Kobi Paki is only 12 but already embarking in a career cutting hair. He's been training as a barber for a while and is cutting people's hair free to get better. He's done two community events this week - cutting hair for homeless and cutting hair free of charge for those who need it with a local hair dresser. He's trying to raise money to buy some good tool.
There’s the point fade, the low taper, the skin fade and the burst fade, and why not chuck in a couple of chopsticks? But then, you could just follow the bros and get an Edgar.
Are we speaking another language? Just ask 12-year-old barber Kobi Paki and he’ll explain.
The Rotorua youngster has found his passion and is working hard at perfecting his skill.
For months, he has been working at Black Diamond Family Barber on Ranolf St, and that’s where you’ll find him over a good chunk of his school holidays as he strives to improve.
He’s already learned a few good tricks - you need to know what the client wants, make good conversation and nail the styles with clean lines and smooth fades.
And Kobi has what it takes. Just ask his “boss” at Black Diamond Family Barber, Jay Lesa - otherwise known as “the man” when it comes to working with clippers.
“Oh man, he is amazing, that boy,” Lesa said.
“He is something extraordinary. He’s a fast learner and he’s well-spoken with great manners.”
Kobi Paki, 12, perfects his barbering skills on Ngakau Thomas-Bidois. Photo / Andrew Warner
Lesa met Kobi while he was cutting his hair.
“He said, ‘I would love to be a barber’, and I said, ‘Guess what? You can become a barber’. Kobi is part of the furniture now.”
Kobi’s role at the barbers this year kicked off an idea for Lesa to help young kids find their passion.
Having worked cutting hair in a youth prison, Lesa became determined not to let young ones slip through the cracks, so the former local Barber of the Year opened the doors at Black Diamond - with permission from the barber’s “amazing” owner, known as Fizzy - to teach young ones the tricks of his trade.
Along with Kobi, there are at least four young ones who go to the salon to “work” and learn off Lesa - including a teenage girl. He often flicks them $20 and buys them lunch for their efforts, but it was all about teaching them to develop a work ethic, find something they love and then get good at it.
“If they can find something they enjoy, they will wake up every day wanting to go to work. I figure if you teach them young, it will give them basic life skills. Even if they don’t go on to become a barber, they might have five boys, and they’ll save $40 a haircut for their families.”
Lesa said he puts a call out on Facebook for models for the kids, and when they are first learning, he will get the young barbers to start off the haircuts, then he or another senior barber, Riley Wilson, will finish them.
They then build up the skills to be able to do their own cuts, like Kobi.
Lhyrick Thomas-Bidois, 12, has the gift of the gab, the work ethic and the skills to make it in the barbering industry. Photo / Andrew Warner
Among the other young ones at Black Diamond is Lhyrick Thomas-Bidois, 12. The chatty 12-year-old with a slick haircut of his own told the Rotorua Daily Post he can’t wait until the day he’s as good as Lesa. He’s made a great start, and at the moment can nail a point fade.
As the Rotorua Daily Post chatted to Lesa while he cut hair, Lhyrick was quick to grab the broom and sweep away the hair as it dropped to the ground.
“When they are here, there’s no gadgets,” Lesa said.
“I try to encourage a proper workplace experience. Communication is key, too. You need to be able to talk to people, and you need to have people skills when you grow up.”
Leso said the young barbers know he is firm but fair.
“Sometimes you can put a child off their passion just by the way you speak to them... When you are happy, you will not work a day in your life.”
Lhyrick said he started learning to cut hair for his little brother’s sake because he has autism, finds it hard to sit still and doesn’t like the noise of the clippers.
As Lhyrick tightened his apron and started his next cut on a young boy, Leso spoke highly of his skills despite him only being a few weeks into training.
“He is amazing. He flies in there with confidence.”
Lhyrick has a Givealittle page to raise money to buy his own clippers.
Meanwhile, Kobi said he intended to get more haircuts under his belt during the holidays as well as continuing to offer his skills at charity events, like cutting hair for the homeless.
It is Kobi’s dream to one day run his own business in Rotorua - hopefully while he’s in his 20s. To help get him started, he’s got a Givealittle pageto help raise the funds needed to buy his own good set of clippers.
If Leso’s word is anything to go by, Kobi has got the goods to make his dream come true.
Kobi Paki, 12, cuts Ngakau Thomas-Bidois' hair. Photo / Andrew Warner
