Sly Bald Guys Forum

Discussions About Being Bald => Bald Stories => Topic started by: D.A.L.U.I. on June 14, 2008, 03:45:05 PM

Title: First Guys You Knew With Shaved Heads
Post by: D.A.L.U.I. on June 14, 2008, 03:45:05 PM
I got to thinking about two people, not celebs, but teachers I had that were sly, one in high school--Brother Augustus--the "story" although he never talked about it said that he'd been gassed in the military, but I don't know if that could be true it was a long time from WWI, and I don't know if the Germans or the Japanese used gas in WWII; the second was in college, my Victorian Literature professor.  Hell of a nice guy and I had the pleasure of knowing him later after I graduated as a friend.  Fine guy.  But you know, I never asked him and he never discussed why he shaved his head and I can't remember a shadow.  He was of Syrian descent, and boy could he make some delicious baklava, his mother's receipe.  Tom's dead now, and I'm sure Brother Auggie has also gone to the Barber in the Sky.  Makes me wonder what their reaction would be?

How about you guys did you have any contact w/ sly guys growing up or in college that you knew  or got to know?
Title: Re: First Guys You Knew With Shaved Heads
Post by: Razor X on June 14, 2008, 07:55:39 PM
The first time I ever saw a white person with a shaved head that wasn't on TV or the movies was in the 80s.  It was just some guy in a crowd, who stuck out because of his shaved head.  I remember thinking at the time that it was a really odd thing to do.  Can't remember seeing anyone else with a shaved head until the look started catching on the mid 90s.
Title: Re: First Guys You Knew With Shaved Heads
Post by: marty22 on June 16, 2008, 04:04:37 AM
someone as a goof in the mid 70's in college in the ROTC. However; walking in Greenwich Village (circa 1980) a whole group of guys one night sported shaved heads.
Title: Re: First Guys You Knew With Shaved Heads
Post by: zzaapp on June 20, 2008, 09:44:07 PM
In high school, during the late '60's, there was a small clique of about three or four guys who decided to shave their heads and wear berets one summer.  Everyone thought it was kinda weird.

After that, in college, during the early '70's we had the followers of "Krishna Consciousness" on campus.  Most people referred to them as the "Hare Krishnas".  If you weren't there in the '70's, you can't really appreciate the terminal scene in "Airplane"... 
Title: Re: First Guys You Knew With Shaved Heads
Post by: Nick912 on June 20, 2008, 09:48:29 PM
My old man was the first sly guy I knew. He shaved on a bet in the 70's and like the way it looked. My whole life he had a shaved head.

Its weird to look at his technique now. He shaved with a bic disposable against the grain, with just soap for lather!! No cream! He had zero irriation or bumps.

I now have him using a Braun electric like I use
Title: Re: First Guys You Knew With Shaved Heads
Post by: BALDANDRE on June 20, 2008, 10:48:23 PM
My old man was the first sly guy I knew. He shaved on a bet in the 70's and like the way it looked. My whole life he had a shaved head.

Its weird to look at his technique now. He shaved with a bic disposable against the grain, with just soap for lather!! No cream! He had zero irriation or bumps.

I now have him using a Braun electric like I use

I've had to resort to soap only....it's not that bad actually...couldn't do it on a regular basis
Title: Re: First Guys You Knew With Shaved Heads
Post by: Nick912 on June 21, 2008, 09:03:17 AM
My old man was the first sly guy I knew. He shaved on a bet in the 70's and like the way it looked. My whole life he had a shaved head.

Its weird to look at his technique now. He shaved with a bic disposable against the grain, with just soap for lather!! No cream! He had zero irriation or bumps.

I now have him using a Braun electric like I use

I've had to resort to soap only....it's not that bad actually...couldn't do it on a regular basis

Your a salty sly veteran BA! You could shave with a pocket knife and be good to go!!
Title: Re: First Guys You Knew With Shaved Heads
Post by: BALDANDRE on June 21, 2008, 01:22:37 PM
My old man was the first sly guy I knew. He shaved on a bet in the 70's and like the way it looked. My whole life he had a shaved head.

