July 24, 2023

• Brush: Semogue 1460 21mm
• Razor: Razorock Game Changer .84
• Blade: Gillette Nacet (15)
• Lather: Noble Otter – The Night Before

This smush was sent to me by the wonderful u/RedMosquitoMM. As always, Noble Otter's base performs very well, and this scent is a great fit for the Christmas Eve theme - warm and resinous with hints of pine and spice.

For community tribute day, it would be silly for me not to say something about u/RedMosquitoMM. He is one of the most prominent members of this community, and and incredibly kind and helpful person. Also, not only was he kind enough to send samples for me to use today, but he sent them twice, after a USPS mix-up. I'd also like to mention u/erchamionberen as a great community member, with his seemingly non-stop PIFs and anti-PAA sentiments.

​

Lather Baby to the tune of Santa Baby by Eartha Kitt.

Lyrics:

Santa baby, just slip a Jeffo under the tree for me

Been an awful good guy

Santa baby, so hurry with the lather tonight

Santa baby, a B8 dec broosh, star spangled blue

I'll wait up for you dear

Santa baby, so hurry with the lather tonight

Think of all the shaves I've missed

Think of all the FOMO that I had to resist

Next year I could be just as good

If you check off my Christmas list

LGSOTD 24-July

• Brush: Chisel and Hound - 'Amphora' V13 #SHD
• Razor: Blackland - Sabre L2 #CNC
• Blade: Personna - GEM PTFE 
• Lather: Goodfellas Smile - Shibusa 2
• Post Shave: Goodfellas Smile - Shibusa 2 AS  

Today’s shave is sponsored by /r/hairykopite with the very generous gift of the Shibusa set.  As remarkable as it seems, and considering its easy availability, I’ve never tried goodfellas…or at least not that I recall (edit: I tell a lie, in the early days I had Furiah).  It was actually very nice, not quite my normal scent but still very pleasant and the splash lasts a remarkably long time.  The sabre was my first modern GEM, and a lovely razor it is, curious to see what the redesign is going to be. 

Now, the assistance from hairykopite for this day was purely by chance. He popped up a Catie's Bubbles set on a forum, of which I loved the look, and he recognised my username from here and mentioned the competition. A brief back and forth and a comment made in passing that I was unable to take part in all the days he immediately asked which I was missing, unexpected and certainly not prompted he gifted this set. I was genuinely surprised and incredibly appreciative. Though I registered on here as a member a while ago, I really haven't taken part. The odd post here or there but that's your lot. So I consider myself new, and it's actually quite hard as a 'newbie' to catch up, find your feet and contribute meaningfully with the various references and lingo relating to specific history on this sub that isn't universal. However, this show of selfless generosity just goes to show, regardless of the platform, history, or how much you are involved, the people who make up this crazy wetshaving community are a genuinely nice bunch. So hairykopite, thank you, an excellent example of the good folk here.

To everyone else who has been participating in this friendly competition (though it's a competition it seems more like team building to me), though I am not quite there, the welcome is very much appreciated, the banter is amusing and after this I fully intend to stay involved, cheers! 

Hope everyone has a cracking kick off to the week. 

Cheers

Marc

ROTY

July 24, 2023

• Brush: Zenith r/wetshaving MOAR BOAR #OLDWORLD
• Razor: Karve Overlander SS
• Blade: Gillette 7 O’Clock Yellow (2)
• Lather: House of Mammoth - Shire 2
• Post Shave: Australian Private Reserve - Carnivale - Aftershave

Wow, I’m very humbled to have received these two soaps from u/airbudruler. Sometimes I can not believe the generosity of the people in this community. Well, I guess these two soaps were simply not needed in airbudruler’s shaving routine...? What do I know? They both smell great. Thank you u/airbudruler!!! You really saved me for today’s theme!!

Shire 2 smells great. I never tried the original before. Love the tobacco, and I’m really happy to find a soap that blends in well with the fruity spicy and dank Carnivale splash.

You know, in the beginning, wetshaving can feel very daunting because there are so many different things to choose from, both when it comes to hardware and software. Take scents for example, my gosh, how many different scents in are there out there? A lot! So rather than going out and trying all these scents for yourself, it’s actually super-helpful to have someone letting you know what NOT to choose. So for that reason I wold like to send out a very special shout-out to u/j33pguy13. Banana soap? No thanks. Not for me.

Jokes aside, I think u/j33pguy13 has done a great job this year with the MOAR BOAR (thanks for shipping it), the Lather Games and also the Lather Games podcast this year.

Music:
“Seaforth” - King Krule Spotify / YouTube

Player thanks an anti-lather-games-activist for their soap on Christmas Eve

Jul. 24, 2023
Brush: Semogue Owners Club Boar
Razor: Green Cult GC 2.0 II
Blade: Rapira Platinum Lux
Lather: Captain’s Choice - Lime - Soap
Post Shave:* Barrister And Mann - Le Grand Chypre - Balm

This shave was made possible by u/nathlam15 who generously piffed not only the Scuttle, and brush, but also the soap and blades. Thank you so much, it gets great use and even the blade sampler pack helped me find 3 blades that are easily my favourites. I feel incredibly lucky and grateful for it all especially since I’m also European and shipping was a challenge.

I would like to thank so many people in this community for being helpful, willing and really nice. I will however single out u/OnionMiasma , honestly one of the nicest and most generous users here. Had it not been for his incredible charity pif and him allowing me to take part despite 0 karma on this sub at that point, I likely would not have been sucked into this community.

Thank to everyone for making shaving fun!

Shared from My Shave Den for iOS

July 24, 2023 – June Shaves

• Brush: Cayuen Abalone w/ 28mm Timberwolf Synthetic
• Razor: WSC – Winning Razor, mirror polished, w/ Timeless Titanium Crown razor handle
• Blade: Gillette Winner Platinum (1)
• Lather: The Club – A Cold Day in Hell 2
• Post-Shave: The Club – A Cold Day in Hell 2

This discontinued soap is a pickup I got at the Maggard Meetup, and it was PIF'd from the great Mark Szorady, who in turn got it from William Meredith. So now I have it, and it will later be passed on to someone else at the next meetup. Lots of flower scents here: Anise, Black Pepper, Lavender, Jasmine, Midnight Lotus, Coffee, Cannabis, Juniper, Vanilla, Oakmoss, and Sandalwood. Not exactly my cup of tea, but not horrific. Great shave for a Monday.

As for thanking someone here, I'd like to extend warm congratulations to u/Impressive_Donut114 , a very decent guy who helps out with the Reddit wet shave forums, but also helps organize the state wet shave meetups. Take a bow, sir!

#LatherGames #ChristmasInJulysEve

Bonus:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2dwQUUDt5Is ← What Lies Between a Function and Its Derivative? | Fractional Calculus

Lather Games Day 24- Christmas Eve In July

• Brush: CaYuen 26mm Tuxedo
• Razor: 1959 Gillette Fatboy
• Blade: Rapira Platinum Lux (3)
• Lather: Murphy & McNeil - BDLM2 Soap
• Post Shave: Noble Otter Soap Co. - Northern Elixer Splash

It's beginning to look a lot like...uhhhh...Christmas...yea, that's it. All the smooshes are under the...blooming rose bushes. There's a slight...or not so slight...bit of humidity in the air. And the sun is trying to kill us during this season. But for the sake of the Lather Games, it's Christmas Eve! I'd like to thank u/chronnoisseur42O for today's shave. That man was a smoosh sending beast in the run-up to the Games and I appreciate him adding me to his "Nice" list this year. As you can see from the SOTD pic, the US Postal Service didn't give a shit about our reindeer games and that smoosh arrived looking like it sat under every sweaty USPS worker between our respective coasts. I managed to scrape out enough ass-warmed soap to get a great shave this morning. M&M does have a really nice soap base and this scent is a really nice expansion on the barbershop spectrum. So thank you to the man who took his life into his hands shaving with an ice kamisori.

On to the Daily Challenge. While there are plenty of longstanding sub members I could say something nice about, rookies need some compliments too. This morning, I'm raising my coffee cup to u/tsrblke. That guy has not only thrown himself into the sub as an active participant but he also espouses the ethos of generosity we have around these parts. A couple of months ago, he was offering up smooshes of Shire 2 and Rumble and I figured I would find out what this guy was about. Well, the guy is a man of his word and the smooshes showed up on my doorstep pretty quickly. He has offered up his generosity at other times as well, including in the LG run up. And in an age of electronic communication, this dude has the coolest personalized envelopes. Seriously. When's the last time you've seen personalized envelopes? It's been at least 20 years for me. So that's the praise I'm going to sing this morning.

Have a great day all!

July 24, 2023 – Tribute Day

• Brush: Summer Break Soap “Dundy” 26mm Motherlode
• Razor: Blackland Blackbird Lite
• Blade: Gillette Silver Blue
• Lather: Zingari – The Explorer
• Post Shave: Chatillon Lux – Admiral

First off, thank you u/RedMosquitoMM for the Zingari Explorer Smush – you helped me get all the software sponsor points with your last minute package back in week one. I appreciate that you are not a champion who hoards his wares, rather, you’re a champion who makes everyone better. Cheers, sir.

