Shuffleton's Barbershop Trivia Quiz

Answer: pole

Barbers' poles originated during the times when a barber would also perform surgery. There are several explanations for the colors; one is that the red is for blood, the white for bandages, and the blue for veins.

Answer: chair

Barbers' chairs allow for adjustable height and rotation. Some have head rests for when a barber shaves his customer. These chairs help the barber see what he is doing from almost any angle.

Answer: mirror

Barber shops may have a large mirror running wall to wall in front of the barber chairs, or individual mirrors in front of each chair. In addition, there are usually hand-held mirrors to help the customer view the finished product from all sides.

Answer: tape & cape

Many barbers' shops use tape around a customer's neck and a cape attached around the neck to keep the falling hair on the customer. Some shops use towels instead of tape, both do the job, but the towels require more maintenance--they can't be tossed when the job is done, they have to be washed.

Answer: hair scissors

Scissors are used to manually cut the customer's hair. Clippers cut using blades that move from side to side. Once also manual, clippers are mostly electric now and are often used for cutting close to the skin.

Answer: comb

Combs come in many sizes, but most are a comprised of a shaft with teeth of various sizes. A barber generally has several to chose from, matching the type of comb to the customer's hair type. The combs are cleaned with disinfectant between customers.

Answer: shaving brush

A shaving brush can be made from many types of bristles. Once the bristles are wet they are used to create lather from a shaving soap or cream. The brush is then used to transfer the lather to the customer's face or head before a shave.

Answer: straight razor

Razors have historically be made from all types of materials, but today a straight razor is generally made from steel. They fell from fashion in the 1950s with the advent of disposable razors, but many still prefer a barber's shave from a straight razor.

Answer: dryer

Some hairstyles require a hair dryer to accomplish a swept back look. Or a barber might use a hair dryer just to remove some of the moisture after a wash and before a cut.

Answer: gel

There are so many products that can be put on the customer's hair, each with a different purpose. Brilliantine is used to soften the hair. Gel is used to harden the hair. Pomade is a wax used to style and stiffen the hair. Wax is used to hold the hair in place.