In the 1980s, singer Belinda Carlisle scored a big hit with the song “Heaven is a Place on Earth,” without ever actually disclosing that location.
Well, turns out, for some that location is a small boutique old-time barber shop in Sheffield Lake called Barber in Black.
Owned by local barber Mike Palmer, Barber in Black, 5386 E. Lake Road, can be an experience for men and boys ready for a fine cut, a shave and some conversation.
It’s obvious from the moment a person walks in that they have two choices — a haircut or a deluxe cut and shave. However, each is loaded with perks of indulgence that are a delight to the senses, from the pore scrub to the face moisturizer.
“This is a place where I try to genuinely get to know all of my customers,” Palmer smiled. “I have guys that have been coming in for years and you really get to them.
“We talk about what’s going on, how’s work, how’s the family — you know,” he added. I’m sometimes one part barber one part therapist. And guys need a place where they can go, relax and hey, there’s nothing wrong with being pampered for a little bit.
“And when you look good, you feel good. You come out of here feeling refreshed and looking smart, which makes for a great day. It makes me happy. I just love cutting hair.”
The beginning
When Palmer embarked on his roundabout journey to becoming a full-time barber in 2020, he sat down and did some quick math.
He realized that to do the job full time and provide for his family, he needed to have about 300 clients on an ongoing basis.
Palmer has 1,200 regulars and too many walk-ins to count each day.
The whole thing began when the U.S. Army veteran started cutting hair during his time in service.
Palmer served in the Army throughout the 1980s and even was stationed at the border of the former East Germany. It was here he caught the hair cutting bug.
Barbering was something Palmer enjoyed.
After his stint in the service, in addition to a variety of odd jobs, he enrolled in barber school and graduated in 2014.
But, barbering was not to be his full-time calling at that point, instead he put his skills to work as a truck driver pulling a route from Lorain County to Buffalo, N.Y.
During that time, though, he volunteered his scissor skills to the Samuel L. Felton Valor House for homeless male veterans in Lorain which kept his skills sharp and put his barber license to work.
It was on one of many of the long hauls to Buffalo and back that Palmer decided he would put in a motion a career change and reached out to a local salon and asked if he could “work one of their chairs.”
“The salon was in this very spot and it was a ladies’ salon – you know, all the fancy haircuts and colors and perms and whatever,” Palmer said. “And I asked if I could work a chair and try to start building up my clientele.
““I would drive a truck four days a week, then the other three, come in to the salon and take care of the men’s haircuts and shaves,” he said. “I’m a wizard with the straight razor, you know.
“Well, it worked out pretty well, and slowly but surely, I built up a good following, mostly through referrals and word of mouth, and had a successful little practice going,” he added. “Then, I guess fate stepped in because my route that I had been doing for years was just all of a sudden cut.
“And, the lady with the salon decided it was time for her to close shop and step away,” he added. “So, I took my unexpected situation and turned it into a career move that I’ve always been wanting to do anyway. I took my little unemployment check and took over the lease, bought a couple chairs, did a little remodel and opened up my shop.”
With a laugh, Palmer said he didn’t tell his wife, Alice, of 33 years.
“But, when I did, she couldn’t have been any more supportive,” he said. “We were all confident we could make a go of it.
“Our kids are all adults now and it seemed like everything all lined up. And then Covid,” he said.” I opened my shop right when Covid and the lockdowns hit — that was a little scary, but we were able to make a good go of it despite that and here we are, celebrating three years and we’re about to add our third chair.”
Palmer, along with his crew of Al Gordon and Brian Coy, cut hair five days a week — Tuesdays through Saturdays.
“Sunday is for my family, and Monday is for me to catch up on this,” Palmer explained.
Currently, the shop is undergoing some remodeling, adding a third chair and getting some new fixtures and work spaces to accommodate the growing customer base.
Palmer said now is the busy season for him and his team.
“Everyone wants to look their best for the holidays,” he explained. “It’s also school pictures, family pictures and gatherings, so now all the guys want to look sharp.
“Friday’s right after work are my busiest times, guys getting ready for the weekend.”
The basic cut still favored by most men, according to Palmer is the “Princeton” cut, but he’s happy to provide any style the client wants.
His colleague Coy also provides his services to men’s hairpieces and men needing that service can call in advance to schedule a time to come in.
Palmer said about 30 percent of his customers are boys, and that many dads make a day out of it and bring in their son to enjoy the cut and camaraderie.
“Boy’s day out,” he smiled.
Grooming
The barber shop uses and carries some exceptional men’s hair grooming products, including Clubman, Cantu and the Clubman original osage alcohol rub for the face and scalp.
Along with his hot face towel experience and the Clubman treatment, the deluxe haircut and shave is a heavenly experience not to be missed and makes a great gift as well, he said.
Palmer added that he continues to provide his services to the Valor Home and also is asking everyone to drop by his shop with men’s grooming supplies that he can take to the men at the Valor Home.
“I do what I can to give as much back to my community as possible,” Palmer smiled. “I’m not worried about making a lot of money; I just love what I do, and for the last three years, I haven’t worked a day in my life.
“I truly enjoy, and it’s great to meet all these wonderful folks and get to know them. I share their businesses with my other colleagues and we’ve become almost an informal chamber of commerce, guys sharing their business cards on my walls and getting referrals from each other.
“Community is what you make of it, and I’m just doing my part, and I thank God for that blessing every day.”
For more information on Barber in Black, call 440-714-7137.
