Downtown barber makes the cut

Over a decade’s worth of stories are nestled in the crackling leather upholstering in two black barber chairs in downtown Milledgeville.

“They don’t make chairs like this anymore. Nope. I’ve had these since I started, believe it or not. These here chairs run ’bout three, no, four thousand to get ‘em refurnished,” he said. “Some people keep ‘em in their living room, they’re so comfy. They even recline.”

A fresh black baseball cap and a faded apron with two front pockets big enough to store eight, no, 10 hairbrushes in them are part of the attire of Hayward Jones. His store, furnished with four worn couches, a table painted with a checkerboard and pieces set in play, and clutter lining the walls, has the feel of a Norman Rockwell-esque, family-style barbershop.

Jones, a barber posted smack dab in the middle of the downtown scene, has seen his share of families, students and friends grow up over time and grow out their hair.

“One of the most rewarding things to me is when the alumni weekend comes and people drop in to say hello,” Jones said. “I don’t always know who they are, but they remember me.”

First thing Jones does when he gets to work, he said, is walk down two doors to Blackbird Coffee to buy a fresh cup of coffee and a local newspaper.

“This here is a waiting job,” Jones said. “When I get back (from Blackbird), I may sit for an hour or two. The holidays are a big time.”

Jones started cutting hair 13 years ago when, after working as a guard at the now closed Bill E. Ireland Youth Detention Center, he made the decision to leave the life of a guard and he went toward a profession that people would always need.

“People will always need their hair cut,” Jones said.

Jones received his barbering license from Macon Technical College, which is a 45-minute drive from his Baldwin County home.

“I knew if I walked out the door at 7:15, I’d be right on time for my 8 o’clock class,” he said. “When you go down the road every morning at the same time you see the same people. It’s just amazing!”

Usually on weekends, Jones’ son, Antoine, has lined up next to his father in a barber chair sequence to chop some locks.

Before Jones converted the Hancock Street nook into a barbershop, a Navy and Army recruitment office once gathered citizens to teach them how to shoot a gun in the same space Jones lathers up his prey to give them a close shave.

“I moved here because I really wanted to be next to the colleges,” Jones said. “Before that, I was on Wilkinson. And even before that, I was in the shopping center on the south side (of Milledgeville).”

Many cadets from Georgia Military College come to Jones for their military-style cut, required by their dress code, he said.

“They all get a high and tight,” Jones said. “I call the style a fade. It starts out bald at the bottom and moves to more up top.”

Lining the wall opposite the barber chairs are five laminated posters, each presenting about 30 different numbered hairstyles customers can choose from. Some styles are more common than others.

“The most popular is probably a buzz,” Jones said. “Just zip it right off. It’s why we call it a buzz.”

Catawampus to the hairstyle examples, a television screen takes up the entire back wall of the store. It blares ‘Wheel of Fortune’ until that night’s baseball and football games begin.

“Oooh, yeah. I always got people comin’ in to watch some TV,” he said. “They might get a cut. I won’t turn down the money.”

Most businesses, when they have a sign on the front door that leaves slots for storeowners to fill in what hours they’re open, fill in the blanks. Jones however, finds it difficult to layout just exactly when he’ll be around.

“You can just throw hours out the window. I don’t know what to put on the door,” he said. “If I’m not here, I’m thinking about being here.”

Posted by Claire Dykes on Apr 30 2010. Filed under Features. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry