Behold the barbers of Batavia’s Beardsgaard

BATAVIA – It’s not every day you hear of a person traveling nearly 400 miles to get a haircut. But when your barbers are Blademaiden and Beardsmith, and their motto is “Welcome home, nerds,” you make an exception.

Ever since Beardsgaard Barbers launched in 2014 in downtown Batavia, the shop has garnered national – even international – attention.

“Before we even opened, we started seeing a good amount of interest from other places,” said Natalie Anderson, who co-owns the barbershop with her husband, Tyler. “Within a few months of being open, we had a pair of guys from the Twin Cities in Minnesota drive all the way down for an appointment.”

Why? Because Beardsgaard Barbers takes a rare turn. In the 1,700-square-foot shop, a hand-drawn map of the “realm of Beardsgaard” paints one wall, a 7-foot suit of armor stands at the ready, and if you see a dog or dragon – well, a reptile, anyway – walking around, you aren’t dreaming.

Even with all the Tolkien and Elven lore – which attracts many customers in its own right – at its core, Beardsgaard is a classic barbershop specializing in advanced beard work, traditional haircuts and straight-razor shaves.

As its fantastical website succinctly states, “We live for sci-fi, fantasy and making you look good.”

“It’s like seeing the world’s largest ball of yarn – you know there’s only one place you will be able to find it,” Tyler Anderson said. “We’re a barbershop, first and foremost, and we specialize in beards. We put a lot of pride [in that] and the products that go along with it and the knowledge we give to the client.”

The Andersons, who are parents to a young daughter, like to say they take everything seriously, especially the silliness.

“We’re a bunch of fun-loving people who are stupidly enthusiastic about what we do, and I feel that comes across fairly well,” Natalie Anderson said.

Sean Mulroney isn’t from the Twin Cities – he’s from Waukegan – but even his trek to Beardsgaard is more than an hour. Nonetheless, the 33-year-old won’t go anywhere else.

“It feels like home,” he said. “They make you feel welcome, like you’re part of the family.”

Natalie and Tyler Anderson, both 33, have worked diligently to create a relaxing atmosphere for their “Gaardians.” Customers sit on a couch or armchair waiting for their appointment, sometimes accompanied by a cuddly mastiff or reptile. Coffee brews, the bookshelf is full of books and toys, and locally painted artwork hangs on the wall amidst posters of comic book characters and barber trade advertisements.

Besides having a laid-back vibe, Beardsgaard has barbers with decades of experience, which also puts customers at ease.

“I liked everything about what they did,” said Mulroney, who first visited the shop with hair past his shoulders and a beard to match. “I went from a long mop on my head to more of a business-type cut. … They’re very much perfectionists when it comes to the haircuts and beard work.”

Natalie Anderson, who trained under an 89-year-old Italian barber in Montreal, said Beardsgaard sticks to the classic cuts – flattops, razor-faded pompadours and contours – because they never go out of style. And she and her fellow barbers aren’t shy about sharing their trade secrets.

“Not only [were] Natalie and Tyler able to give me a really great haircut, they were able to tell me about my hair,” said David Ouellette, 36, of Batavia.

Ouellette, who has a “very French-shaped head” – long and narrow – learned from the Andersons the easiest way to style his hair that was also flattering, he said.

“That’s why I initially went there and I continue to go back,” he said. “They offer great products. And it’s reasonable. [I’ve paid] $20 for a bad haircut. I pay $22 there for a really fantastic haircut.”

Part of the fun of Beardsgaard is its obvious love for sci-fi and fantasy.

“I think it adds to the experience … but I think you could be somebody who’s not interested in fantasy or sci-fi or anything like that and still go in and get a great haircut and great knowledge,” Ouellette said. “You can still go in and have a great conversation about anything, listen to some music, get a coffee and get a great haircut.”

That’s something Tyler Anderson and his team pride themselves on – learning about each individual customer and creating a one-of-a-kind experience.

Beardsgaard is the center hub of a wheel, Natalie Anderson said, with several spokes providing the balance that makes up a unique business culture.

The Andersons have their own in-house product line, River Peak Apothecary, that includes beard butter, beard oils and lip butters handcrafted by the couple.

“People seem to really, really respond to it,” Tyler Anderson said. “There’s a whole sense of buy local, shop local out here, which is fantastic for us and other businesses as well.”

Beardsgaard also films an annual zombie pumpkin movie – they’ve completed a trilogy of “They Came from the Parking Lot” – that has a small cult following. The short films are available on the shop’s YouTube channel, which also has how-to videos and expert barber tips followed by more than 11,000 subscribers.

Part of Beardsgaard’s international fame has come of late, after Natalie Anderson became an educator for the Netherlands’ Reuzel company, the “godfathers of barbering,” she said.

Beardsgaard sells the pomades made by Reuzel, the Dutch word for lard, which refers to when pomades were made from animal fats. But Natalie Anderson decided to take her allegiance to the brand a step further and audition to represent Reuzel in the U.S. as a Scumbassador.

Of 400 video submissions, Natalie Anderson’s was one of 20 chosen, and she spent five days interviewing and training before becoming one of the 17 Scumbassadors who made the final cut.

She recently completed her first two trainings in southern Illinois, spreading “the gospel of the lard” by sharing cutting styles and products with professionals in the region. The involvement with Reuzel has increased her shop’s visibility not only regionally, but across the globe, she said.

Natalie Anderson’s long-term plan is to continue educating people in the craft of barbering, perhaps by opening a barber school. Until then, she’ll focus on continuing to grow Beardsgaard. This spring, Natalie and Tyler Anderson will add three more barbers to their staff to accommodate their growing number of customers. The shop already is booked weeks ahead, although a small number of daily walk-ins are accepted.

“If you’re really excited about what you’re doing, it carries,” Natalie Anderson said. “The reason this place has worked is because we do what we do pretty darn well, and we care. We’re wildly enthusiastic, and people feel it.”

Beardsgaard Barbers is at 117 S. Batavia Ave. in Batavia. For information, call 630-454-4820 or visit beardsgaardbarbers.com.