June 18, 2024 – 2024..06.18 SOTD: Lather Games Day 18 – RIP in Pieces

• Razor: Chiseled Face Legacy Ti
• Blade: Feather (DE) (1)
• Lather: Mickey Lee Soapworks – The Drunken Goat
• Post Shave: Chicago Grooming Co. – Animal Crackers
• Fragrance: Zoologist Perfumes – Cow

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Daily Theme: RIP in Pieces

Theme justification: Mickey Lee Soapworks is officially closed

Relevant Post Shave & Frag: All my software products today have working animals on the labels. Drunken Goat has goats (farm animals), Chicago Grooming Co. Animal Crackers aftershave has circus animals (bear, sea lion/seal, lion), and Zoologist Cow, well, has a cow (farm animal).

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Scavenger Hunt ~~Justification~~: COMPLETED

Razor facts: N/A

Brush facts: N/A

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Daily/Special Challenge: Wicked Edge

I believe it was /u/OnionMiasma who, at the Maggard Meetup, said W_E is a community about wet shaving, and /r/wetshaving is a community for/of wetshavers (or something along those lines). Hell, my first ever wetshaving related post was on W_E. Both subs have their good and bad, but a lot of the bad seems to shine through on W_E (even if that is just due to difference in subs). I think some good conversations can be had over there, but I'll do my best to drum up an example of a ridiculously bad/annoying/odd post (mainly gleamed by looking at the most controversial post on W_E over the past year)(that also could pop up in the Daily Questions thread):

 

Why does DE Shaving Suck for Me? ? ...

For starter I picked up a Chiseled Face Groomatorium Titanium Legacy Razor - Herringbone razor cause i thought that they were good but Iguess they are not... Just sucks since I spent a small fortune on the razor and I cant even return it since i bought it used on facebook... I used feather blades since everyone here says that their the sharpest and I need that since I have super sensitive skin ... Am I DOing something wrong??... Seriously this razor is supposed to be great but when I shave with it no hair is cut and I dont know why because it should be ... it's like](https://i.imgur.com/qlKGVuU.jpg) the blade isnt cutting at all!!!

Why does shaving with this razor just freaking suck??... I am going to go back to my Dollar Shave Club razors since they worked for me and gave me a much better and superior shave to this Double Edge razor that does cut anything at all despite using feather blades...

FIN

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Fragrance description

First time I've ever used a MLS product. Drunken Goat smells like cookies and beer. I'd probably buy a full tub if it was still around.

Animal Crackers smells exactly like it is described: animal crackers. It's wonderful. A simple buttery vanilla cookie.

Zoologist Cow: Sage is the first thing that hits me, followed by violet. Oddly sweet (think some form of sweetened milk) that I don't find too appealing, but it's not terrible.

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Now onto the shave!

I am now really sad that I missed the MLS era of shaving soaps. This is absolutely fantastic stuff. Thank you very much for the sample, /u/Engineered_Shave! Loved the scent and the performance.

Decided to go with my Legacy razor today, just due to the name alone. Lovely razor produced a very nice shave. Probably helps that I used feather blades, which are the sharpest blades (as everyone knows). I did fix the odd issue I had in my W_E post, so don't worry :)

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Totals:

• Razor Hashtags: 10/10
• Brush Hashtags: 10/10
• Hardware Sponsor Points: 2/2
• Software Sponsor Points: 11/16
• Number of Lather Brands: 18/30
• Number of Lather Scents: 18/30
• Number of Post Shaves: 18/30
• Number of Frags: 18/30

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Contest Hashtags:

#FOF

#ROTY

June 18, 2024 – Place a rose on the grave

• Brush: Chisel and Hound Bangalore V20
• Razor: Wolfman WR1
• Blade: Feather (DE) (1)
• Lather: Dr. Jon’s – Rose of Phrygia
• Post Shave: D.R. Harris – Pink Aftershave
• Fragrance: Noble Otter – Two Kings

It always sucks when a brand we love dies. I actually arrived on the scene right as Dr. Jon’s was closing shop. Everyone was upset, so I decided to grab some things from Maggard’s clearance and understand why people were sad to see it go. Rose of Phrygia is an incredible rose scent. He nailed the realism. This doesn’t smell like grandma’s purse with her rose perfume spilled, synthetic and too strong. It smells like walking through a rose garden.

