Never out of style: Legendz Classic Barbershop

This joint is jumping.

Frank Sinatra and The Blues Brothers top the playlist as the young and young-at-heart tap their toes in appreciation. Conversation ebbs and flows easily from a shared camaraderie and common interests. Nearly every seat in the house is full, thanks to team members who are great at what they do and a boss who sets the tone.

Word is traveling fast about this new Downtown Arlington hang-out, but sorry ladies. This one is for the gents.

Shave and a haircut

If Legendz Classic Barbershop was a person, you’d say he has an old soul, a modern twinkle in his eye, and the coolest haircut in town. Hip and talented barbers run circles around traditional cuts and contemporary styles. They do it all: classic, high and tight, fades, mustache and beard trims, straight razor detail and hot towel treatments. This fuller-than-full service barber shop also offers “Lil Gentleman” cuts, bachelor grooming services and house calls.

[caption id="attachment_13859" align="img-wrapright" width="4752"] Craftsmanship, camaraderie and cool are par for the course at Legendz, where Nacho and his team keep customers coming back again and again.[/caption]

Old school, not old fashioned

When you first walk in, you immediately see that this is not your granddad’s barber shop. Or is it? Brightly lit, immaculate and roomy, Legendz is as much museum as the best place in town to get a haircut. Vintage tools of the trade, classic advertisements and other memorabilia are displayed artfully throughout the space. A chess board is set up and ready to go. As you take your seat in a one-of-a-kind barber’s chair, the homage continues.

Legendz is the dream come true of long-time barber and owner Nacho Armijo. He opened his first shop in Grand Prairie 13 years ago, which had a clean and modern style. “But it was in my mind all along to have a vintage barber shop where as soon as you walk in, you see the difference and feel a vibe like no other,” Armijo said. “Old-school barber shops are going extinct, and I don't want that. I want our kids and the young gentleman to get the same feel and experience that our dads and grandpas got in the good old days.”

As time went on, Armijo began collecting. He went to antique malls, swap meets and perused Craigslist, looking for leather razor strops and hones, straight razors and every barber chair he could find. Today, his collection tops 17 chairs.  “I will keep on buying as long as I can” said Armijo.

Walk-ins welcome, but make an appointment

When long-time barber and owner Nacho Armijo first opened the shop, it was a one man show. With a store front comes foot traffic, and soon Nacho needed help. In a short period of time, Legendz grew into a team of four, highly skilled barbers.

Angel, one of the barbers, explains. “First Nacho brought in a second barber to handle walk-ins, but those walk-ins turned into regular clients. Then Nacho recruited in a third barber to help out, and the same thing happened. So now there are four of us.”

Legendz regular Dev is one of Angel’s clients. “He’s busy all the time. You have to make an appointment, otherwise you can wait up to an hour. But it’s worth it. They all really know what they’re doing and the prices are really good.”

Plans are in the works to expand the business further, including more specialty services like a beard and moustache grooming bar and, down the road, possibly another location. Not bad for a shop that’s been open in its Downtown Arlington location less than two years.

You might say it’s becoming a legend in its own time.

“I love what I do,” said Armijo. “I wake up every morning ready to go to work, to help every gentleman who comes in be at his best: for a job interview, graduation, the holidays, or that special day he gets married. A haircut makes you feel like new and gives you a confident feeling like no other. That's why we’re here -- to make these gentlemen feel great about themselves.”

For more information

Check out Legendz Classic Barbershop online at legendzclassic.com.

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An official State of Texas Cultural District, Downtown Arlington, Texas blends a unique mix of activities, sights, tastes and sounds that attract visitors and locals alike. Within its less than a two-mile radius, Downtown is home to a top tier public research university, prolific fine and performing artists and arts institutions, live entertainment, exciting NCAA and professional athletics, one-of-a-kind dining and retail, and a supportive business climate. Downtown Arlington brings together a plethora of cultures and inspirations with a character all its own.