Valentine’s Men’s Hair Tailor

$ 120 for a men’s haircut with Valentine?

Going to Valentine was one of the most enjoyable experiences I’ve ever had. I booked manicures and cut/​styles for my brother and I for a wedding. The only thing even remotely resembling a problem was that I expected it would only be maybe 2 hours for both of us, but they spend so much time and attention to detail here that it was closer to 3.5. It made the rest of the day a little rushed, but was well worth it. I was never given a time that it would take, so it was just my own bad assumption. Know that coming here means that Valentine will spend as much time as it takes to make you look perfect.
The manicures were fantastic. I’ve had plenty of quick/​crappy manicures and pedicures before. As a man, you aren’t getting them colored so a lot of times it kind of feels like «what the hell am I paying you for?» Not here. It was about an hour or so of hand worship. Great massaging, great nail care, excellent all around.
I had basically no idea what I wanted for my hair. I’ve never really liked it before, and I wanted Valentine’s opinion on what to do. He spend probably 15 or 20 minutes with me and another woman that was working just to figure out what would be the best possible look. And it was. After he painstakingly snipped and place what felt like every single hair on my head, I looked better than I ever have before.
It’s expensive, but really for the amount of time, care and skill that it comes with you do not walk away feeling like it was. It’s worth every penny, and honestly I felt like for 3 hours worth of work from 2 people, $ 200 was actually quite cheap. The person doing my bride’s hair was something like $ 100/​hr, and was no more of a skilled professional than Valentine.
My only regret is that I moved from Seattle and was only in town for the wedding. I would desperately like to come back more often.

If I could rate 6 stars, I would.
Like many of you guys, I’d become disillusioned with the state of my options for a beard trim in this city, and the price tag kept me away for far longer than it should have. «$ 25 for a beard trim? That costs as much as a haircut in other barber shops!» It does, friend. And it’s worth every damn penny. Stop getting budget beard trims that leave you with a budget beard. Visit Valentine if you want your beard maintained by a true professional.
Walking into Valentine’s for a beard trim, I was apprehensive, to say the least. I’d been all around Seattle looking for a place to sculpt my face mane, and regularly had «barbers» botch the job, leaving me with a Homer Simpson haircut on the side of my face. Not once did I actually have the fortune to land a barber who had a beard themselves, or any sort of knowledge of how to cut one.
Valentine cuts beards like he cuts hair — with great patience, consideration, and skill.
We spent about 15 minutes beforehand discussing options for pruning the patch of brambles on my face. While we were doing this, I sipped delicious hot tea, and had my photo taken for a before/​after. (The service here is EXCELLENT.) Then, working as a sculptor might, he painstakingly made a series of small cuts, clips, and crops, consistently moving around my face to view his work from every angle. During this shearing, he explained to me what he was doing, why he was doing it, and how the beard would grow out as a result. I felt like a lucky topiary in the hands of a master gardener (he’s also a great conversationalist, I might add). He also trimmed up my shoddy self-​done haircut (free of charge!)
When the job was over, I complimented Valentine on his fastidious attention to detail and remarked that no one I’d seen before had ever spent as much effort on a beard. He smiled knowingly and said, «We do things a little differently here.» He’s right. This is the best beard maintenance I’ve ever received. I walked in looking like a sasquatch, and walked out feeling like a silverback. My beard is still rugged, but with a whole lot of refinement.
If you’ve taken the time to read this far, do yourself a favor, and book an appointment NOW. It’s well worth it.

It’s not often that a haircut is also a life changing experience. At Valentine’s, though, it is startlingly commonplace. Over the 20+ years I’ve been visiting this fine establishment, I’ve had the opportunity to watch countless shy and awkward men come in, only to reawaken and emerge from their timid cocoons by the time they depart. In the process of their internal metamorphosis, they become more quick witted, cultured, and outgoing. The change is apparent within, but of course on the outside as well. Their wives love them more when they return home. Their parents are more proud. And they become addicted. If you’re a man and you’re not making this a standard part of your life, you’ve yet to experience true living.

