I wear a beard - proudly. The safety razor be damned.
It was Alexander the Great who started the trend of shaving the whiskers.
That’s the thing. The word “beard” shook a lot of people up. “Beard!” It’s not American-sounding. “Beard! Lenin had a beard … Gabby Hayes had whiskers! Monty Woolley had whiskers!”I worked in industries that require cleanshaven faces for the purpose of allowing adhesion of respirators, so I am used to it; I sometimes let the “whiskers” grow out though.
— George Carlin, “The Hair Piece” from FM And AM (Carlin figured he was making fun of conservatives though)
I’ve had a beard for most of the past 50 years.
As the West becomes more islamic facial hair is bound to become a trend.
Ain’t seen my upper lip or my chin in ..........forever.
Seems like all the baseball players have beards of some sort these days.
Hipsters are reviving a lot of this stuff — hair tonic, Victorian beards, old clean-cut hairstyles...All taken and given some sort of obnoxious, “ironic” twist.
I’ve been off on medical leave for a few months now, culminating with me needing spinal surgery. I quit shaving in the first day of summer and will go back at the first of the new year. I ain’t shaving until the night before. When I retire, boom! Duck dynasty.
CC
I grew a mustache in my early college years just to see if I could, but have been clean-shaven since. While my beard has filled in over the years, I still suspect it wouldn’t be all that full. I’m not exactly hairy due to having a little native ancestry. I have taken to going the weekend without shaving when I can. A lot of men my age grow those close-cropped goatees, apparently to disguise some of the jowliness that sets in during their forties. Seems like a lot of work and it’s not flattering to a lot of them, imho.
Beards seem to be gaining in popularity around here. I started my beard when I retired from the Army in 1986. I shaved it once, when my wife died. It’s been different lengths from two feet to two inches. Until several years ago it stood out, now beards are so common it’s hardly noticed.
Fascinating article. Thanks for posting it.
Like some others here, I have gone gray to the point where my goatee is completely gray and my mustache is about 90% gray… yet I only have a bit of graying at my temples. Not something I'd select if I had the choice.
Mr. niteowl77
In the German Army durning world war two, only U-boat and Mountain troops were allowed to grow beards. Both were bad ass.
I’ve often wondered about the sudden appearance of beards in the second half of the nineteenth century.
I hate beards. They itch, collect nasties no matter how much you clean them, and I develop dandruff in them. I’ll stay clean shaven.
Remember this old movie?
SOME KIND OF A NUT with DICK VAN DYKE (1969)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0065010/?ref_=nm_flmg_act_57
I used to trim it short and then let it grow out a bit, but I stopped that in January 2005 (also the last time I had my hair cut). So currently I would fit right in with the cast of Duck Dynasty.
I always thought that was kind of odd.
As for beards, I could never get used to them. I prefer to be clean shaven and I've given Gillette a lot of my money over the years. In fact, if it were up to me, I'd shave my head too. I would love to just come out of the shower, towel dry and get to the rest of my day. No combing, no hair gel or any of that.
But my wife prefers me to have a head of hair - while I can still grow it.