…mers that can best chop our beards and moustaches into a manageable thatch that will cut back on the weight
of crumbs, soup and cereal milk that build up in our facial forests. The search is difficult one, with only
a few options available for many a type of beard and stache.
Speaking from personal experience on the subject, being a member of the goatee guild (sorry), I have yet
to find the “perfect” beard and moustache trimmer. Yes, yes, I know I always say that everyone’s face is
different, but being that a clipper is not affected by different types of hair, you would think that
creating a head design that can accommodate most beard types would be an easy task. Apparently not.
The
Norelco T980 is a decent trimmer, except for the stupid vacuum feature that collects just about 13.5
percent of the hair that is clipped from your face and leaves you with yet another chamber to empty. I like
the job that it does for the most part, but I get the feeling that Norelco is sacrificing trim-quality for
high-tech wiz-bangs in making the trimmer look like a light saber.
The
Panasonic Trimmers are the ancients of the trimming pantheon, remaining virtually unchanged for the
past fifteen years. I never found them particularly thorough, the major problem being that the trimmer
guide would collapse down to the lowest setting if you put just a little too much pressure upon your
face. Somebody out there must like them though, longevity alone a testament to that.
Now
Wahl has a very decent set of professional trimmers available–many of which can be seen in use at your
local barber shop. They are powerful, sharp, and shaped correctly for maximum trimmability (I love inventing
words). BUT for all their strong points, Wahl suffers severely from lack of options for the common man.
What I mean is, the Wahl trimmers come with only a few combs that can be used to get the hair length you
might be looking for. The average is a selection of four, non-adjustable guides that do a fine job, but if
you need a length longer than the largest or shorter than the smallest or any variation beyond the
“in-between” comb guides, you are out of luck. It is my belief that these trimmers are especially designed
for professionals who skip the use of the guide combs altogether, relying instead on their expertise in
giving you that perfect trim, by eye alone. When yours truly attempts this though, I end up looking like
the lead in a 1930’s Robin Hood flick.
Remington has a few trimmers too. Yeah.
Anyway, as you can see the list is short, and except for a few isolated models, relatively undistinguished,
which is unfortunate considering how many people sport the facial fuzz. And if you are looking for
worldwide voltage for your trimmer-Fuggedaboudit-nothing out there, at least not yet.
Maybe the manufacturers will hear the collective cries of the bearded? Maybe not? Maybe we’ll just make
one and show them how it’s done. Maybe. Until then, we trim by the seat of our pants. Welcome to Sherwood.
