Eric Phillippi & Jimmy Bero, Madison, WI

Nice stache, Eric! Nice stache, Jimmy! Wow, these men are taking facial hair to a new level.

That's Eric on the left; Jimmy on the right. This dynamic duo developed these hirsute visages for Mustache March at Blackhawk Church, which might or might not be the same as this Mustache March. Jimmy explains it this way:

Every Sunday, our church youth group gets together, and we decided to celebrate Mustache March by having all our high school students and leaders come with mustaches. The staches ranged from stick-ons bought on Amazon to ribbon taped below the nose. Someone actually glued their own hair cut from their head onto their face. Simply an epic night.

Stacheforge is excited to recognize Mustache March as a legitimate complement to Movember. Stacheforge is also excited to mention Mustache May, but Stacheforge is much less excited about the pretender mustache-themed months, with websites found only on Facebook: Mustache February, Mustache July, Mustache September, Mustache October, and Mustache December. It is true, however, that any month is good for showing off a homegrow soup strainer.

Eric's chinhair is dangerously close to being a beard, but Stacheforge is willing to round it down to "tickler" status because of the truly epic nature of that manly facial stripe! The mustache itself, too, dances with the boundaries of what it means to be be a mustache, but definitely qualifies, because it is disconnected from both sideburns. Jimmy doesn't play fast and loose with the rules the way Eric does: his mustache is a traditional throwback style, distinct on an otherwise closely shorn face.

Lynn Hauldren, RIP

It is with enormous sadness that Stacheforge acknowledges the passing of Lynn Hauldren, spokesman for the Empire flooring company. Although Lynn is most widely known as "The Empire Man", Stacheforge readers will remember him for having an awesome mustache. Rest in peace, Mr. Hauldren.

India's love affair with the mustache

Mo, tash, ‘stache, lip caterpillar, slug, even snickering cockroaches (as a pitiful poet once called Stalin’s). Call it what you will, the mustache comes with a fair dollop of history -- and mirth -- wherever it grows. From Magnum PI-styled symbol of virility to Borat-esque nose-tickler, the mustache shouts "pride" louder than most hairstyles. And nowhere is man's dedication to the hirsute upper lip more apparent than in India.

Announcement: Stacheforge Purchased By Logic Masons, LLC of Madison, WI

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Logic Masons LLC Acquires Stacheforge.com For Undisclosed Sum

MADISON, Wi, April 25, 2011 - Logic Masons LLC of Madison, WI announced today that it has agreed to acquire Stacheforge.com, the world's leading online mustache gallery, for an undisclosed sum of cash and stock options. Following the acquisition, Logic Masons will assume complete editorial control over Stacheforge.

The acquisition combines one of the largest and fastest growing online mustache destinations with Logic Mason's expertise in developing web properties for maximum exposure and monetization. The new leadership will focus on growing the Stacheforge brand, bringing Stacheforge to new markets, and being generally stachetastic.

"Stacheforge.com has grown into the number-one website for men with sweet, sweet lipcovers" said Logic Masons in a statement early Monday afternoon. "Stacheforge will complement our mission to feature mustaches that are worthy of public attention."

The value of the acquisition was not released, but some analysts estimate that it could be as high as $5-$6 million in combined stock and cash. Stacheforge.com joins a growing family of web properties controlled by Logic Masons.

Former editor-in-chief Nicholas Keene will stay on at Stacheforge, continuing to be the public face of the website. Comments and questions can be submitted to Nicholas, but please remember that on Stacheforge, there are no beards allowed.

Bodystache

Some readers will be familiar with this example of a bodystache, but now there is a new bodystache champion. Stacheforge endorses both of these as legitimate mustaches: they meet on the upper lip, and join neither the sideburns nor under the chin. This is the first time, however, that anyone at Stacheforge has seen a mustache that grows below the knees.

Jerry Begel, Oak Park, Michigan

Nice stache, Jerry! Nice stache, Marshall! Today Stacheforge is honored to feature its first father-and-son mustache team. Marshall says that it was his father's idea to shave down to matching pencil mustaches. Readers will remember the first time we featured Marshall, he sported a bell-bottom trucker stache as shown in the "before" picture, and the look on his face suggests he was apprehensive about giving it up. That is understandable because mouthbrows can be hard to grow and hard to make look good. Luckily, the look on his face in the 'after' picture suggests he was happy with the change and nobody can deny that the Begel boys have what it takes to rock this under-appreciated mustache style.

We here at Stacheforge approve of the pact, no matter how it was conceived, because it caused Jerry's beard to turn into Jerry's mustache. Sure, his beard was okay for a beard, but like the statue David emerging from a block of Michelangelo's marble, Jerry's awe-inspiring bright-white lipfrost emerged from the beard. Marshall's traded in a substantial facial drape for a much more refined and understated mouthliner, each of which have been meticulously sculpted and look great. Remember, the worth of a mustache is not counted in whiskers.

Jerry and Marshall join the ranks of other great men who have worn this distinctive style of facial hair, including John Waters, Vincent Price, Prince, Wayne Newton, and Sean Penn.

Paul Soglin, Madison, WI

Nice stache, Paul! Mr. Soglin is running for mayor of Madison, Wisconsin. Paul was also mayor of Madison from 1973-79, then again from 1989-97. He ran for a third time in 2003 and was narrowly defeated by current incumbent Dave Cieslewicz -- who, let it be said, does not have a mustache. The two men are in a sort of rematch in the current mayoral race for which elections will be held on April 5, 2011.

Wow, if Stacheforge has its facts straight, that mustache has been hanging out for a long time. If mustaches are back in style, they are back from last time they were in style, in the 1970s, when Paul was in college, which apparently is when that caterpillar first climbed onto Paul's lip. Although many of his peers chickened out and shaved when the style passed, Mr. Soglin dedicated his face to that bad boy. Soglin's 'stache shares something in common with Soglin's suits: although each evolved with the vagaries of fashion, each are a lasting part of Paul Soglin's look. His mustache became wider at times, and more trim at times. When some salt was dropped into the salt-and-pepper color, Paul proudly wore it like a champion, like a silverback gorilla -- although, ironically, silverback gorillas do not grow mustaches.

Mr. Soglin has been well known in Madison as an activist since his college days, and is well respected for improving the city during his stints as mayor. In the opinion of Stacheforge, however, none of that is as important as the constancy and respect that Soglin's mustache brings to the city of Madison. As we wait for the April election to see whether the people of Madison elect Soglin mayor, Stacheforge endorses that mustache as candidate for awesomeness.