Went in for a beard trim and Valentine spent over an hour discussing options, showing me photos, then making my beard the best it has ever been. The reviews are right. If you are looking for a true beard artist look no further than Valentines.

Let me be up front on this review– I’m the guy who TYPICALLY never loves paying more than $ 25 for a haircut. I’m not very vain, and usually walk around with the whole shaggy dog look.
That being said, I think Valentine’s is a great salon with a very talented and professional staff. So much so, that I actually don’t mind paying that little more for their great service and professionalism. They take great care of you the instant you come in the door, you feel very well taken care of the entire time.
I also have had one of Valentine’s shaves, which is a great experience. As a man who doesn’t do the mani/​pedi thing, I can think of only a few ways you can pamper yourself. Having my winter beard shaved off is one of those ways, and Valentine is one of the the best (if not the best) in the area. From my understanding he even teaches classes in the art.
Do be advised they are busy, but for a good reason. If you’re not against making a reservation in advance, I highly recommend getting your cut here. Great staff, affordable pricing, and an overall very pleasant atmosphere.

Want the best haircut you’ve ever had? Want to be treated like a true gentleman and get a premier experience from a down to earth barber? Go to Valentine. Unmatched experience in my opinion and definitely worth the money. Anyone who says otherwise simply can’t appreciate a perfect haircut.

My review is a few weeks overdue unfortunately. This isn’t your run of the mill barbershop. It’s not about coming in, getting done and getting out. It’s about enjoying the experience, which I certainly did.
I entered the store and was greeted by Levi who offered me something to drink — I had a hot tea. A few minutes later after Valentine had finished with a previous customer, he walked me over to a chair to get set up. We talked for a minute about what I wanted to do with my hair and we started off with a wash and scalp massage. He was inquisitive and direct through out the cut, making sure I was getting what I wanted. Levi looked on and provided further assistance — fetching things for Valentine to continue his work as the experience evolved and getting more tea for me.
I haven’t spent such a long time getting my hair cut before, but the experience was really relaxing. I would do it again and recommend that others give it a try for sure.

First off, let me preface this review by stating that this review is about the overall experience with this business, NOT my haircut with Nicci the stylist I met with.
I moved to Seattle a few months back and since this place had good reviews and was close to my house I called to setup an appointment a few days in advance. They were busy for the next week and a half so they booked me for the next available opening, asked for my credit card number and warned that the cancellation fee would be equal to the full price of a haircut (not the standard policy from what I’ve seen but being new to the city I went with it).
24 hours before my haircut I got a reminder call from Hyunh the receptionist. On this call I let Hyunh know that I had an important meeting right after my haircut so I would be better off coming in 30 minutes early if Nicci could take me then. Hyunh checked with Nicci and said she would probably be able to take me early but to call again the next day to check. The next day they told me to get there 20 minutes early. When I showed up it was clear that Nicci was nowhere near done so I took my time walking Phinney, grabbed a coffee and some food and when I got back I did not sit down for my haircut until almost 20 minutes after my ORIGINALLY scheduled start time. If you’re keeping track, that’s 40 minutes after I was told to arrive at the salon. Since I was traveling the next 2 weeks for work and it was already difficult to find a time to get this haircut, the last thing I wanted to do was walk out so I stayed.
Nicci gave me a great hairut I’d give it an 8 out of 10 and say that she only missed a few spots that I needed to touch up later. I would recommend her without issue but as you can see, my problem really stems with the business itself.
Skip to a few weeks later and I go to schedule another haircut. I called and spoke to the owner, Valentine who told me that Nicci was available the next day at 2PM. He then said that Hyunh would call back to confirm, which was somewhat concerning since the owner who is also a stylist, didn’t have the ability to schedule an appointment. Over the next 6 hours I played phone tag with Hyunh and finally left her a message saying that she could just use the credit card they had on file to confirm my appointment since I was getting on a flight back to Seattle and would be unavailable for the next few hours. I also provided my email since I would be able to use the in-​flight wifi if she needed anymore info. Hyunh disregarded the message, called me as I’m in flight and leaves a message saying that Nicci is no longer available and that I’d have to look at alternate days the following day. I received this voicemail in my email and at that point gave up on the whole thing.
I didn’t want to anymore time on the matter or try to reschedule since it was obvious that I was going to run into these types of issues with each haircut. Rather than just leaving a complaint with no constructive feedback I summarized what occurred and emailed the
address from their site to give them an explanation for why they lost me as a customer. I wanted to include some advice from what I’ve seen other stylists/​salons use that could help with their scheduling issues so I passed along an online calendaring system.
It’s been 2 weeks and they haven’t called or emailed so clearly they are not concerned. It’s for that reason that I have chosen to post about my experience so that everyone else can spend 2 minutes reading my post and avoid spending 2 hours trying to schedule a haircut here.

