The Enthusiast
Thomas Walther, a fourth-generation barber, blends the craft traditions of the Ore Mountains with rock ’n’ roll – and an uncompromising love for quality tools
What Thomas Walther actually dreamed of was becoming a wooden toy maker. In other parts of Germany, that might sound eccentric, but in the Ore Mountains it makes perfect sense. Wooden toys have a long and vibrant tradition here; every child grows up surrounded by this intricate craft from an early age. After a school internship, Walther revised his career plans. “I thought you built a figure from start to finish, but in reality, you just repeat the same step over and over,” says the 39-year-old with a laugh. A craft that would allow him to be creative, precise, and oversee a piece from beginning to end seemed almost predestined: master barber and hairdresser. Walther remembers walking up to his grandfather, who was sitting in an armchair at home, and saying, “Grandpa, I’m going to be a hairdresser,” upon which his grandfather burst into tears of joy.
Today, Walther’s Hair Salon in Borstendorf celebrates its 100th anniversary. The interior feels as if it has been frozen in time: a dark wooden console topped with polished natural stone, built-in hand-washing basins, and upholstered swivel chairs that yield gently with every movement. With a few taps of the hydraulic pedal, Walther adjusts them to just the right height. Nothing here feels rushed or interchangeable. At first glance, the master barber seems to fit seamlessly into this setting: button-down shirt, tie, waistcoat, moustache, and a flat cap. Yet tattooed plant tendrils peek out from under his rolled-up sleeves, his loafers are Dr. Martens, and on the gramophone in the corner—on closer inspection—rests an iPad streaming guitar riffs by bands like Danko Jones or Enter Shikari. So, more rocker than gentleman after all?
His client is having his full beard trimmed, and Walther works with a pair of scissors that hang from his waistcoat button: Mizutani, known among connoisseurs as the “queen of hairdressing scissors.” When it comes to shaving the skin, he reaches for his favorite straight razor, the ENTHUSIAST by Mühle. Like Walther himself, it can be seen as a modern reinterpretation of a classic. “According to hygiene regulations in the barbering trade, we’re no longer allowed to use traditional straight razors. That’s why the ENTHUSIAST with its replaceable blades is the perfect solution, since every client gets a fresh blade.” He picks up a blade wrapped in paper and snaps it in half lengthwise, then slots the halved blade into the razor. With a steady hand, he glides it across his client’s cheek. “The straight razor is made entirely of stainless steel, fits very well in the hand, and has a certain weight to it,” Walther explains. “That’s very important when shaving, because you need less pressure. Thanks to its weight, the razor almost shaves by itself. You can really feel the difference when you’re working with a professional tool.”
He puts the same care into choosing the right pair of scissors as he does into selecting his razor. Thomas has been cutting hair with Japanese Mizutani scissors for 20 years. His devotion to the brand went so far that he had his favorite model tattooed on his arm. At a trade fair in Düsseldorf, he once spotted the Japanese company president, Hirokazu, and asked him for an autograph—right next to the tattoo, so he could later have it inked over. The request initially left the executive in disbelief, but eventually grew into a genuine pen-pal friendship. When Thomas’s two daughters were born, the company head in Japan even sent a pair of scissors for each of them. “I used them to cut the umbilical cord!” says the aficionado. His passion for Mühle, meanwhile, shaped another important day in his life. For his wedding, he paired his tailor-made suit with Mühle cufflinks in the shape of razor blades. “I always think it’s cool when there are details that reflect who you are on the inside.”
Some of his clients travel an hour and a half just to sit under Walther’s scissors or razor. When his favorite bands—Danko Jones, Caliban, or Enter Shikari—call, the roles reverse: the barber packs his kit and sets up a backstage barbershop for the musicians. Clients who travel long distances have long since become friends, and so has the barber who styles the band’s hair. “When the band waits with catering until the barber has cleaned his tools, you know you’ve long since become part of the tour family.”