Digel’s mission is to preserve old fashioned barber culture and build community, which is why he bought a retired barber’s shop and is maintaining its “old school” furnishings — like old fashioned clippers and hair product bottles and sports memorabilia. He plans to open the East High Barber Co. in February after he completes his barber certification test Jan. 30. He will operate the shop as a side-job until he finishes his career with the Springfield Fire Division.
Ron West, founder of Ron West Barber College, believes Digel is capitalizing on a growing Ohio trend toward 50s style haircuts for men and men’s increasing dissatisfaction with hair salons.
“There’s definitely a demand for barber shops,” West said. “Guys have been going to beauty salons like SuperCuts and Great Clips and they don’t want that, they don’t want to be in the beauty shop with all the women. They want something old fashioned where the guys can hang out.”
According to the Ohio State Barber Board Interim Director, Ed Highley, there’s been no significant increase or decrease in the number of licensed barbers in the state. But West thinks that’s going to change.
West sees more and more younger men coming to barber college right out of high school, then opening up their own shops as soon as they become certified barbers.
“Every day a shop is calling me for barbers,” he said. “We’re moving into an era where the shops will start paying the tuition for guys to go to barber college.”
Digel hopes to rent out space in his shop to more barbers once he opens. The shop will be open Mondays and Wednesdays and at least one other day until Digel retires from the fire division. He plans to charge $14 for a haircut and $12 for police, firefighters, and members of the military, and will be offering shaves as well, but hasn’t yet set a price.
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