Berlin Charlottenburg - BENNY BARBERS - Stay Golden

"Men don't cry, they water their beards."

Today was finally the day again. A visit to the barber was on the to-do list. Once you're part of the WAGENVOLK, a proper hairstyle is just as much of a challenge as a well-trimmed beard. Not everyone who goes on tour in a van wants to become a hippie straight away. - My friend Uwe puts it in a nutshell. "You already look like Fidel Castro". - I would have taken that as praise from anyone else, but Uwe is more the critical type.

But good barbers are in short supply everywhere. They are hard to find in the countryside, and although there seems to be a barber on every corner in the cities, that doesn't make it any easier. Many people spend years looking for the right barber. But a barber can not only mess up your hairstyle, but also your beard. What's more, these guys usually specialize in cuts that have been around for at least a hundred years. So it's not so much a model surfer as it is wide over the ears. And what's off is off. - It just takes longer.

A beard and haircut is therefore a matter of trust. It doesn't help if the barber is pimped out in 50th style and rockabilly music is blaring from the speakers. Some stores are so stylish that even the barber has to be tattooed up to his neck. Including a pin-up tattoo, of course. - Don't get me wrong, I also like such cool stores, I also like listening to Jonny Cash. And I also like whisky, but not in the morning. And I go to the barber first and foremost for a good cut.

That's why I was curious about Benny Barbers in Charlottenburg. The store is located near Stuttgarter Platz, or Stutti (as the Berliners say). This used to be the darker side of Charlottenburg. But today there are nice cafés here. Now I'm curious to see if the good references are any good. - When I enter the store, I am pleasantly surprised. At first glance, it looks like a barber's store. But everything seems a little dignified. The greeting is friendly and the drink is not long in coming. But I don't get a funny look when I order a Coke Zero instead of a beer.

What can I say, I feel like I'm in good hands. An hour later, I leave the store in a good mood. It was fun, my hair is in place, my beard is trimmed. OK, I'm no longer James Dean or Jonny Cash, but I no longer look like a washed-up Fidel Castro either. Or at least like the young Castro. I think I'll treat myself to a cigar with my whisky tonight.