Summary:
1. Cut the sides using clipper over comb techniques. This took 10:21 minutes to do the sides and back in the demonstration
2. Transition the sides and back to the top with shears. This took 5:48 minutes.
3. Even out the top with shears. This took 3:45 minutes.
4. Finish as desired with clipper and shears. This took 2:50 minutes
These times are important to give relative times to be expected in this haircut. For example, in a previous post the finish time was as long as the time for the first three steps.
1. Cut the sides using clipper over comb techniques
Make a horse shoe parting at the top of the parietal ridge. The part is horizontal to the floor all the way around.
A clipper comb is used for this part of the haircut. There are a number of these available by different manufacturers. They are mostly in the 8 to 9 inches range of length. Their widths are
1.5 to 2 inches. The width of the combs is to give a wider platform to keep the clipper from slipping off.
Some have a distinctive handle which is to allow for easier tipping of the comb away from the scalp to just the right angle. For this activity the handle can be held between the first two fingers.
Clipper combs are frequently used by putting the spine of the comb on the scalp and tipping the teeth away from the scalp. This allows the hair to be cut at an angle to the scalp. This angle is commonly the angle the head shape takes under the comb. Following this angle allows you to create a head shape that will cover imperfections in the head form by cutting the hair to the same length over the problem areas. The comb can also be held away from the scalp and used for blending longer lengths. Typically the end of the comb is used to comb through hair that has already been cut to find a guide. The other end of the comb near the handle then holds hair that needs to be cut to the length in the guide. Position the comb so it is parallel to the head form and cut from the guide into the uncut hair.
First remove length to get general shape. Second remove small irregularities.
In this part of the haircut the clipper comb is used to remove length from the hair and to give a relatively smooth surface where the hair has been cut. If there are still imperfections in the cut surface they are much shorter than the originally removed length. These are addressed in the same way by combing through the hair with the clipper comb and looking for any slight protrusions through the comb teeth. These can be cut by moving the clipper along the comb length or by moving the clipper in the direction of the comb teeth in a small up and down rocking action.
Because clipper combs are long and wide they don't allow for very close work in finishing a haircut. For finishing, the clipper is used over a regular cutting comb or a barber's comb.
In this demonstration the cut is started in the front right hair line just in front of the ear. It is not clear why this location is chosen. It seems it could also be started in the middle back of the nape at the hair line which is more accessible.
This demonstration uses a replaceable 01 blade on the clipper for the clipper over comb technique. This blade cuts at 2.4 mm length and is close to the number one guard which cuts at 3 mm. I think this blade is used to give some room for mistakes. It you slip off the comb with this 01 blade you may not get to the scalp. ( As an aside is that Andis literature recommends the 0A blade for clipper over comb work. This cuts at 1.2 mm. It seems that any length can be used. If you cut with a blade or guard which leaves more length you may get a greater margin for error).
Starting at either front hair line or in the nape, the comb is placed horizontal to the floor with the the teeth pointing up into the hair. The spine is placed at the hair line. The teeth are tipped away from the scalp to follow the head shape going up. The clippers are then pushed horizontally across the comb cutting the hair at the comb.
For a low taper, you may find this one cut is enough. For a higher taper, as in this haircut, continue as below.
The comb is then moved up the scalp to where the last section stopped and it is tipped away so that the last part of the cut hair (the guide) is even with the comb and the uncut hair comes through the comb teeth. The comb is adjusted to keep the guide in place and to have the teeth of the comb follow the head form.
These sections are continued up the head to where you want to put the weight. In this demonstration, the taper is continued up to just below the horse shoe shaped parting where about an inch of length is left. It will take some judgment to see how to aim for this inch of length above the occipital bone as the head surface curves to the front.
This finishes the first vertical section going up the head and reflecting the shape of the cut.
New vertical sections are then taken by placing an end of the comb in the cut section at the hair line and using it as a guide for the new section. These are continued around the head to give even shape to the haircut below the horse shoe shaped parting.
2. Transition the sides and back to the top with shears
The sections for the transition are taken parallel to the long sides of the horse shoe shaped parting. These extend from the front hairline to the back of the horse shoe shaped parting.
These sections are pulled on a level at the same height as their partings and are cut to the guide below.
Further sections are taken parallel to the first and closer to the middle of the head. As the head curves up in the middle each section will be slightly higher than the previous section. It will be cut on a level at the same height as its parting using the guide from the previous section below.
These sections continue to the middle of the head and then you do the same on the opposite side of the head.
At the back of the head a similar technique is used. Some prefer to divide the back into three planes with the center plane being straight back. To the sides of the center planes side planes are pulled to 90 degrees from the round of the head where the side meets the back.
Transitions with this type of sectioning is to give moderate length and weight.
3. Even out the top with shears
To start this, reestablish the original horse shoe parting.
Sections are then taken across the top of the head within the horse shoe parting. These are elevated straight up and cut flat with the ceiling above. The guide is from the short pieces on the ends of the sections.
There are number of ways the top can be cut for more length and texture.
4. Finish as desired with clipper and shears
Condensate
Relatively short on side but not taking it to the scalp.
Transition to top with and inch or two of length.
Review AC clippered weight
In refining the clipper over comb cut hair, this stylist uses a wide clipper comb with a rounded spine. She inserts the comb into the hair with the teeth pointed up the vertical section. The clipper is inserted from the spine of the comb pointing up the vertical section. It looks like the clipper blade is parallel to the teeth of the but not on the teeth. Because the clipper is resting on the spine of the clipper comb, the teeth of the clipper blade can be parallel to the teeth of the comb while not touching the comb. Once the alignment of the comb teeth and clipper teeth is in place, the blade of the clipper is slid up on the spine of the comb to cut any hair that protrudes beyond the teeth of the comb at the height of the clipper blade.
This is important. It keeps the clipper firmly attached to the spine of the clipper comb and should reduce the wavering of the clipper blade from closer to further away from the scalp. This gives a smoother over all finish to the hair.
Transitioning the sides and back to the top could as easily be cut with clipper over fingers or clipper over comb.
Take a look at the times above for the different parts. The time for finishing is way down from the previous post in which the finish time was very long and equalled the time for the first three parts of the haircut. Here the finish time is much quicker because a lot of the finishing was done the same time the clipper over comb gross cutting was done. When a section or two of the gross cutting was completed, the stylist went back and refined the cut hair. This could have been done altogether at the end if preferred.
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