LGSOTD 15-Jun-24

• Brush: Omega - 10049 #HOLLOW #OLDWORLD
• Razor: Wolfman - WR3 OC 0.50 Basic Polish #CNC #MODERNGEM
• Blade: Personna - GEM PTFE
• Lather: Ariana & Evans - The Novelist
• Post Shave: Ariana & Evans - The Novelist AS
• Fragrance: Histoires de Parfum - 1899

I would probably have preferred to use this on dupe day, I love HDP 1899. It's one of the few original EDPs I own and would certainly buy again.

I did my best to knock this down in the last couple of weeks prior to the games kickoff. Though there is still enough for a healthy number of shaves. That being said the challenge should be able to knock that number down somewhat.

Opted for the WR3 today as well, the aesthetics aren't for everyone but I like the heft to it. The polar opposite of the Vestige, and nowhere near as manouverable, but the added weight makes it effortless. This is one of those razors where the 'zero pressure' rule almost applies.

Challenge - Water Day

I've only used the boar a couple of times so it managed to dig a fair old chunk out. Cracked on with the shave and two swipes in it started to clog. Knocked a bit off and carried on, finished up the first pass and needed a serious rinsing. Took over a minute to rinse the thing out,(don't worry I sped up the video so it's only around 15 seconds). Rinse and repeat for the remaining ATG pass.

Though I was singing the WR3's praises with it's additional heft, with this particular challenge it is a dire drawback. Negative pressure would have been preferable, but to do that I wouldn't be employing the Air Bud Rule...sorry no, not I, I'll just deal with a crap shave. Today made me look back fondly on the canned goo(p) day!

I'm self-declaring out of tomorrows surprise challenge. Sadly the Mrs can't stand blokes with shaved legs, and as much as I'd like to get extra points I do have to set my priorities.

Photocontest

In honour of the theme, I'm throwing in the 'Donut' (Doughnut) for today's effort.

Have a good kick off to the weekend all!

Cheers

Marc

** 15.06.2024 **

• Brush: Mühle 21mm Rytmo #OLDWORLD #WEDONTNEEDNOSTINKINGBADGERS
• Razor: Wacker Best Tradition 6/8
• Blade:
• Lather: Gentleman's Nod - Musashi
• Post Shave: Gentleman's Nod - Musashi
• Post Shave: Mühle alum stone

I really don't have near to end soap. I don't shave really often. So this soap is gift from u/NingenShikkaku000. He generous gives to a lot of people samples and I have half soap. So this is near to death in my collection. I love the brand its my favorite! Love the base and scents are awesome! I am big fan to Shinmen Takezō to. Known as Miyamoto Musashi. I am so glad that I have this soap for today challenge. I have to go with pasty sticky lather. The base of the soap is soft and I just spread on my face. Squeezed previously soaked badger and shake it hard. Lather on face and became so sticky paste but so silky. Razor was sliding like quarterback between legs of cheerleader.

• Prep: Warm Shower
• Brush: Stirling Two Band Synthetic
• Razor: Van Der Hagen 85mm Safety Razor
• Blade: Gillette Nacet
• Lather: HC&C - Ladies' Man
• Post Shave: Van Der Hagen - Unscented Aftershave Balm
• Frag: HC&C - Ladies' Man EDP

LG Day 15- Near Death Experience

• Brush: AP Shave Co Deep Blue 26mm G5C
• Razor: Karve Brass CB SB-C
• Blade: Rapira Platinum Lux (7)
• Lather: Crown & Crane - Green Tea
• Post Shave: Eleven - Sicilian Lemon facial toner
• Post Shave: Eleven - Unscented AS balm

Between last year's AA and some hardcore usage in May, I've got about a third of a tub left of this soap. And yes, that's the farthest along toward a kill of anything in my den right now. Sad but true.

As far as the Daily Challenge goes, I tried to make a dry lather but failed. I thought I got all the water out of the brush, but apparently there was just enough to end up with serviceable but definitely not dry lather. I prefer something more drippy. This lather did cling to the razor like a damn tree sloth though.

Try to enjoy your day and remember to be kind to one another.

Near Death Experience

• Brush: Zenith 506B MB (27 mm × 51 mm Manchurian badger)
• Razor: Fatip - Lo Storto - Testa Dentata
• Blade: Mühle
• Lather: Mickey Lee Soapworks – The Kraken
• Post Shave: Zingari Man – Nomad
• Fragrance: Imaginary Authors – Every Storm a Serenade

Theme: The Kraken was a PIF I received three years ago and it's a true zombie: it qualifies as "Near Death" by this year's theme definition (Photographic evidence with podophilic material for my co-djudges u/J33pGuy13 and u/VisceralWatch) and qualified as dead ("Rest in Pieces") in previous iterations for being unobtainium by a defunct vendor.

Relevant post and frag: I'm leaning into the nautical theme here. Kraken is (aside the obvious branding) an aquatic scent, Nomad is a Bay Rum, and Every Storm a Serenade is a green aromatic scent, that is still nautically themed for some reason, inspired my an obsession with Ulv, a Danish Seafarer.

Challenge: I went pasty today. Really a sad affair with this new to me Zenith brush (second use today) which encouraged me to take my time and build a beautiful wet lather. Alas, tomorrow, my pretty butterscotch.

Judge seems to forget that stacking day was the day before. Additionally, Judge provides photographic evidence of his NDE soap by posting a photo of it that includes his feet and perhaps some hair (or maybe my laptop screen is dirty). Finally, for the record I get teary-eyed whenever MLS comes up.

2024-06-15 - One must imagine their lather wet

• Lather: Mickey Lee Soapworks - Grand Havana
• Post Shave: Summer Break Soaps - Valedictorian
• Fragrance: House of Mammoth - Tobacconist
• Razor: Rockwell 6S #ADJUSTABLE
• Brush: Yaqi Metal Timberwolf

Unifying Theme: Tobacco

Near Death Experience: Who else spent their May working down a tub so that they would have something clear and indisputable for today's theme? Who else did that with unobtanium?!
Soap is meant to be used, and just about all of my soap is nearly full. Grand Havana is one of my oldest, though, so it may have already been the right soap for today, I still thought I'd make sure it was unambiguous.

Water Day: What better way to appreciate said unobtanium than by depriving it of its effective function?

It's like they used to say 'round here: "If your lather ain't nearly drippin`, then maybe you should add more water to it, but be mindful that water quality isn't the same everywhere and that that necessarily affects qualities and consistency of the lather."

#FOF
I feel like Grand Havana might be more on the floral side of tobaccos. Honestly, it's not my favorite, and I hesitate to say whether it would be in my top 10 of tobacco scents, not to say I've ranked them. Meanwhile, Valedictorian may be in the top 5. It's not pure tobacco, but the tobacco is indeed the star. There's almost a sweetness to it that makes me think it's what Kaw's Merchant of Tobacco could only hope to be, but then the tobacco comes back reminding me that that's what this scent is all about.

Tobacconist is, of course, number 1, nearly perfect with its nearly pure humidor experience.

#photocontest Earth
I imagine some people have already used random ground-stones from the wilds. I won't, because the air outside is made of death, and I have no desire for an encounter with death. I happened to already have these perfectly round stones, not entirely unlike that which we see here pushed up the hill by Happy Sisyphus.

This is actually relevant to today. Many of us are already familiar with Sisyphus and his eternal torment of pushing a boulder up a hill, only for it to roll back down again, rinse/repeat (it's not unlike the very process of shaving).

Only slightly fewer of us, especially on reddit, may be familiar with Albert Camus' take on the meaningless toil of Sisyphus, positing that "one must imagine Sisyphus happy."

Fewer still, I suspect, are aware of how he wound up with this tidily applicable punishment:
He imprisoned Death.

Death showed up to take Sispyphus away in chains, but Sisyphus was like, "Man, those lousy chains sure suck donkey dick," but Death put them on himself to prove him wrong like, "No, see, even I can't get out of these chains; they're pretty sweet." So Sispyhus kicked Death into his basement and Death couldn't escape because chains.

With Death trapped, no one could die, and everyone lived ~~happily ever after~~ literally forever.
The End

• June 15
• Brush: Chisel and Hound – 26mm AP Shave Co Synbad
• Razor: Gem 1912
• Blade: Gem
• Lather: Grooming Dept – Earl Grey Gelato
• Post Shave: Noble Otter – The Noir et Vanille
• Fragrance: Chatillon Lux – Rose Santal

Starting off with Grooming Dept’s Earl Grey Gelato soap, I felt like I was about to whip up a sweet treat instead of a shaving lather. My mystery brother-in-law, Los Dupe, gifted me this soap a little while ago and after using it, I was hooked. It’s no surprise to me it’s my most used soap and it’s actually going to be pretty sad when it runs out. The scent of Earl Grey tea with a creamy gelato twist is delightful. It’s like my face was enveloped by an Italian gelateria. The lather was puffy and dry today, but that made it look like a scoop of the finest gelato in Italy. So the challenge today wasn't ALL negative. The citrusy bergamot and sweet cream notes created a refreshing and mouthwatering experience.

Next up was Noble Otter’s The Noir et Vanille splash. Imagine finishing the sweet appetizer of Earl Grey Gelato and now we’ve moved on to sipping a cup of dark, rich tea while nibbling on a vanilla bean pastry—this splash captured that essence perfectly. As I applied it, my face was enveloped in a warm, comforting blend of black tea and vanilla, with just a hint of berries and spices. It was like stepping into a cozy café on a crisp autumn day. The splash had a perfect balance of warmth and sweetness, calming my skin and leaving it feeling smooth and rejuvenated. It was as if my face had just received a five-star treatment at a high-end patisserie.

To finish this olfactory banquet, I reached for Chatillon Lux’s Rose Santal EdT. This fragrance brought a sophisticated touch to the mix, combining the romantic allure of roses and black tea with the earthy elegance of sandalwood. One spritz, and I felt like I was walking through an opulent rose garden, sipping yet ANOTHER cup of tea with the subtle, grounding scent of sandalwood underfoot. It was the perfect way to round off the shave, adding a layer of refined elegance to the sweet and comforting notes from the soap and splash. The rose and sandalwood danced together perfectly, creating a scent that was absolutely wonderful.

Challenge: I made my lather very dry today and didn’t enjoy it. It reminded me of the old days when I used Cremo every day. The Grooming Dept soap usually needs a lot of water, so depriving it of that really made my shave a lot rougher than it should ever be.

Today I shaved with Ogallala Bay Rum and Sweet Orange and an Omega boar brush. I used an old type with a Polsilver blade. I followed up with Chatillon Lux La Petite Prairie aftershave and a shot of Stirling Iniquity.

June 15, 2024 – It’s worse than that. He’s dead, Jim.  

• Brush: Aurora Grooming LG 2024 with 26mm AP Shave Co. Pure Bliss #FRANKENBRUSH #PREMIUMPLASTIC #SHD #FAUXFUR #SUBBROOSH  
• Razor: Gillette Superspeed  
• Blade: 7 O’Clock – Sharpedge (Yellow) (4)  
• Lather: House of Mammoth – Hygge  
• Post Shave: House of Mammoth – Hygge  
• Fragrance: House of Mammoth – Hygge  

Today we kill Tubs! Well, some of us will. At least I will. Killing a tub is one of the hardest things for us to do. Now it should be easy, just buy a soap and use it. But as we all saw on den day, we have too many soaps. So, few make it across the finish line.

Enter: Austere August. See by forcing ourselves to use just one soap, we can make a dent in something and at least get close to killing it. That’s how I got here. Except after AA there was still about half this tub left. So also Mandatory May.

Actually, let’s go back a bit. This tub has a history, and you should know it. See, when I entered the hobby in Sept/Oct 2022, Stirling was still the go to starter kit. I already had a razor and brush so I ordered sample soaps and splashes. I instantly realized I liked the scent component of the hobby. Right about then Will announced The Four Horsemen. This seemed intriguing and, War sounded like going to the range in the morning (hot metal! Gunpowder! YES!). So, my first hit with FOMO I ordered all 4 samples. They came, I recoiled. I decided maybe I should just never buy anything but Stirling products again. (Indeed, I wouldn’t buy any B&M products for probably close to a year after that.) Then u/120inna55’s software went up for sale. I was new (and still lurking) so I waited until everyone picked out their unobtanium. Then I looked at what was left. I oscillated back and forth, after all I had just got burned by some scents. I read inna’s reviews finally I decided the price was low enough I pulled the trigger on Hygge, Summer Storm, and Ghost Town Barber. All well received scents here.

