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Clipper Cutting Techniques
Men’s and Boys’ Standard Cuts
If you start to delve into the realm of clipper cutting the hair, you’ll soon learn that although the lengths of the haircuts created in your average clipper styles are much shorter, the number of different hairstyles possible is just as varied. At least, the terms for the hairstyles are varied. There are some basics, however, and that’s what we’ll try to focus on here.
The following are some very basic terms used in clipper cutting the hair and what they mean:
Buzz Cut: a haircut that is created by cutting the hair short all over to a uniform length. The hair is generally cut to ¼-inch or shorter. Variations include the Crew Cut (where the hair in front and on top is left a little longer), Butch Cut (a name variation), and Induction Cut (clipper cut to minimal stubble as done on admission into the Armed Forces).
These cuts are all generally uniform in length varying only slightly in the different areas of the head.
 Flat Top: This is a group of cuts that have a range of lengths and finishing techniques. The hair at the top of the head is cut to create a horizontal plane when styled to stand vertically. The cut can be very short, exposing the center top of the scalp and tapered severely on the sides and in the back (sometimes called a horseshoe flattop because of the horseshoe shape of hair created). It could also have sharply edged corners or smoothly rounded ones along the parietal ridge.
  Bowl Cut: This is a long-known style that has come in and out of fashion. Sometimes called a Basin Cut, or a Pudding Bowl Cut, the hair is cut off at a specific point following a line all the way around the head. The cut off point is usually just above the tops of the ears. There are a couple of variants, such as the Dipped Bowl Cut where the cutting line curves downward in back following the line of the crown, and the Undercut where the hair at the cutting line is lifted and the clipper cutting extends up an inch or more beneath the edge to create a freely moving curtain of hair. The hair below the Bowl Cut, Dipped Bowl Cut, and Undercut it usually clipped to 1/8th of an inch or shorter.
Short Back and Sides: Although not always a clipper cut, this style refers to the traditional men’s haircut where the sides and back of the hair are cut short, but the hair on top of the head is left long enough to be combed over and parted as desired. The style often includes bangs.
The following are cuts that are recently popular once more and feature longer hair at the bangs area:
Caesar Cut: The Caesar Cut is generally clipper cut hair to a uniform length of about one inch all over the head, and left slight longer at the forehead edge to be combed downward in straight-edged bangs. The perimeter of the hair follows a traditional man’s cut – around the ears and squared at then neck. There is a variation found in the length of most Caesar Cuts depending on the preferences of the wearer and the density of the hair. Those individuals with more dense hair (thicker) may prefer a shorter cut, but the hair is rarely shorter than ½-inch all over the head.
Recent years have seen the Caesar Cut finished by styling the bangs with gel to stand up at the forehead. In this case, the bangs are usually kept the same length as the rest of the hair.
 Collegiate Cut: Also known as an Ivy League Cut, the Collegiate Cut is a tapered haircut that is shortest at the bottom perimeter of the hair (sides and back) and gradually gains in length from crown to the front forehead area. The bottom of the hair may start as short as 1/8th inch at the neck and bottom sides, increase to ½-inch at the parietal ridge and crown area, and slowly increase to as much as 2 inches or a little longer at the front of the head.
Other Terms:
The following are terms often heard in reference to clipper cut styles along with what they mean:
Fade (or Temple Fade): A fade is tapering of the hair to the shortest possible length of stubble. Usually used with Buzz Cuts, Crew Cuts and Flattop styles, the fade generally starts just below the parietal ridge around the temple area.
White Walls: Another taper cut that goes even shorter than a fade. The hair is tapered to the shortest possible stubble length at a point just below the parietal ridge and the hair below that point is shaved completely with a lather and razor to smooth skin.
Taper: A term that generally refers to a gradually-decreasing lengths of hair – typically becoming shorter as you go down the head to the lower perimeter of the hairline on the sides and back. When referring to the finishing technique of a haircut, tapering means that the hair is cut gradually shorter and shorter but the natural hairline is left in place.
Squared: This term refers to the technique of cutting an artificial line in the perimeter – particularly at the back of the head at the neck. The hair may be tapered above the perimeter, but generally is longer than with a tapered finish to ensure a clean line in the squared off hairline.
Cutting Lengths:
The following are the terms for lengths used most commonly by barbers, and refer to the lengths of various clipper settings and guard attachments:
• #0 (no attachment) - 1/100 inch,
• #1 - 1/8 inch,
• #2 - 1/4 inch,
• #3 - 3/8 inch,
• #4 - 1/2 inch,
• #5 and #6 - special tapering attachments
• #7 - 7/8 inch, and
• #8 - 1 inch.
The relevance of these numerical identification terms is simple to understand. By using standardized terms for the lengths of the guard attachments, a man can walk into almost any barber shop and ask for a “#2 Buzz Cut” and know that he will get his hair clipped to a uniform length of ¼-inch all over the head.
Manufacturers of various clippers use almost universal standardization for the lengths of the guard attachments. There is some variance in length to be found from maker to maker, but the differences in length tend to be around 1/32nd of an inch or less. The variance rarely presents a problem for either barber or patron.
Stacy - Stylist ©Hairfinder.com
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