New Business Barbershop helping men look, feel their best Blade Dilldine loves cutting hair and serving other people. At his barbershop in Mapleton, he gets to do both. Dilldine opened Blade & Beard a year ago at 1685 W. Maple Street, Mapleton, where he specializes in cutting, styling and caring for men’s hair and beards. “Our mission at Blade & Beard is to make men look and feel awesome,” Dilldine said. Originally from Oklahoma, Dilldine and his wife moved to Utah in June of 2020 with the goal of opening a barbershop in each of the fastest-growing towns in the state. Mapleton was at the top of the list. Dilldine found the Mapleton location on Facebook Marketplace, contacted the owner and visited the site. It was perfect — even more so as there weren’t any other barbershops located in the city. He signed a lease, spent a month preparing the place, then opened his business in March of 2021. “The opportunity to serve in a community that’s growing as fast as it is is quite a blessing,” Dilldine said. After completing high school, Dilldine joined the U.S. Air Force, where he began cutting other people’s hair to spruce them up for Monday morning drills. He found it an enjoyable creative outlet. Self-taught at first, he later went to barbering school. “I’ve done a lot of things, but cutting hair has always been my passion,” he said. Dilldine is also a Christian pastor, and his barbering profession serves as a way to help others as his faith indicates he should. “It’s really about how I want to organize my life, and Jesus taught that the first and greatest commandment is to love the Lord with all your heart, might, mind and strength,” Dilldine said, adding that the second commandment is to serve one’s neighbor. “For me, cutting hair is a way to love my neighbors and to serve them.” As a barber, Dilldine said he becomes part of the biggest moments of people’s lives. Whether they’re going to prom, getting married or seeking a new job, 76
people get haircuts so they can look their best. Word has gotten out about Blade & Beard, and the shop is attracting more and more clients. The vast majority of them are bearded men as beards have become more popular in recent years. “A large part of my job is teaching newly bearded men how to take care of their beards,” Dilldine said. ”A common mistake that a lot of guys make is they use head shampoo on their beards, and that’s a big no no.” Head shampoo is made to strip oils out. With the face producing less oil than the head, this type of shampoo can dry out beards and faces. Blade & Beard produces its own beard shampoos, oils and balms as well as mustache waxes using organic, premium products. Services the business offers include hot oil beard treatments, which provide deep conditioning for men’s beards and faces.
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“What I tell guys all the time is, if you have healthy skin, you’ll have healthy hair,” Dilldine said. Blade & Beard haircuts come with an eyebrow trim, a straight razor shave on the back of the head, a hot towel treatment and a head massage. The business also offers wet beard trims and straight razor face shaves. Dilldine has one other employee working with him at Blade & Beard, and both of them have earned their barbering instructor’s licenses. Eventually, Dilldine plans to open more barbershops and take on some students who want to learn the barbering trade. “We’re fixing to bring on another barber and hopefully a few apprentices in the coming months,” Dilldine said. “The best form of advertising for a barber or a barbershop is a happy client.” For more information about Blade & Beard or to schedule an appointment, visit bladeandbeard.co.
