This haircut is all done with a razor. It follows the usual pattern of cutting the sides, connecting the sides to the top, and then modifying the top. It has a couple of changes. The first is to add graduation to the nape area to correct for a steep angle under the occipital bone. It also adds more texture to the top and directs the hair on top back for a spikey look.
To start a horse shoe shaped parting is made starting where the front hair line goes vertical before curving forward on the top.
Cut the sides and back
This demonstration started cutting on the right front hair line. Sections were less than an inch except for the first which was a little larger. The hair was pulled to 90 degrees from the side of the head and cut with flat layering - flat to the wall. The razor entered the top of the section and used a short cutting length of about 1/4 inch in repeated strokes to work down the section. The razor made an angle of about 30 degrees with the hair strand. The hair is pulled parallel to the floor and the blade of the razor tilts off of perpendicular with the spine of the blade closer to the scalp than the cutting edge of the blade. It looked like the angle of the blade to the hair strand was about 30 degrees.
The length of the remaining hair was about 1 inch at the top of the section. Starting at the top of the section and cutting down and away from the scalp, has the effect of leaving the shorter hair on top of the longer hair throughout the section. This will direct it down and tend to make it hug the head shape. As with all flat layering in this area, the length of hair above an below the width of the parietal ridge will be longer than it is over the bulge of the parietal ridge. Having longer hair will fill in some of the areas above and below the parietal ridge.
The vertical sections are continued around the head from the front hair line on one side to the front hair line on the other. They used a fingers up position to hold the hair. The hair was cut between the scalp and the back of the fingers. The commentator said either fingers up or fingers down was okay but that fingers up allowed for checking the section better for unwanted over direction or elevation. The guide was checked by holding the section in the fingers close to the scalp. As the fingers moved away from the scalp toward the guide the uncut hair was combed out of the way so the guide could be found. Once seen, the holding fingers slid a little beyond the guide. The guide was allowed to fall away and the hair was then cut starting where the guide had been.
Graduate the nape
The client had a protruding occipital area with a lot of empty space under it. They decided to add weight to this area by cutting graduation in this area. Vertical sections were taken under the occipital bone where the head curves toward the neck. These vertical sections were held to be parallel to the nape area. The guide was the top of the section just beneath the occipital bone. The sections were cut down as they had been on the sides. The sections were vertical and the hair was directed back before cutting. One side was done and then the other. Sections moved to the side until the hair behind the ear was cut.
This was followed by using the razor free hand on the skin at the hair line in the nape to refine the perimeter.
Connect the sides and back to the top
Reestablish the original horse shoe shaped parting if it was lost.
Take back to front sections inside the horse shoe shaped parting. Pull these sections horizontal to the floor at the level of the part line closest to the middle of the top. Use the length cut on the side as the guide. Cut the hair from back to front using the same short stroke at about 30 degrees so the hair is directed to the front. In the regression area the uncut hair can be directed back to the previous section before cutting for more length.
Front to back sections within the horse shoe shaped parting are taken until the hair no longer reaches the side guide. The other side is done the same way. It is also cut from the back to the front with the blade angled away from the head so that the hair is directed forward. Directing the hair forward on the top of the sides was said to follow the natural growth pattern.
The back was connected starting behind the ear. A plane of hair in the crown area was pulled to the back corner behind the ear and cut to the guide from the vertical sectioning in this area. This was continued until the hair did not reach. The plane was then pivoted around the crown to cut the back and then the corner on the other side the same way.
Connecting across the top
Reestablish the original horse shoe shaped parting if it has been lost.
Section across the horse shoe shaped parting from side to side starting at the back of the horse shoe shape.
Elevate the sections at 90 degrees from the head shape and cut convex. The sections are cut from one side to the other of the section. The hair is combed up and held between the first two fingers of the non-cutting hand with the pads of the fingers near the scalp. The guide is seen at the top of the sides of the head. The cutting is done by combing the hair up so that the hair is above the backs of the fingers and the guide is clearly seen above the fingers. The razor is then placed against the guide and the hair above the guide is pinched above the fingers between the thumb and the guard over the razor blade. The razor blade is rotated up into the pinched hair that is held between the thumb and the guard on the razor blade. Do not cut this without having a guard on the razor.
Cutting convex means to cut around the curve of the top of the head so that the length in the middle of the top is longer than the sides of the top. This leaves a rounded top to the hair as it is pulled straight up. It leaves more hair length and more weight down the middle of the top. In this demonstration the convex layering was done to compensate for thin hair density on the top.
Take more side to side sections working forward through the horse shoe shaped section. Cut all with convex layering until reaching the recession area where the sections are over directed back to leave more length.
Adding texture and direction to the top of the head.
Reestablish the horse shoe shaped section if it is not in place.
Make a front to back section down the middle of the horse shoe shaped section. This is about 1 inch wide. Elevate the hair starting at the front hair line. Insert the blade into the held hair and cut a notch with the slope of the notch going up to the rear. The blade is about 1/2 inch from the scalp and seems to cut up to the rear for about 1/2 inch. This leaves a sawtooth pattern with the short side to the front and the long side toward the back of the head. A slope is cut into the hair about every inch going to the back.
Another front to back section is taken on either side of the middle section on the top. This will give a total of three sections. All are cut with the same sawtooth pattern which will direct the hair on top to the back.
Finish
The perimeter is further refined with razor over comb and with free hand razor cutting on the skin.
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