Established in 1947, Whitefish’s Clip Joint has weathered a changing valley well.  

At the helm of the shop on Second Street are three barbers. Brittney Smith, owner, won best barber in the 2026 Best of Whitefish competition. Her co-worker, Skyler Gustafson, was voted second.  

It’s been a long time coming for Smith, who’s been cutting hair since 2009. She started at the Clip Joint around 2013 and took over management from the previous owner, Melissa Franklin, in 2019.  

Smith’s family is from Eureka, and she spent time growing up bouncing around several places, from Alaska to Columbia Falls. 

Smith said she was inspired by her predecessor, Franklin, and her ability to connect with people over generations, from elderly clients to kids coming back from college. That aspect of the job is the best part of the Clip Joint, she said.  

“Everybody feels like a family,” she said. “I love the community aspect. We all take care of each other.” 

It extends to her own family. When she started at Clip Joint, her son was two. He spent many years in the shop, and now Smith said it’s not uncommon for him to be recognized by clients around town and on the mountain.  

When Smith became the owner, it was important for her to keep everything the same.  

“I wanted to keep the original owner, Herb Knuth’s memory alive,” she said.  

The shop got its start as Herb’s Barbershop, and photos of that era still line the walls.  

“Whitefish has grown so much, changed so much,” Smith said. “And keeping the original owner a part of this is something I think people appreciate.”

Smith has two talented co-workers. Gustafson won second place in Best of Whitefish, while a third co-worker prefers to stay anonymous. 

Gustafson started working at Clip Joint two years ago. She graduated from Columbia Falls High School in 2022.  

Gustafson said she remembers coming into the Clip Joint growing up, while her brothers got their haircuts, and being fascinated with the shop. Later in beauty school, she knew she didn’t want to do women’s hair, she said.  

Although, Clip Joint can do women’s cuts, at a price much more affordable than neighboring salons.  

Adding to the shop’s old school character is that it’s walk-ins only. No appointments creates flexibility that keeps them busy. On a normal day, they’ll do about 10 cuts each. On a busy day, it’s closer to 16 - 20 cuts per barber.  

The days can be long, standing on your feet for eight hours, but for the barbers, it’s worth it, one cut at a time.  

“It's not just a business – there's a lot of heart into it,” Smith said.