But, my tribute post is not for Ol’ Red. No, he got a whole day of that earlier. My tribute is to our beloved u/jeffm54321. What can be said about Jeff? So much. He is as snarky as they come and is a master at his craft, often blurring the lines between kindness and savagery so well you’re left reading his post in both tears of pain and of appreciation. Is he a crusty boomer who has seen things or is he Gen Z and in desperate need of therapy? Who can tell? I don’t think I want to know, there’s beauty in the mystery. Jeff, keep on being you. Stir that pot. Make grown men and women, here to learn about shaving and have a little fun along the way, sit and ponder questions like: “does this guy hate me? does he hate himself? is he funny? is he rude?” Continue to use that keyboard like the scalpel it becomes in your hands. You, sir, are a legend. Never change.

As for my shave, well, it was great. Smooth and easy 3 pass. I don’t like Zingari Explorer as a scent too much, the dry down isn’t for me, but, Admiral and Sonder will cover it up nicely and today was not about liking a scent so much as it was about using something given to me.

FOF Haiku of the day

Explorer dry down
Smells like expired stinky soap
My wife agrees, too

u/jeffm54321 Haiku of the Day
Jeff is a machine
Witty, savage, kind, between
Love him as he is

Mon Jul 24 2023

• Prep: Coffee, hot shower
• Razor: Merkur - 34C HD
• Blade: BiC Chrome Platinum
• Brush: Semogue 620
• Lather: Tallow + Steel - Shag
• Post Shave: Pinaud - Clubman AS Lotion

Special thanks to u/tsrblke for the Shag sample. This was an added bonus. I could have used it for today or Patchouli day.

And also a big callout to u/mammothben. Not only is he active in our community he makes a great product. And of course he also donates a portion of his proceeds to to great organizations. Thanks Ben.

ROTY

July 24, 2023 – LG Day 24 – Christmas Eve but in July, aka Appreciation Day

• Brush: Stirling Two-Band Synthetic 24mm
• Razor: Karve CB SB-B
• Blade: Gillette Nacet (1)
• Lather: Hub City Soap Company – Friday Night Lights
• Post Shave: Stirling Soap Co. – Vanilla Sandalwood
• Fragrance: Declaration Grooming – Darkfall

—

An Ode to Onion, best performed in front of a shrine to him

u/OnionMiasma, my thanks goes out to you,

For when I was in my time of greatest need

You didn’t have to think, you knew just what to do.

You sent a smush, no questions asked, no greed.

This soap which you somehow knew I’d love

Was sent not once, but twice, with utmost care.

You sent it not to get rid of

it, but rather because you really wanted to share.

Onion, I salute you on this day,

and may tomorrow Santa visit you on his sleigh.

—

Really, Onion crushed it with this smush. The local midwest USPS apparently didn’t want to bother sending smushes the first time around, so Onion decided to just smush again and resend. It would be so easy to say “sorry, good luck, I’ve done all I can do.” But that’s not the Onion way. He not only asked what brands I needed, but recommended a soap which I love so much that I plan to buy a soap and splash. Really, Friday Night Lights is a winner. I tried to replicate, or even just somewhat evoke, the sweetness and smokiness of FNL in my splash and frag (#FOF), but I couldn’t quite get it right. The smokiness, woodsiness, sweetness, and somehow a sense of nostalgia are all mixed perfectly in this soap. Thank you, Onion. You’re a hero, and your presence and contributions on this sub are so appreciated by me. From the Proraso train to your almond adventure, to shaving ten times in a day, to somehow roping your wife into this hobby and the freaking Lather Games, your creativity and dedication make you one-of-a-kind.

July 24, 2023 – Christmas Eve in July

• Brush: Maggard Synthetic
• Razor: Maggard Razors MR7/V3
• Blade: Gillette Silver Blue (2)
• Lather: Moon Soaps – Havana
• Post Shave: Dr. Jon’s – Black Label

Today’s soap is new to me and a sample from /u/Eructate–one of three he sent me for Lather Games. I really enjoy this one. The lather is great and it smells amazing. I’m a sucker for tobacco scents. I haven’t purchased any soaps for probably a year or more but I’m getting quite the list of things I want more of during the games this year and this definitely makes that list .

So I have two nice things to say today-unless that gets me disqualified. First is the aforementioned /u/Eructate. I appreciate his willingness to send me soaps when I’m last minute searching due to my lack of planning. It is people like that who make the games so much more enjoyable and foster that sense of community.

Secondly, /u/Enndeegee, who has reached an epic level of shitposting this year. Between the spice girl gifs, the haikus and other great additions that have made reading the daily threads pretty enjoyable, I can’t imagine anyone else taking home that award this year.

Jul. 24, 2023

• Brush: AP ShaveCo Synbad
• Razor: Razorock Game Changer .68
• Blade: Wizamet SI
• Lather: Red House Farm - Lumos - Soap
• Post Shave: Noble Otter - Bare - Aftershave
• Post Shave: Ariana & Evans - Post Shave Balm - Balm

I got this soap as a gift/award/PIF last year as someone who participated every day in the lather games but didn’t accumulate enough points to win an actual prize. Thank you u/grindermonk for handing this over.

​

As for the challenge: Also, thank you to grindermonk again for thinking to send this to a schmuck such as myself. It's a really nice addition to my shave shelf and feels good to use it knowing where it came from.

Shared from My Shave Den for iOS

Christmas in July's Eve.

Prep: Warm Shower
Brush: Omega Professional - Boar-10098
Razor: Gillette Post war tech
Blade: Tiger Platinum (1)
Lather: Red House Farm - Kitchen Sink soap
Post Shave: warm water rinse
Fragrance: Polo Big Pony 3

The lather was obtained from a PIF from u/grindermonk

I appreciate the soap and u/grindermonk for supporting this community with a PIF.

Have a great day everyone.

Today I shaved with Dr. Jon’s Cedar & Rose. Somebody threw this in as a bonus in a trade, though I don’t remember who. Feel free to call yourself out if you remember sending it my way. I used my Prometheus/tuxedo brush and a wood handled EJ clone that I received as a gift. I followed up with Cologne Russe aftershave and a shot of Habit Rouge edt. There are too many sweet lads here to call out just one. If you’re one of them, give yourself a pat on the back. If not, give yourself a push into traffic.

July 24, 2023 – It’s best to give and receive

• Brush: AP Shave Co. Cashmere
• Razor: Gillette Superspeed
• Blade: 7 O’Clock – Sharpedge (Yellow) (2)
• Lather: Wholly Kaw – Masquerade
• Post Shave: House of Mammoth – Shire
• Fragrance: Summer Break Soaps – Valedictorian

Today is soap swap day, so here’s some soap graciously provided to me by u/worbx as part of his Lather Games 2023 pif. It’s my first time using Wholly Kaw and it should close out my sponsor points. Yay! Curiously, looking at my schedule it’s almost all smush trades from here in out. That’s the nature of the game and fitting I think to close out LG with help from all of you. And with that I’d like to say a few nice things about several people here. The challenge says to say something nice and I’ll be doing that via some thank yous.

u/newtothethis: thanks so much for helping us all through leg day. Was there blood? Yes, but far less than if you hadn’t taken the time to post your tips.

u/j33pguy13: thanks for dragging me out of my lurking to join in this group. It’s been a ride. And thanks for getting me the moar boar in the end, even if I found the hidden sock puppet detection feature in latherbot. u/onionmiasma: Thanks for being consistently entertaining for my first lather games (even if you did 1 up my kids kitchen shave.)

u/admirable-nobody-946: Thanks for being generous and hosting us at your job for an evening. I had dinner with my parents this weekend and there still very confused “so you never met this dude in person before?” “nah but he seemed nice.” (hey onion, take him up on his invite it’s fun.)

The Djudges are gonna be tagged to hell today, so I’ll spare them the ping (except J33p above) and say thanks to all of you for your time and effort into this. It’s a great example of how this sub rocks.

I could go on and on. This sub is full of great people who are beyond generous, with time, hardware, software, etc. And that’s before you start in on the artisans who hang out here too and get roped into making meme soaps (u/rocketk455) or PIF away new sets with interesting (and often hilarious) story based side contests (u/Mammothben) just to name a few. I may be relatively young, but I’ve been around the internet since it’s early days, so I know people are gonna come and go and come back again, but hopefully the generousness vibe of this place doesn’t change too much.

Enough of the emotional stuff #fof time: I carried the tobacco note though this entire shave, but in different forms. The more muted, blended tobacco in masquerade. The light summery tobacco in Shire and the more straight tobacco in valedictorian. Overall a great progression of I do say so myself.

For #photocontest an entry into the story category. Can you tell my daughter composed this? I turned her loose with a directive to tell a story with the Babrie kingdom delivering the gift of wetshaving to stuffy land. And after some description of what an old kingdom gift exchange looked like she arrived at this. And I placed the gear.

OK #ROTY folks 6 more.

2023-07-23 I Bequeath thee!

• Brush: Yaqi Metal Timberwolf
• Razor: Muhle R41
• Lather: Barrister and Mann - Hallows
• Post Shave: Barrister and Mann - Hallows
• Fragrance: Stirling Soap Co. - Varen

Relevant Post-Shave and Fragrance: Varen, like Hallows, highlights oakmoss and vetiver.

Literally just this past Friday, I went to my local supermarché and was bewildered when I heard from the store's speakers: Jingle Bell Rock. Why were they literally playing Christmas music in July? No idea. Was it someone trying to convince themselves that it's not as ungodly hot outside as it is? Maybe, but I can only imagine that that would make it seem hotter once they inevitably had to step into the blazing death called "outside".

Christmas in July's Eve: The benefactor who generously provided me today's lather, aftershave, and razor is u/loudmusicboy. I had long been curious about this scent, perhaps largely because of the multitude of variations in its artwork that I'd seen pop up from time to time.