For #fof I’m going to continue that theme, laying a rose on the grave of this brand so to speak. DR Harris Rose aftershave, and Noble Otter Two kings (which is Rose and Oud, but heavy on the rose to my nose.) It’s a bit of a rose bomb, yes. And I’ve probably passed over the “unisex” line here, but ultimately it smells good. And it is thematic for the day.

Since we’re talking about death (in a sense). Let’s use time for #photocontest today. After all we’re all subject to it’s unyielding march. Included in this picture is a pocket watch given to me as a groomsman present at my friend’s wedding. I love that you can see the mechanics of it as it runs. I need to carry it more.

For the challenge. You want a W_E post? I’ll give you a W_E post. My very first, W_E post, so it has to be my best. A post in the style of our current sub exile u/pridetwo over at r/wicked_edge. Go see it for yourself (Assuming u/impressive_donut114 doesn’t pull it down to stop my point spree!)

June 18, 2024

• Brush: TerraFirma Soapery - Deep Blue Spalted Shave Handle - 28mm Oumo Best 3 Color Synthetic
• Razor: Gillette Blue Tip SuperSpeed
• Blade: Wilkinson Sword
• Lather: Central Texas Soaps - Padre Island Soap
• Post Shave: Central Texas Soaps - Padre Island Splash
• Fragrance: Stirling Soap Co - South Padre EdT

Gone, but not forgotten. Today, we pour one out for the soapers gone by, and that includes Central Texas Soaps… However, does anyone really know what happened to CTS? Well, gather round, for I shall tell you the truth of what happened to Central Texas Soaps.

Richard "Big Tex" Johnson, made his money as an importer/exporter. He imported mandarins, and exported diapers. But his true passion was being a shaving soap artisan and crafting scents as a creative outlet… And to make a little money on the side. He strived to create a shaving experience so smooth, it'd make a rattlesnake envious and scents that would make an armadillo say “OOOOOOOOooooo”.

To celebrate a particularly lucrative quarter of imports/exports, Big Tex decided on a team-building retreat. They packed their truck with coolers full of Shiner Bock and enough mandarins to feed all the longhorns in Texas. You may be asking if longhorns eat mandarins, and to that I say, “Mind your business.” Destination: Padre Island, the sandy paradise where the only worry was sunburn.

Now, Big Tex wasn't exactly known for meticulous planning. He didn’t trust GPS, maps were more like suggestions, and, of course, asking for directions was out of the question. He traveled using his compass, the placement of the sun, and his famous gut-feel. So, naturally, they ended up lost on a deserted stretch of beach, miles from civilization. Their convoy of pick-ups got stuck in the sand and being so far away from civilization their phones were as useful as a cactus hat in a downpour, and the batteries died faster than a jackrabbit chased by a coyote.

They were stranded with trucks full of mandarins. They had enough mandarins to eat for weeks, but morale was plummeting and Big Tex needed something to make the crew feel better. Day turned into night. And nights turned into weeks. Big Tex, ever the people-pleaser, decided it would be best to use his time to craft a new scent to bring happiness to the group, instead of trying to get rescued. He took inspiration from his current experience. Rather than eat the mandarins, he used them all to create a citrus accord. He blended that with the sand from the beach, as well as some salt water to capture the essence of the ocean mist, he created what would become known as “Padre Island” – the scent I shaved with today.

News of their predicament finally reached civilization, thanks to a seagull who snagged Big Tex's cowboy hat and used it as a nest. A rescue crew arrived, but it was too late. The only thing that was left was a bottle of Padre Island Fragrance Oil and a note that said “Make it happen”. The rescue crew knew just what to do. They released Padre Island because that’s what Big Tex would have wanted.

Central Texas Soaps is no more. But we can always remember the Padre Island fiasco thanks to Big Tex and his dedication to creating fragrances, even though some “survival experts” suggest he maybe should have eaten the mandarins for survival, instead of creating a fragrance with them. But who knows if you can actually trust those experts. I, for one appreciate Big Tex’s dedication and the final scent he ever created.

