Darkwatch, on 13 July 2011 - 10:16 PM, said:
-Good trimmer with variable length selector
-Razor
-Scissors
Those are the basics you will need.
Depending on how you grow your beard the trimmer will help you keep a good length without forcing you to use the scissors all the time.
The razor is for trimmed beards again. I grow a goatee with a long mane following my jaw line that frames the face. That means I keep my cheeks shaved clean, so the razor is important for keeping it bare.
The scissors are for shaping longer beards, essential, though getting a barber to do it is also a good idea considering the coordination some people lack. Also helps get rid of stray hairs.
Otherwise I love my beard. Gives me an august look.
Sometimes I shave down to the goatee, usually for reasons of shaving accidents or during the summer months when it gets hot.
The beard has had a mixed reaction from everyone. My mother and grandmother waged a 4 year campaign against the beard, they failed. Recently my father has made some rather un-manly comments regarding the beard.
Most of my peers though like my beard, with most people who have seen me without telling me that I look far better with it, and I agree.
I've been called a wizard by a 5 year old because of my beard and been mistaken for a pirate while wearing a bandanna in combination with my beard, awesome all around really.
Beard related music:
http://www.youtube.c...u/2/tTjrwgnJHpM
My most recent style has been a similar sort of thing, though I didn't trim it much and have been leaving it to grow. I'm now leaving it to fill out on my cheeks as well because it's starting to look a bit odd and muslim-like, otherwise. (It went from the goatee in my profile picture to extending along my jawline to connect with the sideburns, being slightly trimmed once then left to grow. The moustache has also been trimmed a little and is now being left to do its own thing again.)
My problem is that I get bored really quickly and change the style all the time, so I'm having to be patient while letting it grow out and stop myself from changing my mind and giving up.
I should like to see this beard of yours -- it sounds mighty impressive and I think I'm imagining it to be a lot more pointy than it may actually be.
I'm also wondering, is anyone here a gardener as well as a beard-grower and how similar is cultivating a fine beard to taking care of your plants?