Old Familiar Barbershop

When I decided to change up my hairstyle and try something new about 7 months ago, every time I had done this in the past I would put up with it for maybe a month and then return to my usual haircut because the cut wouldn’t look very good 3 – 4 weeks after getting it cut. But I could tell after my first visit to Old Familiar that this haircut would last and look good as it continued to grow. Blake is my barber and never rushes a haircut to get on to the next customer, to some people this maybe an issue if they don’t want to wait or have to be somewhere on time.
My only true annoyance with the barbershop would be that calling ahead for walk in/​day off appointments doesn’t always work out because people can drop by the barbershop and write in their name for a time later in the day. Since walk-​in slots are truly «first come, first serve» at this point I have come to accept it.
The barbershop may put the «boys club» image that might intimidate some people or put some people off, but really the guys are very friendly and cool to talk to.

This is how a barber shop should be. The service is great, the cuts are sharp and quick. What makes this shop the best I have been is the attitude. Most of the barbers are easy going tattooed masters of their craft. Everytime I have been here it has been an adventure in humanity. From occasional marriages performed at the shop, to a group of guys eating doritos and drinking a sixer of Bud while harassing their shaggy friend when he is getting his mane trimmed down. Every experience is different and fun. Additionally, these guys will for you in, even if its a little after closing time.
So if you want an experience, a great hair cut, and new friends, walk right in. I am gald I found this place, I should have come earlier. I will be coming here for as long as I can.

Great cuts and styles.
Unique and fun personalities.
Warm towel and straight razor shaves.
Fun experience and they all can polish a turd.

So I don’t get cuts from Old Familiar but my husband does. Sounds like an advertisement right? Well, he always leaves with the sharpest and freshest of cuts. Plus it’s great that the shop is a local small business and we love supporting the community we live in. Now allow me to speak specifically about Monday. He got a cut while I was out. I came home and he looked SO good, I legit ended the phone call I was on by saying something that was likely completely inappropriate. I actually think time stopped and my face turned into a giant heart eye emoji. I told him «I’m about to cut Old Familiar a check» and was like 60% serious. I. Am. A. Smitten. Kitten. So, here’s my 5 star review for a service I actually didn’t receive. Haha. It’s well deserved. Go to Old Familiar. Get your hair cut. You’ll be happy and so will everyone else in your life.

For about the last 18 months I have been getting cut at Old Familiar Barbershop and I will continue to trust their razor on my scalp for as long as they keep their doors open.
While I have been cut in the past by Andrew and Patrick with no complaints, Blake has been my barber for the last year or so. Blake always knows what looks best and takes it to the limit with his clean edge and takes his craft seriously.
The atmosphere is strong with an Art of Manliness sense about it. Kenji often greets you on the way in and all of the barbers include you in their camaraderie.
I give Old Familiar a 5 out of 5 star. You will not be disappointed.

Impossible to leave this place unhappy. Been here twice now and they were the two best haircuts I ever had. 100% worth the price, and have recommended to several friends.

After 75 visits to Old Familiar over the past 2.5 years, I figured it was time to write an update…
I wrote my first review of OFBS immediately after my inaugural visit (also my first barbershop visit EVER), and I mostly focused on the insecurities and tentativeness of being a gay boy in such a guy’s guy kind of place.
I still think barbershops are intimidating. I still think I’m not welcome in most of them. But Old Familiar is certainly the outlier here: anyone and everyone is welcome. It doesn’t matter your age, race, sexual orientation, lifestyle, or even your gender. Yep, I’ve even seen a few ladies getting barbered up with sweet cuts here.
Don’t get me wrong: all the fellas here are very much men, so prepare yourself for the usual barbershop banter. I didn’t want you thinking they were gonna be soft on ya’.
Speaking of the guys at OF, they are all truly fantastic. I’ve never had a cut from Blake, Patrick, or Andrew, but I’ve personally witnessed them all doing amazing work. Kenji (so generously) cleaned me up once in time for a big event when Josh was out of town, and — of course — he did a stellar job.
But back to Josh for a minute… I love that guy. Let me tell you why:
+He’s literally the coolest person I know. I am very lame, but he still welcomes me into his chair for awesome cuts.
+His cuts are hands-​down the best in the city (IMHO).
+I never have to tell him what to do, and he always nails it. I love that I have an hour where I can just sit back, relax, and not have to think.
+He is great with beards of any length, from helping you shape your new one, to maintaining a huge one that you’ve been growing for 3 months for — I don’t know — let’s say a lumberjack party you’re throwing. (It was totally a thing.)
If you’re a newbie to OFBS, there are two ways to score a cut:
1. Call and make an appointment with Josh or Kenji. It’ll be anywhere from 2 – 6 weeks out.
2. Go the walk-​in route to see Blake, Patrick, or Andrew. Their walk-​in board gets filled up each day pretty quickly, so either call or drop by in the morning to get your name on the list.
I much prefer appointments, so you can find 3 months of cuts on my calendar at any given time. (What? That’s not normal?)
A few other tips:
+They take cash or cards, but the awesome shoe-​shine guy only takes cash.
+Parking is on the street.
+They have rotating local art for sale each month.
So, yeah, I could go on gushing about OFBS, but you should just go experience it all for yourself. I don’t think you’ll regret it.

