The relationship between a man and his barber is sacred, many have said. Hair is one of the most visible aspects of a person, and a barber must earn one’s trust to handle such an important feature.
But the barber’s job is much more than just cutting hair.
“Part of our job is psychological,” said Abraham Kalantarov, the owner of Alek’s Barbershop.
“We’re listening to people, people telling their problems,” Kalantarov said. “Sometimes people just need to talk.”
Alek’s Barbershop opened on Welwyn Road in Great Neck Plaza last August.
Kalantarov has been a barber for the past 18 years, but he said that he did not always picture himself in this role.
He was born in the Soviet Union in what is now Uzbekistan. The son of a shoemaker, he began working as a tailor at just 15 years old.
Kalantarov said when Soviet President Mikhail “Gorbachev opened up the gates for freedom of speech” in 1990, he moved to Israel and became a mechanic after a rise of antisemitism in the country
“[It was] not easy,” he said. “Different country, different language, different rules.”
But it was in Israel that Kalantarov met his wife, who is also from Uzbekistan, and became the father of two daughters.
In 2006, the Kalantarov family decided to move to the United States due to safety concerns, the high cost of living, and to avoid Israel’s mandatory military service that their children would have to undergo. And in the United States they had another child.
Kalantarov went back to working at a tailor shop until he lost his job after the 2008 financial crisis.
As he was searching for a new job, some friends recommended he become a barber, so he got his certification at the American Barber Institute in Manhattan
Kalantarov said it was a popular job for immigrants from the Soviet Union, but he was not interested because it demanded speedy results.
“Tailoring, you can take time to finish work.” But as a barber, he had to get the job done quickly.
Kalantarov said he became a barber out of necessity. “Eventually when you need to feed and support family, you do what you have to do.”
But Kalantarov said soon enough he grew to enjoy it because of the relational aspects of the job.
“It’s clean. It’s interesting. You have conversations with different people,” Kalantarov said as he nodded his head.
Oftentimes, the conversations get personal. “There’s a lot of stories about man usually chatting about wife.”
“You don’t keep your mouth shut. You don’t talk too much also.” Kalantarov said an essential aspect of the job is to have a feel for the customer and make sure they are comfortable. “You have to listen.”
To set the customer at ease, he has many jokes at his disposal, and if they are young, he has lollipops as well.
“Politics you try not to talk about,” Kalantarov said. “Shows, technology, space, extra terrestrials, but not politics.”
Kalantarov said history is one of his favorite topics to chat with customers about, and went on to talk about the Emirate of Bukhara, the Soviet Union, the Silk Road, and the long history of the Jewish people.
He started working in Hicksville, where his boss taught him tricks of the trade.
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In 2015, Kalantarov started his own business in Port Washington, where he gained several regular customers.
When his lease expired, he moved the business to Great Neck for a few reasons. Kalantarov said the competition was tough and that he was looking to shorten his commute from Queens.
“Another reason to choose Great Neck was because it was a Jewish area,” Kalantarov said. Kalantarov observes Shabbat and said he feels better about closing early on Fridays in Great Neck.
Kalantarov primarily operates the business by himself, but his wife and three kids helped him with the opening, and he is looking to hire another barber.
He said he has lost some customers after moving locations, as he expected, but regulars are still driving out to Great Neck.
“Some people are loyal. They like my conversations. They like how I do my work,” he said with a smile.
“It’s important to have a barber you trust.”