When they arrived I was cautious, I opened up GTB, it was good! I used it a lot. I opened Summer Storm, it hits that Midwest grass after a storm note. Then I opened Hygge. I instantly fell in love. Something about the scent resonated with me. Fast forward a bit more, covid, anosmia, LG2023 to Austere August. I decided to use Hygge the entire month. I don’t regret it. I didn’t tire of the scent. It’s still one of my favorites. And it shows. It’s the only scent I’ve been able to get to this level. It was the only full tub (admittedly used) that even had a ring of death on it when LG24 was announced. So, I set to get it to one last shave today. I used it for most of May (finishing about a week before LG.

In preparation u/djundjilla was kind enough to run the usage numbers This will be the 73rd recorded use (he ran those a day before I stopped using it). Keep in mind, I was using this before I posted here, this was a used tub, and I’ve smushed a few times out of it. The actual usage is probably over 90. Taking that into account my den has probably 2-3 years worth of Mammoth Soap, just Mammoth. That’s why it’s so hard to kill a tub.

So, this is my first kill, (tagging u/visceralwatch) I should do something special. First for #fof, I’m going to trifecta, because it’s a great scent and appropriate now that I cannot trifecta until I buy more. And a 21 Spray Salute! What’s a 21 spray salute? Well, it’s like a 21 gun salute, except with fragrance. u/mammothben sent out room sprayers as add ons with Santa Noir orders and guess what I got Hygge! Now, my first floor has 3 rooms, if you don’t count the kitchen (because food), so that’s 7 sprays per room. Sorry family, house is gonna smell great for a while. READY…AIM…SPRAY! As for #photocontest, well I guess the empty tub is Trash now, or I’ll repurpose it (as the theme suggests) into something else. Sample storage maybe? I did record the date of the kill.

And the challenge. Well, I’ve been working on better, wetter lather so I guess we’ll reverse that today and go pasty. But keeping in mind I only have the soap I have, no more no less. But in my experience, synth, place face lather with no actual water=pasty. So this is my result.. My lather looks like I stuck an albino porcupine on my face. Good thing tusk is a forgiving base and you always get a good shave.

June 15, 2024

• Prep: House of Mammoth Embrace Doppio Bath Soap
• Brush: Dogwood Handcrafts 26mm Elite Manchurian White Fan
• Razor: J.A. Henckels Friodur 472 13/16 Full Hollow Square Point
• Edge: Griffith's (13)
• Lather: Southern Witchcrafts - Samhain - Soap
• Post Shave: Southern Witchcrafts - Valley of Ashes - Aftershave

5g of Samhain left. The end is nigh. Loaded 2g of soap for this shave. A bit overkill, but I love how creamy this base can get. SW++.

June 15, 2024 - Near Death Experience

FOF

• Brush: Yaqi Cola 22mm Synthetic
• Razor: Game Changer .68P
• Blade: Gillette Nacet
• Lather: Mäurer & Wirtz - Tabac Original (Tallow)
• Post Shave: Thayers Facial Toner - Unscented
• Fragrance: Mäurer & Wirtz - Tabac Man EdT

Today’s Theme:

This was almost a coin toss for which soap was closest to death. A few weeks ago, it may have been a four way race, but I refilled Rawr and Barrbarr. So it was down to Sonder and Tabac. Using my well calibrated eyeball, I decided that Tabac was the closest. Plus I already have a second tub of Sonder that I got for August. Yesterday I almost killed the tub of Sonder anyway in my tower collapse yesterday. The lid is broken, but still kind of functional. For the post shave it was down to Thayers. Either cucumber or unscented are the lowest. Putting them together, unscented won by about 1/4” or ~6mm. For the fragrance it was tricky again. My most used full size bottles are Tabac Original and Tabac Man. Since original is 100ml bottle and Man is 50ml, I went for Man.

Today’s Challenge:

Why? Just why would anyone shave with a pasty lather? Soap needs water to be slick. Slick lets the razor glide over the skin. On Youtube you see a fair amount of dry lather, but a thick dry lather looks better on video than slippery, drippy soap suds. When I make my lather, I’d rather get it a little too wet than a bit dry. Visually, I want it to be like the ribbon stage in cooking. You can make a trail in it, but it will self level fairly quickly. To get the pastiest lather I could, I barely wet the brush, and started whipping that soap like I hated it. Really it’s more like I hated my face. What I ended up with was a thick foam like over whipped egg whites. Kind of like the dry foam left after breaking a meringue. The shave was awful. On my face it was sticky. This kind of lather protects the whiskers more than the skin. The razor dragged through the mess, and not sure how successful it really was. This paste of a lather managed to pack itself tightly into the razor. This was just a gummy mess of a shave. -5/10. Now the post shave was delightful. Since Thayers is one of the best bargains in post shaves, I gave myself a couple healthy splashes to sooth my irritated face.

Feats of Fragrance:

Really the theme took out most of the choice away from me. Tabac is a fairly divisive scent. You either love it or hate it. I love it. The powdery funkiness is ok by me. Like u/cowzilla3 would say about Old Spice, Tabac itself is practically a scent note. Sure you can find descriptions saying it has lavender and citrus, but you need a super nose to break anything out distinctly. Now Thayers Unscented does not add to the mix, but if they were closer to death, rose petal or lavender would pair well with Tabac. That’s mostly what I used before I got a bowling pin full of the aftershave. The Tabac fragrances let more notes materialize, but still my nose has trouble picking up a single thing. Tabac Man gives me kind of a lemony, green, powdery impression. I like it, but maybe you think my opinion is suspect since I like Tabac. Some people liked the Four Horsemen scents. YMMV.

Pictures have been added.

June 15, 2024 – Lather Games!

• Brush: Generic Ivory Brush w/ 30mm Timberwolf Synthetic.
• Razor: YPM – Winning Razor Mk2, polished, tattooed ("The Emperor's Shave!") #CNC #TITANIUM
• Blade: Gillette Winner Stainless (1).
• Lather: Chiseled Face – Midnight Stag
• Aftershave: Chiseled Face – Midnight Stag
• Fragrance: Chiseled Face – Midnight Stag

This tired tub is what remains from last year's Austere August, and as you can see it is serving the final days on the front lines. It's magnificent as always, and my previous label has gotten me thinking: I ought to do a mash-up of this and Banana to see how it goes later. As it is, we get a nice finish with what is left of the soap. (I've also reserved this brush exclusively for 'Stag.)

#Challenge: https://ibb.co/F8SdpH6

Really runny lather when I added extra water, much bubbles and air. So I used a pre-shave soap for a decent finish.

#LatherGames

Bonus:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cb9uqlr7b4Q ← James Cameron Reveals New Information About Titanic Sub Disaster | 60 Minutes Australia

June 15, 2024 – Lather Games 2024 Day 15: Near Death Experience

• Brush: Omega 50068 Bambino #SMOLL #RUNT
• Razor: Gillette Travel Tech K-1 #STAINLESSLESS
• Blade: Gillette Super Blue (1)
• Lather: Mäurer & Wirtz – Tabac
• Post Shave: Mäurer & Wirtz – Tabac
• Fragrance: Mäurer & Wirtz – Tabac – EdC

Use of Theme: Near Death Experience

My Stank Tank is nearly dead, and is the most nearly dead soap I have in my inventory. It is the old tallow formula and I may be lucky to still find some to replace it. I’d love to say that my bottle of aftershave is almost dead, but it is the magic 300mL non-exhausting, everlasting bottle. I can’t seem to deplete it no matter how much I use, and that is okay. Same for the EdC and I sprayed it on real good this morning. We’re in the country for Mrs_Donut’s annual family reunion and they will soon get to experience the glory that is Stank.

Daily Challenge: Water Day

I lathered it on extra dry and pasty this morning. Probably my best shave yet.

Have a glorious day and be kind to one another.

Near Death SOTD:

• Razor: Blackland Blackbird Ti
• Blade: Leaf Super Platinum (4)
• Brush: Rubberset 200-4
• Lather: Summer Break Soaps - History 101
• Aftershave: Summer Break Soaps - History 101
• Fragrance: Chatillon Lux - Admiral

I've been on a kick of killing soaps off over the last couple of years. I usually rotate between a random soap and one I'm killing. This year I've killed off my OG tub of Teacher's Pet and a DFS Exclusive done by Barrister and Mann. Prior to the Lather Games I was focused on killing off the matching splash to the BaM exclusive. Since I didn't have an active kill in progress in the soap department I went with my OG History 101 as I believe it is probably the lowest of the soaps on my shelf. This tub actually comes from the very first production batch of SBS shave soap ever, so it is OG as OG gets in the SBS world. I'm still trying to decide what I'm going to kill off after the games are over. The top contenders are probably Rawr and No. 22 as I've never killed off a tub of NO or CG.

Challenge: Yeah, I totally forgot about the challenge today, but I would have struggled with it because this soap base is just so good it's hard to make bad lather with it. I really should tell the maker how awesome he is.

OP tells it how it is. Indeed, great soap base.

OP tells it how it is. Indeed, great soap base.

LG SOTD 15Jun2024

• Brush: Yaqi Mojito - 24mm two band synthetic
• Razor: Gillette - 109 Super Adjustable (1970) #ADJUSTABLE
• Blade: Personna - Lab Blue
• Lather: Cella - Bio Organic (Green)
• Bowl: CaYuen - Dark Nebula, large
• Post Shave: Afta by Mennen - Aftershave Lotion, Original

Happy Saturday, beautiful people! Welcome to the fifteenth shave of the 2024 Lather Games. Today's theme is “Near Death Experience ” where we shave with whatever lather we have a tub of that is closest to being killed.

That is an easy pick - my tub of Cella green was the second shave soap I bought. Between the donations to my soap base PIFs and shaving, the tub is mostly gone.

For reasons, I did not change up the planned razor upon reading the daily challenge; I may regret that. I will be trying out a 1970-P2 Gillette 109 Super Adjustable with pasty lather 😅. This is not as nice as the Lady Gillette but it is still in very good condition for something that entered the world before me. A bit of tarnish & pitting on the upper handle and some pitting on the underside of the base plate is the worst of it, the business parts are in fantastic condition. I’m eager to try it as I am mostly sure it was an 84 Super Adjustable that my father had in the medicine cabinet and I tried (badly) while learning to shave. Kind of full circle - as a teen I tried this razor and went with the Atra cartridge razor, now I return to it decades later as an adult and experienced wet shaver to use it for an exhibition shave 🤔

The daily challenge is an amuse the judges for another 0.16% of your score challenges. Anyone that would choose to participate is stuck with the bad path and the panel knew it. May as well call this challenge “Fu*k Your Face!!!”

I hope this counts because it was the worst lather I’ve deliberately put to my face in memory. Turned foamy worked in, thin, dried quickly. Worst of all, none of that sweet creaminess you get when you’ve matched structure to hydration. I hated this lather. That unnatural blob on the brush stayed unchanged throughout the shave 🤮

I hope it’s a good thing I have the 109 planned for two more dates where there will (hopefully) be no more “FU Face!” challenges 😅, because no surprise today was not unlike that proto shave of yore and left my face more angry than it’s been in a long while. I want to assume that was the shite lather and not the razor. The Afta did a good job calming my face down.

Uncomfortable shave aside - cheeks weren’t too bad - detected no issues with the razor. Played with settings 3-5 on the adjuster, could tell there were differences, but all the iterations were not great with the lather. Very minor nick on left side of my face near where I got myself with the Lady Gillette - something different in the vintage Gillette head geometry and my face I’ll need to pay attention to tomorrow.

Enjoy the weekend!

who is your god now

• Razor: ruby adjustable set to 1
• Lather: barrister and mann - Seville
• Brush: no scrub industries HAND brush #topl #oldworld #composite

I have a confession to make.

Its something a bit embarrassing and I've been a bit ashamed to talk about it on the sub. It's hard to admit but I've been visiting since other subs. In incognito mode. I've found myself staring at the ceiling wondering how the lather got their and wondering if there's another way. I've been worrying about your judgemental attitude and well I just can't do it anymore.

