Thanks, dantes!  Yeah, it's interesting that, apparently, my lower cheeks and chin, which make up the bulk of my beard are almost entirely grey while my upper cheeks and mustache are still red and brown.  I wonder how much time I have before the whole thing goes grey.  No matter, it is what it is and I'll just roll with it.  I earned that grey!

Thank you, Geoff.  After reading so many posts of guys cutting back their beards, or thinking about it, or getting external pressure to do so I spent a few days thinking hard about my beard and what I wanted, hence the post.  There are times I think "Why am I wearing something that gets in the way so much?" and the answer is always that I like it.  Maybe some day that will change, but I don't foresee it any time soon, and that's why I'm always goading guys like you to try it.  I suppose I've taken up the mantle of PatrickBeard in that regard . Oh, and yes, life is good!

'Gloriously silly' is the perfect description, Larry, thank you! 

Well, Justin, you're in luck.  I read your post before heading to Portland and got some post-shower shots.  I'll warn you, though, they may be more that you bargained for!  Also, thanks for resurrecting that pic of Madison and me.  That was a lot of beard ago for both of us!  For comparison for those who haven't dug through this tome I call a thread, here's a picture of us, with our mutual friend Denney, from the competition in June.  Madison's beard really is in a class of its own, and that mustache!!

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Hey, webwzrd, anything I can do to spread the long beard gospel, as it were!  Looking like you're heading there yourself!

Thank you for that, Leo!  I am loving this ride and, as I've said before, I'm trying to give back at least a bit of the inspiration I've taken from all of you here.  So, are you planning to keep growing?  I hope the answer is 'yes'!  

Thank you, Admiral!  That really means a lot coming from a guy with a flaming huge mane like yours!  As far as shaving the scalp goes I've thought about it and always decided against it for a few reasons.  First, I know I simply won't maintain it, preferring to just get it buzzed every month or so.  Second, my wife mentioned one time that the bald look really does nothing for her, though I've no doubt that she'd support me if I tried it.  Finally, as you'll notice in the pics below, I have a very large keratosis on the top of my head.  It gets snagged even with a trimmer, so I'm sure a razor would just make it a bloody mess.

Thanks, Paul!  I'm sure some beads would like mighty fine with that Texas longhorn stache of yours

I think you'll really enjoy the beads, Marty, and I've no doubt they'd look great in your beard, especially if you keep wearing it dark!   Have a gander below for the shaggy Tom pic

And what, pray tell, is the beautiful beverage of choice you have there, Dominik?  Spaetburgunder, perhaps, or one of those Swiss reds that never seems to leave the country?  I thrilled that you've ordered some beads!  I think you and your daughter will be experimenting sooner than you think

See, LAKEFACE, what did I tell you?    Yes, bigger braids obviously need more hair but just look at the braids in some of the episodes of 'Vikings', for example, and you'll see that there are some short braided beards there.  Watch out, it gets addictive and, well, practice makes perfect as they say.  Will we get to see a braided yeard photo from you?

Thank you, Karl!   Yes, that bonnet was indeed inspired by 'Outlander'!  We watched the first season and both became enchanted with those bonnets, so my wife set out to make one.  As you can see, though, it needs to be bigger and lighter.  She's already started on the second version  As far as the cheeklines go, I abandoned those over a year ago.  I think that since they're dark the contrast shows more now than it did before since there's so much more grey beneath.

Larry  and Steve, as I've said before, Madison is a true gentleman in every sense of the word, humble and kind.  There could not be a better beard ambassador than he!  If you even attend a competition where he's participating don't hesitate to introduce yourselves.  You'll feel as though he's know you for years.

Overwhelming?  This from the guy who took a medal at the Nevada Day competition last year  Thank you, sir.  Hmmm, jobs, lemme see, Triibeard.  Perhaps we could use someone to help us calculate the average carbon footprint of all the bearded men in the world.  We could then use that to target sales and count the carbon credits against the beardless guys who buy our products Or better yet, calculate the carbon differential between using one of our products and a razor or shaver for the same time period.  I think we may be on to something!!

You're damn right, Clint!  I earned every one of those grey hairs and if that means I get to look like a grizzled old fart, I mean wizard, then I'm all for it!!   Seriously, though, thank you very much.  I'm not sure it's dedication so much as it is persistence.  Now, pardon me while I retire to brush my precious grey locks


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OK, Justin and Marty, you asked for it!  I read Justin's  post just before I was headed to the shower so here I am, in all my post-shower, freshly-combed, chest-weeper glory.  

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And here's one from the back that proves what I've always suspected, that my scalp hair has been slowly migrating (flowing?) onto my back!    You can see, though, how curly my scalp hair is.

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The verdict when I got to Cory's was that there's really little I can do considering my MPB, so we went back to the #4 buzz.  Here are some pics from his chair:

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I have to say that I'm glad I went back to this.  It just feels better on my head in large part, I suppose, because that's what I'm used to.  Maybe that's why many guys ditch their beards after a few weeks or months too - having that hair there just isn't the 'norm'.

Finally, here's a shot that Cory made showing the two of us in the mirror (sorry that it's a little blurry).  Notice that he's letting his beard get longer (though you can't see much of it here).  He's to be best man in a wedding in a month and the groom wears a big beard, so he's asked all his wedding party to wear at least a 6-month beard.  I can hardly wait to see those wedding photos!

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And with those frightening shots I bid you cheers!
Tom



Some helpful links:
Library Central of Beard Growing


Taming the Wild Mustache
Tips for eating and drinking with a big mustache

Excess on occasion is exhilarating. It prevents moderation from acquiring the deadening effect of a habit. ~ W. Somerset Maugham
A jerk with a beard is just a bearded jerk, but a bearded gentleman is awesomeness personified. ~ Triibeard