Back in the day, barbers did more than just a shave and a haircut. If you needed a quick surgical procedure, teeth pulled, or a little bloodletting, well step right in please! A red, white, and blue striped barber pole hanging outside was a symbol of these services — blue for a shave, white for bandages or bones, and red for bloodletting. The pole represented what patients would grip during their bloodletting procedures. So, what does the barber wheel represent? Let’s go in and ask the skeleton with a saxophone on the shelf.

07.18.25