Hi Pedant and thanks for pitching in. What can I say? It's been a while since my last visit to Germany and I was unbearded back then, so I have no paragon. One thing I can say is that Brits (and Londoners in particular) have a very idiosyncratic sense of style… they might crucify you for putting too much effort into the way you look, but sure as hell they do put a lot of effort into looking like they don't, if you catch my drift. However your breakdown of the shaved head + beard combo is spot on and applies to London too, I guess I'd fall in the straight biker box then though I don't ride, when I'm not dressed up for work my attire is classic old school metal, denim and leather. Also, you're 100% right about the full shaved look… I've sported that for years for want of an alternative, but only now with some growth going can I see how some facial hair is essential to balance out the look of all that bare skin on the top.

In other news it's time for the 5 week update and as you can see there are no surprises there. Now I know some of you folks will differ but I'm toying with the idea of keeping the sides and chin at about this length for the long haul, and trim the stache accordingly once it's had time to catch up - simply cause I love the relative lack of maintenance at this stage, just a rinse and a pat down with the towel in the morning and I'm set for the day. However this is a decision I'll only take in another three-four weeks at least, if at all. What do you guys think?

On to the pictures. As you can see, keeping a straight face just wasn't an option this morning.

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Looking forward to your replies as usual, gentlemen! Keep growing!