Since 1954
Our Story
Seventy years of the straight razor, the leather strop, and the steady hand. This is how it started, and why we haven’t changed.
The beginning of everything
It was a Tuesday morning in September 1954 when William Hargrove turned the key for the first time. Two barber chairs, a mirror that ran the length of the wall, and a radio tuned to WMCA. The rent was forty-two dollars a month.
William had learned the trade from his uncle in Harlem — not in a school, not from a book, but standing behind a chair for six years, watching, then doing. By the time he opened his own shop, his hands knew things his mind hadn’t catalogued yet.
The neighborhood changed. Midtown grew taller, louder, faster. The shop stayed the same. That wasn’t stubbornness. It was philosophy.
Seven decades
The First Chair
William Hargrove opens a two-chair shop on West 47th Street with nothing but a Koken pole and a reputation for the cleanest fade in Midtown.
A Son Joins
Thomas Hargrove Jr. picks up his first pair of shears at age 16. By 20, he has his own chair. Father and son work side by side for the next two decades.
The Third Generation
Thomas III takes his grandfather’s chair at 19. The shop now holds four chairs and a waiting list that runs two weeks deep.
Ray Walks In
Raymond Castro comes in for a cut and leaves with a job offer. His architectural fades become legendary on the west side.
Marcus Earns His Chair
After three years of training under Tommy, Marcus Webb completes his apprenticeship. His hot lather shaves become the shop’s most requested service.
Seventy Years
Three generations, twelve thousand regulars, and the same steady hand. The chairs are the same. The craft hasn’t changed. That’s the point.
Come see for yourself
The chair is warm. The coffee is strong. The conversation is optional.
Reserve Your Seat