Sewickley barber’s passion for hair inspired by family history

A black-and-white photograph of Justin David’s great-great-grandfather giving David’s great-grandfather his first haircut is adhered to the top right corner of the mirror inside The Sewickley Barbershop at David’s styling station.

A second image, this one in color, that captured his mother, Pamela Kim, giving his father, Robert Kim, a perm is located on the top left side of that same mirror.

The vintage family pictures reflect similar moments with David and his clients in the shop along Beaver Street.

“When I look at those pictures, I feel a generational pride,” said David, who opened the shop in May 2021. “Barbering is in my blood. It’s hard work, but I love everything about it.”

David, 41, of Dormont, has been a barber for 10 years, although he has been around the profession his entire life.

Some clients travel from out of state to have him cut their hair. Others come from down the street or across town. His clients have had him do the hair for the groom and groomsmen for their weddings.

The profession is about developing relationships, David said.

“He does a great job with what little hair I have left,” said Edd Schmetzer of Coraopolis, who has a standing appointment. “He knows what I want.”

Michael Brown of Sewickley has been a client since the shop opened. He has lived all over the world and said there is a reason people live in Sewickley.

“Sewickley has that community vibe, and a barbershop is the cornerstone of a community,” Brown said. “When I walked into this shop, it felt like ‘Cheers.’ Everyone knows your name and you don’t feel alone. You need places like this.”

On any given day, you might spot hockey stars Mario Lemieux and Sidney Crosby strolling down the street or Super Bowl champion Ben Roethlisberger walking into the shop.

Roethlisberger is a client of David’s.

Getting to meet Roethlisberger is a bonus to working there, said James Miller, the newest barber and a sports fan.

“I am fortunate to work in such a great environment,” Miller said. “It’s a high-quality shop. Justin gives us the tools to succeed. He gave me my start. I love what I do. And I also got to meet Big Ben (Roethlisberger).”

David said barbering is an art form and one that is about paying it forward to help the next generation. It’s about earning a client’s trust and artistic freedom for him and his barbers.

“Justin lets us be us,” Squire said. “You should never put an artist in a box. You should let them create and Justin lets us create.”

That creating begins with getting to know the client at the initial consultation.

“Barbering is about cutting hair, but it can also be a type of therapy,” David said. “Clients share what’s going on in their lives with us. There aren’t a lot of professions like this where people can spend time together talking.”

David wanted to create a space for everyone to feel comfortable. Before moving into the former Ragged Row, a women’s clothing store space, David painted all the walls, installed bright ceiling lights, and updated the waterlines. He decorated the walls with art created by clients. A skateboard, a gift from David’s first client at the Sewickley shop, hangs on the wall.

There is a comfortable waiting area where clients are close enough to join in on the conversation and cool music is playing in the background. David describes the barbershop as “a traditional old school barber shop.”

The red, white and blue barber poles are spinning outside.

He and his crew are trained in everything from haircuts to beard trims to straight razor shaves.

“Look good. Feel good. Do good,” David said.

The cost for a haircut ranges from $40-$70.

Born in South Carolina and raised in Virginia Beach, Va., where his mom was a cosmetologist, David said he thinks about his parents, who never got to see him open his own shop.

He knows they are watching over him and is a big part of the reason he went to barber school. David formerly owned The Gentlemen’s Club Barbershop in Oakmont.

He is passing on his love of the craft to his daughter, Peyton Kim, an eighth grader, who is in the shop a few days a week.

“I see people come in here and my dad helps them find a new look,” said Kim, who is interested in cosmetology. “Getting a haircut really helps people. You never know what someone is going through. People leave the shop with a great haircut and a smile. I want to be like my dad and do that for people someday.”

Most likely, David will snap a few photos of his daughter doing just that.