Joe Frazier, Kenai, AK

Nice 'stache, Joe! That there is the kind of mustache grown to keep Joe's thin-blooded upper lip warm during those cold, Alaskan winters. Even when the nighttime lasts for months at a time, Joe's sweet mouth ornament is sure to bring some sunshine to the land.

Rumor has it that Joe once killed a wolf in the woods using only his bare hands, but he won't say whether or not this lipfur is actually a snip from that wolf's hide. Also not confirmed is whether or not the wolf pictured in the background is that same wolf.

Rumor also has it that Joe's mustache can act as a flotation device on the local Kenai river. Rumor also has it that Joe can spread the wings of his mustache like the majestic bald eagle and soar over the treetops. Rumor also has it that Joe's mustache is the only thing in the universe that can defeat Chuck Norris in a kickfight.

Bring. Back. The. 'Stache.

I’ll say it– I’m a fan of the mustache. Sadly, we saw the ‘stache fall largely by the wayside over the past few decades as pretty boys seemed fixated on primping, grooming, moisturizing, metrosexualizing, etc. in a vain and sissy attempt to one-up the ladies in the looks department. Let the ladies be pretty. Let the men be men. I say — Bring. Back. The. ‘Stache.

Marshall Begel, Madison WI

Nice stache, Marshall! This is a chic look, an homage to the traditional trucker, but with a subtle curve and thickening at the bottom, shaped like the teardrops of men who wish they had such a sweet mustache. Marshall is clearly dedicated to this manly facial feature: it is well defined on an otherwise recently shorn face, and carefully trimmed into shape.

Stacheforge also approves of Marshall's lower lip hair -- a 'shadow' or 'tickler' -- because it is not a beard; a beard grows on the chin; a tickler grows on the lower lip.

Movember Aftermath: Jason Soza, Juneau, Alaska

Nice stache, Jason! A good brown mustache is the perfect finishing touch for this outfit. Notice how the blue hat band goes with the sharp blue shirt, the sharp blue shirt brings out the blue in the jacket, the blue in the jacket is woven into the brown of the jacket, and the brown of the jacket matches the rich color of that deep, brunette lipfur. Stacheforge also fully supports the 'tickler' under the bottom lip, which is not a beard, and thus does not disqualify Jason from being on Stacheforge. The sideburns, finally, are exactly the right length to complete the overall look. Just imagine this photograph without Jason's mouthwarmer -- what a shame that would be!

Movember Aftermath: The Generalissimo

This stringy, pathetic excuse for a mustache is the month-long growth effort by Stacheforge editor Nicholas Keene. Typically, pictures posted to Stacheforge come with a complimentary description and genuine encouragement, but in this case none of that is deserved. This disgusting mustache is a disgrace, a sad shadow of the former glory of The General. Grown as a kind of joke, and a kind of experiment, the result would have to be described as an unfunny joke, or a failed experiment, like homeopathy or reflexology. Nicholas reportedly is in three-party negotiations with his wife and his upper lip as to what variety of mustache will appear next, but Stacheforge readers can all rest easy knowing the next mustache won't look anything like this.

Movember Stache, Week 3: Niegel Smith, London

Nice stache, Niegel! Niegel is a man who knows how to accessorize. Check out the multiple shades of gray blended together for a classic London look. And what goes better with what appears to be three or four scarfs, than a Movember mustache? Besides, with winter coming, bringing cool Atlantic winds and snow, Niegel doesn't want to risk a chilly upper lip when strolling along the Thames. Niegel reports that this is the "before" picture, and if this mustache lasts a bit longer than the end of November, then we here at Stacheforge expect to see a second picture showing an even more stunningly handsome stache. Are we the only ones who think Niegel also needs a monocle?

Movember Staches, Week 1

The first week of Movember has passed and this photo shows two of the resulting mustachelets. One month is hardly enough time to grow a sweet stache, and one week is barely enough time to see the difference between the lip fur and the smooth-shorn face. Nevertheless, it's easy to see that the world will improve by a measure of two mustaches by the time this race is run.

Pictured here are Doug Graham and Nicholas Keene.