Just got a haircut today, went to Alfonso, and old style barber. It's his shop, costs $15, and it takes forever. He's meticulous with the trimming and cutting, then trimming more.......it's an blast from the past barber shop complete with the mysterious blue liquid with the combs in it, the "capes" are actual cloth, the wrap around the neck is cloth, this place is awesome. Complete with porno mags as reading material! Every last Playboy, Penthouse and Swank you could want, and he has the football game on........ He even does the shaving of the neck, behind the ears, sideburns with warm shaving cream and a straight razor.
Anyway, enough reminiscing......my simple rule, if it's the owner of the shop, whether a barber shop or fancy shmancy stylist (I've been to both), I don't tip. If it's someone that works there, I tip them somewhere between $2 and $5. It all depends on the amount of the cut and what I have in my pocket, but I'd say $3 is probably average, which I think would be fair on a $15 cut at 20%. I treat it similar to a waiter/waitress at a restaurant and tip generously to ensure I get a good cut every time.
Coolguy.