A Celebration of Belgian Craftsmanship, Unity and the Future of Barbering
Belgium is a small country.
Different languages, different cultures, different opinions. But when it comes to barbering, there's one thing we certainly don't lack.
Talent.
And yet, we often find ourselves looking beyond our borders for inspiration, recognition and opportunities.
Perhaps it's time we started looking a little closer to home.
The first edition of the Brussels Barber Expo, organised by Machete Barber Supply at the magnificent Tour & Taxis in Brussels, reminded me just how much our own country has to offer.
And for ROMAIN, it was a particularly special occasion.
For the first time, we attended a major Belgian barber expo together as a team, not simply as visitors, but as professionals invited to share our craftsmanship on the main stage.
Something we were genuinely proud of.
ROMAIN — Bringing Our Philosophy to the Main Stage
Together with Tjorven Geldof and Sebastiaan Mortier, I had the honour of representing ROMAIN on the main stage of the very first Brussels Barber Expo.
Three barbers from Ghent.
One philosophy.
Craftsmanship, service, precision and knowledge.
At ROMAIN, we've never believed that barbering should be reduced to a haircut or a quick shave.
For us, it's about the entire experience.
The preparation. The understanding of the skin. The control of the straight razor. The small details that most people never notice but that make all the difference.
That's what we wanted to demonstrate.
And performing a traditional shave on stage is considerably more demanding than people might imagine.
A straight razor requires absolute concentration. You're working directly on someone's skin, where every movement matters.
Now imagine doing that in front of an audience while explaining your techniques, your decisions and the philosophy behind them.
It's not easy.
But that's precisely where experience and education become essential.
A good barber knows how to perform a shave. An experienced barber knows how to perform it under pressure.
And a true craftsman understands how to explain every movement without losing control of the service.
That's what we wanted people to experience.
Not a theatrical performance.
Not unnecessary tricks.
Just traditional barbering, performed with respect for the craft.
Because sometimes, the craftsmanship itself is the greatest show.
An Incredible Response
What happened afterwards was perhaps just as rewarding as our time on stage.
The interest in ROMAIN was remarkable.
Throughout the day, people visited our stand to ask questions, discuss traditional shaving techniques and discover more about our philosophy.
Barbers, students, professionals and people who simply appreciated the craftsmanship.
Real conversations.
Real curiosity.
And genuine interest in what we've been building in Ghent for more than a decade.
Those moments mean a great deal to me.
Because ROMAIN wasn't built around enormous sponsorship deals, major investors or expensive marketing campaigns.
It was built around barber chairs.
Around customers.
Around a team of people who believe that doing something properly still matters.
And standing there in Brussels, surrounded by professionals who appreciated our work, reminded me why we started in the first place.
You don't need to be the biggest name in the industry to have something valuable to share.
You need to believe in what you do.
And you need to keep doing it well.
Belgium Doesn't Need to Look So Far Away
Walking around the Expo, I was struck by something.
The quality of Belgian barbering.
We have extraordinary professionals in this country.
Barbers with technical knowledge, creativity, experience and their own distinctive identities.
Yet somehow, we continue to look abroad for recognition.
Italy. France. The United Kingdom. The United States.
Countries with strong barbering cultures and established international reputations.
And there's absolutely nothing wrong with learning from them.
I've spent years travelling internationally, studying traditional techniques and exchanging knowledge with professionals from different cultures.
Those experiences have shaped me enormously.
But international recognition should never make us forget the talent standing right beside us.
We can admire the world without overlooking our own country.
Belgian barbering deserves its own platform.
Its own community.
Its own identity.
And perhaps most importantly, its own opportunities to grow together.
That's why this first edition of Brussels Barber Expo was so important.
Machete Barber Supply — Building Something Belgium Needs
Organising an event of this scale is no small achievement.
Especially in an industry where major barbering events have become increasingly rare in Western Europe.
It requires vision.
Financial commitment.
An enormous amount of organisation.
And, above all, the courage to believe that the community will support you.
That's why I want to express my genuine appreciation for Daniël and Santiago of Machete Barber Supply.
They recognised something important.
Belgium doesn't lack talent.
It needs more opportunities to bring that talent together.
And rather than waiting for someone else to make it happen, they decided to create that opportunity themselves.
I respect that enormously.
Because building something for an entire industry requires a different mentality from simply building something for yourself.
It requires collaboration.
Trust.
And the willingness to give others a platform.
At ROMAIN, we strongly believe in that philosophy.
We don't see other Belgian barbershops as enemies.
We see professionals who share our passion, even when their approaches and styles are completely different from ours.
And that's exactly how it should be.
A stronger Belgian barbering community benefits every serious professional within it.
When we exchange knowledge, support initiatives and celebrate each other's achievements, we all move forward.
That's why we believe in the vision behind Machete Barber Supply.
Not simply because they organised a successful event.
But because they're helping create something that can continue growing long after the doors of the Expo have closed.
Tour & Taxis — The Perfect Setting
And what a location.
The magnificent Tour & Taxis in the heart of Brussels provided an extraordinary setting for this first edition.
Industrial architecture, beautiful open spaces and an atmosphere that gave the entire event a sense of importance.
The turnout was phenomenal.
The energy was there.
The audience was engaged.
And the shows demonstrated just how diverse and talented our industry has become.
For a first edition, it was an impressive achievement.
Of course, every new event has room to evolve.
That's part of building something meaningful.
But the foundation is there.
And it's a strong one.
Proud of Our Team. Proud of Our Country.
For me, the most important memory of Brussels Barber Expo won't simply be standing on the main stage.
It will be sharing that experience with my colleagues.
Tjorven.
Sebastiaan.
And everyone at ROMAIN who contributes to what we're building every single day.
Because a barbershop is never the achievement of one person.
It's the result of a team.
People who believe in the same standards.
Who challenge each other.
Who keep learning.
And who understand that craftsmanship requires consistency, even when nobody is watching.
Being invited to represent that philosophy at the first Brussels Barber Expo was a genuine honour.
We're not a multinational brand.
We're a Belgian barbershop with roots in Ghent, a deep respect for tradition and an ambition to keep improving.
And that's something I'm incredibly proud of.
Let's Grow Together
If there's one message I hope people take away from this first edition, it's this:
We don't need to compete for the spotlight when we can build a bigger stage together.
Belgium has the talent.
We have the knowledge.
We have the craftsmanship.
And thanks to initiatives such as Brussels Barber Expo, we're beginning to create the platforms needed to bring it all together.
My sincere thanks to Daniël, Santiago and the entire Machete Barber Supply team for their trust, their vision and their commitment to our industry.
Thank you to everyone who visited our stand, attended our demonstration and took the time to exchange ideas with us.
And thank you to the ROMAIN team for representing our philosophy with professionalism and pride.
The first edition of Brussels Barber Expo was more than a successful event.
It was a reminder that Belgian barbering has something worth celebrating.
And that its future becomes considerably more interesting when we decide to build it together.
See you at the next edition.
The talent is already here. Let's give it the stage it deserves.
That's the Protocol.
Want to join the Scapicchio Academy at ROMAIN in Ghent, belgium?
Get in touch to plan your 1-on-1 training with Master barber Stijn De Sutter and take your straight razor, honing and shaving services to the next level. Send us a Email
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