Its weird to look at his technique now. He shaved with a bic disposable against the grain, with just soap for lather!! No cream! He had zero irriation or bumps.

I now have him using a Braun electric like I use

I've had to resort to soap only....it's not that bad actually...couldn't do it on a regular basis

Your a salty sly veteran BA! You could shave with a pocket knife and be good to go!!

Thanks bro! O0

But I live by the rule that I must represent well to the outside world, so desperate times call for whatever gets you nice, smooth and SLY! 8)
Title: Re: First Guys You Knew With Shaved Heads
Post by: Razor X on June 21, 2008, 02:24:56 PM

But I live by the rule that I must represent well to the outside world, so desperate times call for whatever gets you nice, smooth and SLY! 8)

Yep -- you never know who's going to see you out in public and become the next sly convert because of it.
Title: Re: First Guys You Knew With Shaved Heads
Post by: marty22 on June 21, 2008, 02:51:32 PM
on 2nd thought: my great uncle shaved his scalp in 1969 (he was around 62) and it stunned everyone.
Title: Re: First Guys You Knew With Shaved Heads
Post by: zetaeffe on June 22, 2008, 09:38:38 AM
I guess the first one I saw completely bald was a boy in the 70s.
I remember I was about 10 years old at the time, and he was
4-5 years older than me, he lived in my same street.

Actually he was not shaven, am almost sure he had alopecia,
and was completely sly... can't remember exactly if he still
had his eyebrows or he had lost all the hair from his body
(i know he don't has the brows now, at least the last time
I've seen him around).... anyway am sure it had been very hard
for him at that time, bald was not usual as it's not, and I remember
hearing my mom talking about him with somebody about this
ilness that caused complete hair loss, almost scared about it...

I remember he was taking his hairloss well, at least
from the outside it looked like he was pulling out his baldness
in a cool way... thinking about him now I can only admire his
strenght if I think how hard it should have been for him, expecially
thinking he was 14 and he was in the 70s!

No need to tell that I was really curious about this guy... guess I
already had the wish to be sly at the time... sure it was a look
that fascinated me... I remember that once while we were at a
sumemr camp I asked him if he was Yul Brynner's relative  :o
(how stupid I was... but remember I was a kid at that time...)
and he was cool enough to reply: "Yes, he's my uncle!"  O0
Title: Re: First Guys You Knew With Shaved Heads
Post by: skiking on July 07, 2008, 11:00:27 PM
The first person that I knew that shaved his head was a celebrity in certain circles.  I should keep his name secret because he received a bunch of death threats after writing an autobiography and has been living off the grid for the last 15 years.  While I seriously doubt that anybody here would murder anybody, it is the internet anybody can find stuff if they want to.
Title: Re: First Guys You Knew With Shaved Heads
Post by: slyinglide on August 20, 2008, 02:41:44 PM
I've had to resort to soap only....it's not that bad actually...couldn't do it on a regular basis
[/quote]

When in the Army, and out in the field, I would resort to cold water and my ever present SAFETY RAZOR....God that hurt, but it kept me neat and tidy.

By todays standards that was Barbaric

I knew several bikers back in the late 70's and early 80's they were very confident in their look....
Title: Re: First Guys You Knew With Shaved Heads
Post by: Brkeatr on August 20, 2008, 06:01:50 PM
My wife's uncle whom I met in 1964 and he is now in his 80's and still sly......
Title: Re: First Guys You Knew With Shaved Heads
Post by: Tyler on August 21, 2008, 12:55:34 PM
My dad's high school math teacher visited us when I was about 8 years old.  I think we have a picture of him somewhere, so I'll try to get it and post it up.  The dude rocked the Sly look.
Title: Re: First Guys You Knew With Shaved Heads
Post by: marshd1000 on August 21, 2008, 02:52:48 PM
The first person I met was a fireman for the Boeing Company named Ed.  He had shaved since he was 19 yrs old and he was probably in his 40's when I met in in the early 1990's.  He was a regular customer of mine at a store that I worked at. 

