Schorem, haarsnijder en barbier

Leen and Bertus have been long time friends (‘Every week seems like a year longer’). A few years back, they still had normal names and shared a ferocious love for anything vintage and Rock ‘N Roll. And so, a pact was made. Since this year, Schorem, haarsnijder en barbier (Scum and Barbers) is a fact. Bertus speaks frankly about what it takes to be both scum and barber.

Your branding is immensely strong. You issued a newspaper when you first got started, completely in 1920s style. You changed your name, started dressing even sharper and your shop looks like it was built a century back. How did this idea come about?

There is no pr-plan, marketeer or concept behind all this. We just thought it up while drinking. We are sick and tired of male unfriendly shops. We don’t want to be like girls with bangs, highlights or moisturisers. We spit on the image of the metro man.

“A male only barbershop?”, colleagues said, ”You’ll never get enough clientele” or “You’ll get tired of doing only male cuts.” Honestly, I haven’t had a day I was bored since we opened. We started with us two and added three other barbers and shavers to our team since the opening. Everday, we’re loaded here. We don’t do appointments, because men don’t want to call two weeks in advance. Sometimes guys sit around here for two, three hours, having a drink and a little chat and wait to get cut, of course.

You have been in the local papers and magazines more often than not since the opening. Did you expect this?

Yes. People ask us about our concept, but we don’t have one. We are just flashy kind of guys. When you look in through the window, you see a beautiful store and two of these guys, all clad with tattoos, but with fancy jackets and ties on. It captivates. And we draw a line. No female enters the store. Not even journalists.

The men visiting your shop all have unmistakenly ‘Schorem’ hairstyles. Do you refuse to cut modern cuts?

When you enter this shop, you know you’re not going to walk out with a mohawk. If you want to be careful trimmed, shaved and look tight afterwards, this is your place. We are not about trends. We cut old-fashioned hairstyles that were cut precisely the same 100 years ago. Because we have an affinity with the Rock ‘N Roll world, we know exactly what to do when someone asks for a classic JFK, Elvis or ducktail cut. And that’s special. We had a client who asked six barbershops before us to cut him a crisis haircut. They didn’t know how to do it. He finally came here and got exactly what he wanted.

Do you ever think about franchising?

Every city deserves a Schorem en Barbieren shop. It’s a place to escape, to relax. Have a beer or a whiskey and be amongst men, without to much to-do. We would love to set it up, but it should be run by people from that city. We understand Rotterdam, we’re a little rough, straight to the point. When I visit Utrecht, I’m a tourist. I love the city, but I’m still a tourist. We made a shop which would be our favorite, if we were visitors.

Ever thought about a female version of Schorem and Barbieren?

Never. I don’t even want to cut my sisters hair anymore.