#FOF
I'm a fan. With strong oakmoss, it doesn't seem too far off from Varen. It's undeniably darker and "cold"er, which is unsurprising considering that Varen is still a fougère, and is brightened by floral notes. I could do without the cocoa of Hallows, and labdanum is on my "find out what this smell is" list. Nonetheless, both are strongly grassy (which, in the case of Varen, I feel a fougère should be). All that said, I don't know what a swamp smells like or even how likely it is for there to be swamps in Boston, nor what "perversely elegant" means.

But that wasn't the main highlight of the PIF. No, the PIF in question was mainly the razor. Well, this one and the MMOC that a PIFd on. u/loudmusicboy wanted to provide the experience of this aggressive razor to someone unfamiliar, and that he did. Holy hell, this is aggressive. Far more so than the MMOC, I feel. Quite simply, the Muhle R41 is a rough ride. I feel like the blade hovers in razor, loose and wild and ready to slice my skin off. It's like a shavette at 90 degrees. Now that it served here in the Games, I'm likely to pass it on forward to a new owner.

Challenge Accepted: While I can't say that I've caught every post, I can say that I've been paying extra attention to the participants mentioned below:

u/loudmusicboy, who has not only a seemingly relevant username, but also some impressively hairy shoulders and a remarkable debonair and distinguished-looking dog.

u/2SaintsDude and u/partyman97_3, one of whom now has u/loudmusicboy's MMOC (no idea which one, but they both got an MMOC), and both of whom are first-time Games participants.

u/Marquis90, though he doesn't know this, inspired me to search for and discover a non-alcoholic pastis (it's Ricard Pacific, it's wildly expensive to get in my neck of the woods, but it's deliciously close to the "real" thing).

u/OnionMiasma, in addition to exhibiting what I can only describe as a fanatical dedication to LG shenanigans, has been notably engaging among Games participants, which I think is the most commendable thing in the Games.

u/djundjila—who was the victor of my first Games and at that time conspicuously kept a running tally of his own score, which I suspect was motivated by non-existent transparency in scoring at the time—has provided a way not only to make the Games possible, but has worked to ensure an unprecedented degree of participants' confidence in scoring.

All of the djudges, especially the one djudging this. But also the anonymous 1 or 2 who graciously helped me with my small scoring concerns.

#photocontest
Photo: Light sources, because why not throw a bunch of loose LEDs in the skull's mouth?

July 24, 2023

​

• Prep: Shower
• Brush: Zenith 507U XSE
• Razor: Merkur 34G
• Blade: Personna 74 (4)
• Lather: Stirling - Scots Pine Sheep
• Post Shave: Brut - After Shave
• Fragrance: None

Shout out to /u/Priusaurus for hooking it up with the Scots Pine Sheep. This was one of the days I asked for a smush in the Discord, and he was quick to send me a smush. I really like the scent, I hadn't smelled it before, only the regular sheep, which I might prefer.

​

Since the scent of the Stirling made me think of old world, I went with Brut, which I hadn't used before, but see why it's still a classic after all these years.

​

For Community Tribute Day, not only did I want to shout out /u/Priusaurus, I wanted to shout out /u/tsrblke as well for sending me smushes. Both really helped me fill out my calendar for my first lather games.

​

Until tomorrow!

#ROTY

• Brush: Simpson Classic #1 synthetic brush
• Razor: Karve Shaving - Christopher Bradley
• Lather: House of Mammoth - Santa Noir
• Post Shave: Barrister and Mann - Eigengrau balm

ROTY

Santa Noir smush provided by u/worbx Thank you very much kind sir! I rather enjoyed this one. A great holiday soap that would work all winter long. Lather, as with every HOM product I have tried, was just fantastic. I bought a set of Eigengrau I have been saving for this winter. I thought the balm would go nicely with the smush of santa noir. It really did and I absolutely love this scent. I thought it was wintery enough for Christmas in July plus it was already in my dopp kit for tomorrow.

For the challenge I wanted to take a moment to say something nice about everyone here. If I lose the challenge point for not choosing a specific person, so be it. Since before I had started wet shaving I was lucky to find this sub right away. My very first soap purchases were from artisan soap makers because of the passion and knowledge of the people right here and I'm so glad yall were at it already so I could learn from everyone's guidance. People's willingness to take time out of their busy lives to send some of their soaps or share hardware with strangers from the internet really took me aback. To be honest my experience in wetshaving would not have been as enjoyable without the kick ass community of awesome people here on the sub.

So in short thanks so much to everyone that contributes to or has contributed to r/wetshaving and especially those of you who take the time to show the new guys some love. It goes a long way. There is so much knowledge available here for anyone interested that was built entirely by the experience of its members free of charge. That is awesome.

Also thank you to the lather games judges who work Hella hard to make all this happen for us. A labor of love no doubt so it's only fitting we send some love your way too.

Jul 24, 2023 - Christmas in July's Eve

• Prep: Klar - Activated Charcoal - Face Soap
• Brush: Muninn Woodworks Turkish Walnut 24mm Golden Nib Silvertip Knot
• Razor: Gillette Flare Tip Super Speed (1964)
• Blade: Voskhod [5]
• Lather: 345 Soap Co. - White Buffalo - Soap
• Post Shave: Noble Otter - The Night Before - Aftershave
• Fragrance: Lubin - Akkad - Eau de Parfum

The stipulation that the gifting user must be actively participating in LG this year helped to narrow this choice down considerably. I received this generous sample of 345's White Buffalo from u/whosgotthepudding. This is my first use of 345 soap, and the Deus Vult base performed really well. The warm, woody scent from White Buffalo matched well with The Night Before. TNB really opens up in the dry down, and it's delicious. It also fits well with the theme today.

Community Tribute: I mentioned u/whosgotthepudding earlier, but what I didn't mention are the amazing brushes and straight razor scales he makes. I used one of his brushes this morning. He also has a vast knowledge of straight razors. I learn a lot just from reading his posts.

Rating: 4/5

2023-07-24 Lather Games SOTD

• Brush: Semogue 2015 HD (22x55mm Badger)
• Razor: Ever Ready Streamline (1949-1953)
• Blade: GEM PTFE (4)
• Lather: OSP - Chypre - Cream
• Post Shave: Aqua Velva - Ice Blue - Aftershave
• Fragrance: Stetson - Original

Chypre! Sheep-ruh! Shee-it, it happened again - it isn't chypre day any more and it isn't even cream day this time. Oh well, how about yet another round of chypres / cream product for Christmas in July's Eve? Good thing /u/wallygator88 sent me some applicable samples last year. He's a good dude.

OSP Chypre cream is a basic citrus-heavy chypre, and it's a cream so soft it could be squeezed from a tube. Its published scent notes omit the usual labdanum from the chypre accord, but whatever - it still very much fits the olfactory character of the genre. Same deal for Ice Blue: Fragrantica may classify it as an aromatic aquatic, but there's a charming fresh chypre base under that minty lemon opening... sans the traditional patchouli (though some days I could almost swear there Is some in there). And the fragrance today? Despite its drug-stores-and-Walmart reputation, Stetson is actually a highly regarded floral chypre (4/5 stars from Turin, for example)... and once again it omits some of the usual accord notes from its marketing materials. I ain't give a damn whether they're in the formula or not though because I think it smells darned good. Love the spicy floral heart of this stuff.

Challenge: I want to single out /u/VisceralWatch for being supportive of every goofy thing I do, whether it's re-scaling a cheap Chinese shavette or making novelty shave soap or dabbling in pomade formulation or whatever. Very positive and encouraging dude. I'm glad I've gotten to know him through this community even though we're 2000 km apart.

July 24, 2023 - Free soap appreciation day

• Brush: Zenith MOAR BOAR 31mm bleached boar
• Razor: Karve CB (copper) / D plate
• Blade: Wizamet (1)
• Lather: Barrister and Mann - Roam
• Alum: Osma
• Post Shave: Summer Break Soaps - Wood Shop
• Fragrance: Chiseled Face - Sherlock

This soap was given to me by the one, the only u/iamsms. Proof of his Lather Games chops here. Roam is one of my favorite soap scents and having already killed a tub I figured I would have a go at another when he offered it up for free in IRC one day. Such a bro! The three scents today are all tied together with a smoky, woody, leathery theme. Some real cowboy shit. Yippy ki yay motherfuckers!

For the challenge I would like to call out a few Discord peeps that have been really generous with letting me borrow things and try some new soap scents. I raise a glass to u/EldrormR, u/InfernalInternal, and u/JoboozeRum. Thanks again! You guys are awesome!

July 24, 2023 – Gift Day

• Brush: Solid Set B3
• Razor: Ever Ready Streamline
• Blade: GEM PTFE (41)
• Lather: Catie’s Bubbles – Maggard Razors 2023 Meetup
• Fragrance: Declaration Grooming – Auryn
• Fragrance: London Razors – Mountain Laurel

When I looked at the calendar I thought, “this day will be easy.” I’m lucky enough to have been on the receiving end of a lot of awesome stuff from this great community. The last week I figured I’d better take a look at the participants. Imagine my horror when I realized the other people were not participating! I started at for soaps for probably a concerning amount of time trying to trace the origins of everything. Then I landed on this soap from the meetup, and an idea popped into my head. See, I did not get this soap from u/c_bubbles, despite the fact that I was staring at him across the walkway the entire meet. For most of it, I was too busy (mostly talking to u/J33pGuy13). At one point J33p was kind enough to offer to walk around and collect some samples for me which he then GIFTED to me. It was mostly a very generous gift, other than the fact that he also made me use CFG Banana.

