Ben The Barber 101

Ben Zweifel picked up the clippers at 17 because he could not afford a barber. He started charging $5 a cut on the streets of Janesville’s Fourth Ward with his tools in a backpack, then turned his garage into a shop.

When salons turned down his apprenticeship applications, he saved up, earned his license and opened his own barbershop, Zweifel Cuts & Styles on West Milwaukee Street, built as a place where anyone could sit in the chair. Local TV and the newspaper covered it. So did the free cuts he gave back to the Boys & Girls Club he grew up in.

Today Ben is a licensed barber and cosmetologist who has been cutting since 2010, and a fully mobile barber in Los Angeles. He comes to your home, hotel suite, office, studio, Airbnb or set, from Malibu to Downtown and from the Valley to the South Bay.

Book now: text (608) 201-7717 or call.

“You got to hustle. It’s always in a fast-pace lane.”

Ben The Barber 101, to The Gazette

How did a Janesville barber end up cutting LA’s biggest names?

In 2019 Ben moved his wife and kids to Los Angeles. The first plan did not work, so he went back to basics and handed out business cards on LA streets.

His first celebrity client was NBA champion Lamar Odom. Ski Mask the Slump God came next and introduced him to the team at Alamo Records. Before long Ben was the barber artists called before shows, shoots and red carpets.

He met Kevin Gates on a video shoot. Within weeks he was on tour, cutting across the country for two months. He has flown to Puerto Rico more than once to cut a single client.

“If you don’t answer their call, it might be the only time you get that call.”

Ben The Barber 101

What does an on-set barber actually do?

On a music video, film or TV set, talent has to look the same from the first take to the last. Ben handles the pre-call cut, the line-up, the beard and the continuity touch-ups between setups, and he has appeared on camera in finished videos.

He has worked Los Angeles music video sets, including shoots at the LA River and for Rod Wave and Kevin Gates, plus television productions. Producers, managers and stylists book him by text.

Music video barber · On-set barber · Tour barber

Where does Ben travel?

Everywhere in Los Angeles County. Beverly Hills, Bel Air, Brentwood, Malibu, Calabasas, Hidden Hills, West Hollywood, Hollywood, Santa Monica, Downtown LA, Inglewood, Long Beach, Pasadena, Studio City, Sherman Oaks, Encino and every neighborhood in between. He also cuts in hotel suites from The London to The Beverly Hills Hotel, and travels nationwide and internationally with clients.

Is he really available 24/7?

Yes. Late nights, overnight, early-morning call times, Sundays and holidays. Touring schedules do not run on shop hours, so neither does Ben.

How do you book?

By text or phone, directly with Ben: (608) 201-7717. Send where you are and when you need the cut. You can also message him on Instagram at @benthebarber101.