I'm u/enndeegee and I'm dry-curious

I'm not dry dry, at least I don't think I am, but I do think that you know, every now and then going dry is the right thing for me. Or at least I think it's an attractive proposition.

So today with the appropriate daily challenge, I figure why not satisfy my urges. Soap because it's my first time and I want to go easy. Smart for the razor setting.

I know that's not going fully dry but baby steps.

Rub soap on face (twice because you fuck up the video), then a one pass shave like youve never had a one pass shave before. After the first little irritating bite it was the smoothest shave known to man. ^1

u/iamsms has been dethroned.

I AM YOUR INDIAN LATHER GOD NOW

^1 It definitely wasn't because the razor became almost immediately clogged and wasn't cutting at all

Judges: Seville is my nearest death tub - check out my pre games shaves for proof it's the one I'm trying to kill

My hand is made of lots of different materials and my nails are a different colour to my skin so qualifies for composite, the fingers are longer than 60mm so they're toll and I'm from the old world.

User takes soap out of tub, rubs it on face without water and then shaves.

NDG really delivered with the video here.

And surprisingly, appears to be on theme.

• Lather: Noble Otter - Northern Elixir
• Brush: AP Shave Co 24mm SynBad
• Razor: Merkur 37c
• Blade: Gillette Silver Blue
• Post Shave: Declaration Grooming - Yuzu/Rose/Patchouli Splash
• Post Shave: Zingari Man - Unscented After Shave Balm

June 15, 2024 – 2024.06.15 SOTD: Lather Games Day 15 – Near Death Experience

• Brush: Paragon Shaving Plisson knot (28mm) with Paragon handle
• Razor: Blackland Era (SB 3)
• Blade: Wizamet (3)
• Lather: Chiseled Face – Banana
• Post Shave: Spearhead Shaving Company – Seaforth! Sea Ice Lime
• Fragrance: Yves Saint Laurent – L’Homme

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Daily Theme: Near Death Experience

Theme justification: Chiseled Face Banana. After using it almost exclusively last month, this is the soap that is closest to death. It's the only one where you can see the bottom of the tub.

Relevant Post Shave & Frag: I'm continuing the near death theme. Sea Ice Lime is the splash I have that is closet to its death, and Yves Saint Laurent L'Homme is the frag I have that is closest to empty.

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Scavenger Hunt ~~Justification~~: COMPLETED

Razor facts: N/A

Brush facts: N/A

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Daily/Special Challenge: Water Day

I typically go with a wet lather (though not full GUTL). So today, I went with a nice pasty lather. I decided to use some special water for today too. See below for more info.

Pic here of my pasty (airy) lather. I'll be honest, it doesn't look too bad, but it's not great. Probably should've used even less water than I did (which wasn't much, I just dipped my brush in the water), but It's very dry and airy. Provided near 0 protection or slickness.

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Fragrance description

The soap is the odd ball here. Laffy Taffy banana doesn't really mix with citrus and spice. YSL L'Homme is great. I get a lot of spiced ginger, but then it dries down to a nice woodsy scent. I think I've also received more complements with this frag than any other (though, I used to wear it a lot more, so that might be why).

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Now onto the shave!

Since today was water day, I figured I should use some special water^TM. Thankfully, I always keep a stock of it in my bathroom. It's in a hidden place that nobody ever thinks to look. There's the good stuff!

So I scooped out some of my secret special water^TM and got to work. I'm going to let out a little secret: I'm not a huge fan of the CF base. Though, since Banana is my only tub, it could be that I'm just not a fan of Banana. Regardless, that is why I set out to kill it. With that out of the way, let's get back to today's shave.

I added just enough of my super secret special water^TM to make an airy paste.

Overall, not the worst shave I've had. Without the Special Water^TM it would've been even worse on (what is essentially) bad lather day.

---

Totals:

• Razor Hashtags: 10/10
• Brush Hashtags: 10/10
• Hardware Sponsor Points: 2/2
• Software Sponsor Points: 11/16
• Number of Lather Brands: 15/30
• Number of Lather Scents: 15/30
• Number of Post Shaves: 15/30
• Number of Frags: 15/30

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Contest Hashtags:

#FOF

#ROTY

OP shaves with toilet water.

OP shaves with literal toilet water. Somewhere an angel lost its wings or whatever.

😬

Lather: Stirling Soap Co - Lavender

almost gone

SOTD 2024-06-15 Near Death Experience

• Brush: Semogue 2020 Best Badger
• Razor: Gillette Superspeed 1940s style NDC
• Blade: Dorco - Prime (5th use)
• Lather: Bartigan & Stark - Campione
• Post Shave: Bartigan & Stark - Campione splash

Saturday; finally!
How I have longed for thee.
Oh what a week it has been.
~~Cursed~~ blessed with 90s pop and hiphop all day every day.
~~Killing my braincells~~ bringing me waves of nostalgia.
Even the strongest can break after so much ~~torture~~ amazing music.
Defeat however, was not an option.

Picked my very first artisan soap; used it exclusively for months.
It is definitely the closest to death, despite it being 5oz.
Killing it will be sad; but I've got two spares.
As always, the 1940s Superspeed impresses me; it shaves so well!
Campione is also one of my favourite scents, especially the soap.
However the splash is somewhat different and I don't like it as much.
Underhydrated the soap with a 30s load but the same amount of water.

2024-06-15 LG SOTD

• Brush: Semogue 2015 HD (22x55mm Badger)
• Razor: Fatip Gentile
• Blade: Astra Superior Stainless
• Lather: Fine Accoutrements - American Blend
• Post Shave: Aqua Velva - Ice Blue
• Fragrance: Paco Rabanne pour Homme

I have several soaps where I can see the bottom of the tub, so I had to take a look and determine which one was actually closest to being finished. To my surprise, the answer was Fine American Blend... I didn't realize I had done this much damage to this classic triple-milled soap. Paired with some AV Ice Blue (bottle is like 90% empty) and some trusty Paco Rabanne, which is nowhere near finished but definitely has a visibly bigger dent in it than the rest of my fragrance collection.

Jun. 15, 2024
Brush: Stirling 2-Band Synthetic Brush
Razor: Rockwell 6C - Gunmetal
Blade: Gillette Platinum [2]
Lather: Talent Soap Factory - Surf Shop - Soap
Post Shave:* Talent Soap Factory - Surf Shop - Aftershave

Close is a relative term, but the stats say this is the tub I’ve used the most. It being one of my oldest.

Shared from My Shave Den for iOS

LG2024 - June 15 “ what do we say to the god of death?”

• Brush: Elite Razor Custom Birch Synthetic
• Razor: Razorock GC .84
• Blade: Voskhod (3)
• Lather: Noble Otter- BarrBarr
• Post: Noble Otter- Barrbarr splash

Shave: This is my favorite NO scent and probably top 3 in my den, hence the near kill. Maybe 3 more shaves left? But NOT TODAY

Besides a large birthday Murphy and McNeil purchase this year has been more about consumption of soaps vs accumulation, that was last year. In the past 8 months or so I have killed 5 soaps.

Here is where they go to die, the death bottle

Challenge: I usually tub load and face lather but today I did some bowl lather to get it extra wet. I probably err on the pasty side (don’t judge me I’m working on it) typically so today I took the NO base as wet as I could it. Here is the result

https://imgur.com/a/b5qVPoO

Viewing: https://youtu.be/ZAX5Wn4OFQ8?si=bZ6hiMJv-t_ldK7q

ROTY

June 15, 2024

• Brush: Wald Stratos Goldvein 29mm A1 Fan

• Razor: Iwasaki 13/16" Full Hollow Square Point Tamahagane

• Lather: Saponificio Varesino - 70th Anniversary - Soap

• Post Shave: Saponificio Varesino - 70th Anniversary - Aftershave
• Post Shave: Thayers - Rose - Toner
• Fragrance: Saponificio Varesino - 70th Anniversary - Eau de Parfum
• Talc: Yardley Gold
   

---

I normally use a very wet lather, so today I went pasty and really did not like it. It did not affect my shave result much, but made rinsing and cleaning the straight razor more of a hassle. One benefit, though, was that the denser lather delivered more of the soap's fragrance which I (clearly, if you look at the photo) love.

June 15, 2024

• Prep: Hot shower
• Brush: Badger brush I've had forever with the maker's mark rubbed off
• Razor: Muhle Companion
• Blade: Astra Green (Indian)
• Lather: Chiseled Face - Trade Winds

I was, perhaps, a week away from killing this tub back in February or March. I really like Trade Winds, so I intended to buy a replacement. But Maggards was sold out when I went to place my order. Between that order and a few gifts received, I haven't felt like I could justify a replacement. So I've been savoring it.

Water day challenge: I only got the brush slightly damp. Frankly, I'm surprised that there was enough soap in the tub to overload the brush, but it is a small brush. Lather was dryer than usual, but Chiseled Face works well without much water, so 🤷.

ROTY

2024-06-15 Lather Games: Near Death, or the "Ring of Death"

• Prep: Coffee, Face wash soap/warm water, garlic mouth wash
• Brush: Stirling Soap Company - 24mm Synthetic Shave Brush
• Razor: Ralf Aust - Ralf Aust 5/8" Round Point Straight Razor
• Lather: Southern Witchcrafts - Carpathia
• Post Shave: Southern Witchcrafts - Tres Matres

Near Death Experience:

Currently my Carpathia is the soap in my collection nearest death. Before pic and now Currently with Ring of Death. Interesting for such a gothic soap to be teetering near it's demise.

Daily Challenge:

I like my lather a bit more on the fluffy peak and a bit loose so I went a bit more pasty. While better for a safety razor in my opinion the pastier lather did not seem to have a bad result with today's straight razor. In other words my OCD drives me to tend to be bowl latherer...

A bit of thought on things Gothic:

I love weird folklore of the past. Myths, Fariy tales, legends, parables and supposed first hand accounts from the histories of peoples all over the globe.

Southern Witchcraft's Carpathia is a tribute to Vampires (Dracula specifically). Vampiric creatures abound throughout folklore and are not bound only the the eastern European areas which Bram Stoker's Dracula draws the bulk of it's underpinning sources. Similar creatures from cultures very remote from each other share many of the vampire's characteristics. Some examples include the Scotish Baobhan sith, the Aswang of the Philippines, the Lamashtu of ancient Mesopotamia, and the Boo Hags of US Gullah and Hoodoo culture,

The vampire's curse and fate is often considered transmissible in folklore as if a sort of spiritual disease of soul leaving the corpse of it's victims captured and bound to a murderous thirst and their souls in a sort of undetermined limbo. This supposed spiritual disease has often been linked to the very real disease of Rabies. And may to some extent be an attempt by society over time to grapple with the disturbing onset of this uncurable disease, gained by bites and exposure to an already infected being's saliva. Some side effects are the victim being deathly afaid of water, hyperactive, hallucinatory, and excitable. Although it can be disrupted by vaccine if caught early enough - access to such vaccines are akin to access to any number of other resources. In many places a vaccine, or any medical intervention are not readily available. Although largely controlled in North America It remains a very present danger in parts of Africa and Asia unvaccinated and stray dogs remain a common disease reservoir.

Scent notes for those interested -

Carpathia: (Gothic in tone) notes are centered around accords of black tea, exotic musk, and evergreen balsam. A tribute to Bram Stoker's Dracula.

Tres Matres: Scent notes: Amber, Oakmoss, Terrasol, Rosewood

Take care and have a good one.

June 15th, 2024

• Prep: Shower
• Brush: Simpson Wee Scot
• Razor: Gillette RFB
• Blade: Gillette Platinum
• Lather: HC&C - James Bond
• Post Shave: HC&C - James Bond
• Fragrance: Dior - Sauvage Elixir

Near Death Experience Day, and my tub closest to a kill is HC&C James Bond. It's also the tub that I've possessed the longest. It a really nice fragrance, but a bit too much for daily wear. Definitely a going out type of scent. At the rate I'm going, it should be finished sometime next year.

I had my first use with the RFB today, and my initial impressions are.... inconclusive. Probably because today's dry/pasty/thin lather looked like THIS. I normally take the time to make a nice, wet, thick and drippy lather, so I went with the opposite today. It was pretty bad, but .2 points is .2 points.

