Das Wunderbeard: A Spotlight on Lifestyle Bearding

Per Spett (Olympic freestyle skier, Sweden) should win a medal for Bearding… Or just take someone else’s medal, since with a beard like that, he must be carrying a Viking axe.

(More) Historical Bearded Bad-Assery

As a Scotsman (by heritage, I'm first generation American born), I am particularly proud to present the 72nd Regiment, The Duke of Albanys Own Highlanders.

After a year long sea voyage to India, and nearly 300 deaths due to scurvy (of the 973 rank and file), the 72nd unfurled the colors and engaged Tipu Sultan in the Second Mysore war, gaining victory in the five largest campaigns.

Could they have done this without awesome beards?

Maybe. But probably not...

Táinte agus feasóg (Gaelic for "Good health and beard"),

Historical Bearded Bad-Assery

In 1942, after the Nazis destroyed London with air raids, Alfred Dunhill, Jr (of Dunhill Pipes fame) realized that his beard was tougher than any damn Nazi bomb… So he set up a table in front of the ruins of his storefront and kept right on selling pipes.

With a beard, anything is possible.

Congrats on your one year beardiversary! You’re a credit to gingers everywhere (great taste in music, too!).

Keep On Bearding,

Inspirational Moments In Bearding History

Sir Thomas More (pictured here in John Rogers Herbert's Sir Thomas More and his daughter) was sentenced to be beheaded due to his outspoken criticism of King Henry VIII.

On placing his neck upon the headsmans block, More grabbed the length of his beard and pulled it safely to the other side of the block, away from the deadly path of the axe and stated defiantly: "This hath not offended the king."

You can take his head, but don't cut his beard. A true bearding hero.

Yours in beard,

Thinking back, I recall very few times growing up where my father (who died around ten years ago) didn’t have a beard or at least a mustache (usually both).

I can remember seeing him twisting his mustache into handlebars as my mother looked on, shaking her head at him (much like me, he loved playful antagonism)!

His beard was like a calendar of the seasons, with him allowing it to grow thicker as fall approached, then cutting it back in spring. I watched as it got more and more grey, never once realizing the profound affect it would have on me.

He worked A LOT so that my mother wouldn’t have to, but always had time for my brother and I. Somehow he found a way to work, raise us, build some incredible garages and a house (he was a trade carpenter for 25+ years, as was my grandfather) and set a standard for being a man that I couldn’t hope to meet in four lifetimes. So if I manage nothing else, I’ll follow in his facial-hair-footsteps.

There is no finer gift for a man to give his son than to set a good beard-example for him.

“A man doesn’t grow a beard, a beard grows a man.”

Beardfully Yours,

Boxed-Beard Brothers.

Derek Wade of the Celtic Rock band The Kreellers (left) with yours truly (right) throwing back a few pints at the annual St. Andrews Society Highland Games (this past August).

Check out the Kreellers at: www.kreellers.com

Like them on Facebook: www.facebook.com/pages/The-Kreellers/22978527135

Yours in beard,

Hello all, Bill here...

May I present, my friend, Alexander Vlachos. He is a gifted musician who records under the name Greater Alexander.

Born in Binghamton, New York and raised in Athens, Greece, Alexander is is an Alumnus of Wayne State University (in Michigan) with a degree in Music and a Co-Major in International Studies. His parents heavily played European artists like Georges Moustaki and Cat Stevens around the house while growing up.

He is an incredibly talented musician, and a wonderful human being.

Check him out at: www.greateralexander.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/greateralexander

Hi! I'm Bill, and I've been asked to help contribute content to this fine blog by its curator, my dear old friend and beard mentor.

I'm a long time beard enthusiast, growing my first beard at the age of 15 as a means of buying beer from less-than-reputable establishments (it wasn't much of a beard, but it was a start, and I've worn one ever since).

I generally wear a long Boxed Beard, occasionally grooming it into a French Fork. The bottom left picture in the pic above may look like Ive abandoned my beard, but in truth, I've trimmered the sides down to allow the check areas (which are generally razor shaved) to grow in. I've decided to grown in a full-on early 1900's beard, complete with handlebar mustache.

Professionally, I am a designer and do a bit of music promoting/booking as well as running an Irish pub (I worked there to put myself through school and just stuck around after).

Personally, I am an avid longboarder, play a bit of mandolin and am very into a wide range of music, from old school punk to bluegrass.

I think I'll be able to make some worthwhile contributions to this site. Seeing as the curator is a fan of and wearer of a full, natural beard and I am a fan of and wearer of a verdi style, we should be able to cover all of the "beard bases" and bring you a taste of the bearding lifestyle.

Feel free to check out my oft neglected design blog at http://tikimandesign.tumblr.com/

Happy Bearding!