01-09 - Back on razor's edge
- Brush: Yaqi 'Heavy Metal' 24mm silvertip badger
- Razor: Marianna #310
- Blade: Fromm Shaper
- Lather: House of Mammoth - Hygge - Soap
- Post Shave: House of Mammoth - Hygge - Aftershave Balm
Has it truly been a year already? I could swear it was just a few months ago that I last participated in Austere August, but my calendar (and thermometer) tells me this fateful time of year has come around once again, so here we go.
I completely missed this year's Lather Games, so I figured I'd make an effort to show up during AA instead, and while I was at it I should probably do some sort of wacky challenge as well to definitely make it worth my while.
As such, I've resolved (as of literally 30 minutes before my shave and after a late-night beer) to dust off my u/OnionMiasma -provided Weck (actually a Marianna), stock up on a fresh box of vasoconstrictors and bandages, and throw my lot in with u/whosgotthepudding's Headless Horsemen. I would have just kept going with my daily driver GEM 1912 or even finally tackled the MMOC, but none of you buggers deigned to host a GEM challenge this year…
But Juli, I hear the one person who actually remembers me say, you've shaved with the Weck all of two or three times - this month is going to be suicide!
Yeah, probably. But who dares, wins - and if they lose, at least they probably learned a lesson or two along the way. I fully expect those lessons to be written in blood, but from my very limited experience with this shave medium, I actually did fairly alright and came away from my virgin Weck shaves smooth and nearly bloodless (I think the one time I did cut myself was when I pressed the blade's corner into my cheek like a complete fool).
Anyway, to the setup.
The Weck (Marianna #310) hair shaper I've already covered. I'm using a Fromm blade because that's what I used last time I gave this razor a go, and it worked alright. We shall see if I live to regret that choice. Getting the blade out of the razor after the shave is still a massive PITA (and not the fun, flavourful kind at your favourite Indian joint), and I am waiting for the day my hand slips, slides along the blade and books me a nice trip to the ER.
I'm using Mammoth software again this year (u/mammothben, enjoy your well-deserved holiday!) because Mammoth rules and I want to use Mammoth. You're welcome, u/Mammoth_Don. After last year's AA nearly depleted my beloved puck of Mood Indigo, I went with Hygge this year, another great scent. My Hygge puck is also already pretty used-up, but if I kill this soap during August I won't be as mad as if it had been MIndigo.
One problem I am already seeing is that my Hygge balm has a bad case of the crystals. I genuinely don't know if anyone else's balm has this issue (I can't find anything online about it) but mine has a bunch of sharp, needle-thin little crystals all throughout it. They break easily when spreading the balm between my fingers and they're not able to break skin or get stuck in anything, but it's somewhat unpleasant and concerning. I suspect it may be the salicylic acid in the balm crystallising out over time? When I got the balm ages ago it didn't have this issue. Eh, we'll say it makes for an extra challenge during this Ultra Nightmare Mode. If anyone's heard of this and knows a fix, though, get in touch - thanks!
My Yaqi Silvertip brush is my current daily driver and I don't see the need to switch - plus it's got a silver handle so it matches nicely with the Weck.
Shave and lessons learned in a reply because Reddit doesn't like my blogposting and has told me this is already too long. Sorry.
$headless $MammothMafia24