
How to Make Stripes on a Barber Pole
- Start at the top of the pole with the painter's masking tape. Use 2-inch tape if you are only placing red stripes on the pole.
- Place the tape at a 45-degree angle as you wrap it around the pole. ...
- Pop the lid off the red can of paint using a screwdriver. ...
- Dip the paintbrush into the red paint. ...
- Allow the paint to dry. ...
- Start at the top of the pole with the painter's masking tape. Use 2-inch tape if you are only placing red stripes on the pole. ...
- Place the tape at a 45-degree angle as you wrap it around the pole. ...
- Pop the lid off the red can of paint using a screwdriver. ...
- Dip the paintbrush into the red paint. ...
- Allow the paint to dry.
How do you make stripes on a barber pole?
With a pole and a bit of paint, you can make colorful stripes on a barber pole. Barber poles can have red stripes or red and blue alternating stripes. The stripes on the pole have an important significance.
How do you paint a pole white with stripes?
Allow the paint to dry. Slowly pull the tape off the pole to reveal the white stripes between the red and blue paint stripes. Based on how thin the pole material is, you can add lighting inside to illuminate the pole at night. You can also attach a motor to make the pole spin, giving the illusion of the moving stripes.
How do you make a stripe pattern with paint?
Paint the entire object with one or two coats of the lightest color paint you will use for your stripe pattern. Let it dry completely between coats. Measure the circumference of the object at the widest point using a flexible measuring tape.
Why is there a blue stripe on a barber pole?
Because of the used rags, the original stripes on the poles were only white and red. But some people believe the blue stripe was added to differentiate barbers from doctors, as the two professions began to grow apart.

What do the stripes on a barber pole mean?
The bloody bandages associated with bloodletting inspired the red and white stripes, while the barber pole itself symbolises an instrument people gripped onto during the procedure to encourage blood flow. Barbers would place the barber pole outside their barbershop, to let customers know they were open for business.
Why is a barber pole red and white stripe?
The pole itself represented the staff that the patient held onto during the operation. The red and white stripes represented the bandages used during the procedure, red for the bandages stained with blood during the operation and white for the clean bandages.
How do you paint a spiral on a pole?
Start at the top of the pole and begin winding your painter's tape down and around it in a spiral pattern. Be sure to measure the distance between your tape edges every 6 inches to ensure that the stripes will be even. Apply pressure to the edges of the tape after it has been placed on the pole.
What color is a barber shop pole?
What about the blue stripe? In Europe, barber poles are red and white, so the blue stripe is a United States addition. Some historians say that the blue stripe represents the color of veins, but the more likely story is that red, white, and blue became the standard as a show of patriotism.
Why do barber poles have red and blue stripes?
In Renaissance-era Amsterdam, the surgeons used the colored stripes to indicate that they were prepared to bleed their patients (red), set bones or pull teeth (white), or give a shave if nothing more urgent was needed (blue).
Which way does a barber pole spin?
Some interpretations say that the red represents arterial blood, the blue represents venous blood and the white represents the bandages. Spinning barber poles are meant to move in a direction that makes the red (arterial blood) appear as if it were flowing downwards, as it does in the body.
What angle are candy cane stripes?
Step 1: Cutting the Pieces Each angle was cut at 22.5 degrees.
What does the black and white barber pole mean?
The red in a barber pole represents bloodletting, while the white was meant to signify the bandages used to wrap the wounds. The blue is said to represent the non-oxygenated blood in the veins. The downward spiral of the modern pole signifies the direction of the aortic flow of blood in the body.
When did barbers stop pulling teeth?
Up until the 19th century barbers were generally referred to as barber-surgeons, and they were called upon to perform a wide variety of tasks. They treated and extracted teeth, branded slaves, created ritual tattoos or scars, cut out gallstones and hangnails, set fractures, gave enemas, and lanced abscesses.
How do you make a barber pole?
0:415:01How to make Barber Poles {www downloadshiva com} - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipThere's only one company left in North America that makes them they begin by rolling a printed linerMoreThere's only one company left in North America that makes them they begin by rolling a printed liner onto a wooden mandrel. The mandrel they use depends on the size of the pole they're.
