The celebrated Man Cave is a universal goal we hope to accomplish in our lifetime.  Whether it an oak and book-paper soaked library for one, or gut shaking surround sound movie den, the purpose remains the same: a tiny plot of wall-to-wall escape to be the man you desire to be with the totems of manliness within a few paces’ reach.  Since I currently have neither the means nor the space to realize my own Battlestar Galactica study, to the barbershop I go, and what a barbershop I found.

As the barbershop is the shared man cave, I made a point to locate a proper facility during my recent trip to the Philippines. Conveniently so, Manila has been experiencing a boom for these  shops, Felipe & Sons a unique choice among them.  When we landed at NAIA, it was a long-awaited Filipino merienda, then straight to Felipe.

Located in Makati, Felipe & Sons boasts the typical barbershop fare, but a portion of the real estate is reserved for a display of samples from Philippines’ 100% handmade bespoke shoe service company, Sapatero Manila, as well as an attached tailor’s room of shirt fabric rolls, works in progress, and an in-house consultant to accommodate your specific requests.  This is where Felipe & Sons can rightfully bill themselves as a true “barberdashery,” out of which you can leave with your essential masculine needs met: a good cut, a good shave, a good drink, and clothes made just for you.

As this was only a visit of five days, a shirt and shoe commission would have to wait, but on to the task at hand.  This task was given to Eddie, who proved himself a master tactician in three steps.

 One: The Cut

With a quick assessment, Eddie asked “High and tight?” to which I nodded.  With unguarded clippers, Eddie sometimes used a comb and mostly used a steady hand to guide the shape of my fade.  The cut was standard and simple, and Eddie did this cleanly.  The fade was close and the top was impeccable.  The only break from tradition here was shaping the edges with a razor, which I assumed was just for the back of my neck.  I prefer more natural edges, and I would ask against this next time, but there was a certain shapeliness and dynamic that I appreciated.

 Two: The Shave

What’s a barbershop visit without a damn good shave? With a few minutes of hot towels around my face to open the follicles, Eddie made his first pass with a straight razor, wielded with the same precision as with his clippers.  He repeated the process, and then massaged a cooling mask over my entire face.  The mask was to set for ten minutes, but with the day’s travel catching up with me, it might as well have been two hours.

Three: The Finishing Move

As I lay in the barber’s chair with the mask’s cooling peppermint lulling me into gentleman’s nirvana, Eddie began one hell of an upper body massage.  From brow to fingertip, he surveyed the damage and knocked out knots.  He rotated and stretched sore shoulders, huffing through the movements like a physical trainer. Like I said, Eddie is a tactician.

I walked out of Felipe & Sons with a damn good haircut and posture. Barbershops like Felipe & Sons are the kinds of spaces men need to visit on a routine basis to forget obligations and look good for your girl, but most of all, feel like a made man.