Before he became a barber about five years ago, Brent Fish served in the U.S. Marine Corps and later worked in law enforcement and as a prison guard.
“My work life has a lot less stress in it now,” said Fish, 33.
Fish has a chair inside The Crafted Stag, also a winner as best men’s clothing store in this year’s Best of Springfield, and the vibe is distinctly non-regimental. A full bar surrounds the three chairs overall in the store, so customers can get a little tipsy if they want before leaving barbers a tip.
Fish decided to change careers after talking with his brother, who had been a barber for more than a decade at that point.
“Being able to be my own boss and talk to people while I’m working – that sounded pretty good to me. When my brother said he liked doing it, that was good enough for me to try it,” Fish said.
A good barber usually also is a good conversationalist, and Fish has lots of stories to tell his customers. He loves hearing others’ stories even more. And if a customer isn’t in the mood to talk? He won’t force it.
“Usually, I can tell in the first two or three minutes how much conversation a customer might want.”
Fish is one of the few barbers who, in addition to standard cuts, offers a straight-edge razor shave. That takes an extra 10 minutes but, hey, that allows for more talk and maybe a little more drinking – for the customer only, of course.
“If you come in, I want you to feel like you can relax, be yourself and maybe pamper yourself a little,” Fish said. “Some barbershops, I’ve felt, have a ’get ’em in, get ‘em out’ attitude. I want you to take it easy and feel like you’re with friends.”
This article appears in October 29-November 4, 2026.
