The Edgar Haircut: Blunt Fringe, High Fade & All Variations

The Edgar haircut gets its identity from a single distinctive feature: a blunt, straight fringe cut horizontally across the forehead with scissors held flat — no texture, no layers, no angled ends. That squared-off fringe is paired with a high fade or skin fade on the sides and a precise line-up that defines the forehead hairline and temples with a razor-sharp edge. The result is a bold, geometric shape with maximum contrast between the shaved sides and the flat-topped crown. Originating in Mexican-American communities in the south-western United States, the Edgar — also called the takuache cut or "cuh cut" — spread nationally through social media in the late 2010s and became a staple request in barbershops across the US.

The anatomy of the Edgar cut

Three technical elements combine to make an Edgar recognisable:

• The blunt fringe — scissors are held perfectly horizontal across the front of the hair and a straight line is cut across the forehead, leaving the fringe with a flat, blunt edge rather than a feathered or layered one.
• The high fade or skin fade — the sides and back are faded from skin or a very short guard at the base, with the fade line sitting high (above the temple area). This draws the eye up and emphasises the flat top.
• The line-up — a razor or trimmer is used to create clean, sharp edges at the hairline: across the forehead, along the temples, and at the sideburns. Without a crisp line-up, the Edgar loses its graphic precision.

Edgar cut variations

Classic Edgar

Straight hair lying flat, blunt fringe about 1.5 to 2 inches long sitting across the forehead, high skin fade, and a sharp line-up. The top surface is smooth and the fringe edge is ruler-straight. Works best on type 1 (straight) hair because the fringe lies flat without effort.

Fluffy Edgar

The same blunt fringe and high fade, but the top is left with more volume — often 2.5 to 3 inches — and styled with a blow-dryer to lift and fluff before the fringe is pressed flat. The contrast between the puffed-up crown and the dead-straight fringe is the signature of this variation. Works well on type 2 (wavy) hair that naturally has volume.

Wavy Edgar

Designed for type 2 and type 3 (curly) hair. The top is left long enough for the natural wave or curl pattern to show, and the blunt fringe line cuts through the waves rather than against them. Salt spray or a curl cream enhances the texture on top while the sides stay faded clean.

Edgar with designs

A razor design — a line, geometric pattern, or simple shape — is etched into the fade section on the sides. This is an extension of the line-up work and adds a personalised, custom element to the already graphic style.

Edgar vs. Caesar vs. French crop

The Caesar cut and the Edgar share the blunt fringe idea, but the Caesar is short all over (roughly ½–1 inch on top) with a very short, forward-combed fringe, while the Edgar keeps more length on top and far more contrast at the sides. The French crop has a textured, point-cut fringe that is the direct opposite of the Edgar's straight-scissor bluntness.

How to ask your barber for an Edgar

You need about 1½–3 inches on top. The key details to give are fade height, how short the fade goes, and where the fringe line sits. A copy-paste script:

Prefer something softer? Ask for a mid fade finishing at a #0.5 instead of skin. The high fade guide shows where the fade line sits, and the clipper guard sizes chart explains each number. For more phrasing help, see how to ask your barber.

How to maintain an Edgar at home

1. Between barber visits, use a cordless trimmer with no guard to touch up the line-up along your forehead hairline and sideburns. Only clean up stubble below the existing line — cutting into it pushes your hairline back.
2. If the fringe starts growing past your preferred length, trim it straight across with sharp scissors — hold the hair flat against your forehead and cut in one clean horizontal pass.
3. Style the top with a small amount of pomade or matte cream worked through from roots to ends; press the fringe flat with a palm to maintain the blunt edge.
4. For a fluffy Edgar, blow-dry the crown upward before pressing the fringe flat — doing those two steps in sequence creates the characteristic volume-plus-flat-fringe contrast.

Face shape considerations

The straight horizontal fringe draws a line across the upper face, which effectively shortens the visual length of the face. Oval faces carry it well, and oblong faces actually benefit — the fringe breaks up a long forehead and makes the face look better proportioned. Square faces suit the Edgar because the sharp geometry echoes strong angular features. Round faces should add height to balance the horizontal line: a fluffy Edgar with volume on top and a high fade works better than a flat classic version. Use the face shape guide to confirm the right fringe length for your proportions.