210 Barbers & Shave opens in Lakeville

210 Barbers & Shave opens in Lakeville

Tracy Henry never planned on becoming a barber.  In fact, he hoped to carve out a future in the low-voltage industry working with fiber-optics, phones and computers.

He credits a local legend, who became his mentor, with changing his career path.

Henry has opened 210 Barbers & Shave in Lakeville.  The shop is located at 8341 210^th Street, just east of the Buck Board Restaurant.

A native of Lakeville, Henry graduated from Lakeville High School in 1992 and joined the U.S. Marine Corps.  After completing his obligation to the military, which included a stint in Japan, he returned to his hometown and found work as a technician for a local communications company.

Then, in 1998, he was approached by the man who would literally change his life.

“Bud Mohn asked me if I’d be interested in becoming a barber and said he would give me a chair in his shop,” Henry recalls.  “I had cut hair while I was in the Marine Corps but I didn’t have a license or any training.  I was just the guy in my unit who wasn’t the worst at giving haircuts, so I did it for my friends.”

The rest, as they say, is history.

Reuben “Bud” Mohn is a legend in the Lakeville business community. He retired two years ago after 58 years as a barber, 53 of them in downtown Lakeville.

“When someone like Bud asks you to join his business, it’s hard to say no,” said Henry.  “He started barbering in the 50’s  … I wasn’t born until 1973.  I knew he was offering me a great opportunity, so I took him up on it.”

He enrolled in Mohler Barber College under the G.I. Bill and after completing his studies and training,  joined the crew at Mohn’s Barber Shop in May of 1999 and became the only apprentice  to ever serve under Mohn.  A year later, Henry became a Master Barber.

Over the next 12 years he would continue to hone his skills with Mohn as his mentor.

“I learned so much from Bud, not just about barbering, but also about business and the community.  He taught me about people and about life.  I have so much respect for him and I will be eternally grateful for everything he did for me.”

Henry developed the dream of someday following in Mohn’s footsteps and owning his own barber shop.  The opportunity presented itself earlier this year and he decided to “take a leap of faith.”

After securing the location just off 210^th Street, Henry refurbished the interior of the space and got the shop ready to open with the help of his family and friends.  His uncle, Mike Henry of Cut Above Trimming, did a lot of work, including the cabinetry and trim.

Henry  describes 210 Barbers & Shave as old-school, but not old-fashioned.

“I’m trying to carry on some of the tradition and lost arts of men’s barber shops and what I learned from Bud,” he said. “I offer straight-edge razor shaving.  There aren’t a lot of barber shops today that are licensed to do that, but it’s one of my specialties. I’m also up on what the current styles for men’s hair are.”

Henry tries to go above-and-beyond when it comes to customer service.  He accepts appointments but walk-ins are welcome. He’ll make house calls for the sick or those who are shut-in, and he also cuts children’s hair.

“Bud Mohn took time to make everyone who stepped into his shop feel welcome, and I try to do the same,” he said.  “Because I’m a veteran myself, I love it when veterans come in, even if it’s just to say hello and pay a visit.  I enjoy it when fathers bring in their young sons.  Going to a men’s barber shop for a haircut used to be a like a rite of manhood in the old days … and I’m happy to be able to keep that tradition alive.”

210 Barbers & Shave is open from 9 AM-7 PM Tuesday through Thursday, from 9 AM-5:30 PM on Fridays and from 8 AM-4 PM on Saturdays.  Henry can be reached by calling the shop 952-985-5780 or on-line at www.210BarberShop.com.