Rob “Big Rob” Bilardo lets Jace Vives examine his clippers during a hair cut on Sept. 20, 2013.
Bilardo uses a towel to air dry Michael Ciemmiso’s face after a straight razor shave on Sept. 20, 2013
By Jessica Talarick
Old school barbershop opens in Hamilton
Rob “Big Rob” Bilardo did his first hair cut when he wasn’t so big.
At age 4, Bilardo completed his first ‘do on his grandfather, who—along with Bilardo’s father and uncles—was a barber.
In May, he opened Bilardo’s Barbershop in Mercerville, where he continues the old-school traditions he learned from his family.
“I’m an old-time barber,” Bilardo said, “no bells, no whistles, no gimmicks.”
What he does have are the skills of a master barber. Along with his experience growing up in a barbershop, Bilardo trained at Hamilton Township Vocational Technical school before enlisting in the Marines. During his service, Bilardo became the ship barber at Fort McHenry. While his fellow servicemen were cleaning weapons and working other jobs on board, Bilardo realized he wanted to continue cutting hair after he retired from the Marines.
Bilardo returned home in 1996, and finished his training hours at a barber school in Northeast Philadelphia.
The Mercerville shop is not Bilardo’s first. He previously owned A1 Haircutters with his stepfather in West Windsor and Rob’s Barbershop on South Broad Street in Trenton.
Bilardo isn’t the only old-school barber at his shop. Vincent Sola, who owned Vincent’s Barber on Broad Street, came out of retirement to work at the shop. Also, Gary Cerini, who Bilardo bought the Mercerville shop from, works a few days a week. The staff is rounded out by Bilardo’s apprentice, Alex Skroumbelos, and female hair stylist Toni Kownaski.
Among the long list of services Bilardo offers are his straight-edge razor shaves.
“You’re truly not a master barber unless you shave,” Bilardo said.
Bilardo learned the 17-stroke method in barber school, but over the years he developed his own technique.
First, he places a steam towel on the client’s face to open up the pores and make hair stand up straight. Next, Bilardo uses a brand-new blade to shave against the grain using as few strokes as possible to avoid irritation. He finishes the service by cooling the face and applying aftershave and powder.
“Then I have to force them to get out of my chair because they don’t want to leave,” Bilardo said.
One client, Michael Ciemmiso, said the shaves make him “feel like a million bucks.”
Bilardo’s other specialty is kids cuts. The nickname embroidered on his smock, “Big Rob,” came from the kids who take a seat in Bilardo’s chair.
Not only is Bilardo bigger in size than his kid clients — “even though I lost weight, the name stuck,” Bilardo said— his big personality distracts them from the sound of the clippers and scissors.
Bilardo said kid cuts are all about trust and his shop is a place they can feel safe. The shop has a family friendly atmosphere, free of foul language, where Bilardo’s own kids with wife Patricia, Louis, 9, and and Bianca, 4, can roam around like Bilardo did as a child.
As a family man, Bilardo said he knows what it like to make a paycheck stretch. He offers discounts to military personnel, policemen, firemen and senior citizens.
Bilardo said that despite the lower rate, discounted hair cuts get the same high-quality attention as full price ones. Hair cuts at Bilardo’s Barbershop sometimes turn into a therapy session.
“It’s about making someone feel good,” Bilardo said. “It’s listening and trimming the soul of heartache and pain we carry around.”
According to Bilardo, the old-school service and open conversation is what sets his shop apart from modern hair salons.
“All it takes is one visit, and you’ll understand,” Bilardo said “It’s not just a haircut, it’s a haircutting experience.”
Bilardo’s Barbershop, 2675 Nottingham Way, Mercerville. (609) 586-8407. bilardosbarbershop.com.
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