A Shave, a Haircut and a Trip Back in Time

As you enter Barber Shoppe and Shaving in Pine Plains, you’re instantly transported a hundred years into the past. Antique razors line a wooden beam running across the ceiling. A huge wooden hairbrush hangs overhead. Just below the gorgeous, original National Cash register, which is used to handle all transactions, a wooden placard painted in worn red, white and blue, features a large pair of scissors, having once served as an ad for a two-chair shop. 

Many small trinkets and tools are on display in a bold red telephone box-shaped display. Signs with rusted corners advertise products that have come and gone. Not an inch of space is wasted. And next to the door is the boss, Kyros, a 7-year-old French bulldog lounging in his cushy bed, keeping watch over the three-chair operation.  

When Justin Nash opened his business on East Church Street nearly nine years ago, he was hoping to create an experience that reflects the roots of the “barber shoppe.”  His passion for antiques runs deep. He is the president of the National Barber Shop and Shaving Collectibles Association, which has members around the world, and dedicates much of his time not only to building his own collection but also selling other people’s on consignment.  

“A lot of new people will walk in and ask, ‘Did you inherit this from your grandfather?’” Nash said with a laugh. “I wanted to create my vision for walking into a traditional barber shop: the hardwood, the creaky floors, the smell of aftershave, hot lather on the neck and straight razors.” 

Even before entering Nash’s shop you get a blast from the past: The barber poles striped in the traditional red, white and blue date to 1900, when revolving poles were patented. “It’s not just the piece, it’s the story behind it,” Nash said. “That’s what really makes it.” 

Customers can come in for a simple cut and style, but Nash also offers the traditional treatment — hot towels, shaves, antique pomade and even massages from an antique hand-cranked showa, a Japanese massage tool with a wide rounded base. The shop does women’s hair as well. 

Nash began cutting hair 19 years ago in Providence, R.I., where he learned the trade and built his skills. He loved the social environment that he found inside barbershops — the open dialogue, the debates and the dirty jokes filling the room. He wants to create the same ambiance for his customers.  

“You not only get to be their therapist, but you make them feel good,” Nash said. “It’s kind of like a men’s spa — they can treat themselves.” 

This is Nash’s first shop of his own, and he has spent years building strong relationships with his customers. He makes an effort to pick up where he left off the last time he saw them in the chair. “I’ll do baby’s first haircut and see that kid coming home from college,” Nash said. “I watch them grow up, hear their stories, and watch them come out of their shell.”  

Two Pine Plains natives, Kyle Barton and Melanie Boyles, work alongside him. When Nash first opened he didn’t realize how difficult it would be to have all three chairs taking customers. Getting the word out to neighboring towns and building a clientele wasn’t made any easier by Covid. Although the business has grown, it is important to Nash to continue bringing in more people. He notes that life in upstate New York has become expensive and he wants to ensure all of his employees are making a comfortable living.  

Nash, who lives in New Paltz, has also connected to the Pine Plains community. He said the shop has supported local kids sports and Future Farmers of America and contributed to town decorating day. “It’s all about giving back — this community has taken care of me for so long,” Nash said. “Little Pine Plains has a big heart.”