The second was a courier that serviced the same store.  He had very thinning hair and only one arm.  Then one day he showed up shaved and kept it that way as long as I knew him.

The last was a fellow named Lee.  He was a friend of one of my co-workers.  He was a big guy in his 20's.  His nickname was, "Uncle Fester".  He wasn't balding, but rocked the sly look.  Particularly after meeting him, I started seeing the sly look as an option.  Finally in 1997, I took the plunge for an extended period of time.  The rest is history!
Title: Re: First Guys You Knew With Shaved Heads
Post by: schro on August 21, 2008, 03:01:42 PM
The dad of an elementary school friend of mine was the first guy I knew with a shaved head.
He was a very cool guy.
Title: Re: First Guys You Knew With Shaved Heads
Post by: Timmay on August 21, 2008, 08:51:32 PM
First person I ever met or knew that was bald was the owner of our local Ponderosa steakhouse back in oh...prolly 86-87.  His name ..and I still remember it today...MR GOLDTREE.  Man I couldnt stand that guy.  I worked there and he told me that I  had to shave off my mustache that it wasnt acceptable for appearence and for health reasons.  I ignored him.  Heck I was only 16-17 years old I didnt care..hell it was just a job at Ponderosa. He came back about 3 months later and I hadnt shaved it yet.  He grabbed me by the ear and pulled me back to the kitchen and scolded me because I just absolutely ignored him.  I argued teh fact that it was acceptable to have a mustache because I called the local health department. He told me to never step over him again or I would be fired.  I smarted off to him and said  you know...you are just jealous.  Jealous I tell ya...because you cant grow hair!  ...lol  He just turned around and walked away and said I was dismissed for the day!  I didnt care...because it was a saturday.....lol
Title: Re: First Guys You Knew With Shaved Heads
Post by: dog20 on August 21, 2008, 08:54:14 PM
What mustache?  That sharpie above your lip?  :*))
Title: Re: First Guys You Knew With Shaved Heads
Post by: Timmay on August 21, 2008, 08:58:46 PM
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

First person I ever met or knew that was bald was the owner of our local Ponderosa steakhouse back in oh...prolly 86-87.  His name ..and I still remember it today...MR GOLDTREE.  Man I couldnt stand that guy.  I worked there and he told me that I  had to shave off my mustache              sharpie mark above my lip        ( there is that better????)     that it wasnt acceptable for appearence and for health reasons.  I ignored him.  Heck I was only 16-17 years old I didnt care..hell it was just a job at Ponderosa. He came back about 3 months later and I hadnt shaved it yet.  He grabbed me by the ear and pulled me back to the kitchen and scolded me because I just absolutely ignored him.  I argued teh fact that it was acceptable to have a mustache       sharpie mark because I called the local health department. He told me to never step over him again or I would be fired.  I smarted off to him and said  you know...you are just jealous.  Jealous I tell ya...because you cant grow hair!  ...lol  He just turned around and walked away and said I was dismissed for the day!  I didnt care...because it was a saturday.....lol
Title: Re: First Guys You Knew With Shaved Heads
Post by: Alexander215 on September 23, 2008, 08:39:18 PM
5th grade gym teacher rocked the sly look
Title: Re: First Guys You Knew With Shaved Heads
Post by: IRONHORSE on September 25, 2008, 11:43:21 AM
I really don't remember anybody from my everyday life who was sly. But the man who really showed me that the sly look could rock was Stone Cold Steve Austin (WWE Wrestler)   O0
http://www.nationalledger.com/artman/uploads/stone_cold_steve_austin.jpg
Title: Re: First Guys You Knew With Shaved Heads
Post by: herronm on September 25, 2008, 02:30:26 PM
Tyler, BaldAndre, PigPen, Schro, Paul, Rob, Paulie and BaldRob.
Title: Re: First Guys You Knew With Shaved Heads
Post by: Rob on September 25, 2008, 02:40:34 PM
First person I ever really knew with a shaved head was my barber, who was BBC, about 2001.  Before that, I can't say that I noticed much.  The nearest I came to knowing anyone with a shaved head was a guy in college when I was twenty.  He shaved the back and sides and had a bleached flat-top.  I thought it looked really cool, but didnt have the balls to do it myself, even though he tried to encourage me to. 8)
Title: Re: First Guys You Knew With Shaved Heads
Post by: Dan-O-Mite on October 03, 2008, 05:14:34 PM
I've seen a few here and there while I was growing up, but not alot. Once I reached middle school it had become more common and popular. I had met my neighbor Eric who probably has one of the most shadow free domes I have ever seen. Although he wasn't my inspiration to really do it,  if it wasn't for him though I wouldn't be where I am today, so for that I am greatful. He was one of the first thoughs.
Title: Re: First Guys You Knew With Shaved Heads
Post by: time2shine on October 09, 2008, 12:00:44 PM
either my junior high math teacher or my youth pastor.
Title: Re: First Guys You Knew With Shaved Heads
Post by: Shaf on January 12, 2009, 03:36:23 PM
This is annoying  @c3  @c3  @c3
I seem to have a memory block, I can't remember the first sly guy I noticed  in childhood and I'm sure I must've.


