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IT’S A BRUSH –OFF

One of the things I am asked most while covering in shops is what’s the best brush you’ve worked with and they don’t mean the hair variety either. Oh no sireee, you couldn’t make it up, it’s the old humble floor brush, the thing we can’t do without in every barber shop.

Have we had enough of the old humble brush, is it time to give the brush the brush-off and find something else to replace it?

Of course we do have the fairly new ‘suck it up vacuum’ i.e. ‘The eye vac ‘The Dust buster’ All very well but you still have to use the humble Brush to sweep the hair in to it. Not to mention when emptying said vacuum all the hair that’s missed the bin!

So who are the contenders for The Big Barber Brush-Off?

Disclaimer- I only have experience with these sweepers on certain floors. Appreciate Barbers have different views.

No 5

This Rubber bugger-

Now, I know a lot of Barbers swear by this one but it’s probably my least favourite brush, if you can call it that. Sticky sticky, that’s what I say. I find it really hard work! I get that it grabs the hair but do we make hard work for ourselves by working with this brush and emphasis on working! Of course, I think it depends what type of floor you have but if I was a chooser I’d vote this a loser.

No 4

The flicky f***er

Bring on….. The Nylon. Tres bon the Nylon but let’s be honest, it’s a flicky flicky F***er. You sweep aaaaaand it flicks. Flicks the hair everywhere, so you have to go back and sweep, sweep and flick flick again…not my fave.

No 3

The small one

Brush brush, brush brush brush…why would we have such a small brush in our shops? Do we not get enough exercise walking round our chairs?

No 2

The ‘save the back and help the expectant mothers’

Yes, yes, I know. It’s a lot of sweeping. Let’s fast forward to the bin area. We have to look after our backs and having worked with pregnant ladies this dust pan and brush [as opposed to bendy down dust pan and brush] is a god send. So this one goes hand in hand with my no 1 brush…..

Drum roll……

No 1

The angled brush [pref the larger variety]

My fave. Sooooo easy to use….smoooth as. You can get into corners doesn’t flick the hair around, collapsible handle so easy storage. Lee barbers in Lee on Solent was my first experience of this brush Try it, I think you’ll like it!

So, that’s my experience of brushes but I just have another 2 that need a mention

The cordless vacuum

Not quite a brush but you can Wiz around with a cordless vacuum to pick up every last bit of hair at the end of the day [post sweep]

…..last and not least

The broom that’s 40 years old…ok, it’s had a new pole and a new brush head many times but it’s still the same brush! Yes?

A somewhat alternative journey of a Barber

A few years ago I visited a tarot card reader on Blackpool pier [my home for many years]. She’d ‘predicted’ that in the future I would be traveling with my job helping people out in ‘tricky situations’. I really didn’t know what she meant I thought nothing of it at the time as I had very little confidence and all I really wanted her to tell me was when I was going to meet my forever partner. She didn’t, of course, as she knew something I didn’t, that I would probably never meet my forever and I was here for a different purpose.

In my 5th year now at Barber Cover Solutions, I’ve worked hard to build the trust of an abundance of Barbers all over the country and sometimes further afield.

I consider myself very lucky to be doing what I do. From my first temporary cover job in Spain to my present cover job in my hometown of Portsmouth. I have found my vocation in life. I get to do my favorite things:

  1. I get to cut the hair of the male species
  2. I get to meet amazing interesting people from all walks of life- Barbers and Clients
  3. I get to travel, getting to see sooooo many different places
  4. I get to learn off some of the best Barbers in the business
  5. ….and most importantly, I get to help people out in ‘tricky situations’. Wether its Holiday cover, maternity cover, having to time off due to illness or just plain short staffed.

It suits the nomad in me and my thirst for travel. But it’s not for everyone…..

You have to be a certain type of person:

  1.  You have to have no ties. I’ve almost resounded myself to being single [of course never say never]
  2. You need to be prepared sometimes to get up at the crack of dawn to get to a job possibly miles away. Then work all day in a shop. You will need stamina.
  3. Be prepared for cancellations. This was the case when I had a spare week and I was asked to do a week’s cover short notice, 2 days before I was to cover. Off I went, leaving Portsmouth I got as far as hallway on the M40 for them to phone and cancel!
  4. You need to be able to adapt to different shops and Barbers young & older. Accept the way they run their shops.
  5. Another factor to consider is you may spend lots of time on your own if you don’t know anyone in the area

Regarding this last one, a lot of people ask me if I get lonely. I say, sometimes, but I get lonely sometimes at home too. However, I’m very good at being on my own and I try and keep my lifestyle as normal as I can when staying away. More often than not I take my bike with me as I love to explore. My metal detector goes with me, hoping I’ll get permission to dig. I’ll even check out the area to see what gigs are going on or at the theatre. Just the same things really as what I’d do at home.

Through all the highs and the lows I love, love, love my job.  I’m literally here, there, and everywhere. This lifestyle choice will never make me rich, I charge a very fair price and I feel privileged to be trusted and to be able to provide a service to Barbers in need, and long may I be able to do so.

Thank you for reading

Bev