LG 15 - Near Death Experience Soapclypse

• Brush: Rubberset 400-3 restored - 26mm Boar #NOHOLLOW
• Razor: Edwin Jagger 89 #ZAMAC
• Blade: Polsilver Super Iridium (1)
• Lather: Barrister and Mann - Cheshire
• Post Shave: Shouthern Witchcrafts - Gravefruit II
• Fragrance: Shouthern Witchcrafts - Gravefruit II Edp

---

The EJ was the first razor I bought when I began wet shaving in 2015. Chesire was purchased in 2016 along with Hallows from BaM, in what was my first order from Will.

From how to putty a wall to razor skating on pasty lather, wiping the blade between passes. Here's how it should be, not like the above.

I wonder why judges try to make our lives miserable by ruining shaves, we aren't on Austere August yet!

.#FOF Awesome scent for a hot weather night, the light from Cheshire followed by Gravefruit's dark tangy citrus scent. It's a pity it has been discontinued.

---

June 15, 2024 - Near Death Experience

• Brush: Stirling - Synthetic 24mm
• Razor: Schick - Krona 1960s TTO DE
• Blade: Personna - Platinum
• Lather: Taylor of Old Bond Street - Royal Forest Shaving Cream
• Post Shave: Barrister and Mann - Leviathan
• Fragrance Stirling Soap Co. - Executive Man

SOAP - You know how it is when you get your first car and it’s a hand me down but you are excited because it’s your first car! Then after a while using it you want something different and better and so you get a truck and forget about the Toyota Tercel! It just sits there since you can’t sell it due to all the emotional attachment you have but you don’t really want to drive it cause the truck is so much better. Well this is TOBs for me. When I first got it I used the crap out of it. I was so excited to be wetshaving then I discovered all these other younger, better looking, in shape soaps that didn’t nag at me or give me shit for not taking the trash out in time!!

Soooo… I upgraded and left TOBs until today when I realized it was there all along and I just didn’t give it enough time to get to know it. But now things are different and shaving with it is not the same, it’s familiar but different and awkward and I wish it was like it used to be but it can’t cause I have moved on. So I use it and put it away again because the memories just adds to my loneliness and makes me sad.

RAZOR - Nothing knew here. BUT TOBS Royal Forest has lots of musk so I did matched it with a splash that had a lot of musk on it like leviathan. AND since I needed something of a frag why not throw in executive man which is a dupe of creed A and hence a big chunk of musk on it as well. Yes long road there but it matches?

THE THEME - I learned from some of the veterans here how to properly add water to my lather! Well today on order to stay on theme I added almost no water! It was the longest shave of my life. My razor kept getting clogged and before I knew it the lather on my face had dried! I finally crossed the finished line and my face felt like the Sahara! Which is how it always felt when I was shaving with the market goop. I had to add so much lotion afterwards still feels like it’s going to crack. As they say “No Pain No Lather Games”.

Jun. 15, 2024
Brush: Simpson Trafalgar T2 #OLDWORLD * Razor: Karve CB #ADJUSTABLE * Blade: Astra SP Green [1]
Lather: Noble Otter - Rawr - Soap
Post Shave: Noble Otter - Rawr - Aftershave
Post Shave: Noble Otter - Rawr - Balm

The old ball and chain loves this scent so it’s been used the most. In fact just a few weeks ago I shredded up the puck to make it easier for lather and got rid of the ring of death.

https://imgur.com/a/TkaUxCJ

While this soap performs well always, this pasty lather was trash. Dried up before I could finish the pass. I basically loaded the brush for almost a full minute(way longer than I normally do) and then just painted it on my face. I don’t know if you could even call this a lather. 1/10 not enjoyable.

https://imgur.com/a/nDNKCVu

Jun. 15, 2024

• Brush: Vikings Blade Dark Stallion #FAUXFUR

• Razor: Blackland Sabre

• Blade: Personna GEM PTFE [18]

• Lather: Proraso - Eucalyptus & Menthol

• Post Shave: RazoRock - Mudder Focker

• Fragrance: Christian Dior - Suavage EdT

Near Death Experience

Proraso green and the Vikings Blade brush were the first brush and soap I bought before I ever knew about soaps and brushes. I have used the Proraso more than any of my other soaps. I’ve used it to practice lather, to get the funk out of brushes and of course to shave with. As you can see in this picture both are on their last legs.

Todays challenge Water or lack there of. This was terrible, I hated it. The only saving grace is, nothing there is no saving grace. Heres a picture of the paste on my face along with a 35 second video proof that it sucks ass

I can’t wait to shave my legs tomorrow….

I went with Sauvage because of all the days to use a Me2 frag, I thought today was that day.

Today’s Sponsor Chisel & Hound. My first artisan brush was from CH. Was also my first real badger knot and actually used Proraso to lather it a few days in a row to get the funk out. I also have this one with a TnS half moon synthetic. I am looking at one right now from Thursdays drop that I might grab if it’s still there tomorrow. Photo Contest DIY

#ROTY #FOF #PhotoContest

Jun. 15, 2024 Near Death Experience * Brush: Chisel & Hound Quartermoon
Razor: Maggard V3M/MR5
Blade: Gillette Silver Blue
Lather: Barrister & Mann - Adagio
Post Shave: Barrister & Mann - Adagio * Post Shave: Osma - Alum
Post Shave:* Jack Black - Double-Duty Face Moisturizer

ROTY

• Brush: Maggard Razors Timberwolf
• Razor: Maggard Razors MR14 with Ikon Bulldog handle
• Blade: Gillette Silver Blue
• Lather: Barrister and Mann - Reserve Cool
• Post Shave: Barrister and Mann - Reserve Cool

Reserve Cool is one of my favorite all time soaps so it is no surprise it is closest to empty. Great stuff

June 15, 2024 - Near Death Experience

• Brush: That Darn Rob White Handle With Blue Cap 2-Band Badger 26 mm #SHD
• Razor: RazoRock Lupo Silver #RAINBOW
• Blade: Wizamet (29)
• Lather: Noble Otter - Orbit
• Post Shave: Lucky Tiger - Aftershave and Toner
• Fragrance: Zoologist - Koala

Challenge: Me, shave with pasty lather? This is the Lather Games. NOT the Paste Games! Fine, is this pasty enough for you, bastards? The only upside to this is maybe some pasty shaver finally made a decent lather.

I have a lot of soap and I typically shave every other day. That means I have lots of stuff that's only been used 2-3 times. So, how did this tub of Orbit come to look like this? Simple, someone else did the hard work for which I now take credit. This was heavily used when I bought it. I used it for Austere August in an attempt to kill it, only for the soap to laugh in my face. Orbit and Rope Swing are the only cooling soaps I've bought on purpose. I prefer the synthetic cooling agent. Menthol has a strong scent. Unless the fragrance is tailored around it, like Northern Elixir, it takes too much attention away from the fragrance.

I'm not the biggest Noble Otter fan. Don't get me wrong, I am a fan. They make great products, and the packaging is cute. I'm just not as smitten by the Otter labels as others seem to be. Nor do many of their fragrances pique my interest. That said, Orbit is my favorite Noble Otter soap. It smells rejuvenating like a cold shower after working outside in the heat. I don’t understand what the frozen space scent note on the label means. But, this does smell cold, somehow. Or maybe, more accurately, like cooling. The eucalyptus reminds me of the aloe ointment I put on my sunburns after beach days on vacation as a kid. I don’t get the bergamot note in this. The note of rose is used artfully here and meshes seamlessly with the cedar to provide a base for the fragrance.

I used Lucky Tiger because it’s the post-shave closest to death. This has been my go-to when using soaps without matching splash. The label reads “fragrance (citrus essential oils).” It smells like orange. Imagine an orange peel without the bitterness. The splash makes my skin feel great. It’s a great option when I don’t want the drying effect of an alcohol based aftershave.

I chose Koala for today’s fragrance to play off of the eucalyptus note in Orbit. The opening is green and earthy. If Orbit is in space, Koala is firmly on the ground in nature. I get a lot of vetiver. There’s resinous sweet honey-like scents, and Middle Eastern spice. I detect black tea, incense, and a subtle green floral note. It’s complex. As it begins to dry down, vanilla emerges to complement the incense.

I forget who I got this razor from. It was a freebie with a bazaar purchase. The Lupo SS 0.72 is a razor I can use on autopilot. This aluminum Lupo has been sitting unused. I figured it would be mild enough to make the pasty shave bearable. So, I gave it a shot. It was very mild. I had to check there was a blade installed. The verdict is still out on efficiency.

In honor of today’s sponsor spotlight, I used my other /u/geekyoldrob brush. The is an older one with the TDR coin. This was one of the first nice brushes I bought. I got it at the bazaar for a good price. I don’t know what knot is in this. I assume some version of Fanchurian. I like that it's not a gelly as some of my other badgers.

#photocontest - Soccer. I have officially spent money on this side contest.

#FOF

SOTD Bucket * Brush: Omega - 10065 Boar #OLDWORLD.
Razor: Henson - AL13 mild.
Blade: RK - Stainless.
Lather: Ariana & Evans - Undersea.
Post: Zingari - Sego Unscented Balm.
Fragrance:* Ariana & Evans - Undersea.

I would call this a dry lather as I typically leg lather in the shower unless it’s from a sample and then I start in a bowl, make a paste, and go to town on my leg.

I probably use this soap the most often, making it closest to death. I like it so much I bought the fragrance which I’ve only done with one other soap. A & E has really strong cologne- like scents and though I like the 6-7 samples I’ve tried I prob wouldn’t buy a full tub. I have more to try so maybe down the road. I do think the k2 base is incredible. This one was a blind buy and I love it. Like I said I bought the edp bc it was so unique. Well the edp had me second guessing things - I know they enhance the scent, but so far I’m not loving the edp and it has skewed my love a bit. I never thought the soap was “fruity,” but now the fragrance has me second guessing my sniffer. I guess this is middle aged.

PHOTOCONTEST Bucket

ROTY

Lather: The Air Bud Ruler Will Never Die!

Kill a tub? With the Air Bud Rule you'll never need to but the judges won't let you hear about that. No they'd rather keep everything quite and hushed up so they can maintain control of not just the games but the entire world. They're controlling the competition, people! But you know better. You're fighting against the power and helping in the Search for Sekirum. We're one step closer to finding him this year's Air Bud Treasure! Don't give up. Never surrender. Have you figured out what city he's in this week? Did you miss the first week? No matter. Just send your answers in and you'll have a chance at winning an Air Bud Treasure that will blow your beard off (or not if you choose to not use a razor when you shave).

• Day 15
• Brush: SmilezforMilez – 22mm Synthetic
• Razor: Silver Star Vintage DE
• Blade: Gillette Silver Blue
• Lather: Barrister and Mann – Bay Rum Soap
• Post Shave: Barrister and Mann – Bay Rum Splash
• Fragrance: Spearhead Shaving – Sea Spice Lime EdT

I love Bay Rums! One of the first wetshaving scent profiles I really fell in love with was Bay Rum. Is Bay Rum a scent profile? No clue, but whatever it is, I’m here for it. And Barrister and Mann makes a damn good Bay Rum scent. So, it’s no surprise that my favorite Bay Rum is the tub that is Knocking on Heaven’s Door. For some reason, when I started to see the bottom of the tub, I drastically cut down on my usage of it. It’s weird because I can buy more at anytime, but something about killing a tub of my favorite scent feels… Weird. I don’t know, I can’t explain it.

Anyways, I always feel kind of like a pirate when I use Bay Rum, and I also feel like I’m bringing up pirates in like every other SOTD I post, so let’s go full pirate today! ARRRRRRRRRR!!! Because who doesn't want to smell like they just got done looking for buried treasure? B&M’s spicy, rum-laden lather made me feel like I could conquer the Caribbean and my 9AM meeting simultaneously. Nothing says "I'm serious about hygiene" like smelling like a swashbuckling buccaneer! Post-shave, I doused myself with B&M’s matching Bay Rum Splash. Because if I'm going to smell like a pirate, I might as well commit, right? The scent was so intoxicating, I swear I heard my coworker call for a parlay. But hey, if swords aren’t allowed in the office, smelling like you just came from a sword fight is the next best thing.