More recently, I 'd say buddies from my first year away from home at Uni and there's always Stone Cold Steve Austin !!!
Title: Re: First Guys You Knew With Shaved Heads
Post by: mangosink12572 on December 17, 2009, 01:06:38 PM
Two guys who came into our wine and liquor store when we first opened 17 years ago - - -they were bald as hell and have since become good friends  -I will never forget feeling the top of Glen's head and thinking "boy,that feels great" now he feels my dome and laughs   -   His wife and my "better half"  think we are nuts - - - -
Title: Re: First Guys You Knew With Shaved Heads
Post by: BaldRob on December 17, 2009, 01:26:57 PM
First guy I knew that was sly was a Chief on the USS Bainbridge in 1994ish... He caught a lot of hell for it at the time because the old uniform regulations specifically said you couldn't shave your head.  However, the regs changed and he did it and then had to prove to the CO and CMC that he was within regs, which he was!

And he was the first one that supported me to shave my head, which I did... for about 6 months that time.
Title: Re: First Guys You Knew With Shaved Heads
Post by: BuzzKC on December 17, 2009, 01:54:33 PM
AH, it had to be the hare krishna people at the airport, probably mid 70's.  ;D
Title: Re: First Guys You Knew With Shaved Heads
Post by: FR8TRAIN on December 17, 2009, 04:15:15 PM
AH, it had to be the hare krishna people at the airport, probably mid 70's.  ;D

That would be it for me. But, unfortunately, I certainly saw a plethora of "comb overs" long before I saw my first Sly Guy!
Title: Re: First Guys You Knew With Shaved Heads
Post by: marty22 on December 17, 2009, 06:18:01 PM
two different guys growing up in NYC in 1973. Saw them in W Greenwich Village.
Title: Re: First Guys You Knew With Shaved Heads
Post by: Barbero Pelón on March 24, 2019, 12:54:07 AM
A neighbor called Roberto,19 years old. He lost a bet and his curls...the end result was very shiny and smooth head,with almost no hint of shadow,lucky bastard haha.
Title: Re: First Guys You Knew With Shaved Heads
Post by: clipped on March 24, 2019, 12:19:31 PM
I can safely say that I have not known anyone really well who shaved his head, before I started. That may be a factor in why it took me so long to feel comfortable either clipper or razor shaving...no real, everyday role models.  Plus, I was in a conservative profession at a conservative firm, that felt restrictive, and which I left 10 years ago. At the time, I was pushing the envelope with a buzzcut.  Whatever role models I had came from this site. Sometimes I now see former colleagues, still in that firm at conferences, professionally, etc.  Clipper and razor shaved haircuts are much more common and accepted at that firm now. All for the better. In my age group (mid-60s), I still see more combovers than shaved heads.  I see more clipper and razor shaved heads in younger men of all ages though. And I think that my shaved head makes me appear younger to many people who don't know my age, which is helpful.
Title: Re: First Guys You Knew With Shaved Heads
Post by: bennett11 on March 24, 2019, 03:47:26 PM
Actually the first person i knew with shaved head was myself. back in the 70's.
Title: Re: First Guys You Knew With Shaved Heads
Post by: chrisphilly123 on March 24, 2019, 04:00:12 PM
My old man was the first sly guy I knew. He shaved on a bet in the 70's and like the way it looked. My whole life he had a shaved head.