For my fragrance of the day is South Padre EdT by Stirling and it is the perfect #FOF to use with Padre Island. They are both based on the scents of the beaches of South Padre Island in Texas. Stirling’s is a little bit more complex, adding in some lavender and slight floral notes, but both have me feeling (and smelling) like I’m laying on the beach, soaking in the rays, while reading a book and listening to the waves crash into the sandy beach.

Challenge: I gotta be honest, guys. I’m kinda over shitting on w_e. Each sub has their own energy, users, and each serves a purpose. I feel like a lot of people on r/wetshaving think they’re better than w_e. But that’s not the case. Things are just different over there.

Just because it’s a disorganized mess, and their users can (and do) post whatever random thought enters their mind, it doesn’t mean it’s bad - it’s just different. Both can exist and we don't need to make fun of them.

And just because one of their mods had a shitty experience with Razor Emporium and then suspiciously removed RE from their do not buy list right after RE sent him free shaving soap, it doesn’t mean there is anything amiss over there.

We do our thing and they do their thing. One approach is not inherently bad. It just depends on what every user prefers. I started at w_e, and found I prefer things at r/wetshaving. Do I think I’m better than everyone over there? Well…. No. Perhaps I’m just a bit more enlightened?

As I think about it, maybe we’re not so different after all….

Soap Theme Justification: Central Texas Soaps no longer exists.

Relevant Post Shave & Fragrance: Padre 3 times!

LG SOTD Jun 18 2024 - That is not dead which can eternal lie

#photocontest

Theme: A bucket (of blood)

• Brush: Alpha - Outlaw 28mm G5 knot #PREMIUMPLASTIC #SHD #TOLL
• Razor: Merkur - Futur #ADJUSTABLE #FLIPTOP
• Blade: Feather - New Hi-Stainless
• Lather: Maol Grooming & Talbot Shaving - Heliopteris - Artisan Shave Soap - sample
• Post Shave: Dr. Jon's - 8th Dimension - Aftershave tonic
• Fragrance: JMD Jean Michel Duriez - L'illusiomagiste - Sample

WARNING WARNING WARNING

As solicited by the Lather Games rulers, this post contain mentions and depictions of cuts that go beyond safe hair removal. The following includes, but is no way limited to, NSFW and potentially triggering texts and pics.

Reader discretion is advised

If you feel urges of “purging” or cutting your skin, please take note of the following resources, and consider talking to a qualified health professional.
https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/conditions/skin-picking-disorder/https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/feelings-symptoms-behaviours/behaviours/self-harm/getting-help/

TODAY'S THEME

My tribute to some shaving and fragrance companies that are no longer in business:

• The soap is signed Maol Grooming and Talbot Shaving, two artisans who often collaborated on great soap + AS offerings
• Dr. Jon's, whose 8th dimension AS was released as a limited edition for 2019 Black Friday
• Jean-Michel Duriez, a French perfumer who launched his own brand after decades of working for big international houses, made it to the 2018 Perfume Guide by Luca Turin & Tanya Sanchez, and was announced as shutting down in 2021

TODAY'S SPECIAL CHALLENGE

I have no beef with anyone on r/wicked_edge.
I am not familiar enough with the posting style that I seem to be asked to mimic.
But "mama raised no quitter": today I am here to fully comply to the judges requests.
I understand that the goal is get the best shave ever with the most badass gear I have. No compromises.

You wanted Feather? Sure: got a brand new one, sharp as a scalpel.
And I picked my Merkur Futur, the Face Mauler.
Shaving is all about aggressiveness + efficiency.
What's better than Japanese medical technology combined with German heavy metal engineering?

So, forward to the objective. DFS?
You didn't say "amateur day challenge".
Today I'm gonna shave until there's no more sound feedback from my razor.
The Futur & new Feather combo provides that special toast bread scraping sound that I had previously felt only with my MM24.

After the first pass WTG, I got just a couple of red spots, as inferred in this pic.
But I remember some WetTuber guy saying that it's ok to get cut.
Must persevere!

