Calling your ‘do a “hack job” would typically offend even the most novice of hairstylists. But for one man, it may just be the ultimate compliment.
Daniil Istomin, a hairdresser from Novosibirsk, Siberia, has quickly gained fame in Russia and beyond thanks to his peculiar technique of chopping hair with a hatchet. Yep – an actual, literal hand axe. He claims to have honed his unique form of hair artistry by implementing “some basics of geometry” – and hopefully, a lot of practice on dummies.
The New York Post caught Istomin in action. Lest you think he somehow uses his tool to gently cut away strands in a non-life-threatening fashion, a video shows Istomin hacking away at some poor lady’s locks as she lays her head sideways on a table, face wincing in absolute terror. We feel you, girl.
It’s basically that scene in Titanic when Rose has use an axe to slice off Jack’s handcuffs, but way worse because this is your head and also, it’s REAL LIFE.
Oddly enough, Istomin’s not the first to hack hair. Men’s Health revealed that hatchet grooming has been around since the ‘30s or ‘40s – though not quite in the way that Istomin’s doing it. The technique was used back in the day as a way to demonstrate an axe’s quality and precision to prospective buyers – not as a fun way to try out this season’s hottest hair trend.
Still, that hasn’t stopped a slew of DIY hatchet grooming guides from recently sprouting up online. If you take Istomin’s word for it, cutting hair like this is actually easier than with more typical, less nightmare-inducing instruments like scissors or razors!
Whatever you say, Paul Bunyan…
