In an arcade on Romvis Street, in the downtown neighborhood of Psyrri, stands one of Athens’ oldest barbershops. “Traditional,” barber Christos Pavlatos tells us as he welcomes us in, dressed in his crisp white barber’s coat, “because we prefer scissors to clippers – we do things the classic, handmade way.”
Settled into the barber’s leather chair, which dates to the 1950s, is Mr Kostas – a lifelong customer, quick-witted and full of stories, a man who knows the neighborhood inside and out. He arrived in Athens from Metsovo in 1960 and, by a curious twist of fate, his first job was brushing hair from customers’ collars at a barbershop on Miaouli Street. “Funny how life comes full circle,” he says, “but Christos is still here – the oldest barber around.”
We ask Pavlatos for a brief lesson in the art of the traditional shave. The first step is preparing a fragrant, rich lather. “You have to work the brush properly, soften the beard.” Then comes the first hot towel and another layer of soap before the shave begins with the straight razor. A third lathering follows, then the second pass – the so-called “against the grain” shave. A large mirror guides the process, assisted by smaller mirrors for the finer touch-ups.