After nineteen other passes (especially on my left side, where hair seems to be a bit more rebellious), I got the cleanest shave since I've been born. I know that in the past I objected to be asked to share pics of my shaved body parts, but I now understand, gotta be proud of accomplishments such as today's.
As requested, here's the evidence.

THE SCENTS

No dickholing today, but an effort to provide kind of an olfactory memorial.

The ceremony begins with the Heliopteris, a solar and clean fougère inspired by Ancient Egypt suggestions, and with notes that seem to care about reflecting the North African theme(Egyptian geranium, Egyptian coriander, Atlas cedar).
Helios, the sun, may appear to die at the end of each day, but its death is not eternal: a new dawn, a new day, a new life are waiting.

We then leap to the AS, an audacious 1980s throwback to the 8th dimension: since its creation, it was a Scent from Beyond, seducing the nose with a warm wood accord, but shocking the skin with a mentholated cooling effect. Totally different style and experience with respect to Heliopteris, but the overwhelming woods have no trouble making you forget the sunny fern of the lather.

Finally, another woody sensation - this one by a French perfumer who was tired of the "quick explosiveness" of commercial fragrances, and wanted to create scents that were mostly about the drydown.
L'illusiomagiste is the kind of cedar-vetiver accord with a hint of citrus that I can easily fall in love. This is not the first time that I wear it, and today I am still loving it. However, more often than not, I become maddened by "undying" drydowns.

After a long time smelling the same notes, my brains starts to impatiently ask for something different, more mobile, more lively.

The idea of something ending is discomforting, but at the same time, we are even more scared by the prospect of being in the presence of an undying creature?

#FOF

Note to the curious: if you travel to Italy and are up to a visit off the beaten path, check out the old anatomical wax models in museums such as La Specola in Florence. Also check out the website of the University of Cagliari collection of waxworks by Clemente Susini, where you may recognize someone familiar.

#ROTY

LG 18 - RIP in Pieces

• Brush: Some Making Requiered - Maker Brush #7 - Oumo HMW Silvertip 24mm
• Razor: Filarmonica - Sub-cero 14
• Lather: Daisho - Autumn Storm
• Post Shave: Daisho - Autumn Storm
• Fragrance: Zara - Exclusive OUD

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The soap I had planned for today was Moroccan Sands, one of the best Oud's out there, from Nanny Silly, but a brief search gave me the pleasant surprise that she has returned last year and she's selling her soaps on Ebay, facebook & ATG forum. I will stock some.

The replacement is from a Spanish soap maker, which is no longer in business. Great soap and scent. For the brush, I used another one of my top brushes, from a maker that gone out of business too.

.#challenge I have never cut myself badly while shaving nor have any notable accidents but a couple of years ago if I recall well, while I was honing a straight razor it slipped from my hands, hitting the table and falling to the ground with the luck (because it didn't break) that it landed on my ankle before, leaving a memory of my clumsiness.

.#FOF I combined the woodsy, booze scent of Autumn Storm with the straight oud from Zara's Exclusive

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Day 18

• Brush: SmilezforMilez – 22mm Synthetic
• Razor: Gem 1912
• Blade: Gem PTFE
• Lather: Dr. Jon’s – Flowers in the Dark Soap
• Post Shave: Taconic Shave - Lavender Lime Splash
• Fragrance: Paco Rabanne - Phantom

For those unfamiliar (and as a reminder for those who are), Dr. Jon's was an artisan soap maker known for their intriguing scents. They closed shortly after I started wetshaving and I only have a couple samples of their products. Flowers in the Dark wasn't your typical lavender situation. Sure, there is lavender, but it is like a lavender field visited by a rogue bolt of lightning, which struck someone and landed them in a coffin made of cedar. I absolutely love it. It’s lavender, with a faint ozone tang, a whisper of the wood of a freshly milled wood (intriguing, right?)

Now, Dr. Jon's is no more, a victim of, well, I’m not entirely sure what. It may have been an explosion of a batch of aftershave or, in a form of poetic justice, and the founder was struck by lightning, while frolicking in a lavender field, and he’s buried in a cedar coffin. I doubt know. I couldn’t be bothered to research why they went out of business, so that’s the story I’m choosing to believe. At any rate, Dr. Jon’s absence leaves a void in the world of curiously scented shave soap. And I have mixed feelings using this sample I have, because I know it’s not going to be made anymore. Like, I know I should use it, but I really enjoy this scent and I don’t want to finish it. I clearly have issues letting go and need to talk to the therapist about it.

