Del's Barbering & Styling

Photos & Story by Michael Krantz

Just a little down the road from playful waves and the 1/5 mile high banked clay oval track that lives at Seaside Park, there is a man named Del. Del cuts hair and has been doing so for 60 years. Sitting between a motorcycle clubhouse and a mini mart is Del's Barber & Styling.

Del has given thousands of haircuts in his 60 years as a barber and has cut all types of hair. To me, that experience and knowledge triumphs all.

Now don't get me wrong, I am not a snob when it comes to getting my hair cut. I've had the super trendy cuts where you get washed 3 times to the beat of industrial techno and I have also had my fair share of Supercuts specials (a quick lopsided buzz cut and a rash) but no experience has ever compared to the time I spent in the vintage Belmont chair at Del's Barber & Styling. The guy is a master of the classic gentleman's cut and has some of the most interesting stories I have ever heard.

Right when you walk in you're hit with the scent of barbicide and pomade. The place possesses a nostalgic quality right out of the 1970's. Littered with fixtures made of wood Formica and framed glamour shot portraits, Del's Barber & Styling is truly a relic.

Cutting hair is an art to Del; you can see it in his eyes when he's meticulously combing and cutting. With years of experience and handling hundreds of hair types, it is apparent that Del is a seasoned veteran.

With all the hype and new product surrounding the men's grooming industry, it is important that we respect and pay homage to those who came before. Del is a classic example of one the many badass barbers who paved the way for today's contemporary follicle styling industry.

Del's is more than just a blue and red pole; this is not only a place you go to get groomed but also somewhere you can turn a bad day into a good day