I went to Valentine’s a couple months ago for a Seattle Shave, refined facial and manicure. I had wanted to go to Valentine’s for about four years but it didn’t quite work well into my previous social worker budget. I haven’t yet had a haircut here so I can’t speak to that. I was treated very well here and enjoyed every minute of it. I highly recommend the Seattle Shave, refined facial and manicure. I called in July and was told the next opening was in almost exactly a month. I knew this was a very popular place and was absolutely okay with that. I was asked to pay for the service up front at the time I called because it was my first time. I knew that was their policy and I was absolutely okay with that knowing how popular they are. I think it’s a very smart policy on their part.
Did I mention that I enjoyed every minute of my experience at Valentine’s? He is quite the gentleman and I can see why most of the reviews are 5-​stars. Valentine and his staff definitely know how to pamper a guy and make him feel special. I was greeted by a very friendly young woman when I got there and was offered a drink. My drink was kept hot throughout my time there. The Seattle Shave and the facial were particularly amazing. I look forward to going back soon for some more services. I love their special room in the back for the shave, facial and manicures/​pedicures. The nice plush leather chair was very comfortable. The music and atmosphere were very relaxing. There was easy parking within a short walking distance. I’d love to go back for the Emperor’s Treatment. The whole experience was very positive and enjoyable!

Special event necessitated haircut for child, age 6, but we couldn’t get in at Johnny’s on short notice. They suggested this guy, Valentine. I’d heard of the place, close by, good reputation. They booked our appointment … Great! We arrived on time, yet we weren’t immediately greeted, and waited several uncomfortable minutes in the deserted setting … ok, maybe artsy … but without pleasant ambiance … in fact, the vibe was negative, almost sinister, given the eerie wait to check-​in … we did have an appointment, after all. Finally, we were checked in by a polite woman, who disappeared into the back rooms from whence she came. After another long wait (How rude!), Mr. Valentine emerges from the back, heads over to a salon-​type chair and sets up accessories, puts a board on the chair (to elevate little ones) and looks our way, but there is no greeting, no gesture, nor any practical communication. It seemed hostile, on top of wierd. I took the little guy, friendly and inquisitive by nature, over to where Valentine was waiting (and staring), and his hesitance at the altered chair was impatiently dismissed by an obviously ill-​tempered Valentine (no longer a «Mister» in my eyes). We should have left then, but we’d invested time and effort, it was late, and he still needed a haircut. Child finally seated, the snipping begins without any discussion with me about style, etc ! When I began to speak on the subject, he stopped, glared, then resumed clipping without response. I backed away, hoping for the best … perhaps the artiste musn’t be distracted. My chair was a far distance from the styling area, not in earshot, but soon I could see that there was a verbal exchange, not unusual … except the child was sobbing while Valentine continued snipping, seeming to chat amicably, and actually smiling! As I went to check on the tears, the haircut was done, but the child wouldn’t talk until we outta there … he’d felt teased and intimidated by Valentine, who obviously didn’t wish to converse or answer questions, and made reference to a remark as «stupid» and then put him down for crying over it. Mr. Wonderful charged us $ 30 (twice the price at Johnny’s for a child) for the Say-​What! haircut (that I could have done better at home if I’d bought clippers from a nearby drugstore, w/​o the drama and trauma). Creepy experience. We felt victimized. Why is this guy is so well regarded?! He’s no cool daddy-​o! HE CHOSE TO BE RUDE! HE MISTREATED A CHILD! … and … THE HAIRCUT WAS MEDIOCRE! Johnny’s Barbershop is far superior, cheaply priced, just a mile or so north on Greenwood Ave. ADDENDUM: Just a word about all these positive reviews. Great if you had good experience, but doesn’t change his rudeness to me, abusiviness to a young child (teasing & taunting til tears flowed, his creepy behavior afterward. I factor such matters in, didn’t have a grudge, and respected his reputation. He didn’t live up to it by services rendered, nor his inappropriate behavior. I don’t think leopards change their spots. A sad incident, traumatic for all in our entourage and humiliating to a sweet, intelligent little boy, is heinous. Sly remarks about status or sensitivity, are presumptuous, missing the point: He can be a jerk!