I have been getting my fades done by Josh for over a year now and I always walk out looking and feeling so great!
Even as a female in an almost all male clientele, I never feel awkward or unwelcome. I am treated like any other customer, with respect and excellent service.
I will say that I book my appointments 3 weeks out and I always book two ahead to guarantee my spot. It’s just what u gotta do. These gentlemen are in demand.
I also recently purchased a bottle of their special «holy oil“and that stuff is magic! Hair and skin have never looked better and it smells awesome!
And supporting local businesses is well worth planning ahead.

I always get a good cut here and no matter who cuts my hair they always take their time and do a great job. It’s not in a great area, but you can’t top the haircuts here.

This place should be 5 stars flat. It was my first time in, and it definitely won’t be my last. The place had a great vibe and good feel that I didn’t get from any other barbershop before. I usually get my hair cut on Campus (Mug and Brush) but the last few haircuts have been lackluster, and the barbers just don’t care about anything other than getting paid. These guys are great at OFBS, specifically Pat. They all take the time to make sure you get a good haircut that leaves you feeling fresh afterwards. Even after I thought the haircut was finished, Pat pulled out a hot towel and a straight razor and cleaned up my edges. It was a great experience overall. Furthermore, after the haircut I was able to get my less than stellar tennis shoes cleaned up by Teshawn. I’ll definitely be back and you should give these guys a try.

Took my groomsman there before my wedding. Great vibes, better cuts. Shoe shines too. Damn.

I started going to OFBS just after they opened a couple years ago and I won’t be going anywhere else*. Prior to that, I’d been doing the cheapo haircuts from the places with coupons in strip malls. I was never really satisfied with those cuts and my wife hated it every single time I got my hair cut. So, she recommended I try to find a nicer place with people who actually care about your hair and their reputation. Kenji and Josh embody this. They own the place, decorate it, put on an awesome eclectic mix of music, are great conversationalists, and oh by the way, craft the best hair cuts in town.
If I could grow a beard that didn’t look like Joe Dirt, I’d have them shave and trim that for me, too. But, I’ll be getting my hair cut there every couple of weeks. I schedule another 2 or 3 appointments every 2 weeks to ensure I can get in with Kenji. He is as accommodating as possible, but they are in high demand. This makes sense because the place is really great and they do excellent work. They now have 2 additional barbers handling walk ins and that chalkboard fills up early. My cuts are usually around 10am and by the time I leave, the boards are slammed.
The atmosphere at OFBS is ridiculously chill. There are usually some good stories and jokes flying around and everyone is a part of the conversation. They also support the local community and bring in artists to showcase their talents on their walls. The artwork is usually for sale and they change the featured artist out monthly.
I obviously can’t say enough about this place. Kenji and Josh have made me feel welcome and it’s a great experience to have every couple weeks. I feel really luck to have such a cool spot in Cbus. If you’re one of those guys who either goes to a «stylish» salon or to a cheapo place like I used to, get your butt in to Old Familiar… or make an appointment.
*Unless there’s an emergency where I’m headed out of town and haven’t planned for a cut. Then, I go see my cousin Miriam at Salon Lofts in the Short North. She is amazing and does an excellent job, too. But, OFBS is a little more my style ;)

I moved from Cincinnati to Columbus and I’ve been with my Cincinnati barber for about 10 years. So I was reluctant to trust somebody new to make me all sexy pants. I was referred to OFBS by a friend and i had nothing to worry about. These guys rock and they’ll get the job done! I would add that you should make an appointment before going.