Speaking of u/j33pGuy, and despite the fact that he called me out on the podcast, I suppose I can say some nice things about him. Our community needs to getters full of enthusiasm to keep functioning. He jumped right in and took over organizing ROTY when u/steelersroc86 abandoned me. J33p brings so much hype to the community. He also seems to be working on about 50 projects at once which benefit the r/wetshaving community, but also the wet shaving community as a whole (see the Stirling Zenith brushes on the way). To some it up, J33p is a good dude, and it was awesome to meet him at Maggard.

u/j33pGuy13, if you’re reading this fuck you.

• Brush: Dogwood Handcrafts 49ers Custom w/ Declaration Grooming B5 28mm

• Razor: Blackland Blackbird

• Blade: Bic Chrome Platinum

• Lather: Tallow + Steel - Shag

• Post Shave: Pinaud Clubman - Musk

• Fragrance: Imaginary Authors - The Soft Lawn

Today's Theme: Christmas in July's Eve - I received this smush of T+S Shag from /u/tsrblke 's PIF, many thanks to my fellow ROTY competitor!

Today's Challenge: Community Tribute Day - So today's community tribute gives me a lot of options. I could double down on the love for /u/tsrblke who has steadily become a familiar and friendly face in the community, and who I've greatly enjoyed interacting with on the subreddit and on discord. But no, I won't tribute to him.

I could suck up to the djudges and show love to /u/j33pguy13 who has become as good of a friend in the wetshaving community as I could have possibly expected. He's welcomed me into this hobby and helped me explore many software products I would have otherwise never had access to, and also helped my 49ers brush get a top tier B5 knot. But no, I won't tribute to him.

I could shout out to community mainstays like /u/iamsms and /u/visceralwatch who have generously trusted me to borrow some incredible razors from them, and /u/iamsms in particular who was the first to invite me to join the IRC chat which started my whole slide down this wonderful rabbit hole. But no, I won't tribute to either of them.

I could shout out to other community members like /u/unitedstatesghost who pulled the trigger on a shitty Minions brush for the lulz and continues to be a great contributor around the wetshaving sphere. But no, I won't tribute to her.

My tribute today, is to /u/scorpio93x. This one goes out to you

My theme for today's shave: I'm Immature and Unashamed

So for today's shave, I knew I was going to use the T+S Shag smush from /u/tsrblke, and as I browsed my spreadsheet of post shaves and fragrances, I noticed I could do something that would make my inner 12-year old happy. Shag. Musk. Soft Lawn.

For music, I picked Sonata Arctica's Winterhearts Guild because talking about it yesterday and listening to their album Silence got me in the mood for more Sonata Arctica. A really great power metal album that I hold near and dear to my heart. #photocontest #FOF #ROTY

July 24, 2023

https://imgur.com/gallery/CRCv2KW

Prep: Proraso - Refrescante Preshave Cream

Brush: Spiffo! - Steinway

Razor: Gillette - Slim Adjustable Prospector Edition

Blade: Gillette - Nacet (1)

Lather: Red House Farm - Sedona

Post Shave: Clubman - Pinoud Aftershave Splash

Shout out, and many thanks to u/chronnoisseur42O for the smoosh of this Sedona soap. To be totally honest, I am not a fan of the scent whatsoever. It kinda reminds me of an old ladies house or something like that. There wasn't much usable soap since the permanent marker seeped through the wax paper, and I didn't want to stain my brush and/or face. I did get a nice lather out of what I could salvage, though. The performance was top-notch and lead to a DFS.

For todays challenge, I'd also like to say thanks to u/chronnoisseur42O for being a great guy and sending me a bunch of samples to help me complete as many lather games themes as possible.

#ROTY

LG23-24: Christmas in July's Eve

• Brush: Muninn Woodworks 26mm Maggard Razors Premium Boar
• Razor: EldrormR Industries MM24
• Blade: GEM (31)
• Lather: Red House Farm - Lumos - Shaving Soap
• Post Shave: AllMan - Defiance - After Shave
• Fragrance: Providence Perfume Co. - Jadeite
• Passes: WTG, XTG
• Coffee: Ethiopia Yirgacheffe
• Music: R.E.M. - Green
• LG Tags: #FOF

r/wetshaving is the best shaving forum out there. Looking for expert knowledge? Check out the gems in the daily thread, u/WegianWarrior's regular patent posts (so cool!), and our in-depth reviews. Want fun? Again, check out the Daily Questions, or, obviously, the Lather Games SOTD threads. Into the artistic side of the hobby? Our weekly photo contest has featured professional-level competition this year. Want to sample a few soaps? Have we got the smushes for you. Even if you just like to hang around, post a SOTD, and spectate, we're happy you're here to throw a few upvotes are way, say hello, and shake up the monthly lather logs.

And this community makes stuff too. I used two of those items today: a MM24 razor from fellow Motherlode-advocate and all around good people u/Eldrormr and a Red Amboyna burl brush u/whosgotthepudding turned for me. Beautiful hardware.

My lather and post shave are from the community too. Shoutout to u/putneycj who sent me some smushes, including this neon green sample of Lumos, made by our very own u/grindermonk. And u/jeffm5432 PIFed the also-quite-green aftershave my way. Thank you both!

(Judges, pardon the interruption. To be clear about what links my soap, aftershave, and fragrance today: all three are visibly green, and not just the packaging. Green soap, green juice. The Jadeite fragrance is also named after a green mineral, but that's just the kicker.)

I always try to fit one of u/grindermonk's Red House Farm soaps into my Lather Games calendar. Knowledgeable, well-spoken, and generous, u/grindermonk is exactly the kind of person that makes r/wetshaving great, and I've enjoyed chatting with him here. His crock-pot soap development was one of the coolest projects shared on r/wetshaving, and I've enjoyed following along as he develops new batches—all of which he's shared with folks here on the sub. (They're a go-to travel shave option for me. Very quick to lather.) Here's to you u/grindermonk! 🍻

According to Red House Farm, this neon-green soap—that glows in the dark "if left exposed to the sun"—is scented with a bunch of citrus and floral notes, supported by a "rustic woods" base. Sadly, the scent on this smush is faint, because I should have just killed it right away instead of trying to wait for the Lather Games. All I'm really getting now is a gentle lavender and a sweeter floral accent, which must be the crocus. Nothing wrong with a lightly-scented shave every once in a while.

On the other hand, my post shave splash is the exact opposite, and a little bit goes a long way. u/_walden_ shared in the past that Defiance is probably a dupe of Hugo Boss Boss Bottled. I believe it, since a fruit accord is the first thing I notice, and it persists, sweet and jubilant, as long as I can smell my aftershave. The description of Boss Bottled as "Woody Spicy" with a "floral and spicy heart" is a surprise; I pick up a bit of carnation underneath all that fruit, and a significant amount of vanilla along with what I accurately guessed was vetiver, but I would never have called this Defiance aftershave spicy. To my nose, it reads as fruity and green. Something is lost in translation when a complicated blend is splashed right under your nose and doesn't evolve throughout the day like a fragrance version would.

I finished my shave with many dabs of my Jadeite sample. Charna Ethier releases a limited edition Spring/Summer fragrance annually, each formulated like a traditional Eau de Cologne—lightly scented, featuring citrus or herbacious notes, and meant to be applied throughout the day as needed. As Ethier says it, "applied liberally and frequently for maximum refreshment." Jadeite takes the refreshment idea as its inspiration, accenting an iced green tea accord with bergamot, water mint, and linden blossom. I'm not used to light perfumes that are meant to be reapplied—in fact, many of the American perfumes I use most often are incredibly strong and long lasting—so I've enjoyed sampling this one. When I first dab it on, the green tea pops out immediately. After a few minutes, it transforms into a distinctly herbal scent; it reminds me of when I've steeped Thai basil grown in the garden, with lemony facets and a cool, peppery quality that plays off the water mint note here. Wait a little bit longer and the green tea fades into musky frankincense and ambrette. Dab on a bit and enjoy the cycle all over again. Jadeite is a fun summer wear, though it was overwhelmed by the Defiance aftershave this morning. It would work better following up a light aftershave, like Thayer's cucumber toner, that highlights the gossamer quality of both products. I enjoyed the afternoon application more.

Jul. 24, 2023 - u/Worbx Appreciation Day

• Brush: Omega 10049 Boar

• Razor: Blackland Era SB LVL 3

• Blade: Derby Premium

• Lather: Chicago Grooming Co. - Excursion

• Post Shave: Osma - Alum

• Fragrance: House of Mammoth - 福 (Fú Dào)

Todays shave is sponsored by u/worbx as literally everything used today came from him. The razor, blade, brush, alum and fragrance all came from his Adventus calendar PIF last year and the soap came from his pre-LG Smoosh PIF where he generously gave out smooshes to everyone who entered.

I just want to take a moment and spell out how incredibly generous he is. The Adventus Calendar PIF is probably one of the top 5 most generous PIFs I’ve ever seen in this sub. There might be a couple more out there price wise but the thought and effort of this gift was incredible and I hope to return that to this sub. In case you missed it here is the album of what that calendar consisted of. 24 bags of items to be opened one a day during December 1-24th!

Alright, enough talking about his generous PIFs, next I can talk about his time and dedication to this sub. Every month he pours over the hot mess that is our SOTD threads and presents us with the Lather Log detailing what we used and highlighting the great brands we have here. As someone who once worked as a Data Analyst I understand how much work that takes, especially without a set standard for how we post our SOTDs!

Daily Challenge: in case you missed my subtlety above, u/Worbx is awesome!