Its weird to look at his technique now. He shaved with a bic disposable against the grain, with just soap for lather!! No cream! He had zero irriation or bumps.

I now have him using a  electric like I use
I remember my dad shaving his head when I was in grade school. I only ever saw him with hair from old pics in his high school yearbooks. HE also used those plastic BICs with the orange guard and white handle and never complained about nicks or bumps.

Title: Re: First Guys You Knew With Shaved Heads
Post by: Miller1989 on March 24, 2019, 04:17:16 PM
The first guy I knew who really shaved it was my brother in law. I've know lots of guys with tight buzzes, but as he started dating my sister when I was 15, he was the first sly one. My grandpa uses to buzz his head without a guard, but never used a razor. Since I've started shaving, I know several other guys who have followed suit.
Title: Re: First Guys You Knew With Shaved Heads
Post by: chrisphilly123 on March 24, 2019, 04:22:59 PM
My old man was the first sly guy I knew. He shaved on a bet in the 70's and like the way it looked. My whole life he had a shaved head.

Its weird to look at his technique now. He shaved with a bic disposable against the grain, with just soap for lather!! No cream! He had zero irriation or bumps.

I now have him using a  electric like I use
I remember my dad shaving his head when I was in grade school. I only ever saw him with hair from old pics in his high school yearbooks. HE also used those plastic BICs with the orange guard and white handle and never complained about nicks or bumps.
my granddad and uncle were also in the same boat. how ironic is it that as a kid, I never imagined myself in the same situation?!
Title: Re: First Guys You Knew With Shaved Heads
Post by: Sir Harry on March 24, 2019, 07:40:59 PM
I remember in sixth grade back in 1983-84 two guys showed up to school with heads gleaming and bic'd...it even showed in the yearbook pictures back in spring 1984....I shaved my own head for the first time two years later in Spring of 1986....
Title: Re: First Guys You Knew With Shaved Heads
Post by: slybeard on March 25, 2019, 10:28:45 AM
A few guys where I worked shaved before I did.
Title: Re: First Guys You Knew With Shaved Heads
Post by: Tyler on March 25, 2019, 01:46:02 PM
Myself. We used to buzz our head down with a 0 in the beginning of the summer because it was so hot where I grew up. Though, the first person I met with a wet razor shaved head was one of my father's former teachers that visited us when I was a kid.
Title: Re: First Guys You Knew With Shaved Heads
Post by: PDXGuy on March 25, 2019, 01:51:25 PM
First person I really knew with a shaved head was a co-worker in Sales. He said he decided to shave his head so clients would always remember the bald guy.
Title: Re: First Guys You Knew With Shaved Heads
Post by: Barbero Pelón on March 25, 2019, 02:10:12 PM
A few guys where I worked shaved before I did.

What reactions they had when you appeared at work completely smooth?
Title: Re: First Guys You Knew With Shaved Heads
Post by: Ty1963 on April 27, 2019, 12:34:58 PM
I use a Braun  Series for my evening shave, but some days that's all I use I get a great  Shave with that thing!
Title: Re: First Guys You Knew With Shaved Heads
Post by: reddog on April 27, 2019, 01:47:53 PM
When I lived in Florida about 8 years ago, my neighbor/friend was the first person I knew that shaved. He was retired military. I only saw him with a slight horseshoe shadow one time, so he obviously shaved daily.

