Cutting-edge haircut

Jon Potter is a licensed barber whose creative signs many Chicoans have seen outside his shop, Barber Jon’s, at 532 Nord Ave. Potter has spent the past 2 1/2 years giving men of all hair types the professional cuts they deserve. Not only does he offer what he claims are “the best men’s haircuts in town,” he also has a pool table and multiple TVs showing the latest sports highlights in the waiting area. Potter also offers straight-razor, hot-lather face shaves. For more information or to make an appointment, call 342-7342 or e-mail <script type="text/javascript" language="javascript">{ document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,97,32,104,114,101,102,61,34,109,97,105,108,116,111,58,98,97,114,98,101,114,106,111,110,64,104,111,116,109,97,105,108,46,99,111,109,34,62,98,97,114,98,101,114,106,111,110,64,104,111,116,109,97,105,108,46,99,111,109,60,47,97,62)) } </script>.

What got you interested in becoming a barber?

I was actually living in Yosemite National Park at the time. They needed an extra barber up there, and I needed to make some extra money. So, while I was going to college, I thought I would go to barber school also, and it really just stemmed from there. That’s pretty much how I got started, and eventually I was cutting hair here in Chico.

What’s the difference between a barber and hairstylist?

There’s all these girls that are out there calling themselves all these fancy little names, you know, I’m a hairstylist, I’m a hair designer, I’m a hair sculpturer, I’m a hair princess, whatever the hell they call themselves. There’s no such thing as any of this, those are made-up names. Apparently they’re not happy with what they really are—you’re a cosmetologist. Period. Even you can call yourself a hairstylist, legally, because there’s no such thing. You’re as much a hairstylist as they are. I don’t refer to myself as a “barberologist,” or a “men’s hair technician.” I’m a barber, period.

What is barber training like?

When you go to barber school, each student is issued his own set of clippers, because you use them all day long because your customers are all men. You’re required to give a minimum of 750 haircuts by state law to graduate and qualify to be a barber.

What can men expect from your shop?

They can expect, and actually I’m going to boast a little bit, they can expect to get the best haircut in town. We give a tapered haircut, not that roundy-squarey thing like they do at beauty shops. You know, at Supercuts and all those places. He’s going to get a real men’s haircut, from people who are barber-trained, not cosmetology-trained.