ANYWAYS

I lathered up from this tiny sample, a single tear tracing a path down my cheek, which eventually helped hydrate my lather. The shave itself was like a dream. The soap is great and I couldn’t help but think of the poor founder of Dr. Jon’s getting struck by lighting and dying in that lavender field. RIP in peace 🙏🏻

To close out the shave, kept the lavender theme going with the splash and fragrance. Taconic’s Lavender Lime splash, is fresh, floral, and refreshing – giving an entirely different lavender vibe than the soap I used. Phantom, by Paco Rabanne, is more like a brighter version of scent of the soap, bringing an earthy elements, yet with a clean, sharp bite of citrus and a creamy lavender heart that shouldn't work, but somehow ends up smelling unexpectedly cool and is very nice to wear. #FOF

For #photocontest: bucket

The challenge today is to be one with r/wicked_edge, but I’m not entirely sure what that means. Wicked Edge is a vast resource for wetshavers new and old! On a completely unrelated note, I want to show you all my new invention: The Triple Gem! I got tired of doing three pass shaves, so I taped extra Gem blades to the top and bottom of my 1912. Boom! I can do a 3 pass shave in the time it used to take to do a 1 pass shave! Am I brilliant or am I brilliant? I made sure to use the strongest tape I could find because I safety is my top priority. I’ll be taking pre-order starting next week!

iamhonestlylying’s Daily Top 5:

In honor of “RIP in Pieces”… My Top 5 Best Stores that Don’t Exist Anymore

5.) RadioShack – Need batteries? Wires? AC adapters? A computer? Speakers? If you needed it, Radio Shack had it.

4.) Sports Authority – 12 Year old me would spend literally hours in Sports Authority while my family would walk around the rest of the mall. It was there I bought a life-sized cut-out of Ken Griffey Jr that still lives in my parent’s basement.

3.) Brookstone – Oh my god. They had the most useful, useless overpriced junk that I absolutely needed. Somehow, they still have an online storefront, which is shocking, because the entire appeal was walking in, sitting in the massage chair, and maybe splurging on an impulse purchase of a portable weather-station.

2.) Toys R Us – If 12 year old me loved Sports Authority, Toys R Us was for ages 4-11. Man, it was something special when my parents brought me there. Just had to make sure I avoided the pink aisles like the plague. God forbid any of my 10 year old friends see me even look down that aisle. Don’t want anyone to start any rumors…

1.) Blockbuster – They could have had it all. Instead, they banked on the fact that people wanted to browse movie rentals in a physical location instead of relying on the fad of the internet. Whoops! Shootout to that one remaining Blockbuster in Oregon that’s refusing to admit defeat. It’s like the Japanese soldiers that stayed in the jungle after WWII because they thought the war was still going on.

Jun. 18, 2024

• Brush: AP Shave Co AP 400 22MM GELOUSY SHD FAN Badger

• Razor: Gillette 1962 Slim H 2

• Lather: Mickey Lee Soapworks - Pantie Dropper

• Post Shave: Barrister and Mann - Dickens

• Fragrance: Azzaro - The Most Wanted Parfum

RIP in Pieces day.

First I would like to thank everyone who commented about my kid. He is doing much better today. He woke up around 10:00am. He’s been awake ever since and we’ve been able to get some food into his stomach and the color is starting to comeback into his face. When he woke up this morning he was completely white washed.

This day I was in a panic over. I had nothing I could use. But thanks to u/souleater7173 for sending me this smoosh of Mickey Lee Soapworks pantie dropper. What an amazing soap. The smell is fantastic and just a little bit of water and a damp brush the lather was abundant. I had so much left over I was wishing I did not use as much of the smoosh as I did. But now I am on the search for more.

When he sent it to me and told me what it was, I told him I already have an idea for my picture and what splash and frag to use.