One evening my gf and I, and he and his wife were sitting around his patio, and the subject of his shaved head came up. His wife said she dated him because he had a shaved head, as she loved them. I told my gf maybe I should shave my head, and she said NOOOOOO!

I never even considered shaving my head until 6 years ago. I was the last guy you would ever think would go sly. Then one summer I was considering a buzzcut, and my next door neighbor shaved his head every couple weeks. One evening I was chatting with him, and he had a great looking fresh bald head, and that was when I thought about trying it. Early the next morning I got up and shaved it all off. You know the rest of the story!
Title: Re: First Guys You Knew With Shaved Heads
Post by: stasiu on April 28, 2019, 05:33:10 PM
That's easy . . . my dad !  When I was five, my dad on a whim cut off his comb over strands and that surprised my mom.  My grade/junior high buddies always liked to rip off his ball cap and rub the bald top and asked what happened to his hair and he'd reply, "one day a gust of wind ripped off my ball cap and wh-o-o-o-sh there went the hair on the top of my head."  Then one day dad had a buddy clipper shave his head and my friends really thought that was so cool.  Of course when mine started going south he started telling me to watch those gusts of wind.  I was 21 and had longish hair combed over and yes combed over with norwood 5.5 bald (1976). I needed a haircut for job interview so I told the barber buzz it down and he told me it would look better with no stray sprigs on top, so he gave me the mpb shave on top and #1 rest.  I come home, take off my ball cap and dad says (as he rubs the bald top), "told you about those gusty winds." It was funny as hell, because that day I had it all buzzed off was a windy spring day! :)
Title: Re: First Guys You Knew With Shaved Heads
Post by: bennett11 on April 29, 2019, 05:07:37 AM
The first white guy who I have seen in person with a shaved head was actually myself in the 1980's.
Title: Re: First Guys You Knew With Shaved Heads
Post by: reddog on April 29, 2019, 06:23:13 AM
Stasiu and bennet, both of you guys were bald in a time that long hair was the norm! I can't imagine how it felt to be so different than most men. I'm sure you both drew plenty of attention.

Stasiu, what a great way to have a bond with your dad. My dad passed when I was 21, in 1975. I had shoulder length hair, and he was always telling me I should get a crewcut.
Title: Re: First Guys You Knew With Shaved Heads
Post by: slybeard on April 29, 2019, 05:45:08 PM
A few guys where I worked shaved before I did.

What reactions they had when you appeared at work completely smooth?

I do not recall any specific reactions from them.  But I was their supervisor, so maybe that kept the comments down.
Title: Re: First Guys You Knew With Shaved Heads
Post by: chrisphilly123 on April 30, 2019, 12:43:36 PM
Outside of my old man and grandfather, I don't recall anyone my age that shaved bald when I first started.

Back in high school, there may have been 2-3 other dudes with thinning hair like me, but I was the most progressed. Lucky me.  LOL

In college there were other a handful of shaved students but the school was big and I didn't know them (they were prob grad students.) Still, it was good knowing there were other baldies on campus, so I didn't feel too eccentric.
Title: Re: First Guys You Knew With Shaved Heads
Post by: Barbero Pelón on May 01, 2019, 12:45:38 PM


In college there were other a handful of shaved students but the school was big and I didn't know them (they were prob grad students.) Still, it was good knowing there were other baldies on campus, so I didn't feel too eccentric.

I bet that they spot you too haha.
Bald guys have a kind of radar.

Title: Re: First Guys You Knew With Shaved Heads
Post by: chrisphilly123 on May 01, 2019, 01:11:02 PM


In college there were other a handful of shaved students but the school was big and I didn't know them (they were prob grad students.) Still, it was good knowing there were other baldies on campus, so I didn't feel too eccentric.

I bet that they spot you too haha.
Bald guys have a kind of radar.
pretty much so. 

And I think the cool-factor is MUCH higher today than it was back my college days.