Have you ever driven through Amish country or stopped to stuff yourself to capacity at one of their incredible restaurants? While there, you may have seen horse-drawn buggies driven by men with big mustache-less beards.
That long beard with no mo is a distinctive look, no doubt. It’s an Amish hallmark.
But that Amish beard has nothing to do with fashion or looking distinctive. For an Amish dude, it marks a commitment for life.
If you’re thinking about growing an Amish inspired beard yourself, we’ll tell you plenty about its significance and suggest some ideas for it. It’s a great choice if you’ve always wanted a beard, but don’t like the feeling of hairs close to your mouth.
Technically, the real name for an Amish beard is a Shenandoah beard. It has other names, including the Donegal, the chin curtain, the Lincoln, even the whaler.
To be clear, an Amish beard is not the same as a chinstrap beard. A chinstrap is shorter and may or may not cover the entire chin area.
An Amish beard is grown long from the jaw and chin – like 6 inches in length or more. Many Amish men shave the front area of the chin so the beard grows only from the underside, but not all do this.
It includes sideburns connecting right up to the ears. Sideburns are frequently groomed straight down, but some get pretty bushy. Cheeks are shaved clean.
In addition to there being no mustache, the soul patch (the hair just beneath the lower lip) is also kept shaved, so all skin around the mouth is bare.
During the 19th century and into the early 20th, mustaches were so common among European servicemen that they became a symbol of being in the military, and some countries’ armies even mandated them for a while. The Amish have always been committed to pacifism, so they shaved off their mustaches to show they were separate from the “warmongers”. They were bullied and harassed relentlessly by many military men, so their “no mo” decision was also a form of peaceful protest to show they were nothing like their tormentors.
(Interesting fact: Armies began banning facial hair for soldiers during World War I. A clean-shaven face was necessary for gas masks to fit properly.)
Not every Amish man sports a beard. Only married men do - and this includes widowers as well.
A commitment to modesty means a man must not wear any jewelry, including a wedding ring. So instead, a married man stops shaving his beard, indicating that he is completely a man and the head of his family. His beard symbolizes his commitment to his wife, his children and his religion.
If you want an Amish beard, there are plenty of benefits to choose from:
To begin, let all your facial hair grow to a good, thick stubble. You can even let it all grow for a month or two.
With trimmers, mark out the boundary lines along the jaw and front of the chin. Shave everything above those boundaries, including your cheeks and lower lip (soul patch).
If you wish, mark a lower boundary around the level of your Adam’s apple and shave your neck below that.
Let the remaining hairs grow. It’s up to you to decide the length you like best. A traditional Amish beard gets at least 6 inches long.
If you’re not Amish, you can use modern products to keep your beard looking and feeling great. A neat Amish beard looks very stylish. An unkempt one just looks messy.
By the way, in case you’re looking for clean beard products, The Rugged Bros craft products that are so natural, even the Amish would be proud :)
You’ve got some style choices to make:
There’s a lot more to the Amish beard than you first thought, eh? If you can rock one of these bad boys, you’ll have a stylish look all will surely admire.
Don’t forget to send us pics of your awesome Amish beard: info@theruggedbros.com
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