Quote: Don't care about appearance, that's girl stuff.

You must like rough-and-tumble football, because we're men.

You cook? What are you, homosexual?

Roses!

Shaving one's face is a manly activity. There's just no way around it. The vast majority of face-shavers are men, and the vast majority of men have to shave their face to one degree or another. Needing to shave is one of the landmarks of the journey to adulthood. For me, learning to shave at the sink with my father is another. There are men who shave other areas for a spectrum of reasons. And the rare woman finds the need to remove extra hair from her chin or mustache area. But in general, the shaving of the face is a common ground for men the world over.Another landmark on many boys' journeys to manhood is the embrace of conspicuous masculinity. The central concern of conspicuous masculinity is to be sure that those around you (mostly other men) are aware of just how manly you are.Sadly, a lot of boys never grow out of this attitude, even after they have become (or should have become) men.The Cult of Conspicuous Masculinity loves the idea of traditional wet shaving. A naked or near naked blade, skated skillfully across the face, centimeters from the flow of our life's blood. Manly men, doing manly things! After I shave I can use this razor to.. to.. skin a bear or something!In fairness, that description is true enough, as far as it goes. The complete picture is much more nuanced, and I think more interesting. In the traditional shaving community, I see a lot of behaviors that would provoke disdain and confusion among some of those same Manly Men that I've known, and the young man I used to be. The same men who start their day with a deadly weapon on their neck trade suggestions for aftershave products with the best skin care attributes. We debate which shaving cream has the best rose scent.We offer each other suggestions about which cologne won't clash with the residual smell of our shaving soap. The men doing these things range from teenagers to retirees. Our occupations and vocations range from the the cerebral to the physical. Artists and soldiers swap Clubman stories with retired construction workers.I'm not sure where the popular image of a "real man" took on this character of unconcern about one's person. I was lucky not to get that at home, so I never bought into it after the peer pressures of early high school. I think that care for oneself is vital to self respect, and self respect is the beginning of respect for those around you. Real manliness is about doing your best, caring for those around you, and taking care of what needs to be done. It's about being confident in yourself - confident enough to take action, and to know when you need to call for help.I like the fact that traditional shaving and its related disciplines reinforce that while breaking down the stereotypes of "manliness."