Trick asked above, quite presciently, whether I've tried multiple braids.  I say 'presciently' because I've recently tried wearing three, and like it!  I've tried two braids in the past and, though my wife likes that look, I just can't get used to it.  Perhaps I need to try tying and wearing it more.  I wear my beard in a single long braid fairly often, especially if I'm going to be doing yard work but otherwise the brushed-out beard with a small braid at the tip is my usual style.

I also usually wear my beard in a single long braid when I sleep, which often results in the following rather frightening sight in the morning:

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It's not a problem on work days since I just roll out of bed, work out, and then shower and the beard shapes up nicely before trotting off to the office.  The issue comes on the weekends when I often don't shower before heading out to run errands.  Re-braiding looks almost as ratty as the freshly slept-on look and my beard is too wiry to brush well when dry.  So, what to do?  The answer, three smaller braids made from the three strands of the sleeping braid! smiley: smokin  Here's the result:

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What's particularly nice about this is that it affords my jaw more mobility than a long single braid does and joining the three as shown keeps everything in check.  Now let's see how long it takes for me to get up the nerve to wear it to work this way!  

On a side note one of my cats decided I needed some supervision while knitting the other day and my wife snagged this candid shot of me in my favorite knitting chair:

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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