If you get the panties to drop, and the dickens proper, you will definitely be the most wanted.

Now for today’s challenge

Hello all,

I’ve been reading and lurking around here for a few months now. A few posts here and there but nothing of a substance. Well that changes today! I thought I made a friend in u/souleater7173 ! Boy was I wrong. Can you believe he would send me a soap called gasp Pantie Dropper. I almost spilled my tea when I read his message. Let me tell you something, the missus was none to pleased either! I came here looking for like minded folks who loved the art of Wet Shaving, not soaps with names like that! Pure Smut! I’m disgusted and disappointed! If it wasn’t for the name of the soap I would ask him if I could buy a sample from him, personal check or money order of course. I don’t trust sending money through the internet. I only trust Amazon but that’s only to get Proraso and my vitamins. Ya know what for get this whole post! I’m done here. You all lost what could a been a great member of this community but because of one dirty minded member I’ll be taking my ball and going home!

Photo Contest Humor my wife bought me this t-shirt 16 years ago

#ROTY #FOF #Photocontest.

June 18, 2024 - R.I.P.

• Brush: Semogue 610 #OLDWORLD #SMOLL
• Razor: RazoRock Lupo Silver #RAINBOW
• Blade: Wizamet (32)
• Lather: Australian Private Reserve – Passione
• Post Shave: Summer Break Soaps - Daydream
• Fragrance: Australian Private Reserve / Southern Witchcrafts - Gravefruit

Challenge: Hey, I've been lurking for a while. I met this guy Douglas, or maybe it was Erik, on Facebook. He seemed like a cool dude. He made soap with cool labels, and didn't let the haters get to him. He Petal Pushed some Fancy shaving stuff on me, and now I'm hooked.

I'm still new to this. So, I was hoping you could give me some pointers. I use Feather blades because they're the sharpest. I added a few shims to get some positive blade exposure. There were 5 blades in the pack. I need one to shave with. I hope the other 4 are enough. I corked my blade to make sure it was as sharp as possible. But, first I corked my cork to make sure it was corky enough. So, I'm doing all the things I've read to do, and I keep getting these bumps on my face. What gives?

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Passione is a passion fruit fougere. As I load the soap I smell notes of passion fruit, lavender, and oakmoss. As I'm lathering, I get brightness from the passion fruit, and fresh green notes alongside the lavender. It's light for a fougere. I never really picked up any base notes. I imagine there are more layers to this in eau de toilette form. It still smells great. It’s energetic. It would be great for a morning shave. The fragrance makes me feel like I can switch on my extroversion and greet new faces. The fact that I'll never get to smell Passione in its full glory makes me sad.

Daydream isn't a fougere. But, it does share notes of passion fruit and oakmoss. Sweet bergamot is joined by notes of sharp passion fruit and bright lemon to create a pleasant and calming effect. Green tea and a touch of oakmoss offer some contrast to the sweet citrus. It pairs well with Passione. Daydream is approachable, pleasant, and tranquil. I love shaving with it. I need to pick up the frag at some point.

I don’t have any fragrances with passion fruit. So, I grabbed the only Australian Private Reserve frag I have, Gravefruit, from their collaboration with Southern Witchcrafts. The grapefruit note in this is fragrant, zesty, bright citrus, and tart. A ting of yuzu adds some sweetness. There are hints of woody and green notes, and maybe a grassy note. But, this is a citrus bomb. I love it. It’s perfect for summer. But, I’m afraid to use it. I have FORO (fear of running out).

#photocontest - Sugar & Sweets

#FOF

June 18, 2024 – LG 18: RIP in Pieces

• Brush: Maggard Purple Swirl Synthetic
• Razor: Gillette Tech
• Blade: Voskhod (2)
• Lather: Australian Private Reserve – Lavioletta
• Post Shave: London Razors – Mountain Laurel
• Fragrance: Barrister and Mann – Just Right for a Tuesday

Today I headed over to Ross, where I know they always have cheap ~~proraso~~ APR for like 5 bucks. They didn’t have any AS so I hopped in the car to TJMaxx to get some ~~Nivea~~ overstock from London Razors AS. Luckily I also found some BM frags there too, great spot for niche pick ups instead of the department stores. The feathers I got are super sharp, so I corked it several times which somehow turned it into a voskhod. That made it so I then had to shim it to get it back to the right sharpness. Then I loaded up some GeoFatBoy and KenSurfs videos to make sure my technique was right.

