How to Rock A Mohawk

You’ll struggle to find a hairstyle that’ll get you noticed more than the ol’ faithful Mohawk. It’s certainly not for the faint-hearted; it takes a good measure of charisma to pull this style off, but if it’s your sort of thing you’ll certainly get noticed.

The hairstyle’s namesake comes from the Native American tribe who lived in the Mohawk Valley in the State of New York – but that was many moons ago. Today, New York is mostly known for New York City, Long Island and their surrounding suburban and industrialised areas – but the Mohawk Valley is still there, sandwiched between the Adirondack and Catskill mountains.

Similar hairstyles were seen on tribes like the Iroquois and Pawnee, but the Native Americans from Mohawk Valley got it just right. The style has been adapted and re-purposed since then, such as American soldiers wearing it during World War II to sew intimidation, or punk rockers using the style as a symbol of anarchy and rebellion in the 1980’s.

Our skilled barbers won’t have you riding into battle on a Sherman Tank, or singing ‘God Save the Queen’ by the Sex Pistols at family parties; we don’t want to give your nan a heart attack or anything. No, instead we’ll give you a Mohawk you’ll be proud to display – like the plumage of a peacock, if you will.

Mohawk Styles

The Faux-hawk is a modern take, though if you want to go the whole hog you’ll want a classic Mohawk cut.

• Faux hawk – Usually worn with a spike in the middle, the Faux-hawk is basically a Mohawk sans shaving the sides of the head. The sides can be cut to any length, although a gradual fade from short to long, peaking in the middle is the typical style
• Classic Mohawk – It’s defined by its narrow strip of long hair running the length of a scalp, with the sides typically being shaven. Even so, there are some variations. For example, two or three strips of hair can be cut instead of the usual single strip. Also, rather than have the hair standing upright in a single strip, it can be gelled into spikes. For a modern twist, backcombing the Mohawk can create a thin pompadour with shaved sides, or a side parting can be added to the central strip and then backcombed for a fresh style.

Mohawk Styling Tips:

• To get some texture – ask your barber to use point cutting to layer the ends of your hair.
• To get your Mohawk standing – Work through your hair in sections. Use a hair-dryer to blow-dry your Mohawk, teasing it to stand vertical. You can then use a bit of product, like hairspray, to secure it in place.

Kings of the Mohawk

We don’t know how to use watercolour paints to skillfully recreate the Birmingham City Centre skyline, nor do we possess the necessary finesse required to beat six-time fencing World Champion Ulrich Robeiri in individual épée.

But Kings Barbers Club know hair. Visit your local Kings Bartbers Club today for free hairstyling advice. We know what we’re talking about.