Finished it off with Spearhead Shaving's Sea Spice Lime EdT. Because why not add a hint of lime and sea salt to the pirate's life? Yo ho, indeed! The fragrance is like sailing on the Black Pearl in a bottle, minus the sunburns and the skeletons everywhere. The blend of zesty lime, warm spices, and a hint of sea breeze left me feeling refreshed and ready to commandeer the day. A Pirate’s Life for me, indeed. #FOF

Challenge I made my lather super dry today. I’m tripping because that lather is NOT dripping. It’s actually so pasty it’s defying gravity. Believe it or not, I actually still got an okayish shave out of it, thanks to Barrister and Mann’s great soap base. Sure, it wasn’t as good as it could have been, but it wasn’t as bad as I feared either.

My #photocontest theme is: Animals (not alive), kids plush

iamhonestlylying’s Daily Top 5:

In honor of “Near Death Experiences”… My Top 5 Favorite Zombie Franchises:

5.) Zombieland – Adding a little humor to the zombie genre, plus an awesome Bill Murray cameo.

4.) World War Z – A global pandemic that threatens to wipe out humanity. Completely inaccurate and near unwatchable because the movie doesn’t show huge swathes of people calling it a hoax.

3.) Night of the Living Dead - Gotta give credit where credit is due: The Original Gangster of the zombies.

2.) The Walking Dead – The comics were good and first few TV seasons were appointment television… Then A&E realized it was a money printing machine and they ruined it by dragging the main story out too long and adding spin-off after spin-off after spin-off.

1.) 28 Days Later – Classic scenario of a guy who wakes up from a coma and bam! Zombie apocalypse!

LG24-15: Near Death Experience

• Brush: Farvour Turn Craft 26mm v.6 Odin's Beard
• Razor: Charcoal Goods Level 2 (Gen.3) Torpedo Handle
• Blade: Astra SP (76)
• Lather: Southern Witchcrafts - Fougère Nemeta - Shaving Soap
• Post Shave: Gentleman's Nod - Jackie - Aftershave Balm
• Fragrance: House of Mammoth - Cerberus Fougère
• Passes: WTG, XTG

Our Saturday became unexpectedly busy, so just getting to this now, and need to fit in a workout next.

I believe this tub of Fougère Nemeta was a split with a friend, so I got a big head start on it, and I've used it more than most of my other soaps. I think it's down to a little over a 1/4 of the tub, but no circle of death yet. It's a wonderful fougère.

June 15, 2024 - Near Death Experience

• Brush: Rubberset 400 w/ Maggard Synthetic
• Razor: Yates Precision Manufacturing - 921-H
• Blade: Gillette - Nacet
• Lather: Murphy & McNeil - Gael Laoch Orange
• Post Shave: Noble Otter - Barrbarr Splash

Today's Theme: None of my full size tubs are nowhere close to death, but according to My Shave Den numbers, my Gael Laoch Orange has the most shaves out of it.

Today's Challenge: I had to do a paste job today. Quite easily the shittiest lather I’ve put on in a long time. The lather couldn’t even rinse off the razor properly. Barrbarr is a gentle splash and even that gave me a lot of sting… We are being punished today for being able to make a good lather…

ROTY

June 15 - Working on the Kill

• Brush: Semogue 610 21mm Boar

• Razor: Razorock Mamba

• Blade: Asco Platinum Orange

• Lather: Stirling - Margaritas in the Arctic Soap

• Post Shave: Lucky Tiger Splash

• Post Shave: Noble Otter - Monarch Splash

• Fragrance: Catie's Bubbles - Le Piment de la Vie EdC

---

Margaritas in the Arctic is my next soap kill, and it's literally the closest to finishing in my collection.

Some upper-class, sweet and purple goodness of Monarch, and the other sweet n spicy Frenchie of LPV had a nice floral sweet n spicy that I am quite fond of. 8/10

#FOF

LG SOTD Jun 15 2024 - I CAN FEEL IT COMING IN THE AIR TONIGHT

Needle drop: the theme of Near Death Experience reminded me of how the song contributes to evoking a sense of impending doom in Michael Mann's Miami Vice (2006).
A previous incarnation was already in the original 1980s TV series.

photocontest

Theme: Air (Air as lack of anything else: Air in the sky, Air in a bottle, Air in the almost-emty tub, Air in the Sea breeze in Sea Spice Lime, Air in the windy notes of Uitwaaien)

• Brush: Simpsons - Chubby 2 - Synthetic 27mm
• Razor: Rex - Konsul #ADJUSTABLE
• Blade: Voskhod - Teflon Coated [2]
• Lather: Simpsons - Lime - Ultra Glide Shaving Cream
• Post Shave: Seaforth - Sea Spice Lime - sample
• Fragrance: House of Mammoth - Uitwaaien - sample

Years ago I got a complimentary tub of Simpsons Lime Ultra Glide Shaving Cream together with the order of a Simpsons Chubby 2, my first synthetic.

Among my tubs, this is the NEAREST TO DEAH, as my SOTD pic shows.

Scent is simple but nice, a Lime one-note.

I decided to pair it with Spearhead Seaforth Sea Spice Lime AS splash, which I wanted to review after yesterday's experience with the Sea Ice Lime soap. This helped me understand that there are indeed some "synthetic" edges (more metallic than plastic, I guess) to the lime top note, possibly related to the sea air breeze deliberately evoked among the scent notes (ozonic component?).

In any case, the drydown binds it all together, and the lather -> AS progression felt really rewarding.

For the fragrance at the end of the shave, I had a couple of options, and in a daring moment I picked Uitwaaien. I remembered it had iris and oceanic notes, together with seaweed and driftwood, and wondered if there was any chance of it being an intriguing counterpart to Sea Spice Lime.

The short answer, for me, is no: there's some cedarwood in Uitwaaien's drydown that screeches against the whole Sea Spice Lime experience. The fault is all mine, I tried to pair the two fragrances on the basis of a vague conceptual analogy, wihout paying sufficient attention to their respective specificities.

Lesson learned. Maybe.

FOF

SPECIAL CHALLENGE: As Simpsons' shaving cream is advertised as "Ultra Glide", I accepted the challenge to use as little water as possible, fighting all my instincts. I deliberately under-lathered, adding too little water, and not getting rid of the air bubbles. Proof here, for the perverts among you. Using the Konsul helped getting a 2-pass shave done, in this joyless shave. I removed my stubs and didn't get cut, which is a testament of the forgiving quality of the products I used. I want to be a team player, but am not sure I understand the point of "challenges" like this.

#ROTY

June 15, 2024 - Near Death Experience

• Brush: Declaration Grooming B7 Vast(er)

• Razor: Chiseled Face Legacy Ti

• Blade: Wizamet

• Lather: Catie’s Bubbles - X

• Post Shave: Zingari Man - Unscented Sego Balm

Unfortunately this is the closest thing I have to a tub kill in my den today. You can actually see the bottom so I guess that’s gotta count for something. Wonderful shave today though from the razor, the brush and the software. Anytime I get to use the premium base I already know it’s gonna end up being one of the best shaves I’ve had. I am finding a little more love for this CFL too as it wasn’t was a love/hate situation for me. Maybe start putting a little more use on it this month.

June 15, 2024

• Brush: Yaqi - Evil Zebra - 26mm Synthetic
• Razor: Personna - New Angle 70: BBS-0
• Blade: Wilkinson Sword
• Lather: Mickey Lee Soapworks - Souq
• Post Shave: Spearhead Shaving - Spiced Splash
• Fragrance: Le Monde Gourmand – Chai Epice

First off, I was sent this tub of UnObTaNiUm by u/jwoods23 and (ironically) this tub immediately became the tub that is closest to dying in my den. I guess when it does, I can just fire up the Delorian, program the flux capacitor, and go back to when Mickey Lee was still slinging soap and stock up. Wouldn’t that be nice? To have the ability to KNOW the future. Sure, the easy answer is picking the winning lottery numbers, or betting on sporting events or stocks (bitcoin anyone?) but a sneaky good benefit would be knowing when your favorite shaving soap artisan is going to go out of business or will discontinue a scent. Sometimes we get a heads up something is going away, so we can stock up more stuff we’ll never use. And other times something just rides off into the sunset, never to be seen or heard from again. I have no idea which one MLS was because it was gone when I started wetshaving, but I wish we could still buy this magical creation.

Well, as nice as it would be to live go back in time and buy stonks of Souq, that isn’t possible yet. So, until that time comes, I’ll treasure and enjoy what little of it is left here and be grateful that my guy u/jwoods23 wanted to share it with someone. That being said, if anyone who has never tried it wants a smush, I’m happy to send a few out so others can experience the magic of this wonderful scent that will never exist again. There’s not a lot left in this tub, but I’ll share what I can.

The scent of Souq is a wonderful homage to the open-air markets (souqs) of Bahrain. The smell of sweet figs with spices galore. While it’s incredibly unique, pairing it with Spearhead’s Spiced seemed like the right idea. They seem to share a lot of the same spice notes – namely cinnamon and clove – and while Spiced isn’t as sweet smelling as Souq, the do complement each other nicely. To close out the shave, I brought the sweetness back with Le Monde Gourmand’s Chai Epice, which brings back the Fig note from Souq. As well as, musk, wood, and spices. If the soap was like walking in an open air market of Bahrain, the fragrance is like buying chai tea at that market and drinking it in the warm comfort of your own home, under a blanket. It’s more sweet, than it is spicy, and it rounds out the spice experience of today’s shave and a delicious finish. #FOF

Challenge: Sucks to have to waste good, limited soap on a dry shave, yet the judges say “dance monkeys dance” and I say “How high?”

When not doing Lather Games stunts, my lather is usually pretty balanced and hydrated to a nice, dripping sheen. Today, I kept it as dry and it was… Not the best shave. I mean, if every youtube shaver can shave like this daily, I can manage it for a day.

Soap Theme Justification: It’s the most emptiest tub I have. If this tub of Souq could talk…

Relevant Post Shave & Fragrance: Spices Galore!

6/15/24 Lather Games shave

• Brush: Jayaruh #441 / AP Shave Co G5C synth

• Lather: Chicago Grooming Co (Oleo) - unscented

• Razor: Gillette flare-tip superspeed w/ Treet platinum

• Post Shave: Chicago Geooming Co - unscented AS

• Fragrance: unknown sample (gotta clear some of these things out)

I have been working on polishing off this tub but it seems to be at this stage where it does not want to deplete any more. I could have sworn I saw the bottom of the tub half a dozen shaves ago and it’s like it is still at the same place ever since then… will get there eventually.

I went a slight different way with the challenge and did a cold water shave rather than the usual warm water. Excellent shave still, thanks in no small part to the great soap 👍

6/15/24 - Near Death Experience * Brush: Semogue 2000 * Razor: Merkur - 34C #ZAMAC * Blade: Gillette Silver Blue (1) * Lather: Truefitt & Hill - 1805 * Post Shave: Taylor of Old Bond St. - Eton College splash * Fragrance: Hugo Boss - Hugo EDT

• The Lather: Considering this is the death of this cream and there wasn’t much left it was quite easy to make a nice watery lather. Photographing the liquidity of the lather, however, seemed a little more difficult so here is it spread on my hand.

• The Shave: Aside from the constant dripping of lather from my face and brush, the shave was ok. It wasn’t as well cushioned as it should have been, but that’s was to be expected.

• Aftershave/Frag: Since this is near death day I opted to use my aftershave and frag that were also closest to death. The scent mismatch is slightly nauseating, but hopefully I’ll go nose blind to it soon enough.

• Theme: Today I don’t weep for the inevitable end of the tub, I mourn its passing. Its watery death was not a fitting end to the countless number of shaves it gave me, but such are the Lather Games.

• Challenge: Normally I like a nice thick Dairy Queen invertible lather. Today’s lather was definitely not like that.

June 15, 2024 – LG Day 15 – It just so happens that your friend here is only MOSTLY dead. There’s a big difference between mostly dead and all dead.

• Brush: Chisel & Hound v23 Fanchurian
• Razor: Merkur 34C
• Blade: Gillette Nacet
• Lather: Murphy and McNeil – SFWS South Beach
• Post Shave: Stirling Soap Co. – Coconut Lime
• Fragrance: Imaginary Authors – Falling Into The Sea

After my massacre yesterday, I was thinking to myself, “Maybe it’s time for a comfortable shave, just a regular old shave, a shenanigan-free shave.” And then I woke up from my dream and remembered that it’s the Lather Games and that there will be no rest until July first. Hell is empty and all the devils are here.