Valentine/​s is a Men’s Spa– Haircuts, Real shaves, all spa services– attention to detail, GREAT customer service, care of and for the clients… «Attention to Detail» does not do them justice– GREAT stylists, atmosphere, and Service… All men must experience excellent service, atmosphere, care and quality… they even offer beverages… a TRUE experience– it may be a bit more expensive and WORTH every cent… Thank you, to the entire staff and Valentine himself… Mike

I’ve been going to Valentine’s for over a year now, and can’t believe I have not written a review. Nikki has been cutting my hair with perfection, and I have never had one strand of hair on my head overlooked. Valentine and his people certainly have a special way of doing things, and it might be a shock for some: its QUALITY folks.
Some of us guys aren’t used to it in our lives, and for those of us who grew up with those sad cookie cutter hair cut shops… throwing down double the money or more for a quality haircut might seem crazy. TRUST ME its WORTH IT!
Treat yourself once, just to see the difference:
–The difference while you’re there in the chair
–The difference with the finished product
–The difference after a few weeks of living with an immaculate cut
Respect your hair, and go to people that really care about their work. Go to Valentine’s!

I don’t write reviews and I don’t pay people to cut my hair, but Valentine will be my exception. He is a genuine guy with a genuine talent; very real and fun to talk to and I left satisfied.
Deserving of a good word, thank you and I will definitely be returning.
Also, he was out of his recommended styling gel so he gave me his that was near full for free. Pretty awesome :)

I went to Valentine’s yesterday for a shave using a gift card my wife had given me 3 years ago! Even though I’m sure the price of a shave has gone up since the gift card was purchased, and I offered to pay any difference, Valentine honored it without question.
The shave was an awesome experience! I felt welcome right away, was offered a beverage, and taken to a relaxing recliner in a private room to start the process.
It started with Sarah exfoliating my skin and using hot towels to get ready for the shave. After relaxing with the hot towel for a while, Valentine came in to do the shave itself. He is very meticulous, and gets the shave very close.
When he was done, Sarah came back in to finish things up. More hot towels, moisturizing, and a cold towel to wake you up and close up the pores. After that, a shampoo with scalp massage, and then a final clean up by Valentine. Ears, brows, etc.
Plan on spending some time there to enjoy the whole experience. It’s a fun relaxing atmosphere.
I ‘m not waiting so long to get my next shave there. I booked my next appointment on my way out, and am looking forward to it!

Valentine is indeed an artist. (He is a great hair cutter and stylist) He has raised the practice of passive aggressive behavior to an art form.
I’ve been going to Valentine for 2 years. I was quite happy with his service. All of the sudden I get a voice mail from him telling me that he will no longer cut my hair. He tells me that we aren’t a good fit. I emailed him a couple of times and he can’t pay me the respect of answering my queries. He can be quite passive aggressive. Instead of being a man and telling me what pissed him off, he wusses out tells me that we «aren’t a good fit». WTF!
Valentine has taken the concept of keep the customer satisfied and turned it on its head. If you go to Valentine be prepared to stroke his ego. He has quite the mercurial personality. I did speak with Valentine briefly on the phone, he told me that he could no longer do business with me because I was not appropriately effusive with my praise about how he cut and styled my hair.
Apparently respect is a one way street for Valentine: He couldn’t pay me the respect to tell me honestly what it is that I had done that made him so angry as to fire a customer.
I guess being a customer for 2 years isn’t enough of an indication that I like his services.
Valentine is the Burger King of hair stylists except that you don’t get to have it your way, you have to have Valentine’s way or the highway.

