July 22, 2023
- Brush: Farvour Turncraft with 26mm Oumo Lotus Ace Badger
- Razor: GEM MMOC
- Blade: GEM PTFE
- Lather: Daveli Farms – Cranberry, Pomegranite, Vanilla Sheep Fat Soap
- Post Shave: Zingari Man – The Merchant Balm
- Fragrance: Elysian Soap Shop – Lyra EdT
- Music: The Lion King – Hakuna Matata
Hell of day to be a Lather Games Contestant! The day that has been figuratively circled in my calendar for a month and a half. Leg day. I generally live my life the way Timon and Pumba told me: with no worries. Sure, there is important shit to worry about in life, but in the scheme of things, so many of our worries just aren’t that important. Other than the fact I’ve never shaved my legs before, WHY is having hair on my legs important? Why is today such a big deal? I don’t know. Just because that’s kinda what society tells us. Men have hair on their legs. And most of us don’t question it.
But… Hakuna Matata. It means no worries. It means telling society to shut up about gender roles. It means standing up against anyone that says “men are supposed to XYZ”. Hakuna Matata means shaving with Doritos scented soap. Hakuna Matata means being secure enough to order a fruity drink at a bar because it’s fun or tasty. Hakuna Matata means going to brunch with your buddies and getting buzzed on mimosas. It means letting my daughter play with trucks and letting my son play with dolls. Hakuna Matata means celebrating people for being who they are and dressing how they want to dress!! Hakuna Matata means minding your business and letting people be happy. And Hakuna Matata means shaving my goddamn legs for Lather Games!!! Hakuna Matata! Hakuna Matata! Hakuna MaFuckingTata!!! That’s what Timon and Pumba were talking about. And when Timon and Pumba talk – I listen.
Did I shave my legs today? You goddamn right I did! Did I feel weird doing it? Absolutely. Did I regret it the second I put a razor to my legs. No! Because it’s the Lather Games and I didn’t come this far to only come this far. And am I going to let the fact that I don’t have hair on my legs bother me one bit? Hell no! And you know why not? Because HAKUNA MATATA! No worries today, no worries tomorrow, and no worries for the rest of our days. It’s my problem free philosophy. And if anyone has a snide comment about my silky smooth legs, I’m gonna say: “Hakuna Matata!”
Cue the video clip! Or here’s the imgur link if you’re more into that. (Put the sound on for the full effect)
Started the shave with a Rockwell 6s, since that razor is an idiot proof, but after one stroke on the first leg, I realized that wasn’t going to cut it, so I brought in the MMOC with a brand new blade. And that razor worked like a charm. The Daveli Farms Sheep Soap is very good and I was happy to be using that soap today. A few nicks and cuts, but my legs are feeling smooth and great and the soap was wonderful for this tasks. Big shoutout to Zingari Man Balm for keeping everything feeling great post shave. Not sure if I actually like the feeling of smooth legs, but Hakuna Matata indeed.
The scents of the day: Daveli Farms Cranberry, Pomegranate, & Vanilla is obviously berry, for the shave theme, but I connected everything with vanilla. The Merchant Balm is Vanilla and Spices. And Lyra from Elysian is Vanilla, Jasmine, and Patchouli. I love the scent of vanilla, and adding some jasmine and patchouli makes a very balanced, pleasant #FOF scent. Feeling great and confident on my Hakuna Matata day!
For #photocontest: insects. He’s a root borer beetle I caught in my yard (then stuck in the freezer for a couple days for the pic). And before anyone comes at me about cruelty. These bugs are absolute assholes.
For my interview today, I talked with Daveli Farms. He’s posted on the sub a few times and I’m always game to try new soaps. The fact the sheep tallow in this soap comes from sheep on their farm was (and is) very appealing to me. They are definitely a “no-frills” soap shop. You buy from their facebook shop, and the soap comes in a sealed cellophane pack (I put it in my own empty tub for ease of loading). In this interview, you’ll get to read about how they got started making soaps, his perspective on competing against the big guys, and how he is trying to market soaps made from animals on his own farm. I will say that this soap performed very nicely and gave a really nice lather for shaving my legs for the first time ever today. Not an easy task, but this soap was up for the challenge! Thank you u/DaveliFarms for participating in this series and giving my questions a lot of thought! Wish you nothing but this best!
10 Questions with… Daveli Farms
1) What made you get started making shaving soaps?
I was a DE/SE wet shaver and knew that sheep tallow soaps always performed better for me. Once I opened my Natural Food Store, upon picking up a few lamb I had butchered, the butcher actually packaged all the fat up for me. My first thought was, "I'm not a soaper, what am I going to do with this? Oh heeeeey....." And I was off. Our great grand fathers and indigenous peoples never wasted anything on an animal and my butcher knew I requested everything usable back from all of my animals. That's is kind of what makes my store a little unique also.
2) Does all of the tallow in your soaps come from your own animals from your farm?
Every last drop. There is a difference in the fat from different animals (obviously), but there is also a difference in the fat of grain fed vs grass fed animals. I only use enough grain to bring the animals up to the fencling to check their condition, to make sure they are doing good, and to lead them from pasture to pasture. Other than that, they are purely grass fat. Beef and lamb have 4 stomachs that evolved over time. Forcing them to stand at a grain trough in a concentration camp to get fat twice as fast on grain when their 4 stomachs are evolved for it....I feel is unethical. So all of my animals or purely grass fed. I firmly believe this makes a difference in the shave soap even after sopanification.
3) I’ve often had the thought that using tallow in soaps is actually more “green” because it ensures that there is less waste coming from the meat industry. Tallow, which would exist with or without soapmaking, would otherwise be thrown away. Now it is being used. Is that a fair assessment to make?
This is a good question that relates to #2, because most all butchers throw away ALOT of an animal, unless you request it back. Including fat. Some will hold some back for future use in sausages etc. What people don't realize is in the 50s or 60s the cosmetic companies realized there just wasn't enough tallow to go around for all the soap consumers need. So they came up with a chemical concoction that bubbles when you get it wet, and the FDA allowed them to call it soap, even though it isn't true soap. But your statement is true in that less waste goes to the landfill, and if the fat gets used for soaping, it at least serves a secondary purpose.
4) How did you decide what scents to offer in your shaving soaps?
One of my favorite lines from Joe Dirt the movie is from Kickin Wing at his fireworks stand, "Because snakes and sparklers is all I like!". It's about like that. I have spent hours as a consumer trying to decipher the Davinci code of soaper's scent description. And after placing an order I end up with a stinker. My soaps are for the everyman commoner. You don't need a degree in scentology to decipher Green Tea, Peachy Mango, or Cranberry Pomegranate Vanilla. I am not a perfumer masquerading as a soaper. I'm not going to try wet earth or fresh cut grass. I wanted my consumers to easily comprehend the scent of the soap with full confidence when it arrives, it will smell exactly as they envisioned.
INTERVIEW CONTINUED IN THE REPLY