Bernie Jungle
One Chair Barber

Occidental sits amongst redwood lined hillsides, not far from the Pacific Ocean. This is where the Russian River Valley meets Sonoma Coast. Here, Bernie thy Barber operates a single chair, keeping alive the tradition of barbering in this quirky little town. Bernie Jungle has always been a craftsman—ironworker, woodworker, musician. His skills with the razor and scissors are the latest chapter in a life spent making things with his hands.

When he was touring the country as a musician, staying in lots of different cities, Bernie noticed how a barbershop was always at the heart of a community. Occidental, where he eventually found home, didn’t have a barbers—although he later learned there had once been one very close to where he eventually set up shop. It was like the town had been missing something. Now, his calendar is packed with appointments for cuts and shaves in a shop where there’s just enough room for one chair.

The tradition of a single-chaired shop goes back to the early 1800’s. Most towns had several places where you’d receive one-on-one, personal service from a barber undistracted by other clients. That investment in personalized customer service is a faded tradition but one that sets Bernie apart from other places where hair can be cut. That, and the literally tens of thousands of hours he has spent at the chair, practicing his craft and making people smile.