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I Forge Iron

Blacksmiths and Beards


Blacksmiths and Beards  

440 members have voted

  1. 1. Do you have a beard?

    • Yes, I have a full beard
      236
    • Yes, I have a goatee
      97
    • No, I'm clean shaven
      79
    • No, I couldn't grow a beard if I wanted to
      23
    • No, of course I don't have a beard - I'm a woman!
      5


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Do blacksmiths have a stronger tendency to have beards?

When I first started blacksmithing, my youngest brother (9 or 10 at the time) asked if I was going to be a "real" blacksmith, "with a beard and everything?" !

A comment in another thread reminded me of this.

So, I'm wondering, does a beard go with the craft? What do you think? If it does, why do you think that is?


Luke

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No "mustache only" category? I feel discriminated.

Clean shaven (at least every other day... or so) except for the upper lip.


Facial hair, like clothes, will vary greatly according to culture and historic period. I think the image of the necessarily bearded blacksmith comes from post-American Civil War through early Twentieth Century recollections, particularly in the rural areas. In the Civil War you even saw a lot of military officers with facial hair. And don't discount the power of Hollywood stereotypes.

I regularly portray a blacksmith attached to a British garrison in the Colonial period, and I can about guarantee that all of them, from the privates through the officers, would have been clean shaven.
Little pony-tails... yes. Beards, no (Nor mustaches for that matter, but I just can't make myself part with mine... been with me since I was 17.)

My $.02

Don

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I would imagine lots of people had beards beck in the old days, due to the potential danger of shaving. one slip of the razor and you get a nasty cut, and it was sure to get infected. In the old days it was just safer to grow a beard. not to mention easier than shaving. to shave you had to well shave, to grow a beard all you had to do was live.

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Well *none* of the female blacksmiths I know or have seen in pictures going back through medieval times have had beards.

BTAIM, yes I have a full beard and when it's in full flourish my wife will braid it for me for events and I will hang silver anvil earrings from the braids. It's a bit shy for Quad-State and I may only be able to fork it.

And yes I have had a forge trim it for me on numerous occasions...

I've been lucky in that my "day job" has never had a problem with facial hair. (It's one of the reasons I accepted my current job; when I interviewed 50% of the men I saw were sporting beards!)

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I have a goatee also and am working on a half beard now for winter. I too keep it long most of the time. I trim it to the bottom of my welding hood. I have had it long enough that I tuck in my shirt when working to keep it out of the way. At this point it becomes a pain in the XXX when riding the scooter and it is time for a trim. B)

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I'm of the full bearded variety. When I started teaching and demonstrating people looked a little disappointed that I wasn't a big narly old chap with a bushy beard; I couldn't do anything about my size or age so I grew a beard! There are other reasons too. It keeps me warm in the winter and (I think) cooler in the summer, though I keep it trimmed to half inch or so when warm.

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When I was in the military I got in the habit of being clean-shaven but I grew a goatee for our town's 125th anniversary celebration in 2009 then shaved it off again. Last winter I regrew it but shaved it off for the summer...not sure if I will grow it back or not. The wife isn't big on me having one but doesn't mind the look when I do have it....just says it tickles too much.

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I am clean shaven. It used to be mostley because I didnt have enough facial hair. It seems when you get older and balder the hair moves down! LOL But i did try a beard for the first time last winter. I didnt like it much. Pubic hair belongs in other places on the body. Not on the face. HAHA

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I have had facial hair of differing lengths & types throughout the years. It's sort of an "on again, off again" thing. Right now I'm growing it back. Full beard this time. I've never thought of it being a "blacksmith thing".
( It does seem to get more grey as the years pass though! LOL ) :lol:

Mitch

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A goatee here, ranging from one to two fists long, I have had it for 5 or six years now and haven't shaved it yet. If I ever do I will be tempted to glue it to the top of my head. . . should look fine right?

Has anyone else noticed that when a goatee is trimmed short, say under 1" everyone calls it a goatee, but if it is long everyone calls it a beard? I just find that to be rather amusing.

When it was rather long I would on occasion split it into two and wrap one end around each ear, holding it in place to look like a rather curious full beard! It's fun to have fun.

Caleb Ramsby

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