Barber shop like it should be. Wrote this review 2 years ago and somehow Unilocal penned it. I’ve since moved from C-​bus but thought I’d still leave the review.

My boyfriend and I left looking like Bert and Ernie. I’m envious of Bert and Ernie because theirs looks better. In other words we didn’t get what we asked for.

I’m very particular about my hair. Patrick did a great job with it. The atmosphere was chill and the experience was unique. I will be coming back.

I have never been to a barber before, so I have nothing to compare it to and my expectations were low, until I checked this place out on Unilocal.
The only reason I went in to the OFBS was to check out my buddies pop-​up shop of amazing baked goods for Valentine’s day. While I was in there I was like fuck-​it I’ll put my name on the list to get my beard trimmed and a neck shave. MISTAKE #1 (and only) I was there for 90 mins before my name was at the top of the list. I contribute this to the fact that there usually 2 gentlemen that take walk-​ins and 1 was out sick so it took a little longer, not a big deal.
Blake called my name and I was ready to go. First impression– his beard game is on point, so I knew he wasn’t screwing around and knew how to shape a beard. He was also wearing a shirt in tie which definitely was a nod to the old school barbers. He sat me down and asked what I wanted done. I stated beard trim and neck shave… I was not disappointed at all. The amount of time and detail he took to sculpt my beard was pretty epic. He in fact did not screw around. When all was said n’ done and $ 15 bucks later, my beard game was on point as well!
Sitting down waiting you notice that these guys really care about what they do and the person they are working on. Every person that walked in the door was greeted as if they were old chums and 87% of the folks that walked in, at least one of the barbers knew their name and was like «Where the hell have you been, I haven’t seen you in forever.» That person would have a seat and the convo would pick up right where it left off.
They also play some pretty killer music, old rock/​jazz was the genre.
I will be back for sure, but this time I will be calling in and making an appointment.
So stop what you are doing right now and make an appointment.

2015 JAN 9: AVOID AT ALL COSTS!
A bunch of hippies chilling, not a barber shop. I called in to book an appointment, but they said I should just come in, as there was no wait. ABSOLUTE LIE. I have waited for 90 MINUTES for a haircut.
I have been to best barber shops in New York, London and L.A. and I HAVE NEVER WAITED FOR AN HOUR AN A HALF.
Place is quite dirty too, and there is virtually no heating, so good luck in Winter.
Avoid this place at all costs.

The experience I had at O.F.B.S. was without a doubt the best I’ve had when it comes to a haircut. There was a wait but my girlfriend said it would be worth it. Glad I stuck around. The guys were friendly and funny without being fake. Patrick did an outstanding job of making me feel comfortable and listening to what I wanted and making me feel at home.

I went on a recommendation from Bryant and had a great experience.
You can tell these guys take pride in their work and their business.
Kenji gave me an incredible straight shave. I almost fell asleep in the chair and my face was as smooth as a baby’s bottom. The vibe of the barbershop was very cool and welcoming. They had the Christmas carols going early and I enjoyed it. I can’t wait to come back for a haircut.

On Bryant’s recommendation, I stopped in here for a haircut. And by stopped in, I mean I made an appointment and four weeks later got a haircut. This place is slammed — walk ins are welcome, but I’m not sure it’s going to work out unless you show up at 2:30 on a Wednesday.
Bryant once expressed that he was concerned he wasn’t cool enough for the haircuts he gets here, and I totally understand. The haircut was great — it was what I described that I wanted, with the Old Familiar-​twist. The «twist» is that little change that makes the haircut look… unique? For me it’s a slightly longer front than I usually go, which makes it easy to do that swooping part that very hip right now. I didn’t ask for the extra cool, but I got it at no extra charge and was very happy with the results.