Hey, I’m Jay.
I’ve been cutting hair since I was a teenager, long before I ever thought it would become my career. I was mostly self-taught in the beginning, learning through repetition, trial and error, and a whole lot of haircuts. I became a licensed barber in 2010, and fades and tapers quickly became the foundation of my work.
As the years went on, I became more curious about haircutting as a whole. I wanted to understand shape, texture, movement, longer hair, scissor work, and most importantly, why certain things worked. That curiosity pushed me to seek out more education and completely changed the way I approach my craft.
These days, I don’t put myself into one box. I love a great fade or taper, but I’m equally at home working with longer hair and more scissor-focused cuts. What I enjoy most is figuring out what works for the individual in my chair and creating something that fits their hair, their style, and their life.
My career has given me the opportunity to open The Cutlery Barbershop, build Genteel Society, and eventually step into education as an instructor at Skyline College. Teaching and mentoring other barbers has become one of the most rewarding parts of what I do, but I still consider myself a student first.
More than 20 years after I first picked up the clippers, I’m still learning, still evolving, and still trying to get better with every haircut.
And through all that learning, my approach has actually become simpler: understand the hair, understand the shape, have a plan, and execute it well.