What’s going on fellas, Grizz the Gentleman here, the newest member of the Dillinger’s family!
I’m stepping into a new field with a fresh pair of eyes and an old school approach. Barbering has always been something that caught my eye as a profession that stands apart from the rest, giving men the confidence to LOOK the way they FEEL. I’ve grown out my hair and beard and been through the ringer experiencing all of the trials of trying to keep it all looking well put together, so I know how it feels when you feel you look like a Neanderthal waking up on the wrong side of the cave.
I did personal security and bouncing for close to ten years, and I know that a large part of how people perceive you, you see yourself, and how you feel in social interactions is the way you look and carry yourself, and I’ll be here helping some of you figure out how to get that little spark back in that step. I know that men’s grooming isn’t something we all have a lot of experience in, and that’s alright. But damn it, take care of yourself, and carry yourself like a man!!
My experience with growing beards is going on over six years now. I’ll be able to help you find that confidence that brings success and respect. I have always found that the rock and roll barbershop look is badass, bringing a touch of the past with a hint of modernity that gives a look that stays frozen in time, and is never out of style.
THE FIRST IMPRESSION
The first time I walked into Dillinger’s, I knew I was stepping into a different kind of barbershop. The name and the decor of the shop give it a modern take on the timeless, classic kind of barbershop that we picture our fathers and grandfathers sitting in, waiting for a fresh cut, hot shave and a chance to escape women and work.
From the stylized “D” logo with a straight razor painted on the front wall, to the large range of men’s hair, beard and self care products, they definitely stood apart from any barbershop I’d been to in the Southwest of the city, and I’ve lived here my whole life. Sitting down in the chair during my first visit, they made me feel like I was already a part of the clique, with a friendly greeting and an offer of coffee, beer or whiskey. When Pete was done, I looked and felt like a million bucks.
WHAT THE HELL?
The store has many products and services that you won't find anywhere else, from their signature Hair Miles Cards (cover your ears when you sign up for one), to their Below the Belt products, which people started buying “as a joke” but ended up being a bestseller and is always on backorder.
With a multitude of beard balms, oils, cleaners and conditioners, they’ve got your face fur needs covered, from the dapper lad sporting a gentlemanly mustache to the bearded mountain man who looks like he fights grizzly bears with his bare hands. Products from and for men in the barbering industry the world over, as well as products made right here in Quebec. Need men's grooming products for your hair or skin? Clipper sets like the Wahl Peanut can help if you need to groom on the fly, safety razor or straight blade kits for shaving at home, on top of beard combs and brushes to keep it all in order. They have products you won't find in the drugstore men’s care section or even at most barbers.
They also have the knowledge and passion to help you in selecting whatever care products you may need, as opposed to the blank indifferent stare you get from the clerk filling up the aisles at a pharmacy, should you be lucky enough to find the three or four shelves dedicated to men’s grooming hidden between the shampoo section and cleaning products. Think you’ve had a relaxing shave before? Book yourself a 45 minute session with Shogun Lance and tell me what you think after thaT!
The art of barbering has been used for distinguishing roles in societies and war across civilizations and continents. The Aztecs and Mayans of South America, to the Vikings, Germanic tribes and Celts of Europe, as well as the Mongolians of Asia all used hair and facial hair grooming to display roles in their tribes and cultures. A young man’s first shave has been considered a rite of entering manhood from the early times or Ancient Greece and Rome, to this day, where a young man stands in front of the mirror with his father for the first time and learns how to pass the blade over his peach fuzz and not get cut in the process.
IT'S ALL ABOUT THE PEOPLES
Shops have also served as a place of social gathering and a retreat where men can go to relax. Dillinger’s keeps up the tradition with an exceptional approach to giving you any cut or shave that suits your needs, be you a businessman, busboy or bouncer, as well as a place to kick back and have a few laughs and pick up something new in the process, as the conversation is always lively, funny, informative and the banter flies back and forth as smooth as butter melting in a pan. I hear something I haven't heard before almost every time I visit, and the relationships they have with their regulars is unparalleled with any other place I've been to.
Going above and beyond to keep clients happy is a key component to what holds that shop together, as well as the close bond between the people running the shop.
Dillinger’s is my barbershop, how about you?