A longtime barber has settled into a new shop in East Trail, still providing that “old time barber experience with all the trimmings.”
Lee Flanders moved Klassic Kuts from downtown Trail to the former Lynn’s Treasure Chest this fall. He now has more space, free parking and a view of the mountains from his well-lit shop.
“There’s nothing better than coming in and saying, ‘Just give me the usual.’ Us guys are creatures of habit, maybe more so than women,” he said. “Guys would rather go see someone they trust, rather than someone they don’t know.”
Flanders grew up in Rossland and worked at Teck for nearly eight years prior to graduating from Selkirk College’s hairdressing program in 1984. He went on to work as a hairdresser apprentice in Cranbrook and Grand Forks before purchasing his first shop in Rossland two years later. He built his clientele in the Golden City for 21 years before setting up shop in Trail.
Still sticking with the nostalgic experience many are after, Flanders prides his space on its old cast iron barber chair and original barber pole that came off the Bank of Montreal building in Rossland.
It’s the “money” that keeps him going, he laughs, adding that he has a strong bond with his customers.
“You have to be kind of a people person and enjoy talking to people for sure,” he said.
“It’s not really that physically demanding, but mentally it can be demanding.”
While he’s had the odd female customer, Flanders said he discourages women who try to pop in for a cut and tries to stick with only a male clientele. He figures there are plenty of salons for women to choose from in Trail.
No appointment is necessary for a customer looking to pop in for a quick cut at 1903 Second Avenue.