
Designed with tradition in mind, Mariemount Barber Shop, located at 6880 Wooster Pike, is offering some guy time the old fashion way. Renato Salzano, shop owner since 1975, has been cutting hair for 50 years. It’s safe to say he has seen it all in the hair care world.
With his brother being a barber, Salzano was able to tap into barber school easily. “It was totally by accident even though I would have found it on my own later on,” Salzano explained. “I graduated from high school in ’65 and everyone was leaving home early to go to California. I was going to go but I came from a traditional Italian family and couldn’t. My parents told me to go down and talk to the barber college. I wasn’t going to go, I did it to make my parents happy, but then I found out how much freedom I would have in this line of business. Salzano says after a few pictures, a physical and an eager salesman helping him out, he was on his way to his first day of barber school. “I love it and I can’t imagine doing anything else.” says Salzano.

While Salzano says his experiences have taken him through every good and bad hair day a handful of times, he still keeps his techniques as traditional as they come. From straight razor cuts to traditional after shaves, Mariemount Barber Shop is making sure their customers get a classic finish. “We offer traditional cuts as well as beard trims and shaves,” Salzano explains. “We use bay rum, which is the oldest after shave that you can use; a tradition going way back when. Even though there are lots of different versions of it now, I like to stick to bay rum since we use a straight razor and disturb the skin a bit. Once you put the bay rum over the freshly shaved pores, it closes them and soothes it making them feel more relaxed.”
Mariemount Barber Shop is in the realm of a select few barber shops that still specialize in straight razor cuts with hot towels for relaxation and a scalp massage to top it off. Even with a close-knit shop of four barbers including Salzano, he says they know people are more traditional now and they like to keep it that way. “We pride ourselves on doing guys stuff,” Salzano says. “We have a new beard oil by Suavecito that has been aged in whiskey barrels that gives off a whiskey aroma.”
If you’re looking to keep your beard in check when you’re out of reach of a good ol’ fashioned barber shop, Salzano recommends using a clipper, a shampoo that is PH balanced, a good beard oil and a brissel brush. However, if you’re in the market for a barber shop, Mariemount Barber Shop offers a businessman special that includes a cut and shave for $40, a clipper beard trim for $5 and a beard shape for $12.
“The great workers, Brian, Eugene, Tim and I have a ton of fun here,” Salanzo says. “We entertain everyone all day long and I couldn’t ever imagine not being in the barber shop scene.”
To book an appointment or to find out more about Mariemount Barber Shop, visit their website here.