CHAIR MAN : OLD-FASHIONED BARBER STAKES HIS SCISSORS ON TRADITION.

Byline: Alicia Doyle Daily News Staff Writer

Manuel Banaga doesn't take appointments, create fancy hairstyles or even follow a set schedule.

He is a barber who clips and cuts to the melodies of Frank Sinatra and Tony Bennett.

``Some people wonder how I make a living,'' Banaga, 68, said. ``I've just always believed in myself. I've made sure that for every 10 customers who come through, eight come back.''

Peering through his steel-rimmed glasses and with steady hands, Banaga has snipped, cut and buzzed hundreds of heads since he began in 1958 - from children getting their monthly trim to local old-timers seeking a cut and good conversation.

Banaga's steel clippers have shaped the scalps of Harvard grads, lawyers and once a Navy lieutenant commander. Sometimes a customer will ask for a shave.

But Banaga won't do perms. And he'll refuse any dye job.

``I'm not a cosmetologist,'' Banaga said. ``I'm a barber.''

His Simi Valley Barber Shop on Los Angeles Avenue and Fourth Street is simple, with aging white paint. A red, white and blue barber pole outside the tiny storefront is the only indication there are scissors inside.

The few personal touches - a wooden coat rack, a Mickey Mouse clock, a clunky steel heater and a cash register bought in 1964 - announce his place's lack of pretension and lend it warmth.

Personal warmth, Banaga said, is a major point when it comes to competing with the big boys of high-tech salons, where a customer can sit with an espresso and a magazine under a robotic dryer.

``I will always have competition, but I'm never concerned about that,'' said Banaga. ``I'm only concerned about myself and what I'm doing.''

There are a handful of barbershops in Simi Valley, Banaga said. Most cater to customers seeking a tapered look achieved only by the precision of clippers, combs and shears.

Banaga decided to attend barber college and open his own shop because he thought it would be a good way to provide for his wife and four children.

As he watched his children grow, he watched different trends in haircutting, from the crew cuts of the '60s to the Mohawks of the '70s. Dread locks, shags, bobs and buzz cuts came and went and some came back again.

Banaga keeps up with timely requests by watching television, reading magazines, attending seminars and talking shop with other barbers.

``Changes are always there,'' Banaga said. ``I expect them.''

His shop, too, has seen changes. One of the biggest came in 1975, when Los Angeles Avenue was widened, forcing Banaga to demolish part of his shop. He also had to downsize his meager staff from three to one. He has been the shop's sole haircutter since.

Less dramatic changes have unfolded.

His $3 haircuts have climbed to $9.

In the 1960s, customers indulged in cigars, snapping the soot into the built-in ashtrays of Banaga's barber chairs. A spittoon conveniently sat in the corner for those who preferred chewing tobacco.

These habits dwindled over the years, said Banaga, though he isn't sure exactly why.

After nearly four decades as a barber, Banaga said he never gets tired of the job. He has made many acquaintances and heard hundreds of stories, figuratively peering into the windows of strangers' lives with each snip, cut and trim.

``I enjoy people and different lifestyles,'' Banaga said. ``Anything can happen in a barber shop.''

He recalls one request he'll never forget. Seven years ago, a customer asked to have the hairs clipped off his back.

``It was like doing a hair design on a bear,'' he said.

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3 Photos

Photo: (1--color in SIMI edition only) Manuel Banaga, wh o has been in business since 1958, gives one of his customers a trim at the Simi Valley Barber Shop.

(2) Clippers are among the tools of Manuel Banaga's trade.

(3) Manuel Banaga likes to keep things simple at his barber shop, where he is the only employee.

Andy Holzman/Special to the Daily News