Why are barber poles painted red?
Barber Surgeons designed wooden poles with a bowl on top to hold leeches, and painted red and white to let people know of their services. Additionally, it is told that the pole was used for patients to grip tight during blood letting, which encouraged the flow of blood. Some barber poles have red, white, and blue stripes.
What is the origin story of the barber pole?
A Bloody Good Time. One origin story of the barber pole says that Barber Surgeons would hang their blood stained rags out on a post to dry. People would see these red and white rags hanging outside a building and know that a Barber Surgeon was nearby.
What was the barber's job in the Middle Ages?
The local Barber Surgeon was responsible for grooming, dressing, and styling men, as well as performing surgery and dentistry.
When was barbering invented?
It is believed that barbering dates back to Ancient Egypt days, circa 5000 B.C. Barbering could be considered one of the oldest skilled trades, as they had to be adept at using sharp tools, which eventually became razors, to perform their work. In fact, barbers evolved to do much more than just cut hair.
Can a barber use a straight razor?
However, a “Barber” is still a very specific trade, that requires specific training, tools, and licensing, different than a “Hairdresser”, for example. In fact, only a licensed Barber can use a straight razor.
History of the Barber Pole
Ahh... red, white, and blue paired together in that universally recognized symbol. No, not THAT one—we're talking about the three stripes wrapped around the classic barber pole.
Monks and Razors
Originally, monks would perform the bloodletting procedure. But often times, barbers were called upon to assist the monks, because barbers were skilled with razors and other sharp grooming instruments ('if barbers could cut hair and beards, they might also be handy when it comes to cutting veins,' thought the monks).
Barber Pole Color
The colors of the pole probably have their roots in the widely practiced bloodletting (pictured above). During this charming procedure, while the barber was letting the blood out, the patient was grasping a bloodletting rod, which was usually white.
Modern Barbers
Over time, more and more medical discoveries were made and eventually put into practice, so barbers shifted their focus. By the end of the late 18th and early 19th century, specialized training and occupational licenses were required to legally perform medical treatments.
What do the red, white, and blue barber poles mean?
Red, white, and blue barber poles look patriotic , but there's a blood-soaked meaning behind their design. Those rotating red, white, and blue poles outside barbershops have become an icon. At first glance, you’d probably assume barber pole designs have a patriotic background. But the reality is pretty gruesome.
What color towels hang on poles?
Some towels stayed blood-stained even after they were washed, so it was common to see a pole with white and red swirling around in the breeze.
When did barbers stop bloodletting?
In 1163, Pope Alexander III ordered monks and priests to stop performing bloodletting anymore, so barbers started offering the service instead, according to History. During the treatment, barber-surgeons would give patients poles to hold, the original barber poles. Grasping the staff made their veins pop out a bit, ...
Can you have a barber pole outside a salon?
In certain states, it’s against the law to have one outside a salon unless a licensed barber works there. Licensed or not, though, we’re just happy to know there won’t be any bloodshed.
Do barbers cut hair?
But the reality is pretty gruesome. Barbers have been cutting hair for centuries, but they used to have a longer job description. In medieval times, the professionals were known as barber-surgeons, which is just what it sounds like. They weren’t just there to give customers a trim—they’d also perform minor surgery, pull teeth, and amputate limbs, ...
What color are barber poles?
In Europe, barber poles traditionally are red and white, while in America, the poles are red, white and blue. One theory holds that blue is symbolic of the veins cut during bloodletting, while another interpretation suggests blue was added to the pole as a show of patriotism and a nod to the nation’s flag. By the mid-1500s, English barbers were ...
Who wrote the barber pole?
Author: Elizabeth Nix. The barber pole’s colors are a legacy of a (thankfully) long-gone era when people went to barbers not just for a haircut or shave but also for bloodletting and other medical procedures.
What does the red barber pole mean?
The look of the barber pole is linked to bloodletting, with red representing blood and white representing the bandages used to stem the bleeding. The pole itself is said to symbolize the stick that a patient squeezed to make the veins in his arm stand out more prominently for the procedure. In Europe, barber poles traditionally are red ...