For our #FOF today, APR lavioletta is a bright lavender and violet forward scent. It’s crisp, clean, a vibrant green forward scent. Quick notes of citrus quickly heed to floral lavender backed by a lightly mossy and woody base. LR ML is another bright and floral scent, especially in AS form. I find the cedar also distinctly comes through. Lastly, continue with floral forwards we get to BM Tuesday. It’s a safe and versatile scent, relying heavily on lavender and violets like todays soap. There’s a light spice from the vetiver and nutmeg, keeping the scent from being one dimensional.

For our #PHOTOCONTEST we went with soccer (aka football). Brand new Liverpool Football Club ball seemed ripe for the photo.

June 18, 2024 – LG Day 18 – RIP in Peace in Pieces

• Brush: Chisel & Hound v23 Fanchurian
• Razor: Gillette Gold Ball-End Tech
• Blade: Gillette Silver Blue (1)
• Lather: Arsenal Grooming – Beach Goer
• Post Shave: Tiki Bar Soaps – Volcano
• Fragrance: Kerosene – Fields of Rubus

“When you’re playing the Lather Games and you’re playing all out, you end up with about half the days where your shave is just not at all enjoyable, and really pretty terrible.” — u/OnionMiasma

Ain’t that the truth.

Today was a good shave, though – it’s nice to have writing challenges interspersed to break up the physical challenges which are slowly destroying my scalp. Everything I used today is either RIP or RIP-adjacent. Arsenal Grooming Co is dead by all accounts. No Instagram posts since late 2023. Nothing seemingly sold by them in several years. Their website is 403 Forbidden (which I only got to after two distinct efforts on my computer’s part to keep me safe from malware). No official closing announcement – just mysteriously went out of business and sparked various folks to simply wonder what happened. Similarly, Tiki Bar Soap went out of business without announcement, but back in 2017, according to Boomer & Blade. Volcano is one of my favorite summer splashes, and I was happy to grab the old “tester” bottle from the Maggard Meet PIF table as backup stock. Kerosene isn’t going anywhere, but Fields of Rubus has been discontinued. Silver Blue blades are either discontinued or temporarily out of production, but who knows if this is a legitimate concern – it’s certainly not the first time B&B has been worried about this. Chisel & Hound has moved onto the v24 knot, so my v23 is officially discontinued, and I don’t think Gillette makes Ball-End Techs anymore, unless they’ve decided to discontinue cartridge razors because they got tired of making money.

In honor of the heat wave hitting Northern New England and elsewhere, my shave is aggressively beach/tropical-inspired. Beach Goer, on account of its age, is starting to lose its luster. The pear note is the most interesting part of it, bringing the tropical fruit notes beyond the typical sunscreen scent I would expect of a soap like this. I’m also picking up some floral notes, but anything else has either faded, is well-masked, or can be attributed to “nose is sus.” Volcano, on the other hand, is a powerhouse despite its age. Before the alcohol smell wears off, I get immediate flashbacks to poorly balanced “cocktails” my college roommate would make, typically consisting of orange juice, pineapple juice, and too much vodka. Once that settles down, it continues to be a citrus bomb which settles into a fruity, green, whimsical accord; it really is perfect for the beach and hence is a great match with this soap. Fields of Rubus: raspberry, patchouli, tobacco, woods. Better than it has any right to be. It adds a layer of complexity to today’s fragrances, and keeps it from being juice juice juice all day long. #FOF

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Instructions on how to make an r/wicked_edge post:

1. Write an overly vague and somewhat clickbait-y title.
2. Write an SOTD post with somehow way too much detail and yet saying nothing meaningful at all.
3. Take a bathroom sink photo.
4. Make sure you leave a review that’s way too complimentary of a lackluster soap.
5. State everything as fact; no YMMV here.

