The Mug & Brush Barber Shop

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JasonTucker

Joined 5 years ago

This is an artisan barber. I never like talking to barbers until I started going to the Mug & Brush. All that forced conversation about football or the weather or the wife and kids I don't have reminded me of why I don't like seeing relatives at holidays. Cut my hair. Don't get personal. But Jim is different from most barbers in the same way Columbus is different from most cities. Neither asks too much of you. If you want a quick, impersonal, professional haircut, you can get it here. If you want a haircut, a hot-towel shave, and long, easy conversation about anything that's on your mind, you can get that here, too. Jim is an artisan barber, and not just in the sense of craft. He has the memory of a gravestone. I just came back to visit Columbus and he asked me about things I'd told him more that a year ago. He can network his customers without making it feel like business. Whatever you're doing, Jim knows somebody who can help you do it better. Formally educated in religious studies, he can speak about football as easily as economics and politics and the mechanics of a good shave. He's what a good bartender used to be. Not pushy. Sympathetic. Able to give you whatever you want. Able to be whatever you need him to be. Why Columbus is the perfect place for Jim: despite its reputation as Test Market America, this city appreciates people who do things well, hence the independent bakeries and boutiques and art galleries and artists and writers and poets and musicians and teachers and bar owners and restaurateurs and tattoo artists and tobacconists and cheese mongers and organic landscape architects, all of whom take what they do very seriously without being too serious about themselves. These are highly skilled and educated people who offer the best of what they do, but manage to make it feel like they're just a part of your neighborhood. And they are. Go out and meet them. Like I was, you'll be surprised by how easy they are to talk to, even if you're not in the mood to talk to anybody.

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Nick525

Joined 5 years ago

Great barber shop!!. After going to Jim for one year, I can without a doubt promise that I will never get my haircut at another shop so long as I live in Columbus. Great cuts, great price, great atmosphere, great barber! He recently hired a new barber who does great work as well. Jim and John create an atmosphere much like I imagine the barber shops of the 40's and 50's. After you finish with your haircut, you want to stick around to see what craziness the two of the get into next! It's great to get a free comedy show from the two of them for just the price of my haircut. Whether you get your cut from Jim or John, both provide you with top notch service and an experience you will not soon forget!

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BrianStokes

Joined 5 years ago

Best haircut in Columbus. I've been going to Jim for almost 7 years, basically the entire time I've lived in Columbus. Jim is a genuine, down to earth, funny, cool guy who I consider a friend. Haircuts are always money. The shop is cool and has a relaxed, hip atmosphere. You can rock out to NPR and participate in the neighborhood watch program while getting your hair cut. I highly recommend.

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robertlaw

Joined 5 years ago

By far the best...and so damn un-self-conscious about it. First things first. Jim?s haircuts are the best I?ve ever had. I have a weird cowlick thing and, er, well, a slightly receding hairline, and um, some thinning in the back and you would never know it once Jim?s done with me.

I was a strip-mall chain, walk-in haircut kind of guy. $9.99 for a cut with no commitments and no required repartee with the person cutting was fine by me. I finally got my comeuppance a couple years ago when the strip-mall cut was so obviously uneven that I had to clipper all my hair off once I got home and had a look in the mirror. I was seriously not amused. a friend recommended Jim at Mug and Brush.

The shop definitely takes its cue from Jim, the owner, who is so cool he?s post-modern cool. The physical set-up is straight out of the 1950s (storefront, real barber chairs, lots of magazines and newspapers), but the decor and a vibe are classically modern (funky wall treatment, retro hairdryer chair in the corner (that works), local band leaflets by the door). I feel cooler than I am (or ever have been) just walking in the door.

Just for some perspective, I went to an ivy college and I?m a practicing attorney. I lived in New York City for a long time, and I?ve been around. I?m getting--now in my mid-thirties--to a point where I?d be willing to shell out a fairly considerable sum to look my best. In fact, despite my penchant for strip-mall cuts, I?ve had haircuts costing in the three figures. It's wild that the best haircut ( & <$20) is on High Street in Columbus. I understand the people who fly in for Jim's cut.

I?m not a big spiritual, enlightenment-seeking kind of guy, but going to Mug and Brush honestly just makes me feel good. It?s calming. The fact that I walk out with an amazing haircut is (almost) secondary.

I won?t gush about the place any more, but if you want a great cut by a good guy without the whole thing being way too over-produced, you might want to do yourself a favor and check out Mug and Brush

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RockyMountains5280

Joined 5 years ago

1,216 miles for a real haircut. Found Mug & Brush on the web while traveling to Columbus on business. Not many folks would travel from the ski slopes to HIgh Street for a haircut unless it was a great experience. Jim is extremely personable and will always find time to work the travelers into the appointment book. He is sincere and enjoys conversation while providing great service. A true barber! You can't go wrong here!

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tony40

Joined 6 years ago

Best Hair Cut in Central Ohio. I have went to the same barber for the last 20 years. I wanted to find a new place to get my hair cut and someone told me about The Mug & Brush. I tried Jim out and he does a great job! He takes his time and makes sure you are happy with your hair cut before you leave. With my travel schedule it is important to be flexible and Jim moves things around to fit my schedule.

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ledbetterpj1

Joined 6 years ago

great cut for a great price. is awesome , good ambiance, Jim takes his time on your hair, more like an artist, you can tell he cares about doing a good job, always a pleasant guy, usually pretty good about squeezing me in his tight schedule, avoid those crappy mall haircuts, can talk to you just about anything

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taylor805

Joined 6 years ago

Cool Haircut, Cool Guy, Cool Place. I have been going to Mug and Brush since it opened. It isnt in my neighborhood and I pass 100 other places to get a haircut to go there. It is well worth the drive.

Jim does a great job and I always leave with a great cut.

If I got my haircut in a private plan on the tarmack of the airport I would totally pay Jim $400 for the haircut, but lucky for me his prices arent that high! Yet, totally worth it!

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adamx183

Joined 6 years ago

great first cut. After giving up on my previous barber, and a suggestion from a friend, I decided to give M&B a try. Jim was amazingly friendly and treated me as if I'd been a regular customer for years. Being utterly clueless about my hair, I gave him a rather vague description of something that might be similar to a haircut, and left the rest to him. He was really great about understanding what I wanted, functionally, as well as aesthetically. I left feeling like I had gotten an amazing cut for an amazing price, and met a really cool guy in the process. I'm definitely going back.

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ajmrll

Joined 6 years ago

Cool people, good cuts, fair price. When I moved to Columbus, I started going to Mug & Brush because it was in my neighborhood. I was lucky to have found the place. For the last three years, I've received great cuts at a fair price. Jim's a hard-working, interesting, and fun (yet professional) guy. If you're looking for a shop that's laid-back and gives consistently good cuts, you can't beat M&B.