Pencil Mustache

[CigarMan]

I think George Clooney had a great looking moustache on "O Brother, Where Art Thou". He seems to play these parts very well. "Leatherheads" was another great part. Richard Gere also did a fantastic job in "Chicago".

 

[skyvue]

Thanks for the feedback, everyone.

Inspired by William Powell, I'm now aiming not for a break in the mustache, but just a small divot in the center. I think it works pretty well.

 

[carter]

...

Paddy, You're looking a bit dangerous there. I like it. :cool2:

 

[Marc Chevalier]

Don't think anyone has mentioned the following:


Thin mustaches look fine on men whose upper lip looks like this: -

They don't look good on men whose upper lip looks like this: ^


In other words, thin mustaches look best when they're horizontal, rather than ^ shaped. For better or worse, it is the shape of the upper lip that determines the mustache's shape.

.

 

[PADDY]

Thankyou..I have my moments!

Paddy, You're looking a bit dangerous there. I like it. :cool2:

Appreciate that.

 

[carter]

A fine actor and a great moustache.

Melvyn Douglas had one of the best, perhaps the best, pencil moustaches to grace the silver screen.

 

[DOUGLAS]

For better or worse, it is the shape of the upper lip that determines the mustache's shape.

.

This is why I completely obscure my upper lip. Scar tissue goes not make for a clean pencil line.

 

[Ethan Bentley]

I tried one when I was 18 but it didn't really work so well, the girlfriend at the time liked it but I thought it looked daft. I was going for a David Niven look but didn't really get there.

 

[clevispin]

By Gad, sir, you are a character.

 

[Slim Portly]

I decided to try a pencil moustache, something comfortably in-between Clark Gable and Hercule Poirot, thin but with a bit of a curve to it.

I had allowed my moustache to grow long in the last six months thinking that I might like the look of it waxed, but I have found that, for me at least, it is more trouble than it is worth. Here is how it has looked up to now:

.

I shaved off the goatee and cut the moustache whiskers short in preparation for my pencil moustache. This was the interim step:

.

Finally, with a combination of scissors, disposable razor, and electric razor with trimmer, I stopped at this point, just shy of where I want it. This is very close to what I had in mind. I reasoned that I could always trim more, which I will to make it just a tad thinner, as opposed to cutting off too much to begin with. Here is the result:

 

[chanteuseCarey]

Since all we went vintage here, DH is now sporting one...

and I love the look! Though he says its takes him a lot more time in the morning routine to maintain it. He only started wearing a pencil since late Feb, early March of this year.We are serious Thin Man and William Powell fans here, and lots of the gents in our local Art Deco Society have their own versions of the pencil- sigh. Its so very dapper and dashing.

John Waters?? Please-yuuuck... I'll take Errol Flynn, William Powell, David Niven, or even young pup Orlando Bloom any day...

Here are three head shots of DH Chuck wearing his vintage garb and sporting his version of the pencil, he's not on the FL-YET! I took the two pics of him solo, a friend of ours took the pic of him with our vintage clothes loving DS Daniel.

vintage red/brown 40s DB pinstripe suit, vintage fedora

vintage WWII Army Air Corp Captain's uniform and soft cap

vintage 40s DB navy suit with bright blue pinstripe, vintage fedora.
Daniel in vintage WWII USN Gunner's Mate third class shirt w/ honorable discharge
"ruptured duck" badge, and wearing his first (stingy brim) vintage fedora

 

[reetpleat]

Don't think anyone has mentioned the following:


Thin mustaches look fine on men whose upper lip looks like this: -

They don't look good on men whose upper lip looks like this: ^


In other words, thin mustaches look best when they're horizontal, rather than ^ shaped. For better or worse, it is the shape of the upper lip that determines the mustache's shape.

.

Another thing to keep in mind is that there are two types of pencil moustaches. One is the type on a man with a thin moustache. this means he just grows one and it comes out thin on top, and thick on teh bottom giving a pencil look, or with a little trimming. This is the type many movie stars had. I think Eroll Flynn for example. many people with lighter hair, or latinos have moustaches like this, and it can look rather dapper, but not necesserily so distinctly vintage.

the other is the type where a man has a very thick moustache, and the pencil is a result of shaving or plucking the rest. This gives a very thick dark moustache that looks very distinctly vintage. it also must be maintained constantly, or you will have a pencil moustache under the shorter rest of your moustache.

 

[reetpleat]

My wife asked me over the holidays to grow a mustache, just for fun, so I'm just under three weeks into it. I'm aiming for a vintage look with it, though I'm not sure it qualifies as "pencil-thin" -- William Powell's my inspiration, though mine's not going to be nearly as full as his; it's a bit sparse.

Here's what I have so far.