Todays #photocontest theme is #Scenery showing off a look at my Christmas last year rolling in my gifts from u/Worbx.

You deserve one more Thank You u/Worbx!

July 24, 2023 – LG23 Day 24: Christmas in July’s Eve

• Brush: Yaqi Purple Haze Mew Brown 24mm
• Razor: GEM Micromatic Open Comb
• Blade: Personna GEM PTFE (4)
• Lather: Hub City Soap Company – Pages
• Post Shave: Hub City Soap Company – Aegyptus
• Fragrance: Stirling Soap Co. – Ramblin’ Man – EdT

PIFfy things

This community is wonderfully blessed with the most important thing one can give and that is kindness. We have our moments, but It is hard for me to think of times where things have run afoul. Most of the things in my shave are the result of the willingness to give toward making the community better.

Brush The Yaqi Purple Haze I received from a u/USS-SpongeBob PIF. He is very knowledgeable on knots and we had a brief, but helpful exchange on finding a knot I would enjoy. He may be Canadian, but he is a brother to us all and his acerbic wit is a gift to the shaving community.

Razor The GEM Micromatic (The Open Comb) I received from u/EldrormR as my foray into GEMs of Wisdom. His passion for these under-appreciated gems is infectious and helped me to feel more connected to my late grandmother, of all people, who used a Micromatic Open Comb back in the glory days.

Lather Hub City Pages I received from u/Engineered_Shave. I first read his work in the Sharpologist newsletter and met him IRL at the first Ohio meetup. He’s the most easygoing guy and Jr_Donut and I met up with him for dinner before he and I went to a concert near where he lives. He was gracious enough to give me several samples and a full tub of Boonana. How awesome is that! Engineered_Shave also has an eclectic collection of razors he has modded and he brought a few to show. He is a fountain of hardware knowledge and I’m looking forward to our next get together.

Lather Bowl Timeless is a great family operation and I was happy to meet up with them at Maggard’s. The were a huge part of the success of the inaugural Ohio meetup. Jr_D was a lucky participant in the Shaving Games at that event and the winner of this Timeless bowl. Seeing that he already had one, he was gracious to give it to his old man. He is more sensible than any of us in his cautious enjoyment of our hobby.

Fragrance Ramblin’ Man came from the u/scarpux Traveling Box of Samples PIF. Another great guy, scarpux, who packed up a gargantuan box to send around the community via PIF. I received it from u/OnionMiasma who I thought should have finished higher in last year’s standings, but is a true pioneer in transcribing the figurative into literal with his epic Train shave. He has kicked things up this year in the true spirit of the games.

Daily Challenge I’ve said nice things about each person who contributed to my SOTD. Thank you kind brothers.

Keeping the Theme Alive Pages, Aegyptus, and Ramblin’ Man have common notes of sandalwood and musk across the three.

https://imgur.com/a/vtcTEiJ

• Lather: Stirling Soap Co. - West Indies Lime Soap
• Brush: Erskine Synthetic
• Razor: Blackland Era - SB1
• Blade: Gillette 7 O'Clock SharpEdge Yellow
• Post Shave: Stirling Soap Co. - West Indies Lime AS

Well, today didn't go to plan. I got rained out of the camping trip, so instead of sitting in my Jeep or under a tarp scrolling through my phone, I packed up and headed home. Sucks though, the SOTD shot was actually gonna be on my kayak and I was going to shave on the water.

But here we are with a boring bathroom shave. I will say that I quadrupled down on the challenge. The soap gets smokey with lime undertones after you lather it up. The splash is more lime-forward.

The soap and splash were courtesy of u/loudmusicboy. Not only is he a generous dude, but he's also a competitor in the games. True to his name, his PIF requested that you share a story where you went to a concert...I don't go to many anymore, but I went to several when I was younger. Reminiscing on music-centric memories is always a great time.

The razor came to me via u/Walden. The razor is amazing and incredibly smooth. Thanks to the Djudge for offering it up and I'll count myself incredibly lucky for winning the PIF. He also threw a soap in, I hadn't ever used that brand but it was a great smelling soap with good performance to boot.

The brush was also a PIF win, but I can't find the record of who did the PIF. It was a series PIF with 5 brushes and the winner of each PIF got to pick the one they wanted. I was the last winner, and I use the brush quite a bit.

There are so many great pillars of this community. I appreciate being a part of it. For the sake of brevity, I'll call out u/Marquis90 as well. I truly enjoy our periodic shave-bud days where we use similar scents. If I was still stationed in Germany, he's a member I'd go meet.

Have a great day folks.

July 24, 2023

• Prep: House of Mammoth Embrace Doppio Bath Soap
• Brush: Dogwood Handcrafts 24mm 2-Band
• Razor: Personna New Angle 70 (BBS-0)
• Blade: Personna 74 (40)
• Lather: House of Mammoth - Indonesian Leather - Soap
• Post Shave: Declaration Grooming/Chatillon Lux - Gratiot Leauge Square - Aftershave

I'm not playing in the games this year... BUT... I am posting for this theme day. I know, it can seem confusing, but here's why: everything in the above picture was the result of the incredible generosity of members of this sub.

The Personna New Angle/BBS-0 razor was courtesy of u/Enndeegee and his Photo Contest PIF a while back. This is a fantastic razor. I'm debating on using it for AA along with this old blade to add some level of challenge to it.

The Dogwood Handcrafts brush is courtesy of u/Phteven_j and his recent insane 4 brush color based PIF. I have several other Dogwood handles, but this might be the prettiest of the bunch. It's also up for AA duty.

And this OG Mammoth soap is courtesy of u/Tonality, and I still can't thank him enough for sharing it with me. I had genuinely given up hope of finding this one, much less the rest of the set that he sent along with it. Never say never.

For a tribute, I'd be remiss if I didn't give a shout out to the entire Discord crew. Y'all are awesome. Even you soap game snipers... Don't get me wrong, there isn't any other way someone will beat u/Wyze0ne, but you could say "hi." It's cool tho.

July 24, 2023

• Brush: Summer Break Soaps w/Maggard 28mm Silvertip Badger
• Razor: Blackland Era - Level 3 SB
• Blade: Personna P74 (3)
• Lather: Spearhead Shaving - Seaforth! Sea Spice Lime - Soap
• Post Shave: Aqua Velva - Ice Blue - Aftershave
• Post Shave: Stirling - Varen - Balm
• Fragrance: Barrister & Mann - Lavender, Interrupted - EdP

I got this smoosh from /u/putneycj. Someone sold us both the same brush handle, but it was serendipitous because he decided he didn't like the handle and was asking around if anyone wanted to buy it. I said "I won't buy it, but you can send me my handle!". Anyway, we quickly worked it out behind the scenes, everyone was happy, and I got two smooshes out of the deal!

SSL is great, now I finally understand why people rave about it. I think it's in the Highland base, which is super good. I love how it prioritizes slickness, secondary slickness, etc., as opposed to "looking good". It does look good, but it's not trying to be all goopy and shiny just for the hell of it.

Say something nice:

/u/j33pguy13 does a ton of great stuff, not only for the sub, but for people in various chats. He doesn't just sit in a chat all day and complain, not posting any SOTD's, not doing PIFs, not answering DQT questions... He actually participates and contributes a lot. .highfive

July 24, 2023 – Lather games day 24 – AKA what about Hanukkah?

• Brush: Dogwood Badger
• Razor: GEM Micromatic Clog Pruf
• Blade: Personna GEM PTFE (13)
• Lather: Catie’s Bubbles – V
• Post Shave: Noble Otter – Bare

u/JeepGuy13 sent me this smush of V some time back and today was the day to use it. What a delicious scent and the base is very slick easy to lather. Overall a great shave. Love that clog prūf too.

I truly appreciate this community. Unfortunately I have been quite a lame excuse for a lather gamer this year. Life is hard these days. Through it all so far this month u/OnionMiasma has been an uplifting voice who was even kind enough to make me a meme and send over a horrendous smush twice for me to complete my 30 unique soap brands quest. This man is a true contender for the top prize this year, that’s for certain.

#PhotoContest

July 24, 2023 – Month of Lather Day 24

• Brush: DS Cosmetics Carrot handle w/ 26mm 2-band Badger + Synthetic mixed knot
• Razor: Rex Supply Co. Ambassador XL Adjustable
• Blade: Gillette Platinum (2)
• Preshave: Stirling Soap Co. – Unscented
• Lather: Tallow + Steel - Shag
• Post Shave: Zingari Man – Unscented Balm
• Music: Sammy Hagar & the Waboritas - Shag

Daily Theme: I received today's smoosh of Shag from tsrblke as a selectee of his generous Hippy Dippy Piffy PIF. tsrblke's tub of Shag was originally part of Matt Hilton (120inna55)'s collection.

The Shave: The T+S based performed flawlessly and my technique was good enough for a BBS, but honestly today's shave results really don't matter. Matt passed before my time here, but everything I have read tells me that Matt was an upstanding member of the community. Today's shave reminded me to never take anything for granted.

The Challenge: My first tribute goes to u/tsrblke, not only for gifting me todays smoosh but also for being a genuinely good person. He can get a bit excitable, but it is because HE CARES. If everyone was like him the world would be better for it. My second tribute goes to the 2023 LG Staff for planning and orchestrating this year's Lather Games. Ignoring for a minute the ~~bullshit~~ nonsense I write in my posts, I really don't know how you all do it. I made it my goal to read every LG23 SOTD post and I can hardly keep up. Do any of you ever sleep? My final tribute is in memory of Matt. #ROTY

tribute to Matt AKA inna

July 24, 2023 – Christmas in July’s Eve

• Brush: Paladin Badger
• Razor: ATT R1 Calypso
• Blade: Astra SP (Green)
• Lather: House of Mammoth – Shire
• Post Shave: House of Mammoth – Shire

I am very thankful to have received Shire in a PIF from u/mammothben. He’s playing in the 2023 games.

