get stuck in so I moved to Manchester and trained at the Toni & Guy Academy for 30 weeks on the beginner's course achieving a diploma in cutting and colouring plus an NVQ Level 2."

Daniel's training continued into his first job. "After completing my beginners training, I accepted a position with former HJ's Men's Hairdresser of the Year, Jim Shaw at the one-off men's grooming salon, EssensualsMEN in Billericay, Essex. Working there I received expert mentoring from Jim who showed me the art of clippering and grooming."

 The secret of a great men's haircut according to Daniel is: "Great shape and a perfect blend which is versatile. I like to get at least three styles out of every cut - my clients love to be shown this."

Shane Cannon, 24, rents a chair as a self-employed men's stylist at Bluez barbers in Luton.

The shop is a well-established business of 11 years. Shane has worked there for two years, advertising his services through Facebook, Twitter and other social networking platforms and his hard work has established a loyal clientele - getting busier every week.

"The shop is in a busy parade with a high school and college across the road in a multicultural area," says Shane. "I do a range of clients from the elderly to younger clients including children. But I pull in a lot of the younger generation through recommendation, doing more creative styles."

Shane had to work hard to realise his ambition to become a barber. "Since school I always wanted to be a barber, but the courses were always full," he recalls. "I worked as a plasterer for four years but as I was not enjoying it I kept going back to the college asking about courses. Eventually a place became free on a women's hairdressing course. It wasn't barbering but it was something I thought I would enjoy. I told my tutor about my career ambitions and he put me onto the men's class where I realised my passion. I started working in Bluez barbers four days a week, while going to college five nights a week. It was a huge career change but I have never looked back."

Shane's love of the craft of barbering hasn't waned over the years. "I wake up every morning and can't wait to get a pair of clippers in my hand," he says. "I love the challenge of trying to stand out f rom the rest. Also, the praise I get from people about the work I produce makes me happy. I'm building a good reputation for myself. The best feeling is seeing my cuts about the town, in clubs, pubs and restaurants - it's great when they come over and compliment me on my work."

On what makes great men's haircut, Shane has this to say: "I think a great haircut has to stand out from the crowd - one that looks the same with or without product in. The cut has to be done to perfection, with a lot of effort put into the cut to get the best possible finish. Fresh, sharp and creative is key."

Jon Bourne is owner of Jon Bourne's Barbertown, Worcester. He describes the company as offering traditional barbering with a modern mantra - 'Do something less boring with your hair'. 

Says Jon: "We pride ourselves on offering a great service, great banter with a great team of experienced barbers. Boys toys add to the experience with pinball, Sega Outrun, and an American-style pool table, live Sky Sports and refreshments all available." 

Barbertown is based in two locations within the city of Worcester. "Each site offers something unique to the other," says Jon. "Our flagship salon is well-established in the St  Johns area which is west of Worcester city centre, and our Tything shop is located in the heart of the city near to schools, the railway station and a shopping centre. Both shops cater for all age groups and provide a range of services promoting male grooming in the form of beard trims, wet shaves, restyles, and so on. I also rent a floor above the Tything salon to a tattoo artist which complements the Barbertown brand providing more diversity. I keep my clients up to date using social media and they can follow us on Facebook and Twitter to find out the latest goings on at Barbertown."

Jon actually trained in ladies hairdressing initially but soon started to have a male following. "I played many sports including football and golf, through which I met a lot of potential male clients. Also, my father, a well-known barber in the area, swayed my decision to become a barber full time." 

Continues Jon: "I love being a barber - the whole environment, the banter, giving advice and style tips. It's an ever-changing industry where you need to continue to re-invent yourself to stay on top. Now I am able to pass my experience on to the younger generation in the form of training apprentices. Every day is different, new challenges and meeting new people and giving them the confidence to go about their business whether they are eight or 80. It's all so rewarding."

According to Jon, a great men's haircut is like a bespoke suit - individual and only fits the person wearing it. "It requires the expertise and attention to detail of a great barber," says Jon. "I'd like to see a proper professional hairdressing body that regulates our industry; there are too many cowboys that ruin the reputation of proper barbers going about their craft. Anybody can open a shop and call themselves a barber, when in reality it takes years of training and dedication."