ID# 1997.0097.0835.001A barber's kit made up of a pair of scissors, manual clipper, straight razors, and a brush. Barbering has long been an independent, respectable way to earn a living. These tools belonged to an itinerant barber in Puerto Rico. In the 1930s and 1940s, la zafra, the sugar harvest, brought younger men, women, and families from the rural highlands and the urban coastal regions together. Itinerant barbers followed the sugar harvest, earning a significant part of their income.
For these people, the haircut from a barber looks cleaner and more polished. Thus, barbers and barbershops may not really be on the verge of extinction as long as there are people preferring their hair to look more neat than fashionable. What the barber needs to do in order to further promote his business and profession is to continue providing excellent services to the clients using the essential tools that must be found in his barber shop.
Proper tools make every task efficiently accomplished and in cutting hair, there are also proper tools that a barber should use. The scissors and the comb are among the basic tools that a barber should have. In fact, when the barber still does not have his own barbershop, these two hand tools can already help him earn money by doing home services to clients. The scissors must always be sharp enough to cut through the hair strands and the comb must always be clean.
The tools used by barbers include scissors, clippers, combs, blow driers, and razors. They also use supplies such as lather for shaving; shampoo for washing; dyes and bleaches for coloring; and various hairdressings, conditioners, and lotions for styling. Barbers are usually responsible for taking care of their tools and maintaining them in good working order. Very often they are also responsible for ordering their supplies and maintaining an adequate stock. In some cases, barbers sell lotions, conditioners, or other hair care supplies to their customers. Barbers who own or operate their own shops or salons have additional duties of a managerial nature that may include hiring and firing workers, supervising them, keeping business and inventory records, and arranging for advertising.