July 24, 2023

• Brush: AP Shave Co. 30mm SynBad
• Razor: Weck Sextoblade
• Blade: Personna Hair Shaper (2)
• Lather: Chiseled Face – Gemütlichkeit
• Post Shave: Barrister and Mann – 42

I got this smush from u/worbx in his pre LG smush PIF. It was my first time using Chiseled Face. I loaded the smush and got like 8 passes worth of lather. This stuff explodes in a great way. The scent was awesome, but probably not something I want to shave with every day.

I got this splash from u/jeffm54321 in an old PIF (was for both soap and splash). It doesn’t really pair with this soap, but it was from an LG participant. Also I still give jeffm54321 a little credit for my team’s big academic contest win this year. I used this set of 42 for that whole trip. It’s my lucky soap.

For the daily challenge I’m going to say something nice about u/MrTangerinesky. He might be the biggest shitposter and memer here but he has a ton of heart, and has been very supportive of everyone trying their best in the LG this year, whether they’re going for a top score or, like me, using it as a way to get themselves to do something positive every day. Really appreciate him and everyone like him.

Healthy Activity of the Day: 8 miles today, had a new riding partner that is way slower than me. So I couldn’t go as far as I wanted. Used it as a chance to practice standing up on the bike, because that’s something I really struggle with. It’s crazy that at the beginning of this month 8 miles was super hard, and now I’m using it to practice something that makes the ride harder. LG Mileage: 88 miles

Tags: #ROTY

July 24, 2023

• Brush: Munnin Woodworks w/AP Shave Co 24mm Titanium Synthetic
• Razor: Koraat 6/8" Full Hollow (Straight Shave 277)
• Lather: Noble Otter - Joker - Soap
• Post Shave: Combe Inc. - Aqua Velva Classic Ice Blue - Aftershave
• Post Shave: Thayers - Lemon - Toner

2 passes. Bowl lather. Excellent shave.

---

The first scent note of Joker is citronella. Though I was interested in buying another Noble Otter soap, I passed on this one because I did not want to smell like mosquito repellant. This was a mistake on two fronts. First, I actually pick up very little citronella from this scent which IMHO is beautifully blended, and second, having a bit of citronella on my skin could do me no harm in the humid, mosquito-infested environment in back of my house. The Noble Otter soap base is great. My only criticism of the scent is that it is mild. I have Jack which is also mild, but that scent strength seems fitting somehow. With Joker, I would enjoy the scent being more forward I think.

This sample of Noble Otter Joker was given to me by u/whosgotthepudding. Unrelated to the Lather Games, we've been exchanging straight razors and soap samples for a short while. And we've chatted a bit. We share similar tastes in soap bases and scents and have a shared enthusiasm for straight razors.

In terms of today's challenge, I only have nice things to say about whosgotthepudding. I've tried a razor that he has refurbished and I purchased the Munnin Woodworks brush from him. I also have an item that he made on request that I will unveil on August 1. I always enjoy our conversations online and I'm very impressed by his sincerity and talent.

July 24, 2023 – I choose you

• Brush: DG 14/ Dowgood Handcraft – Sonder release
• Razor: Blackland Era
• Blade: Astra SP (Green) (2)
• Lather: Saponificio Varesino – Manna di Sicilia
• Post Shave: Southern Witchcrafts – Desairology
• Fragrance: Trussardi- A way for him

I tried to get as many items from other users into my shave as possible. The brush was a PIF from u/Phteven_j . The razor is borrowed from u/hairykopite.
u/MrTangerinesky PIFed me the soap. For the soap there is a little story. The OG Post
As you see on the comments, nobody realized the challenge existed. We had a few people who did the Stag challenge, as well as my headless horsemen challenge, but I was the only one who used the hashtag. To this day, the hashtag is saved in my autocomplete August came to an end, and MrTangerinesky started a chat with me about the gift card, informing me, that I was the only contestant. If there is no competition, winning is little fun, so I declined the gift card politely.
Daily Challenge:
But MrTangerinesky is a man who keeps his word. He proved that publicly by forming walnut shaped icecubes with cryogen on video, insulting me till my stomach hurt and I made my username all honor.
He insisted on giving me the gift card. As an old colleague, who bought a boat while drunk, without having a drivers licence for boats, drivers license for trailers, from money he got by selling a car, he won, said it: “Thats money which fell from the sky. Lets go stupid”, I decided to buy expensive soap.

#FOF
Soap:
Manna di sicilia was my choice. It sounded like a classic scent that I could wear every day. Orange andfresh bergamot, rose and tobacco, as well as patchoulli with cedarwood sounded like a banger.
In my opinion, Noble otters Neon sun is the american answer to this scent. I have both in my collection and could use the aftershave interchangeable. The soaps performance is something that needs a few extra words. It lathers easily, gives good slickness and is vegan. Well, we have that in a lot of artisans we buy from regularly. But SV puts the cherry on top, by having the soap tripple milled and each scent has its own base with its unique skin properties. If my skin is dry, this soap is my go to choice and within 1-2 days, I can see progress. In the manual of the soap (yes, the soap has one), they write that you should bloom the soap and use a badger. I did that. With such a good set up, it's difficult to have a bad shave.

Aftershave:
I started with a classic scent, I continue with one. Desairology, is my favortite scent for day to day life. Its always a great choice. Sandwalwood, musk and burned sage lay a great base for a masculine scent. Lavender, vanilla and oakmoss make it a classic.

Fragrance:
“A way for him”. I thought it would fit my theme of classic masculine fragrances well. nfortunately, that was a miss. A way for him has some accords that sound more like marketing to me (solar and air!!!).
This fragrance is oriental sweet and smells cheap. Maybe I ll give it my 14 year old brother to wear. Maybe I ll give it my 10 year old brother and he torches something with it. We’ll see.

Continue the daily challenge:
MrTangerinesky keeps his words! I love the way he play the a thergames. You give him a theme and he will find a crazy way to reformulate it. Thats what I want to see here in the games.
I can only imagine what a night in vegas would be like with him. Maybe after our first beer, we would drive to the police station and get in arrest, to keep us and the city safe. I expect the officers to roll the red carpet out for him, greeting him with a handshake. But once we arrived in the cell, we will probably try to get out, but drunk.

u/glink48: my latherbuddy. I can’t remember how we started, but it’s a lucky coincidence that we come up by a theme for the next day and shave accoridingly. Hope he will get back to germany with his Race car and I ll try to keep at your tail with my bike.

u/worbx: I know nothing about this guy. He flies completely under the radar here. But when I see his username, it’s always a generous PIF to provide the r/wetshaving world with samples. maybe he is the drug dealer my mom always warned me about, just sending free soap and getting us hooked. Who knows?

u/Teufelskraft:
Seriously. Last games and this games would not have been possible without you. Your generosity is unmatched, and I miss you on the sub.

July 24, 2023 – LG2023 Day Twenty Four

• Brush: Simpsons – Berkeley
• Razor: Razorock – Lupo DLC
• Blade: Polsilver
• Lather: Extro Cosmesi – Liquirizia & Magnolia
• Post Shave: Pinaud – Gent’s Gin

Firstly thank you to u/marquis90 for my smushy, Liquirizia e Magnolia is not a scent I would normally pick up with the notes seemingly so ying and yang. I have tried a few Extro sets and still have a couple in the den but I always find the performance varies from set to set with it being OK but not something I reach for all the time. I definitely get the magnolia from the smush but not too strong, once lathered the liquorice comes through a smidgen but unlike most Extro scents it actually lacks the punch that I have gotten before.

I brought out the little vintage Simpsons Berkeley today, small enough not to hog all the soap and just a touch prickly but still gave a decent enough bowl lather.

The Lupo DLC was one of my favorite razors for a very long time in the den, I think from memory its also had the longest stay in the den and avoided every clear-out I have had over the years. Its a great razor, I would compare it to the Overlander from Karve with it having very minimal blade feel but a decent enough efficiency that a DFS is more than achievable each time.

Daily Challenge

This is a toughie which to be fair is a credit to the sub and all its members for being top tier people, u/j33pguy13 is always about helping the sub and all the work for the MOAR Brush, and just his presence can bring a smile. u/tonality has been great helping me out a few times and some solid deals, u/OnionMiasma must read every post and comment on most as well and seems like a really top bloke and reading some of todays posts many agree, and finally u/enndeegee he is old and northern so deserves some solid praise for all his Spice Girl Gifs, his Haikus, and his Scrub list.

Special mention for all the Djudges that give up their time to Djudge Wetshavings Premier Contest

Now off to bed early or Santa wont come

July 24th 2023 - Lather Games Day 24

• Brush: Dogclaration B9A
• Razor: Gillette Tech
• Blade: Derby Premium (3)
• Lather: Summer Break Soaps - Rope Swing
• Post Shave: Summer Break Soaps - Rope Swing
• Fragrance: Imaginary Authors - Sundrunk

I won this set in a PIF from u/rocketk455 a few years ago and he is a current Lather Games participant; I was glad to be able to use this set today as it is summertime favorite of mine. The cooling level in the soap is refreshing without being eye-watering, and the splash hits a similar balance. The scent is great too, I remember it being nothing like I expected when I first got my sniffer on it and it has grown on me a lot ever since. And I had to use my Dogwood handle brush on their sponsor day.