Unlike many of the noble, committed shavers today, I have never killed a tub. Between typically shaving every other day and my unwavering desire for variety, the closest I have to a tub kill is this 60g puck, which seemed low until I converted it and realized it’s 2.12oz. Embarrassing. I can’t even get halfway through a tub. I am filled with endless shame. I am brough dishonor onto my family. It's only a matter of time before I am disowned and must shed the Bucket name, leaving me to just be "Hug," the shaver who couldn't finish what he started. When I'm gone, my only legacy will be these half-empty tubs, gathering dust, symbols of my failure.

Moving on! M&M’s base is…fine. I really like this scent, though, made for South Florida Wet Shavers, so I use this pretty frequently throughout the summer. Wearing this is like teleporting to a beach where the water is bluer, the sand is whiter, the breeze is cool but the ocean is warm. Coconut and bananas come together in the most perfect sunscreen-like fashion. My bottle of Stirling Coconut Lime also happens to be one of my emptier post-shaves, but it’s getting old and it really doesn’t like to rub into the skin well, just like when I put on sunscreen. It has the same sunscreen/tanning oil coconut scent, but less on-the-nose; the lime is fully lost in the balm format (or because of its age). Finally, Falling into the Sea eschews the idea that the beach has to smell like Banana Boat. Bright citrus, lightly aquatic, comfortingly floral. The lychee is a very nice touch. Nostalgic in a very special way. #FOF

For my pasty lather, let my brush soak while I showered as usual, tub loaded, and spread it on my head with no extra water. Slightly pastier than the proto-lather (if you can even call it that) which I usually build up a lather from right on the dome. No extra water or lather-building today, though. This is what we got. What a delight. To further elucidate just how pasty this lather was, here it is on my razor. My water pressure isn’t enough to get it all off, so I had to take the razor apart after each pass and carefully wipe the blade, ignoring the warning on literally every tuck of blades I’ve seen. The judges have taken the "wet" out of "wetshaving." Who knows what's next.

SOTD - June 15 - in for the kill

• Prep: Shower
• Brush: Wild West Brushworks
• Razor: Gillette - Fatboy
• Blade: Gillette - Nacet
• Lather: Chiselled Face - Banana
• Post Shave cold water

Will not be participating in daily challenge due to irritation taking me out of the game yesterday. Sorry boys, my lather is shitty enough on its own and I have trouble shaving everyday as is.

This tub is my closest to a kill and I would have done it too if it weren't for my meddling girlfriend. She hates the smell of bananas. I would like it noted that in lieu of a dry lather I have opted for a dry girlfriend and I think that deserves partial points.

Photocontest

For photo I went with theme hobby. I have far too many hobbies, but I figured my love of guns would pair well with me trying to kill this tub. Other hobbies include but not limited to: skiing, jiu-jitsu, Seiko modding, rock climbing, PC gaming, photography.

Edit: Imgur took my photo down

Jun. 15, 2024
Brush: AP SHAVECO AP400B XL 28 mm (G5C)
Razor: Karve CB SS SB (D Plate, First Pass; B Plate, Second Pass)
Blade: Astra Superior Platinum [3]
Lather: Barrister And Mann - Seville Shaving Soap (Omnibus Base) - Soap
Post Shave: Barrister And Mann - Seville AS Splash - Aftershave
Post Shave: Barrister And Mann - Seville AS Balm - Balm
Fragrance:* Barrister And Mann - Seville - EdT

Near Death Experience: Going, going….Very soon to be gone!

Shared from My Shave Den for iOS

Near Death Experience

• Brush: Omega 10049
• Razor: Gillette Slim Adjustable
• Blade: Astra
• Lather: Proraso - Red

photocontest

Animals.

Today’s Challenge:

Water Day Usually I make dry lather, but for today’s challenge it was wet. It looks decent, however shaving feels not so good. Not my cup of tea.

LG24-15: Near Death Experience

• Brush: Declaration Grooming Magic Hour 28mm B8 Badger Knot #SHD
• Razor: CJB Greager GR-100B #KAMISORI
• Blade: Feather Artist Club Professional [6]
• Lather: House of Mammoth - Almond Leather - Soap
• Post Shave: House of Mammoth - Almond Leather - Splash
• Fragrance: Maher Olfactive - Treachery - Parfum

Almond Leather is the soap I used for my first AA. It's a sort of staple in my den—a scent I turn to when I want something simple and classy. As such, I've made a respectable dent in the tub, but a ring hasn't fully formed yet. Unfortunately, Almond Leather has been discontinued, so I'll enjoy this one while I can.

I tried my hand at another type of near death experience with the kamisori-style razor. The shave went okay, but I'm still not comfortable enough to go against the grain with it.

I'm a conscientious objector to today's challenge. Life's too short for bad lather.

Have fun storming the castle!

6/15/24

• Brush: Muninn Woodworks w/ C&H V19 Fanchurian
• Razor: Raido Star Kamisori 8/8, Full Hollow Barber's Notch
• Lather: Spearhead Shaving - Seaforth! Sea Spice Lime
• Post Shave: Spearhead Shaving - Seaforth! Sea Spice Lime Aftershave Toner
• Fragrance: Spearhead Shaving - Seaforth! Sea Spice Lime EdT

SSL kinda goes hand in hand with my Kryptonite post yesterday, and my playing it safe early on with Lime scents.

SSL was the first "abstract" or "complicated" scent I bought. The Lime sold me. I was sure what to expect, but I was blown away by how good it was. SSL EdT was also the first frag I bought for myself. In my entire life. I don't use it very much these days. I used it once when I was sick, and now the scent throws me off a little. It's still really good, however, and Mrs. Pudding still loves it. It doesn't mess with me like it used to.

This tub is also closest to Death.

For the side challenge: I, like a lot of open blade users, prefer a thicc and drippy lather. So today, I used a paste. It was a lot quicker, but it was ass. That's not what I want in a lather. I never got into this with the thought that I was going to save time or money. I like spending the time to dial in a lather, almost to the point of breaking it. Wet and slick, that's where it's at. If I had used an alcohol splash, I would have finished this shave with tons of feedback. It's also kind of a pain to rinse off my blade, I want it to slop off with gravity and a splash of water. The proof is in the pudding.

Good shave today, all things considered.

Jun. 15, 2024 - I almost died
Brush: Aurora Grooming Blurple Baron Maggard SHD Badger
Razor: EldrormR Industries MM24 #MODERNGEM * Blade: Gem PTFE [19]
Lather: House Of Mammoth - Mood Indigo - Soap
Post Shave: House Of Mammoth - Indigo - Aftershave
Fragrance:* House Of Mammoth - Mood Indigo EdP

Good afternoon shave today with the only tub that I can see the bottom of. I have loved this tub dearly and as far as the label, it is now unobtainium. As it’s one of my favourite scents I needed the trifecta today.

I tried adding way too much water to this tusk base and it performed fine. It seems to have a great tenge of useability although there definitely is just the right amount of water to use. Always a great shave with the MM24. Happy shaver.

Jun. 15, 2024
Brush: That Darn Rob Verdant V5 Fanchurian Badger
Razor: Tatara Masumune
Blade: Gillette 7 O’Clock Black [3]
Lather: Chatillon Lux / L&L Grooming - TSM Fougere - Soap
Post Shave: Chatillon Lux / L&L Grooming - TSM Fougere - Aftershave
Post Shave: GreenBox - Alum

This one would be finished if I used it on Friday more often.

This is a scent I wish would return.

2 passes. No problems

Shared from My Shave Den for iOS

June 15 2024: Near Death Experience

• Brush: Dogwood Handcrafts w/ 30mm B9A
• Razor: GEM MMOC
• Blade: Personna PTFE (18)
• Lather: House of Mammoth - Almond Leather
• Post Shave: House of Mammoth - Indigo
• Fragrance: House of Mammoth - Indigo

This was my Austere August soap from last year and therefore is the closest one to a kill I have in my den. Still a few weeks' worth of shaves in it though, but a significant dent has been made. And I did manage to line today up with a kill of this bottle of Indigo splash, and the true wetshavers here know that finishing a splash is even harder than finishing a soap. The connection between my software today is that they are all scented by the same award-winning perfumer, and both scents have seen me through Austere Augusts.

What a contrast though, from yesterday's Stack Day, which is the finest of Lather Games challenges, to one of the worst, which is pasty lather day. I chose the MMOC today because it is my AA razor, but it was a poor choice today for my sad and dry lather. Still, I got through my three passes like a trooper.

June 15, 2024: Not Today, Mr. Reaper!

• Prep: warm splash of water
• Brush: Yaqi Sagrada Familia Tuxedo 24 mm
• Razor: AtT S1
• Blade: Gillette Blue
• Lather: Barrister and Mann - 42
• Post Shave: Thayer's - Lavender
• Fragrance: Barrister and Mann - 42

In the beginning the Universe was created. This has made a lot of people very angry and has been widely regarded as a bad move. Pleasant Slather Frames!

June. 15, 2024 - SOTD 

• Prep: Splash of warm water
• Brush: Oumo O4 Venus SHD Badger Brush 26MM
• Razor: King C Gillette
• Blade: Gillette Nacet
• Lather: Chiseled Face - Gemütlichkeit
• Post Shave: Chiseled Face - Gemütlichkeit Aftershave Splash

This is the first tub I ever bought myself and loved it so much it also became the first Splash I ever bought as well. Less then a quarter of the tub left but will definitely buy another one

Jun. 15, 2024 - A Legally Binding Contract

• Prep: Shower, Baxter Shave Tonic
• Brush: Chisel and Hound False Kamani Fanchurian V18
• Razor: Blackland Sabre (2 Plate)
• Blade: GEM Stainless PTFE (1)
• Lather: Spearhead Shaving - Seaforth! Spiced
• Post Shave: Old Spice (Indian)

As I have remarked before, I don't especially plan ahead for these games given I'm only using Old Spice dupes to rack up as many points as possible. As such we got to today and I opened my cabinet to realize that my lowest shaving item was a tube of Praraso I bought when I first got into this hobby. But wait! The rules state that tubes don't count, only tubs (oh, the power of a single letter). Rejoice! I have many tubs of sopa but definitely an Old Spice dupe is the most used. Until I started going through my tubs and realized that this tub of Soapmakers of Awesometown that I picked up from the Maggards Meet Up PIF table was actually pretty low and much lower than anything else I had. You see, the problem with having a plethora of Old Spice dupes is that the love gets spread around so I don't actually use any one soap all that often.

What to do! I had to get rid of this tub of Awesometown. And so I did. Here you will find a legally binding document that transfers ownership of one (1) tub of Soapmakers of Awesometown into the ownership of one u/bmac92. This document has been signed by both me and bmac92 himself, thus transferring this half-used tub of soap from my den to his in a very legal sense. The aforementioned soap is heretofore not a part of my den and is, in fact, placed in a corner of my house now dubbed "Bmac92's Den Corner" until such time it can be transferred into Bmac92's possession. I will also note, for the record, that the tub of soap was transferred to bmac92 after his shave today, meaning it was not part of his den when his shave was completed and thus should not impact any scoring for him, especially as this tub of Soapmakers of Awesometown is clearly more full than the tub he shaved with.

As such, Soapmakers of Awesometown is no longer the closest-to-being-killed soap I have in my Den, since it isn't in my Den by any legal or physical standard, and Seaforth Spiced (which I do count in my grand schemes as an Old Spice dupe since it received a Great Spice Off) is my most killed. Odlly, that's not because I've used it any more than others but because people have asked for a lot of scoops for it and thus I've scooped it a bunch. If there are any arguments over this please speak to my lawyers.

I shaved with a god-awful pasty bit of lather, which I forgot to photograph because I was so angry at shaving with it.

SOTD - 2024-06-15

• Beard Growth: 24 Hours
• Prep: Hot Shower
• Pre Shave: None
• Brush: Yaqi - Sagrada Familia Synthetic
• Razor: Lambda Ares
• Blade: SuperMax Platinum Plus
• Passes: WTG x2
• Lather: Proraso Red Sandalwood
• Post Shave: Stetson Aftershave

• Fragance: Salvatore Ferragamo - Incanto Pour Homme EDT

• Comments:

Just have to say - what a great day spent outdoors today, got in an morning bike ride and had an afternoon picnic in the park maybe the airbud rule is onto something. Felt like I was shaving the whole time.

