It could be for masculinity, a better cut or the conversation. But whatever the reason, some guys swear by the services of the local barber.

Almost every man has to make the decision at a young age to whom he is going to trust to cut his hair. For one reason or another, many men only feel comfortable with their local barber.

“Everyone goes to the same barber in my town,” said Kelly Dennis, who has been going to his barber since he was 3-years-old.

In Dennis’ case he didn’t have much of a choice when his father sent him to the local barbershop.

“You never know what is going to happen, or who is going to show up,” Dennis said.

Everytime Dennis goes to his barbershop he expects to run into his friends from around town.

“I like to be in a masculine environment,” said Ian Murphy, who has been going to the BG Barbershop for the last two years. Murphy enjoys talking about the usual topics such as weather, sports, politics and school while at his barbershop.

“We talk about fishing, sports and women when the priest is gone,” said Tom Snyder, while laughing.

Snyder enjoys working with his hands, so he decided to become a barber 37 years ago. When Snyder was younger one of his friends talked him into becoming a barber, and he has never looked back since.

“I remember sitting on a board, now we need a spring-loaded seat,” Snyder said, when he thought about what it was like going to his barber as a child. Other men waiting to get their hair cut smiled when they remembered sitting on the board as a child. Jeff Morse unexpectedly decided to become a barber about 14 years ago. Shortly after Morse graduated from high school, his father came home from the local barbershop and told him that the barbers son was going to a barber school and he should go with him.

Morse was very skeptical about becoming a barber, but after visiting the barber school he decided to do it.

“I have never regretted it ever since,” Morse said. Morse works at the Service Barbershop in Bowling Green and at another barbershop in Findlay on Wednesdays.

Morse’s favorite part about being a barber is the flexibility he has with his schedule. “You can pretty much make your own hours,” Morse said.

Most of the customers who come into the local barbershops just sit back and let the barber cut away, but sometimes the customers can be hard to please.

“Sometimes it feels like they are toying with you,” Morse said. There are only a few customers that are difficult.

Snyder doesn’t let the hard to please customers get under his skin. “Sometimes you just have to grit your teeth,” he says. There is always an exception to the rule, but in most cases men stick to going to a barber and women prefer going to a salon. Is this because of the atmosphere, or is there an actual difference between the two?

Morse said men prefer going to a barber because they have more practice using electric clippers, but he wouldn’t recommend going to the barber to get a perm.

“You don’t have to smell the permanent wave solution,” said Snyder, when thinking back to when he took his wife to a salon. The BG Barbershop and the Service Barbershop don’t get very many female customers, but the door is always open to everyone. When a customer asks for just a little of the top at a barbershop, they might receive something else, a new friend and hopefully some great memories.