Thought I’d come back and revise my old review… I originally posted that I was frustrated they weren’t taking new customers, but they called me a few weeks later with an opening, and Valentine followed up with me twice to make sure I was all set.
I’m EXTREMELY happy with my haircuts from Nicki (sp?) and have gone 4 times in a row. I really like the staff here and love my haircuts. A couple things stick out to me:
1. They seem very meticulous, like an artist that wants the painting to be perfect. I almost feel like I’m taking advantage because they take so much time making sure it’s just right.
2. It’s a pretty fun atmosphere where there are a lot of regulars and it’s a pretty casual, jovial vibe.
I think it may take a few weeks to get in the first time since they don’t lose many clients, but I highly recommend Valentine’s.

If I could write you a review and make you fall in love, I would already have Valentine’s cutting your hair. They used all kinds of tricks, I hope that you like this. But you probably will, you think your hair is better than mine.
Valentine’s is the real deal, kids; meticulous and precise. Make sure you have the time (they provide a time chart on their web site) and the little bit O’ scratch required for a world class cut. If you want cheap or quick then take your wreck of a hairdo to Quick-​E Cuts down the block and don’t be curious as to why school kids point and laugh at you. I’m pointing and laughing right now…
I used our very own Unilocal Talk section to ask about a spot that uses a straight razor when trimming the neck. I think it looks cleaner, smoother and just generally is a more professional look. Stylin’ and profilin’. It was recommended that I check out Valentine’s… a phone call later I made my appointment (no walks in here, folks) and was eagerly waiting for my chance to check this shop out.
A few things first off… when making an appointment the receptionist had a few quick questions about my hair and what I wanted. It was a great touch that not only made me feel like this is a professional shop but also that they appreciate my time, my hair and their own reputation. If it’s your first visit they have you pay for your service up front to help curb last minute cancellations. No biggie. You can’t scare me away, Valentine’s! You’re cutting my Medusa like snake hair! Hissss…
Upon arriving I was offered a beverage and my hoodie was hung on the coat rack. Even hoodies need a home, man. I sat in a comfy chair and played on my phone for a few minutes and then my stylist, Nikki, introduced herself and we got started.
She also had questions for me about my hair and what I wanted. These kids want to make sure you get the best possible cut. Color me impressed. No, really… color me. I love crayons and markers.
I was impressed with the care given to the cut. Nikki was meticulous and very very precise in making sure every line was straight and everything was even. We had some good filler chit chat that was organic and friendly, never forced and was paced perfectly to the chill atmosphere of Valentine’s. When she was about done she got out the straight razor. This is what I’ve been waiting for! Slice those little buggers up with extreme prejudice and show off some of my neon white neck flesh. She was all pro with the razor and the entire haircut was awesome. She explained to me as she was finishing that when she was done Valentine would look over her work before I left. A few moments later Valentine was checking out my cut and making comments, pointing out spots for her to touch-​up and guarantying my cut was awesometastical. Said touch-​ups were handled and damn if this isn’t an amazing haircut.
I’m pretty sure I’ve found my new spot. At $ 35 for a hair cut and straight razor neck line I’m super stoked and a happy tipper.
If you are new to Seattle and need a good spot, tired of your old spot or just want some place different for a special occasion… Valentine’s is your joint.
I’m a huge fan!
EDIT: 1÷31÷13 I’ve been going to Julianna for my last 4 – 5 visits and she is super fantastic! It is definitely in the blood of everyone working here to be precise and amazing at what they do. It also doesn’t hurt that not only does she keep up with the weird crap that comes out of my mouth she can also contribute her own random weird craziness to the convo. It’s probably not a good thing to make your clients laugh while you cut their hair… but I didn’t really need two ears anyways.
It’s a nice touch when Valentine himself can greet me by name after only a few visits; they care about their clients and customer service here to the point of it being their second profession.
STILL A HUGE FAN!

