Barbers of Lawville by Mike Bruno and Zac Shaffer

Bert Mills has been cutting hair in downtown Toledo since 1969, He’s also cutting back, as he now takes Fridays off.

He came to the profession during career day in high school in Oak Harbor. The students were allowed to sign up for one of two areas: undertaking or cutting hair. Bert chose barber school since it was only one year, compared to a longer-term study of mortuary science. An added benefit was returning (live) clients.

In the late 1960s, according to Bert, there was a barber on every downtown corner. Nowadays, there are only a few. Downtown had Fortune 500 Companies and Bert reminisced about weekly hair
appointments with executives of Owens Illinois, Bostwick-Braun and Owens Corning Fiberglas. The other thing Bert mentioned is that he doesn’t see as many characters as he once did. Colorful
lawyers like Bobby Kaplan, Tim Green, Dick Secor, and Dan (AKA Silver Dollar Dan) McCullough are no longer with us.

In his later years, Tim Green lived in the Traverse City Michigan area. Mrs. Green apparently preferred Bert’s haircuts over any other barber. So one day Tim left home to run an errand. The errand involved Tim flying his private plane to Toledo to get a haircut. He openly worried that his wife would figure out where he was when she saw the fresh cut of his hair. Former Toledo Mayors were among Bert’s clientele. He even made a house call to give Harry Kessler his last cut.

Speaking of house calls, there was one that Bert will never forget. A scar on his right arm serves as a permanent reminder of this particular visit. The setting was the residence of Horton Rorick, one of Bert’s regular customers, who was advanced in his years. A situation occurred during the setup. Mr. Rorick was using a walker. Bert followed with a stool. Suddenly, and without warning,
Floyd, the Rorick’s pet parrot, flew down and latched onto Bert’s right arm (the money maker). This was followed by a retaliatory bird swat from a cane-wielding Horton Rorick. The bird fled, but the damage had been done, as Bert lost a hunk of flesh and gained a scar.

He previously worked in barbershops within the Spitzer and Nicholas buildings downtown. Currently, Bert can be found Mondays through Thursdays at the Toledo Club.

Nick Haddad has been cutting hair in Toledo since 1967. When he first began his career in Downtown Toledo, he was just one of 30+ barbers in the downtown business district. Now, he is one of the only surviving barbers in the area. Most of his 58-year career was spent cutting hair within a few blocks of downtown Toledo. He started working in a storefront barbershop on Erie, followed by shops on Madison, and then a stint in the Gardner Building during the 80s. He had a 14-year run in the Nasby Building, but when that location closed, he moved back into the Gardner Building, at the corner of Superior and Madison. Nick’s current shop is across the hall from his previous location. Nick says, “The landlord created a special spot for me, from part of the deli in the lower level of the building.”

If you knew Toledo pre-pandemic, then you know this location for PJ’s Deli, one of the greatest in town. While the deli may have closed, Nick’s Barbershop still exists and remains one of the best Toledo has to offer.

Nick’s Barbershop takes you back to a bygone time that was unfettered by global pandemics and the era of technology. While the atmosphere is unmatched, the personal interactions Nick shares with his customers was, and is, the reason your experience there was unrivaled. When you go to Nick’s for a cut, you feel a sense of familiarity. He not only provides excellent haircuts, but he genuinely enjoys getting to know you as a person. He gets to know the person under the hair, which feels much different from some of the franchise barbershops/salons that we know today. I remember walking in for the first time, and magazines were scattered throughout the shop. People were talking to each other about their lives, and laughing with Nick as he focused on the customer in his chair. But what surprised me the most was his personal connection with everyone. He remembers the conversations that he had with each and every customer. It was more than just pleasantries, it felt as though he was a member of your family that you only see once a month or so.

Nick has stepped away from his strict schedule to spend time with his family. He still shows up every week to provide some of the best haircuts available anywhere. While his schedule is less concrete than it used to be, he is still one of the best barbers this young professional has ever experienced.

The pandemic took a toll on a lot of people and businesses, and downtown Toledo doesn’t have the foot traffic it once had. Fortunately, Nick’s Barbershop still stands strong.

If you are looking for one of the best haircuts and barbershop experiences, call him today Monday – Friday to see if he is free. You won’t regret it.