If you want a vintage look, take a bit of slightly darker mascara to it. it will become very thick and distinctly vintage looking. then when you want to look a bit less so, then don't.

 

[chanteuseCarey]

good pics here SP...

The waxed makes you look kinda (especially with the cocked eyebrow)-pirately... Nice change of pace with no goatee- more vintage looking. The pencil version in the third pic seems maybe (you know I love you and your style SP, so please take all this in the best way possible) -seems too curvy perhaps?? Melvyn's straight angled sides might be worth trying on for size. The second interim step I actually like best of the three, but its not really a pencil.

I decided to try a pencil moustache, something comfortably in-between Clark Gable and Hercule Poirot, thin but with a bit of a curve to it.

I had allowed my moustache to grow long in the last six months thinking that I might like the look of it waxed, but I have found that, for me at least, it is more trouble than it is worth. Here is how it has looked up to now:

.

I shaved off the goatee and cut the moustache whiskers short in preparation for my pencil moustache. This was the interim step:

.

Finally, with a combination of scissors, disposable razor, and electric razor with trimmer, I stopped at this point, just shy of where I want it. This is very close to what I had in mind. I reasoned that I could always trim more, which I will to make it just a tad thinner, as opposed to cutting off too much to begin with. Here is the result:

 

[Slim Portly]

The waxed makes you look kinda (especially with the cocked eyebrow)-pirately... Nice change of pace with no goatee- more vintage looking. The pencil version in the third pic seems maybe (you know I love you and your style SP, so please take all this in the best way possible) -seems too curvy perhaps?? Melvyn's straight angled sides might be worth trying on for size. The second interim step I actually like best of the three, but its not really a pencil.

Thank you for your comments. The moustache is intentionally curvy; remember, I am aiming directly in between Clark Gable and Hercule Poirot. Look at these two gentlemen and you'll see what I have in mind. Gable's has just the tiniest curve, and of course Poirot's curl is very exaggerated. The only thing I need to do now is thin it up some more. By the way, DH looks great.

 

[chanteuseCarey]

a GREAT authentic WWII pencil...

Our family had the honor and privilege last week of meeting and talking with a 90yo widow whose late husband, Col. Frederick J. Knorre Jr. was in the 446th Bomb Group in WWII. He passed away in 2001. We were allowed to take lots of pictures of their collection of WWII era photographs, his journals & albums, and other memorabilia. We asked her and her full time care giver lots of questions.They were very gracious and pleased we were interested in talking with them and about her husband's career during the war.

He was a very handsome man with a FABULOUS pencil moustache- back then he was likened to Douglas Fairbanks Jr according to the caption written on a note in pencil on one photograph. I have a pic of his photograph, but its not up in my Picture Trail yet. Soon. I'll post it on this thread when it is. DH and I have not really gotten started going through and working with all the pics we took at their home just yet, except for one. Here is the start- its not a pic of a photograph of him sporting his version of the pencil, but of the frame with his medals and insignia badges. Thought you gents might enjoy seeing it anyway:

 

[chanteuseCarey]

2 pics of (then) Lt. Col. Frederick J. Knorre Jr.

These are just two first pics of what we saw at his and his wife's home on our first visit. We've been invited to return and talk with his widow further. He was a Lt. Col. during WWII, he flew a B-24. These are in one of the several scrapbooks he had made with captions and journaling throughout written in white on black pages. I'm sure we can take a pic of just a head shot photograph of him in uniform, but these show the WWII jeep and his airplane really well.

 

[chanteuseCarey]

Now I understand...

Thanks for posting these two pics SP. I've seen a number of Gable's films, but nothing with H. Poirot here. Recommendations?

I'll pass on the compliment to Chuck. With him into the vintage clothing too, I'll at last have get better at taking digital pictures, with my becoming his vintage garb photographer, like his is for me!

Thank you for your comments. The moustache is intentionally curvy; remember, I am aiming directly in between Clark Gable and Hercule Poirot. Look at these two gentlemen and you'll see what I have in mind. Gable's has just the tiniest curve, and of course Poirot's curl is very exaggerated. The only thing I need to do now is thin it up some more. By the way, DH looks great.

 

[Spitfire]

I think the pencil looks smashing on some.
But my kind of moustache is more like this:

And I am working on it now....slowly but surely.

 

[Chad Sanborn]

I wonder how many of those vintage mustaches are real?
If I was doing a publicity shot that included a mustache, I would
probably don a fake one. You can trim it to the exact shape
you want while not on your face. (Way easier!) Then apply it
with some spirit gum and your all set!

I have a photo shoot in May where I am recreating the look of a
magician named Ted Annemann. He had a stache while in his 20's.
It looked a lot like Mr. Bowers. I want to grow one for the project
and am working on it now. But, I don't think it will turn out. So I
am probably going to have to go the fake route.