A few weeks ago I needed a fresh cut for a wedding, and what better place to go than Valentine’s. You won’t regret getting a cut from this place. Any of the stylists know what they’re doing and they do a great job! The first time I came here was November, and months later I come back and the stylist kept a log of all her clients and still remembered exactly what I got the first time!
Call and make an appointment, you won’t be disappointed. Also, another thing that caught my attention was the music they have playing. It just adds to the good vibe of the place. It’s slightly on the pricey side, but you get what you pay for, and the customer service is unlike any other.

WOW.
I was throughly impressed with this place. Valentine is amazing ! I have a crush on this man, he was so sweet!
I took my boyfriend here for one of his birthday gifts. I picked a «Seattle Shave» for him, which is basically a straight edge razor shave and facial. He absolutely was floored at how pampered he was, and I will admit I was a little jealous!
After his treatment, Valentine came over to me and let me know how it went. We both agreed he should grow his beard out and come back for monthly touch ups. I told him I felt like his mom being so involved, but Valentine was very kind and said «thats what you’re here for».
Valentine even touched up his haircut for free for his bday. This is THE place to go for all your man needs, you can’t go wrong.
Also, Trevor who helped me schedule the appointment was awesome. Everything was so comfortable yet professional.

Valentine’s and Valentine have been a yearly tradition for me. Every year for my Birthday I get a shave from Valentine. This is very ritual and there is something deep about the process.
I read some of the negative posts and I have to disagree.
1. I have been in and been greeted every time to the point that I cant get to the coat rack without having my hat and coat taken.
2. I am always offered a drink every time and its placed beside me and poured.
3. The hair cuts are what they are you as the customer own that experience as much as the person cutting your hair so take some responsibility for it.
The place is very nice and frankly it was not built to attract women it was built to be a comfortable place for a guy. We are tired of going into salons and having to deal with all the product in our face… sitting in uncomfortable chairs… we too want to be treated with some amount of respect.
So if your reading this take it from someone that has had haircuts… has talked to Valentine about philosophy … and enjoyed the experience this is a great spot to just shake off the world and enjoy.

I’m not sure why people give such ratings. During my time there, I saw every man coming out of the salon with a gayhawk. That’s a great look if you’re celebrating new legislation in Cap Hill, but not if you’re a regular Joe getting a haircut.
I had my hair cut by one of valentine’s assistants. He took the time to ask what I wanted. He gave a decent haircut. I was happy. He then said V had to cone over to do QA.
Then some guy who was dressed like Duckie from the 80’s movie prety in pink comes over. After a quick flurry of scissors, he turns my nice masculine haircut not, you guessed it, yet another faux hawk. I was NOT happy.
What’s the point of person a asking you want you want if person b comes over and makes it look the same.
Yes the décor is tmade to appeal to men. The dearth of a real men’s salon in the city is the only reason that I can see that this place gets decent reviews.
As I left, the owner was over taking pictures of some guy in a chair holding a cigar. Guess what his hair looked like.

Cozy lighting and soft sectionals cushion the short wait to a damn good men’s haircut at Valentine’s. My sons get their spoil on here, and they love the convivial boy scene, the complimentary root beer, the good-​natured ribbing, and the skillful, painstaking haircut they get from Valentine. Stylish and sweet, Valentine’s got himself a cozy Man Lair that feels both swanky and relaxed, swathed in earth tones, lit elegantly, and peopled by guys-​across every pay level and profession imaginable-​who know that a good haircut makes a difference. Everyone I’ve seen leaves happy, and looking well shorn.
The haircut isn’t absurdly expensive, either; it’s more than fair, given that my son-​whose confidence is known to wax and wane-​leaves saying «Valentine’s an artist. I don’t think I’ll be letting anyone else touch my hair from now on.»