Instructions on how to make an r/wetshaving post:

1. Pretty much same as above but do it in a comment.
2. Make sure your soap brand/artisan is one of the sub favorites.
3. PAA is on the do not buy list.

Instructions on how to make u/SaintBandicoot miserable:

1. Blood.
2. Don’t offer free soap.

Instructions on how to make u/hugbckt miserable:

1. Insist on spelling “paid” as “payed.”
2. Ask if you should buy a $400 brush but refuse to listen when everybody says no.

June 18, 2024

• Brush: Yaqi Panda 24mm Two Band Badger
• Razor: Aylsworth Apex
• Blade: Gillette Nacet
• Lather: Dr. Jon’s - Pan’s Pipe
• Post Shave: Wholly Kaw - Eroe
• Fragrance: Barrister and Mann - Eclipse EdT

FOF

Today’s Theme:

Dr. Jon’s went out of business a bit before the last Lather Games. A little of places put them on clearance, so I picked up some soap and fragrances then. I got Pan’s Pipe for Dirty Hippy day last year.

Today’s Fragrance:

I started with the idea of matching up the cannabis note in Pan’s with something, but I struggled to find anything else with a similar note. It was time to do some comparative sniffing of posts and fragrances. I thought about going really patchouli with it, but the most patchouli thing have is already planned. I also already used YRP too. Back to the puck it was. Over the last year the soap has lost some punch, so what does it smell like now? It is just a green and kind of grassy scent now. Grassy got me thinking spring, so one of my favorite father’s day themed scents came to mind, Wholly Kaw - Eroe. I get a nice grassiness from it. To finish it up, I went with Barrister and Mann’s Eclipse with a novel take on patchouli. It is a nice complex scent with patchouli, lavender, and has a bit of a smokiness to it which fits with the grilling I did this evening on my pellet grill. Very happy with my last minute scramble to pick a scent. I had ideas, but nothing really fit my mood.

Tribute to r/Wicked_Edge:

Post by u/Environmental-Gap380:

I hate how harsh new blades can be. When I read a post about corking a razor and watched a wet-tuber video about it, I had to try it. Well I’m not a fancy guy with lots of wine corks from my cellar. So no corks to be found. I figured I’d just use a bottle cap. After several strokes on each side I put it in the razor. Wow, what a difference, not nearly as much razor burn this time. I think I’m getting the hang of this.

June 18, 2024

• Brush: Omega Penelli White HI-BRUSH Synthetic
• Razor: Schick Injector
• Blade: Schick Injector
• Lather: Talbot Shaving – Holland Glen

Today I used the dead brand Talbot. I bought this sample on a whim probably a year ago. Its scent had me confused ant first but it comes together. Off the tub, I got a lot of citrus and some floral notes. The citrus made no sense, but it worked. A little added brightness. As I used the soap, it became more damp. Predominently moss. Not oakmoss, but moss from a saturated forest floor, straight from Vancouver island. It definitely has the spraying spring water feeling from the top notes and a mossy dry down. It’s almost what I would expect waking up early morning when backpacking. This leads me to the time I did wake up backpacking, my tent pitched in a small clearing on moss (extremely comfy by the way). My gf and now wife were hiking a ridge line on our first overnight. We got behind, and ended on top of a mountain with the sun setting, wind whipping. Not a good spot to be. We couldn’t see trail markers any longer so made the call to hike down on the first path we were able to do so. At about 11pm, we Picked a spot slightly below tree line, on a small clearing of moss. All night, a mouse was trying to get into the tent so my partner incessantly smacked the tent to scare it. Terrible sleep. Woke up at 5am, as the sun was coming up. The same damp mossy earthy smell. Clean. We learned the mouse was a small branch in the wind that kept rubbing the tent with the breeze. We hiked another mile or so to the mountain top we came from down from and then hiked the ridge by ourselves for hours. It was an incredible experience. Wildlife was waking with us and not scared by the crowds yet. Maybe it wasn’t so bad to not make it to the campsite.

Challenge: TLDR; talbot holland glen smells like Irish spring soap, except not as good. It’s honestly not as good as a shave soap either. I can save time and money just using bar soap. What have you discovered about shaving that is a surprise to you?

fof

Today the theme is wood for #photocontest