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Getting
a WWII German Haircut
By
Jonathan Bocek
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Your kit is an investment. You search
for the best uniforms, the best equipment,
and you even take the time to make period
rations with correct labels. Large
amounts of your hard earned money is
allocated to this hobby, but have you
overlooked something?
Ah, yes the
hair! Your hair is a major part of
your appearance. So having the correct
German haircut would be a really good
enhancement to one's Heer impression.
The following will hopefully eliminate the
usual confusion of how to ask the barber to
cut your hair, so soon you will be out in
the field looking like a Landser. The
most common & easiest description of an
authentic German military style haircut is
said to be:
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| "Shaved
from the neck and tapered up to the top above the
ears all the way around. The hair was
usually very long on top, combed (&
slicked) straight back from the forehead.
If parted, the part is very high on the
head." |
Of course,
going to the Barbershop with just the above
description alone could get you various types of
results. To ensure you get the style your
looking for, it is recommended you supply some
pictures so as to familiarize your barber with what
exactly your looking for. Recently
found in a 1940 dated barber's manual, the above
images illustrate the most common German military
haircut style. The description for this cut
reads as follows:
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SHORT
CUT or FULL CROWN HAIR CUT
In
this hair cut, the clipper is used
on the sides and back of the head,
starting at the left temple,
continuing around the head, and
finishing at the right temple.
There
is no absolute rule as to where
the clipper taper should end for
this may vary with the individual
wish.
There
is little finger work required on
this style of hair cut; however,
it helps to even up the rough
spots and to shorten the hair on
the top of the head.
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You should
note that the hair is shaved to at least one inch (if
not more) above the ear, then it begins to taper.
This is something that makes the German cuts very
distinctive. Of course
one can see various types of hair styles in original
photos & film footage, but the above style was
still the most commonly seen haircut in the Wehrmacht.
Of course, there were slight variations to this style
but the overall appearance seemed to remain the same.
When it
comes time for you to get a haircut, print out the
above document or this article & take it with you. Let the barber
look it over & then they will know what to do.
You will be pleased with the results and your
impression will be even better.
Don't
forget to buy a can of pomade for slicking back the
top hair. This was a very popular thing with the
Germans. I recommend "Crew pomade" but
if you prefer to be super authentic, purchase
"Royal Crown pomade." Royal Crown is a brand
that has been around since the 1930s & is still
made using the original formula (can be found at your
local Walmart). Another period option is to use
plain old petroleum jelly (Vaseline).
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