You can see the ring of death on the Proraso soap, I've been aggressively trying to kill this tub, only because I want to bring more soaps into the rotation. I'm guessing 10-15 more shaves and I'll kill this tub.

Stetsons is also on its last legs.

The Incanto bottle I've had for years and no wonder it's still around. Generic mild smell nothing special and doesn't last much anyways, I hardly use it, maybe I should bin it

Challenge: I've never been left more unsatisfied while making a lather. No soap blooming, wet my brush and squeezed all the water out. Ended up with this sad looking lather, tried to swirl it onto my face and create more suds but no such luck. Thankfully there was no tugging plus the Ares/Supermax combination has been super smooth for me to begin with, so it was all good. Maybe the shower right before also helped to soften the hair up.

#ROTY

Jun. 15, 2024 - Hunting a Mammoth!

• Prep: CeraVe - Hydrating Facial Cleanser

• Brush: Maggard Green Handle 2 Band Badger

• Razor: Merkur 34c

• Blade: Feather Hi-Stainless (2)

• Lather: House of Mammoth - Dammusi

• Post Shave: T.N. Dickinson’s - Witch Hazel

• Post Shave: House Of Mammoth Z (uncool) Balm

• Fragrance: House Of Mammoth - Tobacconist

Today, we’re hunting a Mammoth!

A mysterious ring has appeared, an elusive Ring of Death, right here in this jungle. Some have said it will take you back in time. I’ve always dreamt of meeting prehistoric giants, so I can't resist giving it a go.

With a deep breath, I slip into the ring, and in a bright flash, the jungle vanishes, replaced by snow and ice. Everything is freezing, and I can’t feel my face anymore.)

“Would ya at this place!” Steve exclaims in his typical Australian accent! “We’ve landed smack in the middle of the Ice Age.” “Steve?!?” I exclaimed! “How did you get here?” “Well you see…” he started, “It all started with that damn ray, but we don’t have time for that now, look!”

Following his gaze, I see many signs of the prized animal we hunt after! As we treked through the snow we had one false sighting, but it is not what we seek. We followed the trail to their den just imagining the size it must be to hold these massive beasts.

Our long journey has been worth it as I finally spot them: a herd of Mammoths, grazing among the rocks. “Would you look at that!” Steve whispers to me. “Just like modern elephants but with shaggy coats.”

As we watch, a sad blast comes up from the group. “Blimey! This just got interesting!” Steve says. He explains that one among them must be close to the end. I scramble up a tree for a better view.

As the sun sets, we watch as the Mammoth in the middle comes to the end of its life. With one final sad toot, they place his husk with the others who have passed.

Steve is the first to break the silence. “Wow! What a unique adventure, and while sad ending, it was so awesome to experience this part of nature today.” With a final look at the mammoths, I say goodby to Steve and with another flash, and I’m back in the present, in the same jungle. I cant shake the feeling that I traveled back with the spirit of that Mammoth.

And with that, I set off on my next journey, always ready to explore and protect the natural world.

Daily Challenge: If my lather ain’t drippin, I’m trippin! But for the good of the games, I knocked back the water I used today to just what was in my brush after soaking. If this isn’t pasty enough for you, idk what is!

Daily Theme Justification: She dead! This was my 55th use of Dammusi, when added to the 10+ samples I have sent out makes 65-70 shaves from a full tub!

Relevant Post Shave & Frag: All are dead or close to it! Dammussi & Witch Hazel kill! I’m very close on the balm and Tobacconist has a significant dent in it!

DAY 15 LATHER GAMES! WOOOOTAAAAAAHHHH!

• Prep: Water
• Brush: Chisel and Hound Tupelo 26mm OUMO horse hair fan #HORSESASS
• Razor: Fatip OC
• Blade: Nacet
• Lather: Catie's Bubbles - Blugere
• Post Shave: Gentleman's Nod - Sidama
• Fragrance: Versace - Pour Homme

We're at the half point people. To those who might feel burnout, don't, be strong, you can do it, let the LG spirit give you energy and fuel you up for another 15 days!!!

Even though I lost my virginity(D&D) yesterday, I have yet to lose my "Kill Tub" virginity, but this year I have set myself on a goal to kill 3 tubs, AT LEAST!

December last year, after hearing all the hype around how amazing the Premium base of CB is, I pulled the trigger on a Blugere tub, KILLER SCENT! Now, the base TRULY is amazing, if you haven't tried it, GO AND BUY ONE, NOW! But this tub became my guinea pig to learn to tub load and face lather. So it saw some abuse, most notably the first use with the horse hair brush that was used today. I think it gobbled up around 40 grams(even Chris was like, DA FUQ), I loaded for a minute and I bloomed the soap beforehand. One could say "Why didn't you read something online about this stuff?". Well simply because I wanted to enjoy the whole progress of trial an error. So yeah, I think this tub has around 20 shaves on it. HERE is a pic of the tub, for anyone not wanting to watch the video.

This was also my first use of a Fatip OC and I really chose the wrong day to use it. It did surprisingly well given the circumstances and I would love to give it another go with some well hydrated lather. Speaking of lather....

Today's Challenge

Video of my pasty ass lather.

Thanks to this wonderful sub I have been able to forego my ego and learn to make good lather. The secret? Water, and lots of it. I pride myself now on making awesome lather. Could it be better? Maybe, I don't really know, but I always try to improve if I feel something is lacking. So it might not come to a surprise to anyone here, that I really don't like this challenge. Yes it isn't something to really moan about, but for me every aspect of wetshaving should be magical. And a good quality lather, knowing YOU yourself made that piece of art which will help the razor magically glide over your face and contribute to an amazing shave, is a MUST.

So given that context, I went pasty. As pasty as one could get. Seriously Elmer's glue got nothing on this lather. I completely shaked off any excess lather and swirled a couple of times, and then just painted and swirled just a bit, till you got the perfect consistency of whitewash. I basically used whitewash for today's shave, and it was tuggy and horrible. On the contrary, to what my prejudiced expectations were, the alum gave very little feedback.

Oh, and while rinsing the razor after the shave, I saw the the lather was SO DRY, that it was stuck between the teeth of the OC plate, and I couldn't wash it off, I had to use a brush to brush it away....

I think it would have just been better if I didn't use any soap at all and just used water. Judges, please if you keep this game for next year, at least re-name it to "YouTube lather day"

Daily Lather Themes: 15/30 * Daily Challenges: 14/30 * Hardware Scavenger Hunt: 19/20 * Hardware Vendor Points: 2/2 * Software Vendor Points: 8/16 * Software Vendor Bonus Point: 0/1 * 30 Different Soap Brands Point: 15/30 * 30 Different Soaps On Theme Bonus Point: 15/30 * 30 Different Post-Shaves Bonus Point: 15/30 * 30 Different Fragrances Bonus Point: 15/30

June 15, 2024 – Temporarily Here, Now

• Brush: Simpsons “The Duke” – Pure Badger #wedontneednostinkingbadgers
• Razor: Gillette Black Beauty #rustybuttrusty
• Blade: Gillette Platinum (2)
• Lather: Barrister and Mann – Seville
• Post Shave: Chicago Grooming Co. (Formerly Oleo Soapworks) – Shiloh

I have a tough time finishing things. Especially things I really like. I watched/binged the new Battlestar Gallactica some 10 years ago while going through a bad breakup. But when it came to the series finale, maybe because of recent events, I just couldn’t let go. I finally sat down to finish it some two years later and realized I’d forgotten practically everything about the series.

And this is how I have treated my Seville since July of ‘22. This was my first tub purchase and the barbershop of the gods helped changed everything I thought about shaving and drove me further down the rabbit hole. I fell in love and I can’t let go. Unlike BSG, I have not forgotten this soap and at least for now won’t have to. I’ll hold on to ring maybe until I almost forget what it smells like and then pop the top to dive back to the beautiful things in my life in 2022.

For now though I’ll just have to do it the complete disservice of making a sticky pasty lather. And if I’m going to make a sub-par lather I might as well knock out a hardware scavenger hunt hashtag with this sub-par brush. I bought this along with a Merkur and some blades off of craigslist for 20 bucks, it’s quite shit, scratchy and uncomfortable, while shedding more than my cat in this old house with no AC. To be a bit more positive I closed this shave off with one my favorite splashes which is also the one closest to its finality, Chicago Grooming’s AdP Colonia dupe Shiloh. Here’s to accepting the mixed blessing that everything is finite.

Cheers!

June 15, 2024

• Brush: Omega Penelli White HI-BRUSH Synthetic
• Razor: Schick Injector
• Blade: Schick Injector
• Lather: Australian Private Reserve – Coeur de Vert

This is by far the closest tub I have to being finished. And honestly, not what I would consider close overall. But I can just barely see the bottom vs the 90+% of everything else. Todays scent is wonderful. It’s so grassy and has a touch of hay. Like a breezy day carrying the scent to you. A light sweetness with a little bit of floral, which I pick out as the violets. This is what I imagine standing in an idealistic prairie with sporadic wild flowers would be like, untouched by man. I imagine a picture of me lying down in the field with a slowly panning out video showing the endlessness of the yellow and green grasses. I can’t say my memory is specifically of that, but it is of untouched grasses in the late spring. Just laying there, taking it all in. It was a hillside adjacent to my local park where it was quiet and away from everyone. My quiet spot when I was little.

Challenge: A shame to waste precious soap on a poor lather but here we are. Pasty it is. And if that wasn’t proof enough, here is me trying to get it off my razor.

Today I found a Prius for my scavenger hunt. So I took out my luggage I had packed up for travel and got my SOTD photo in an amusement park hotel parking lot. Photo credit to the misses.

photocontest

FOF

Edit: Imgur finds my lather erotic, I guess that counts for something.

15 June 2024 Complementary Non Dickkhole Arianna & Evans Peach & Cognac

• Prep: Warm Shower
• Brush: Prometheus Liquid Rainbow 28mm
• Razor: Henson Aggressive
• Blade: Gillette Nacet (26)
• Lather: Arianna & Evans - Peach & Cognac (26)
• Post Shave: Barrister & Mann - Patches A/S
• Post Shave: Thayer's Concoction
• Post Shave: Good Oleo
• Post Shave: Stirling Soap Co. - Unscented Balm
• Fragrance: D&G - L'Imperatrice No 3

I need to kill this tub of soon.

I don't know ho much I like the Peach and Cognac scent. I liked it a lot initially but I feel like as I've done through the tub, the peach note has lost it's appeal. Perhaps it's the changing seasons, where I'm craving a juicy peach with some tartness and a little watery note.

The other pairings were just enjoyable. D&G L'Imperatrice No 9 is a nice fizzy scent that has a lot of lovely fruity notes in it.

Cheers

https://imgur.com/a/9FiGuP9

• Prep: PAA - Bubble Gube
• Bowl: Naked Armor - Silver Fox Scuttle
• Brush: Mühle - Purist Karelian Masur Birch Silvertip Fiber #PREMIUMPLASTIC #FAUXFUR
• Razor: Merkur - Progress #ZAMAC
• Blade: PAA - Strangelet Super Sharps
• Lather: Ariana & Evans - Low Scent Skeletor Gets all the Babes
• Post Shave: Murphy and McNeil - Gael Laoch Orange Aftershave

A very nostalgic shave today! I used my made of Zamac Merkur Progress which was the first DE razor I owned. I learned to shave with it. It is always like seeing an old friend. The shaving with my closest to empty well used soap, Low Scent Skeletor. My Brush today was a Mühle with the synthetic Silver Tip Fiber knot. These knots cost well over $20.

Todays Challenge: I usually have a thick and dry lather, but today is Water Day so I drowned my soap with water. https://imgur.com/a/JW9QVhc

I was glad to have an adjustable razor and dialed it down, thinking I would not have enough cushion because of how thin the lather was, but the A&E was still slick and had just enough cushion on my first pass. For the second pass I wasn't as lucky and my styptic pencil got a work out. Still having fun! Different blade, razor, brush, soap brand and aftershave still going.

ROTY

June 15, 2024

• Brush: Farvour Turncraft 'Blue Diamond Dust' / AP Shave Co G5A 26mm
• Razor: Blackland Razors Blackbird
• Blade: Gillette Platinum
• Lather: Barrister and Mann - Nordost
• Post Shave: House of Mammoth - Everett - Splash
• Fragrance: Stirling Soap Co. - Satsuma - EdT

I worked on this tub all month of May, I probably have 8-10 shaves left. Definite ring of death, but still some left.

