Trimmed into retirement

This time, it’s official. Jack Kantarik has hung up his shears.

After more than five decades of cutting hair, the barber has retired. He gave his final haircuts Monday to clients including his first partner, Ron Hogan.

The retirement caps a 43-year partnership between Kantarik and Randy Berkseth, 62. Together, they have seen hairstyles wax and wane — from the longhaired Beatles look to the return of flat tops. And they’ve moved their shop at least five times.

In January 2011, during a blizzard, the business settled into a new space at 1413 Belknap St., to avoid the upheaval of the upcoming 2013 Tower Avenue highway reconstruction project. Despite the promise of a Belknap Street improvement project in 2016, Berkseth said this is the shop’s last move.

The business has a loyal customer base, many of whom have been getting their hair cut by Kantarik and Berkseth, for decades.

“Friends, that’s what they are,” said Conrad “Connie” Erickson of Superior, who has been coming to the shop for “20 years at least.”

Kantarik has been semi-retired for the past 12 years. He’s slowly cut down from three to two to one day a week of work at Jack & Randy’s Barber Shop. Many of his regular customers have passed away.

“There just aren’t that many left,” Kantarik said. “I sit more than I cut. It’s time to retire.”

Berkseth said he will be able to handle all the shop’s current customers at what is now Randy’s Barber Shop. The shop is open 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday. But at the end of August, the shop will pare down to four days a week — Tuesday-Friday.

When asked if he has any plans to retire, Berkseth said he’d wait and see how things go with the Belknap project.

The officially retired Kantarik plans to do some golfing, fishing and yard work. He may even do a little traveling. But he’ll still swing by Randy’s Barber Shop whenever he or Berkseth need a trim.

“I’ll come cut his hair; he’ll cut mine,” Kantarik said, just like they have for decades.

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