Catch a fade
New barber joins American Beauty in Mammoth
On Tuesday, Nov. 5 at about 11 a.m. I saw the barber pole and walked into American Beauty Salon. I looked around and thought, “This isn’t a barber shop!” Then David walked out of the back room and waved me back. Walking through the scent of women, The Barber Cave came into view at the back of the shop. A cozy little nook in the back of the salon. Through the array of women products I found the light at the end of the tunnel.
American Beauty Salon welcomes barber David Temple. Originally from the Orange County area, he established himself in Bishop in 1989. David has been cutting hair in Bishop at Main Street Barber Shop for the last 3 and a half years.
“In high school I would cut fades (type of haircut) on my brother and our friends,”Temple said. “Then, when I was in the army I gave haircuts to my fellow soldiers.”
When I sat down in the chair and David said “What would you like?” I replied, “A head shave and a beard trim.” He could see the sadness in my eyes, so he said, “You have to be kidding me, I can’t trim your beard it’s too epic and it fits you.”
I smiled and said, “Thank you!” David informed me that ZZ-top was offered $1 million to shave his beard from Gullet and he turned it down. “You can’t separate a real man from his beard.”
I asked David why he chose to go to barber school.
“I was in construction for about 12 years and I could tell it was bottlenecking so I got out,” he said. In 2004 David decided to quit building walls and start shaping hair.
Temple went to Lancaster Beauty and Barber School and graduated in 2005. He went to school for about one year.
“I learned a lot at the shop in Bishop after I finished school,” he said. “I wanted to fill the ‘niche’ up here in Mammoth because half of my customers are from Mammoth. I chose to make it easier on my already-loyal customers.”
David cuts hair in Bishop, Mondays and Thursdays at Main Street Barber Shop. He will be in Mammoth Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday but would eventually like to be in Mammoth full time. His hours in Mammoth are 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Customers can, however, book an appointment for hours after 4:30 p.m.
Head down to the American Beauty Salon across form Salsa’s and Country Liquor in the Sherwin Plaza Building Three at 587 Old Mammoth Road, say hello to David and catch a fade.
