Mason Walker, who will soon open the Backwoods Barber Co., displays the tattoo of a straight razor he has to emphasize his trade. He hopes to open the shop at the corner of North and Northwest First streets in Enterprise by Halloween.

ENTERPRISE — Are you concerned your hair needs a trim before you get your driver’s license photo? Well, go next door to Backwoods Barber Co. and let Mason Walker work his wonders.

After many years in the culinary industry, Walker decided to become a barber — and he’s opening up shop soon at the corner of North Street and Northwest First in Enterprise, right next to the Oregon Driver & Motor Vehicle Services office.

He’s in the process of remodeling the former J’s Place — a guitar and computer shop run by Jay Connolly — and hopes to be open by Halloween.

“It’ll possibly be a Halloween grand opening,” Walker said.

Rigorous requirementsWalker has been licensed as a barber for not quite a year, though he started cutting hair in 2015.

“I never thought I’d be a barber,” he said. “I kind of fell into it. It’s a subculture that, there’s something about being a barber. It’s not just what you do, it’s who you are. From the lingo to the tools to the history of it, it engulfs you.”

He went to cosmetology school in 2017 for a year in Vancouver, but dropped out.

“It took me away from barbering, so I left the cosmetology school and took a six-month hiatus while I was looking for another barber program,” he said.

He found another school more to his liking in Portland and was there beginning in April 2019. After a six-month leave for winter, he returned in March 2020.

“Then the pandemic hit,” he said.

Businesses such as barbers and beauty shops were among those not deemed “essential” services and most were forced to close. Schools shut down for the pandemic, but Walker was able to take courses online.

“By St. Patrick’s Day, the whole world was shut down,” he said, adding that he was able to finish school by August 2020.

Oregon has rigorous requirements for barbers. The state requires more hands-on and classroom training than most, including 1,350 hours of training. In some states, such as New Jersey, it’s only 500 hours and in Arkansas, it’s only 90 hours, Walker said.

“That’s quite the difference,” he said.

That alone may keep his shop a one-chair shop.

“Honestly, I would love to (take on another barber), but it would have to be somebody from out of town,” because of the rigors of becoming a barber in Oregon, he said. “It’s almost impossible to become a barber in the state of Oregon, especially in these rural areas because we don’t have an apprentice program. Other states allow apprenticeships where you can have someone to teach them, but here you have to make it to a school. I think the closest school from here would probably be in Ontario. … So just to make that trip, plus work a full-time job and all the requirements, it’s almost impossible. So for now, it’s just going to be me. If I ever find the right person or if the state someday invokes a rural apprenticeship program of some sort, I will definitely” take on a second barber.

Family-friendly jobWalker said being a barber is much more conducive to family life than was being a chef.

He and wife, Breeann, have three kids who go to Joseph Charter School. Son Aleczander is 16, daughter Zoey Jayde is 14 and son Maddox is 11.

Being a barber allows Walker the freedom to attend family functions.

“It’s great pay, you can make your own hours, there’s a lot of freedom in it,” he said. “Coming from the culinary world where I was working until 1-2 in the morning, I was missing my kids. Every holiday I was working, you know, Mother’s Day, Valentine’s Day, I never was going to be home.

“Barbering’s appealing because I can take those days off. I can be at my son’s football game, I can be at my daughter’s softball game. I can turn the sign from open to closed and in the worst-case scenario (customers) have to wait until tomorrow to get a haircut.”

The freedom and the customers are good with that, he said.

“There’s financial independence in it,” he said. “As hard as you want to work, as long as you want to work, you’re compensated. If you need to take days off, I don’t need to check in with anybody … I don’t have to put in a time request to do it. … People are really mellow in the barbering world.”

Location, location, locationFinding the spot right downtown was a godsend, Walker said.

“I waited for this spot,” he said.

He saw that J’s Place was closing and the storefront was going up for rent online. He happened to see the owner, Chris Borgerding, at the Main Street Show & Shine and sealed the deal.

Walker said he hasn’t set his rates for a haircut yet, but it will likely vary depending on the type of haircut the customer wants. He does expect that he will be giving discounts for the military, student athletes and senior citizens.

“It will be realistic,” he said.

What: Barber shop

Who: Mason Walker

Where: 200 W. North St., Enterprise

Phone: 541-398-0019

Email: masethebarber541@gmail.com

Hours: 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday