The Pencil

“Thin, sharp, and dangerous. The mustache of leading men, jazz cats, and people who own tuxedos.”

Difficulty: Medium Maintenance: High Best on: Oval, Round, Heart, Diamond

The Pencil is a narrow, closely trimmed line of hair that sits just above the upper lip, as if drawn on with — you guessed it — a pencil. There are two classic variants: a single continuous line, and a split version with a shaved gap beneath the nose (the "two…

About History Famous Wearers How to Grow It How to Trim It Grooming Routine

⬆ I Wear This Stach ✂ Stach Care Guide 📖 Read the full How-To Guide →

📌 The Pencil at a Glance

Style: The Pencil mustache
Difficulty: Medium
Maintenance: High
Best face shapes: Oval, Round, Heart, Diamond
Famous wearers: Clark Gable, Errol Flynn, John Waters, Vincent Price, Little Richard and more

About the Pencil

The Pencil is a narrow, closely trimmed line of hair that sits just above the upper lip, as if drawn on with — you guessed it — a pencil. There are two classic variants: a single continuous line, and a split version with a shaved gap beneath the nose (the "two-line" or "Errol Flynn"). Both depend on precise, razor-sharp edges.

Where big mustaches project ruggedness, the Pencil projects polish. It is the mustache of Old Hollywood, swing-era bandleaders, and men who understand that a well-cut suit and a thin mustache can do more than a bushy one ever could. It is also, fair warning, the style most likely to be called "a little much" by your friends. They are wrong. They are just not ready.

History of the Pencil

The Pencil became fashionable in the 1920s and 30s alongside slicked hair and tailored suits. Its clean geometry suited the era's Art Deco aesthetic and the close-up camera of early sound film. Clark Gable, Errol Flynn, Ronald Colman, and David Niven made it the mark of the dashing leading man, and a generation of American moviegoers followed suit.

Black American music culture embraced the Pencil too. Jazz and R&B performers from Duke Ellington to Little Richard wore immaculate thin mustaches that became part of the showman's uniform. In Latin America and Spain, the Pencil ("bigote fino") has remained a classic for decades.

Its later revival owes much to filmmaker John Waters, whose razor-thin line became a trademark of camp and subversion. Vincent Price kept it alive in horror; Prince wore it in his own inimitable way. Today the Pencil surfaces whenever retro style returns: rockabilly, tango halls, and the occasional red carpet. It is never the most popular mustache, but it is always the sharpest.

Famous Pencil Wearers

Face Shapes That Suit the Pencil

OvalRoundHeartDiamond

Face-shape guidance is general. Every face is the right face for a mustache if you commit hard enough.

🌱 How to Grow the Pencil

Growing a Pencil

You do not need much. The Pencil is the most accessible mustache for men with light growth, because you are only keeping a few millimeters of hair. Two weeks of growth is usually enough to start shaping.
Grow the full lip first. Let the whole upper-lip area fill for 10 to 14 days so you can see your hair's natural lines and choose the best position for the Pencil.
Choose your variant. Continuous line: a single strip from corner to corner, sitting right above the lip. Split: the same line with a narrow clean-shaven gap under the center of the nose. The split flatters wider faces; the continuous line suits narrow ones.
Decide the width. The classic Pencil is 3 to 5 mm tall. Thinner reads more vintage; slightly thicker reads more modern.
Shape it. Shave everything above your chosen line, leaving the lip-line strip. Use a precision trimmer or a single-blade razor for the top edge. Trim the remaining strip down to 2 to 3 mm in length with a trimmer guard.
Let it darken. A fresh Pencil often looks faint. Give it 2 weeks of consistent maintenance and the line fills in and reads clearly.

You can have a finished Pencil in under 3 weeks. Maintaining it is the real work.

Read the full How-To Guide →

✂ How to Trim the Pencil

Trimming a Pencil

The Pencil is all edges, and edges blur within a day or two. Plan to touch it up every 1 to 2 days.

Top edge. This is the most visible line. Using a precision trimmer (a "detailer") or a single-blade razor, shave the top edge straight and clean from corner to corner. Keep the line parallel to your lip, following its natural curve. Use a steady hand and good light; a magnifying mirror helps enormously.
Bottom edge. The strip should sit right at the top of the lip, with the bottom edge following the lip's border. Tidy any hairs that grow over the lip with scissors.
Length. Run a trimmer with a 1 mm to 3 mm guard over the strip every 3 to 4 days. The Pencil should be short enough to lie flat and look like a line, not a tiny Chevron.
Ends. Stop the line exactly at the corners of the mouth, or a hair short. Taper the ends slightly to a point for a more elegant finish.
Split variant. Shave the central gap to 3 to 5 mm wide, centered exactly under the septum. Check symmetry from straight on and from both three-quarter angles.

One crooked top edge ruins the effect. If you are not steady, let a barber establish the lines and just maintain them.

🧴 Recommended Grooming Routine

Pencil Care Routine

Daily

Cleanse and moisturize the skin above and around the line; the Pencil exposes a lot of freshly shaved skin, and razor bumps are its main enemy.
Check the top edge. Touch up with a detailer if stubble is visible.
A tiny amount of light pomade or balm, combed through with a small brush, keeps the line lying flat and adds a subtle sheen.

Every 3 to 4 days