The generous spirit of the sub has always been one of the things that has kept me telling strangers what I'm shaving with for like three years now; the brush was the only hardware today that I paid for. The smooth and simple Tech came from (I believe) u/verdadkc and this sample of Sundrunk was also tossed in by someone with another purchase.

The scent component of the shave today is more conceptual than strictly matching notes. Rope Swing is a summer day spent swimming and splashing in fresh water under the shade of some big trees, while Sundrunk is emerging from the shade into the heat of the sun for the walk home.

And so for the daily challenge I will say something nice about u/jeffm54321 because I appreciate his opening my mind to Waterlyptus and his trollish but ultimately welcoming spirit. And because of this trollish spirit I ended up with the soap and splash I used today, because he entered the PIF but did not follow Rocket's rules,, and was ultimately DQ'd leading to me winning the redraw. So thanks for Waterlyptus and Rope Swing.

Day 24 - Christmas in July

• Brush: APShaveCo - Butterscotch Handle with Synbad Knot
• Razor: Karve - CB
• Blade: Astra - Green
• Lather: HOM - Rumble
• Post Shave: Wholly Kaw - Night Cap
• Fragrance: Dossier - Woody Vetiver

Today I went with HOM Rumble. It was the only shave soap I received for free. Thanks, u/nathlam15. He sent a sample with a purchase. I don't hear a lot about Rumble. It is a fantastic warm rum chocolate scent. That said, it is too hot for such a nice warm scent.

For the fragrance, I went with Woody Vetiver. My goal was to uplift the warm scent with the powerful vetiver from Dossier. Mixing them added a nice sweet undertone to the Vetiver. The Woody Vetiver, vetiver is so in your face that it was nice to see how it mixed with the sweet, warm Rumble and Night Cap.

ROTY #FOF

July 24, 2023 - Christmas in July’s Eve

• Brush: Farvour Turncrafts / AP Shave Co. G5A 28mm
• Razor: Blackland Razors Blackbird
• Blade: Gillette Platinum (1)
• Lather: EmberTree Soaps - Spring Water and Oakmoss - Soap
• Post Shave: Zingari - The Navigator - Splash
• Fragrance: Maher Olfactive - Red Skies

Daily Write-Up:
Today’s challenge is to say something nice about another member of the sub. Which, on the face should be easy to do… but there are so many good things to say.

I’m skipping the Djudges - I’ve definitely had numerous interactions with all of you over the past 18 months, but in the interest of not being accused of brown-nosing again, screw you guys (but, like, gently, like Tenacious D told us to).

It’s hard to come up with a single individual from the hundreds I’ve talked to, shared shaves with, driven to Michigan, and vented about life over IRC or Discord. So… for all that I’m forgetting (keeping my tags to 3, as that’s the Reddit limit where they get a notification) - thanks. I found this sub at a time when I was struggling emotionally - my Mom was in her final months, I was deeply unfulfilled and stressed at work, and had a severe lack of sleep from a newborn. The support from the community and this hobby were just what I needed. Looking back to where I was then - I’m in a much better space now, and the hobby and this place are a big part of the transition (though, my bank account has perhaps suffered a bit).

On to specific folks -

• Cowzilla3 - tagged below. I’ve really appreciated our constant banter over the past year, it was great meeting you in person back in June, and always look forward to immediately consuming the latest in your long line of Old Spice dupe reviews. This sub will be poorer if and when you ever run out of dupes to try. I’m sorry the judges broke your spirit.

• u/KhanAir - Somehow we connected during last Lather Games, found we had a lot of things in common, and have kept up frequent conversation in the intervening year. Really bummed that it didn’t work out for you to compete in the LGs this year, but I look forward to beating you next year when your life gets back to normal. On the other hand, if you had competed, I’d be using Lothur today, and the EmberTree is better.

• u/Priusaurus - Last year you were a worthy competitor, and scored exactly one place above me. I suspect that result… well… will probably repeat itself, in that I’ll be below you in the rankings. Hopefully by only one spot, but probably more. Your ongoing high-quality posts have forced me to dig deep and come up with even more outlandish (but safe!) ways to keep entertaining the r/wetshaving masses, and I’ve enjoyed the back and forth both in the sub and outside it as we’ve moved through the month.

Soap Theme Justification
Product must have been received from another Lather Games contestant as a PIF, trade, or gift with no exchange of currency involved.* Tag whoever gave you the product and express your gratitude. * I received this soap last Christmas from u/Cowzilla3 as part of the sub Secret Santa. My very generous gift included the EmberTree, which is from my home state, along with tomorrow’s soap, a charitable donation, and a bottle of… you guessed it… Old Spice, which was already used in the Lather Games. It was great to try a soap from my home state, even if the soaps I have that are made in my chosen state (read: Chicago Grooming, House of Mammoth) are superior. I’ve definitely used much poorer-performing soaps, and the EmberTree enabled me to get a close, irritation-free shave from a new-to-me razor today. Thanks for sending the box over - I've really appreciated the items.

Post-Shave and Fragrance Relevance Notes
* Today’s theme is “Life at Sea, Brought to You by Midwestern Landlubbers” * The soap is called Spring Water and Oakmoss, but to my nose, it’s a very ocean-forward aquatic scent. The folks at EmberTree are from Iowa, which is about as far from an ocean in the United States as you can get. * Layering on top of that, the very good Zingari splash scented with Amber, Marine, and Musk was created to evoke “the spirit of the sea but [also] of the man who carries that spirit as a part of him. Note that Zingari is Indiana-based, which… also is nowhere near salt water. * Lastly, Maher Olfactive’s Red Skies - which is a St. Louis-native’s take on the ocean, with salty ocean air over a traditional Chypre. In case you’re geographically-challenged, St. Louis is in Missouri which is, get this, quite distant from a bay, sea, or ocean.

July 24, 2023

• Brush: Terrafirma Soapery - Mallee Burl and Resin with 28mm G5C
• Razor: Gillette Super Speed
• Blade: Wilkinson Sword
• Lather: Noble Otter - Thé Noir et Vanille
• Post Shave: Sir Henry’s – Lavender, Vanilla, Sandalwood Splash
• Fragrance: Tumi – Kinetic [--:-- GMT]
• Music: Garth Brooks – Friends in Low Places

In the announcement thread, the question was asked if someone in the games gave us a gift card and we used it to buy soap, if that counted. u/USS-SpongeBob confirmed that counts, so last year, my guy u/chronnoisseur42O hosted a post Lather Games PIF about hobbies due to his love of LEGO, and I was selected as one of the lucky recipients. Check out his amazing collection – it’s seriously impressive. The prize for this was a Maggard Gift Card, which I used to buy the soap I used today – Noble Otter’s Thé Noir et Vanille.

TNeV, as it’s called in shaving circles, is black tea, vanilla, and supposedly strawberries. I was very surprised to read that u/RedMosquitoMM smells a strong strawberry scent right off the bat, because I it’s not strong to me. However, anyone that reads his posts vs. mine will immediately know that my nose isn’t even close to the same stratosphere as his, so trust him on this. I get mostly tea and vanilla from TNeV. I stuck with vanilla for the post-shave and fragrance. Lavender, Vanilla, Sandalwood Splash from Sir Henry’s is nice and simple. Three nose-flavors blended together and make for a nice finish to TNeV shave. Finally for the fragrance, I went with Kinetic [--:-- GMT] from Tumi. It has a smoky vanilla scent to it and a touch of sandalwood that blends quite well with the LVS Splash for a great #FOF day.

For the challenge, there are so many amazing people on this sub and it’s impossible to narrow it down to one, two, or three.

u/chronnoisseur42O is a super nice dude – gifted me the PIF that I used for soap today – and is a Lather Games Powerhouse. His posts are always enjoyable and he’s going above and beyond in these games.

Of course, I have to give credit to my buddy u/OnionMiasma who has a brilliant knack for creative writing, and thinking outside the box – he’s definitely been pushing me to do better in this years Games. Nearly every day, I read his posts and I'm envious that he had a better idea than I had or I'm jealous of something he came up with. Oh yeah, and he also raised a bunch of money for the JED Foundation last year and is doing it again this year!. An absolutely solid human being and one I hope to get a beer with in real life in the future.

u/RedMosquitoMM has a wonderful ability to describe scents better than anyone else on the sub, and is always an absolute joy to read. And he gave into peer pressure and shaved his legs for leg day!

u/EldrormR pushes people out of their comfort zone to try boar brushes, MMOCs, and now a Wagaiaouzet thingy! He enables like no other and hasn't led me astray yet.

Of course, the LG organizers and djudges this year: u/USS-SpongeBob, u/wallygator88, u/Djundjila, u/walden, u/DoctorRotor, u/J33pGuy13, u/VisceralWatch, u/merikus, and u/EldrormR - you are all so giving of your time sifting through all of our nonsense, and I’m especially thankful for whoever has to read my extremely long posts, day after day after day - THANK YOU!

And finally, my frenemy, u/MrTangerinesky – You’ve provided me with so much hilarious and cringeworthy moments over the last couple weeks. You’re may be a lunatic, but you’re our lunatic. 🤝🏻

The theme for the #photocontest is Royals, since the soap brand is a one of nobility. Took my SOTD pic in front of The King of Burgers. Because every King needs a Queen (and in case BK isn’t Royal enough for you) I also included a 3D printed Queen Elizabeth figurine for a prop.

