Sharper of Sweden

Sharper of Sweden is a Swedish barbershop and men's grooming brand based in Gothenburg. It began in 2010 as a small hair salon and grew into a chain of barbershops, an in-house grooming product line, and a training academy [2]. The brand's own About page dates the founding to 2010, while a 2021 local news profile placed it "ten years prior," around 2011 [2][6]; the company's stated 2010 remains the primary date. It was founded by barber Homan Taghizadeh, who later received two national industry awards.

The brand operates under the name Sharper Barbershop and describes itself as "Gothenburg's finest barbershop." It remains active, with an operating webshop, current product pricing, subscription services, and two salons in central Gothenburg.

Sharper of Sweden was founded by Homan Taghizadeh, who graduated from Svenska Frisörskolan (the Swedish Hair School) in 2001. According to a profile in Enterprise Magazine, he initially found barbering unappealing because there was little market interest at the time, and he apprenticed under Göran Shölin, a competitive speed-shaving barber. Educational trips to London and New York proved decisive: there he observed an emerging beard trend and, in his words, got "a sense of taking what I saw and creating something completely new at home" [5].

Taghizadeh opened the first salon on Prinsgatan in Gothenburg. The company traces its philosophy to that period, citing the "captivating scents of herbs and Turkish shaving soap" as the foundation of the business. He began trimming beards freehand and publishing photographs of his work in hairdressing magazines, so that when the beard trend accelerated in Sweden his reputation was already established.

By the time of the Enterprise Magazine profile, around 2017, Sharper of Sweden had grown to roughly 20 employees and four salons. In April 2021 the chain opened a location at Lindholmspiren 5 in Lindholmen, its first salon on the Hisingen peninsula; local coverage described it as the sixth location [6][7]. The founder framed the move as growing "alongside the city."

Sources give differing figures for the salon count over time: editorial coverage records four salons around 2017–2021 and as many as six by 2021, while the current brand site lists two active salons, on Södra Larmgatan and Kyrkogatan in Gothenburg [1][6]. The present footprint of two appears to reflect a consolidation from that earlier peak.

Alongside the salons, the company developed its own grooming product line and a training academy, and states that by its 15-year mark in 2025 it had expanded to include award-winning staff, international distribution, and the academy.

Sharper of Sweden positions itself around traditional barbering craft for what it calls "the modern man." The company says its aim is to deliver "quality products for the modern man, made from the finest ingredients and best materials," and to highlight tradition and culture while showing responsible leadership in the industry. Enterprise Magazine summarised the brand as blending "genuineness, craftsmanship skill and old school feeling" with contemporary technique [5]. Its stated audience is men seeking traditional services such as straight-razor shaves, beard styling, and professional grooming products.

The barbershops offer men's haircuts, beard trimming, and traditional straight-razor shaving with hot- and cold-towel service. The brand also sells subscription packages for recurring haircuts and beard treatments.

Under the "Sharper Grooming Supplies" line, the company produces hair and beard products including the Knocking Pomade, Classic Cream Wax, Salt Tonic, a Cedarwood beard oil, and an After Shave Lotion in Eucalyptus and Mint, with recurring scent notes of eucalyptus, mint, and cedarwood. The line is sold through the brand's own store and, per the company, distributed to selected retailers internationally.

The brand runs a training arm, Sharper Academy, offering barbering courses for beginners and for established hairdressers wanting to add barbering services. Its stated mission is that "by sharing our knowledge, we contribute to industry growth and development." In partnership with Svenska Frisörskolan, the founder developed a one-year barbering program leading to a journeyman's certificate and, according to Enterprise Magazine, had trained at least 500 people [5].

Founder Homan Taghizadeh has received two national awards. In 2018 he was named Årets Hantverksföretagare Göteborg (Craftsperson Entrepreneur of the Year, Gothenburg) by the business federation Företagarna [8]. In 2019 he was named Årets Barberare (Barber of the Year), an award presented at the Årets Frisör gala organised by Frisörföretagarna at Stockholm Waterfront [9].

The brand is active. Its website operates as a functioning webshop with current pricing and subscription services, its Instagram and TikTok accounts are live, and it runs two salons in Gothenburg [1]. The site references a 15-year anniversary reached in 2025.