Walt’s Barber Shop

Walt is an old-​fashioned barber and he runs an old-​fashioned barber shop and that’s a good thing. He’s been cutting hair in San Jose for going on 60 years. If you’re under 45 you’ll be the youngest guy in the room, and if you’re over 90 you’ll feel perfectly at home. He’s been a local institution so long that the Willow Glen paper did a story on him, and maybe 15 or 20 years ago he won a reader’s poll in the Merc as best barber.
I really like that it’s an old-​timey San Jose place, but the real reason I go is that the haircut is excellent, precise and skillfully blended. When Walt finally retires I don’t know what I’ll do. Become a hippie, probably.
As of this review he charges $ 16 and finishes you off with hot lather and a straight razor. He takes his time, but if you want old-​world craftsmanship that’s the trade-​off: time. Also, since he doesn’t do appointments, when the shop is busy it can be a wait. Try to go when there’s not a line. You can usually (but not always) tell by the cars parked out front.

Just went here today for the first time. Walt has been cutting hair at this location for 32 years. He doesn’t take appointments (just show up), and he doesn’t take credit cards. It cost me $ 16 for a haircut, with a hot lather shave of my neck with a straight razor. My wife loved my haircut.
He’s easy to talk to and does a good job on the hair, plus he’s cheap. What else do you really need? I had to take a star off for not taking credit cards, and for not doing hot shaves anymore (he stopped doing those 30 years ago).