Words and Photos provided by: Michael Casatico
About three years ago I moved from the East Bay Area down to San Diego for college. Luckily I was living on campus for my freshman year so I didn’t have too much to worry about besides getting myself to and from class everyday. Then one day I woke up a month later and realized, damn, I need a haircut. So with no barber, and no idea where to look, I literally just Google searched "barber shops in north county San Diego". First thing that came up was SportsClips right down the street, and the thought of that just gave me a little anxiety. Clicked on a couple more links and came across this unique looking barber shop titled “Straight Edge Barber Company”. Sounded legit, photos looked legit, pricing seemed alright, so I gave them a call. Two days later I’m walking up to Straight Edge, and everyone knows what it’s like to get your hair cut by a new barber. I’m not exactly sure how to explain it, but it's a pretty uncomfortable feeling not knowing exactly what you're going to get. I opened the door, walked in, and I got an appointment with Dave Garcia. Dave struck me as a cool guy, he seemed like he knew what he was doing just from talking to him at first, which was reassuring. I gave him a lengthy description of the exact route to what is in my eyes the perfect haircut, and Dave killed it.
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Dave Garcia
Three years later here I am, its Friday, October 31st, and what do you know.. It's Halloween. I’ve been getting my hair cut by Dave every 4 weeks since I moved to San Diego, and coincidentally today was also my monthly check up so I wasn’t complaining. Now, Straight Edge isn’t your normal barber shop by any means. It’s also house to some of the most skilled barbers in San Diego, in my opinion. I have an appreciation for cutting hair because my mom has worked in the hair industry her whole life and owns her own salon to this day. (Hey Mom, yeah, you're on the blog). So I’m usually pretty interested by the art and effort that goes into every cut. That's what initially hooked me on these guys at Straight Edge, the amount of skill, time and attention that goes into everyone that sits in their chairs. I have respect for anyone who has the dedication to master their craft and work every day doing what they love. It’s inspiring to see these guys work, and I always look forward to walking out with a fresh cut.
Weapon of choice
Evan Aitken
Today I asked Dave if I could snap some photos before my appointment, and he told me to go ahead and bring the camera with me. Here are some photos of Dave Garcia, Evan Aitken, and Jon Jon Orense, just doing what they do best. If you need an appointment go ahead and give them a call anytime at (760) 941-9321. Make sure to call in advance, they're usually all booked up.
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Tools of the trade
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Straight Edge
Old school
Jon Jon Orense
Details
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Master Dave himself after cutting me up
Thank you Dave
Thank you Dave, Jon, and Evan.