I did weigh it to make sure that all the samples of Wapiti I sent out didn't make that the closest to death, but there's probably twice as much Wapiti as Nordost.

Went with an orange theme. Followed the soap with Everett, finishing with the Satsuma EdT. I'll be sending the bottle of that to u/bmac92 later this week though, I don't like the Satsuma EdT.

June 15, 2024

• Brush: AP Shave Co. 26mm Synbad

• Razor: Karve Christopher Bradley OC B Plate

• Blade: Ladas Super Stainless

• Lather: Chiseled Face Groomatorium - Midnight Stag - Soap

• Post Shave: Chiseled Face Groomatorium - Midnight Stag - Aftershave

• Fragrance: Chiseled Face Groomatorium - Midnight Stag

Turns out my AA gear is the lowest soap I have. THe rest of the trifecta too. We'll see if I can swing another month out of everything. Genuinely enjoy this scent but will admit it does get to be a lot by the end of the month. My CFG Banana is also getting dangerously low. I also have a half full Midnight Stag Balm that I use interchangedly during AA. My frag may not actually make it through AA. Admittedly I do have a back up Stag tub on standby.

Unfortunately CFG doesn't have a great base for today's challenge. It get thin and airy very quickly. It actually produces a very quick lather with little water and work, quickly hitting it's sweet spot. So instead of ideally hydrated lather, I went on the drier side. The edges of the lather on my face were completely after I finished lathering. It would've been a lot worse were it a soft soap that is easily overloaded. That paste makes any razor stop in it's tracks.

June 15, 2024 - yarr harr is that a shitty photo I see?

• Brush: Dogwood Handcrafts w/ Declaration Grooming B10
• Razor: Blackland Razors Vector (Lite)
• Blade: Schick Proline
• Lather: House of Mammoth - Sonder
• Post Shave: Barrister and Mann - Spice
• Fragrance: Imaginary Authors - Sundrunk

This is the tub I used for Austere August last year, and I would say it has about a third left to it. I don't really understand how I did that using the MOAR BOAR for an entire month, unless I'm chronically underloading. I think I'm chronically underloading. It is by far my tub closest to dead. Post shave is relevant because it is my splash that is the closest to dead. There's like a couple millimeters of splash left at the bottle and every time I think I've killed it I didn't. JUST DIE ALREADY. Sundrunk is here to bridge the scents. The orange zest really helps tie the old spice dupe with the lemon in Sonder, while the rhubarb helps get into the unique florals in the scent.

Today's shave sucked. Y'all are jerks for making me do pasty ass lather with a good soap. I should not have used the lite plate for the vector. It clogged too fast, and was way too sticky to be effective.

Photo contest theme is Pirates. I'm in the middle of putting together some shipments from my bst post on the discord, and the pirate ship logo was screaming at me to go with pirates today. So here it is. This photo sucks a lot. The light coming from the background is super overwhelming the already weak light coming from the rest of the room and it just looks bad, but it's on theme. #photocontest

June 15, 2024 - Near Death Experience

• Prep: Warm Shower
• Brush: Razorock F400 #TOLL
• Razor: Supply Single Edge SE
• Blade: Black Label (4)
• Lather: Ariana and Evans - Vanille de Tabac
• Post Shave: Ariana and Evans - Vanille de Tabac
• Fragrance: Parfum Belcam - Classic Match Bold Tobacco

Since I started wet shaving, I have only killed two or three tubs. One of them was the used tub of Vanille de Tabac I bought off the bazaar. It really is no surprise that this replacement tub is the only one in my den with a ring of death, either. It is at or near the top of my whole family's list of favorites. The fragrance is a dupe of the same Tom Ford scent, and while done a little differently, it pairs nicely.

I wish you vile, cruel, mean, and unforgiving judges would leave my lather alone. Not sure how water day equals this pasty terrible mess you made me use this morning. At least I am confident that I am doing something right in this hobby after today.

PHOTOCONTEST - Cactus

June 15, 2024 – LG 15: Near Death Experience

• Brush: Chisel and Hound V8
• Razor: Chiseled Face Legacy #CNC
• Blade: Personna Platinum Chrome (12)
• Lather: Stirling Soap Co. – Satsuma
• Post Shave: Stirling Soap Co. – Satsuma
• Fragrance: Stirling Soap Co. – Satsuma

Shaves in the earlier morning, and finally getting to posting probably 12 hours later. First and I believe only trickhole of the games, as all 3 are nearest death, especially the soap and frag. Stirling satsuma is divine. It’s quite simple, but so juicy and bright, and very close to the real fruit. #FOF

For the #PHOTOCONTEST went with fill the frame. Not sure how well I will do while on vacation with the rest of these, probably should have done a harder one today. That said, I do have my travel LG calendar days packed!, so we’ll see what we can still make happen photo wise but will have same set up for about 2 weeks.

For the challenge, best way to get a pasty lather is sunshine outside, so here’s my little setup today. Notice those stellar tomatoes in the mirror. I’m normally a mid hydration guy, so went super pasty today. Also, video proof as well.

As of our sponsor, stellar brushes, cool collabs with HoM. Used my CH V8 today, nice and gelly dense badger. Have a TDR too with a B6 which is one of my absolute faves.

soap brands 15/30, post shave 15/30, frag 15/30, post/frag linked 15/30, software sponsors 11/16, hardware sponsors 7/2, razor hashtags 9/15, brush hashtags 10/15, photo contest 15/30, daily challenges 13/26, special challenges 2/4

Near Death Experience

• Brush: Chisel and Hound Scholar V20
• Razor: Blackland Blackbird Brass SB Long Handle
• Blade: Personna - Comfort Coated
• Lather: Spearhead Shaving - Seaforth! Black Watch
• Post Shave: Old Spice - Classic Aftershave
• Fragrance: House of Mammoth - Rumble

Daily Gratitude
Thank you so much to Blackland for fixing up and polishing this razor. Thanks to my mom for buying this aftershave. Thanks to the judges and fabulous people putting this whole thing together.

Daily Mistakes
Forgetting to put a blade in until after I "shaved" half of my face lol.

Daily Writeup
Man, I missed this razor, but now it is even better than it was. If you are lame and you aren't active in the discord then you probably didn't see what it was like before, and that's a good thing lol. The blade gap was on the wrong side of the blade. But they polished it and apparently that fixed the problem? But I'm thrilled because when I was researching this razor I wanted to get a polished one before I asked them and they told me that the polished brass will not be returning in the brass drops, so I had to go for a matte one second hand. But now it's even better than it was!!! I decided to do a 3 pass shave for the first time in 2 weeks because today work was really busy and I needed a calming shave with my favorite razor. So smooth and so nice.

Daily Theme Points
Coincidentally, today was the shave with this soap that revealed the bottom of the tub! Near death experience, I'm really scared, I saw it's life flash before my eyes, a lot of good shaves, also that time that I wanted to scrape the top of this because it wasn't looking good and I only had a razor blade to use, I cut myself up really bad lol.

Daily Relevant Post Shave & Fragrance Points
For today I just went with some of my favorite stuff, and more on the darker warmer side like black watch. Old Spice is really good and it's pretty dark to my nose. I honestly didn't think I would like rumble based off of the scent notes but I actually loved it! Super chocolatey.

Daily Challenge
Usually my lather is super fast and poorly hydrated. This picture was taken after I did a stroke on the side but here is kind of what it looked like in one spot. Also the saying is, "if it aint drippin you trippin" and it was dripping all over my body lol.

Hardware Scavenger Hunt
Nothing new.

Photo Contest
It's super packed or something.

TL;DR
I win rookie of the year thank you very much give me my prize.

Side Contests

photocontest

ROTY

SOTD June 15, 2024 

• Prep: Splash of warm water
• Brush: Noble Otter Synthetic 26mm
• Razor: Van Der Hagen 85MM Safety Razor
• Blade: Van Der Hagen Stainless
• Lather: Noble Otter - Monarch
• Post Shave: Noble Otter - Monarch balm

Got my first tub kill recently and realized that none of my other tubs are even that close but after very scientific measurements I decided it must be monarch. I've had it a long time,I use it more often than most tubs and it looks fairly low

June 15, 2024 – LG24 Day 15 - Near Death Experience

• Brush: Chisel & Hound Pueblo Opaque handle w/ 26mm v20 Fanchurian Badger knot
• Razor: Schick Injector Type M Variant D2,H1,G1
• Blade: Schick Stainless Steel Injector (3)
• Lather: House of Mammoth - Fú Dào
• Post Shave: Stubble Buster - Game AS Splash
• Fragrance: OriginLab - Inspired by Acqua Di Gio Parfum (Giorgio Armani Acqua di Giò dup)

Daily Theme & Relevant Post/Frag: The vast majority of my soap tubs are nearly full. Fú Dào is the exception as it is around 50% used and is by far the closest to finishing. Mandarin orange is a predominant scent of Fú Dào, and I leaned into citrus with my post and frag. The post (a Victoria's Secret Very Sexy for Him dupe) and the frag (a Giorgio Armani Acqua di Giò dupe) both have citrus as their primary accords, and I find them to be very complimentary to the lather.

Daily Challenge & Shave: There was a time (when I didn't know any better) that my typical lather was dry, pasty, and sticky. Thanks to the r/wetshaving wiki, I have learned how to make nice, good, wet lather and I am disappointed in myself when I fail to do so. Against my better judgement, I have reached back in time and build the pastiest lather I could. I'm glad I chose the Shick Adjustable with Shick Injector blade today, because it wasn't bothered by the pasty, sticky lather. Considering how pathetic my lather was, the shave wasn't half bad. For the most part I avoided razor burn, but multiple weepers on my lower neck reminded me that today's lather sucked.

June 15, 2024 – I’m tired of death  

• Brush: Dogwood – Badger  
• Razor: Merkur 34C  
• Blade: Astra SP (Green)   
• Lather: Spearhead – Experimental 18.1  

Theme: I’ve been saving a sliver is Spearhead Experimental soap because I love it and don’t want to forget it.

Challenge: The best demo of sad pasty lather I could offer is how it built up on the razor.

June 15, 2024

• Brush: Commonwealth 'CW' Badger, purchased on Ebay
• Razor: Fatip Piccolo Slant Closed Comb
• Blade: Astra Superior Platinum (Green) (6)
• Lather: Spearhead – Seaforth! Black Watch
• Post Shave: The Club – Poison Hemlock
• Fragrance: Chris Rusak – After Every Ounce of Joy (Leave My Body)

I have only one tub of shaving soap (everything else is samples). This made the decision easy—it can only be Spearhead Black Watch, which smells (to me) like a sort of dessert. Recent developments with the tub have portended the proverbial Ring of Death. Prior to tonight’s shave the Ring of Death first glimmered. Tonight, however, I avoided dilating the aperture, preferring instead to work the periphery.

Ever had a near-death experience? I have…twice. Once a goat knocked me off a cliff. The other… I won’t describe the other instance.

Theme-wise, I’m interpreting “Near death” as “on the verge of death.” Hence Poison Hemlock, an aftershave from The Club (an outfit that seems to be affiliated with A&E— though how affiliated I have yet to determine). Poison Hemlock is the weirdest aftershave I’ve ever smelled. It’s more cocktail than aftershave. Blood orange, pine tar, and (supposedly) actual hemlock(?!?). It packs a punch.

Chris Rusak After Every Ounce of Joy (Leave My Body) was described by someone online as the smell of being in a car accident. In fairness, admirers of the fragrance insist that it’s not more than this—according to a more favorable description, it smells like repairing an engine in a pine forest in the fog. Midnight Stag devotees take note!

Brush Strokes today features the The Death of Socrates as painted by Jacques Louis David. Socrates, of course, was condemned to death and forced to drink hemlock. This French Revolution-era painting turns Socrates into something of a superhero, fearlessly overcoming injustice and unreason in a single melodramatic flourish. A more humanizing (and who knows, more realistic?) portrait was furnished by Raphael in The School of Athens, wherein Socrates is depicted not as a hero but as one among many in a crowded field, in his natural element, discussing, disputing—as one who tirelessly argues and questions.

#ROTY