For today’s 10 Questions with… I have: Cody from Noble Otter. He was very quick to respond to my interview request and gave a lot of really good answers to my questions. Thank you u/NobleOtter for agreeing to participate and play along in my shenanigans! Appreciate all you’ve done to grow this hobby of ours!

10 Questions with… Noble Otter

1) Does your Otter mascot have a name? I feel weird calling him, “your otter.”

We dont really have a name for him. We have called in Kai in the past, on a card for the Monoi de Tahiti release but we never really stuck with that. We kind of just left it open to allow the imagination of our customers to make the story.

2) Is your otter a sea otter or a river otter?

He is a river otter.

3) A lion is the King of the Jungle, are we to assume your Otter is the King of the Rivers (or Sea)?

Actually, we think of him as a royal family member but not the king. Kind of like a young member that just wants to go on adventures rather then but stuck to the throne.

4) If you could live as an animal (other than an Otter) for a week, which would you pick? Why?

Some type of bird. I love flying and would want to be a eagle or something that could just soar.

5) Do you have a favorite scent that Noble Otter has released?

This is really tough, I think Orbit is my favorite but TNeV and Hamami are also close seconds.

(INTERVIEW CONTINUES IN THE REPLY)

Lather games 2023 Day 24

• Prep: Warm water
• Brush: Mühle - Rytmo
• Razor: Mühle - Rytmo R41
• Blade: Gillette - Minora
• Lather: Summer Break Soaps - Woodshop
• Post Shave: Summer Break Soaps - Woodshop
• Post Shave: Mühle - alum block

Summer Break "Woodshop" ! Really bring memory of my Grandpa woodshop. OK smells a little bit better. At first nothing special but after I don't know how to explained but want to smell it more and more. But this is more about aftershave. Soap lost his scent strength in Lather. Its a very good soap but I Prefer to be more slick.

I have to say something nice for someone here. OK! I have exchange few letters with judges, really nice dudes. Helping and giving their time and positivity to new stupid participants and just gonna say thank you and I appreciated. But I don't know them personal and I don't want to be ass licker so I'll write to the only person that I know MrTangerinesky. He has group in Facebook and most people in Bulgaria interested of wet shaving following him. He makes videos on Bulgarian language to spread the love and information about software and hardware in classical shaving. You know how funny is he and maybe he will be so much popular YouTube shaver using English but he is dedicated to his loyal audience. He helped me a lot in this challenge not only giving me today soap and other stuff but answering to my stupid questions all the time "what the fuck they means with that".... Or .... " what the hell this have to be" explained to me your slang no matter of time of the day. He play on violin and is crazy ( but most of Bulgarians are normal one immigrated ). He have a big heart. He give me his titanium Timeless not knowing me just because I want it to compere it whit safety razors that I have. I don't know what to say maybe some of you know him better then me.

ROTY

Lather: Soap of the Air Bud Faithful

I have plenty of soaps from those in this community as a beloved member and leader here. However, if I thanked one person for one soap then my true identity, which is not u/cowzilla3, would be revealed. But know that today I shaved with soap from a generous benefactor of this sub.

I'd also like to address a recurring argument I hear against the Air Bud Rule: that it is not based in reality. Many say that the film Air Bud is a bunch of malarky made to simply entertain children and not to establish a cult-like following on a shaving subreddit. They argue that a dog could never play basketball and thus the fact that there ain't no rule doesn't matter. They say that a dog couldn't play any sports! That the very idea is ridiculous unless you specially train one to do a very specific thing.

Well, theyr'e wrong. Here is video proof of an untrained dog about to score a goal in the middle of a professional soccer game. If the ref hadn't run out there it would have won the game for one of the teams for sure. I ask you, how could you argue with irrefutable evidence such as this!? You can't in fact. And thus your "unrealistic" argument is, actually, unrealistic in and of itself.

I do, as par to today's theme, want to make mention of one community member: u/merikus, host of the LG podcast and a judge himself. While we have our differences, I am becoming more and more convinced that despite being a judge he is, in fact, also an Air Bud Faithful. I call out his name today because while many of us can easily follow the Air Bud Rule and reach a higher level of shaving, for some following the Air Bud Rule openly may not be an option as they've fallen into the wrong crowd and are afraid to leave.

Monday, July 24, 2023

• Brush: Maggard Razors - Midnight Blue - 26mm Turn N Shave Quartermoon
• Razor: Wolfman Razors - WR2 0.75 DC x WRH2
• Blade: Personna Med Prep
• Lather: Fine Accoutrements - Clubhouse - Soap
• Post Shave: Pinaud - Clubman - Aftershave

Day 24 of Lather Games: I got this sample of Fine Clubhouse from u/jeffm54321. He's always so generous with sending questionable soap samples... Banana, Clubouse, other crack purchases...

July 24, 2023

• Brush: Frank Shaving – 20mm Synthetic
• Razor: Star – Silver Star
• Blade: Gillette Silver Blue
• Lather: Zingari Man – The Merchant Soap
• Post Shave: Ogallala Bay Rum – Sage & Cedar Splash
• Fragrance: Cartier – Pasha Edition Noire

I was sent this smush of Zingari Man – The Merchant by u/Priusaurus. In the official smush trading post, Priusaurus commented an offer for anyone to reach out to him for a smush if they needed any and I did. He sent me two and didn’t want anything in return, even though I offered. If that’s the type of community this subreddit is, I’m really happy to be part of it!

The scent of The Merchant is a little sweet, a little warm, and a little spicy, so I used a splash that’s warm and spicy - Ogallala Bay Rum, Sage, and Cedar. I went on a big bay rum kick when I was first getting going and picked up nearly every Bay Rum scented product I saw. Don’t regret it, but I don’t reach for this splash often at all – It’s spicy and woody. Then, for the cologne, I went with Pasha de Cartier because it’s woody and spicy, similar to the splash, but inverse. #FOF

CHALLENGE

I gotta go with u/Priusaurus. Not only did he send me a couple smushes without wanting anything in return, but I’ve been thoroughly enjoying his Lather Games posts. The interviews are great and his antics are top notch. I had no idea this guy that seemed so nice in the PMs would be going so over the top for Lather Games

• Brush: Van Der Hagen Boar Brush
• Razor: Parker Clip-Type Shavette Dark Sheesham Wood Handle
• Blade: Treet Carbon Steel "Black Beauties"
• Lather: Stirling - Lightish Red

"It's not pink it's lightish red" - u/AntwonPeachFuzz Great scent and it's a Red VS Blue reference great choice bro thanks for giving me a sample.

ROTY

Christmas in July's Eve

• Brush: AKA Fashion Olive Wood with 26 mm Maggard knot
• Razor: Weck Sextoblade Med Prep
• Blade: Kismet Rostfrei, Polymer beschichtet (2)
• Lather: Natural Skincare Hampshire – Unisex Shaving Soap No. 3
• Post Shave: Spartium – Meštar
• Fragrance: Creed – Wind Flowers

The relevant theme for today's post and frag is gifts as an extension of the daily theme.

The lather is a gift by the very generous u/Semaj3000. This soap seems to be a modern alternative to Mitchell's Wool Fat in that is has the same skin feel, but lathers like a modern soap. The light lavender scent is pleasant, and the soap reminds me that my skin seems to love lanolin. The green and earthy Meštar was a gift by the very generous u/VisceralWatch two years ago, and I suspect it may have originally been a git from u/Sapat1 to veedubs. I've never received a frag gift from a Lather Games participant (I choose to believe that this deplorable state is caused by me being the lone Helvetic participant and nobody can legally ship frags to me at a reasonable price), so I went with the next best thing, a gift from my Lather Games fan club, a.k.a. my inlaws. My sister in law gave me this bottle on our last visit after we decided that it smells better on me *. The scent is marketed towards women, but I really enjoy the prominent pink pepper note (which doesn't exist, apparently, but I'm convinced I smell it) on a base of light florals.

For today's challenge, I would like to thank the participants of these LG and point out their kindness. The Games had to be postponed to July because I didn't finish the portal on time, and even though this is a major pain in the butt given the proximity to Austere August, Sample September, TabOktoberfest, and BBS November, turning the second half of the year into a 5 month monoblock of special months, absolutely nobody gave me any grief about it. Thank you!

* She didn't give me the decant shown in the SOTD pic, but the full bottle. I decanted a bit so as to not travel with the full bottle this week. (Proof of bottle possession)

July 24, 2023

• Brush: AP Shave Co G5C 28mm
• Razor: Leaf Elite
• Blade: BIC Chrome Platinum (4)
• Lather: Talent Soap Factory – Frankie Mermaid
• Post Shave: Southern Witchcrafts – Necromantic
• Fragrance: Chatillon Lux – Weinstrasse

Huge shoutout to u/loudmusicboy for generously sending me todays sample. I was very late to getting prepared for the games and he immediately offered to help me out!

I would also like to shoutout u/OnionMiasma for many of the reasons that others have mentioned. He also offered to help me out with my calendar at the 11th hour, and has done an excellent job of making people feel included in this community inside and outside of the games.

For todays shave, Frankie Mermaid is a very sweet grapey scent. Certainly very interesting but probably not one I would go to very often. Fortunately, the Talent Soap Factory base is very very good, and provides an excellent shave.

I decided to go with the grape theme as best I could -- Necromantic is a much darker, earthier scent as with most of their offerings. Necromantic uses red wine as a scent, and wine is from grapes!

I finished it off with Chatillon Lux Weinstrasse, which is a fougère with a white grape top note, and another excellent fragrance.

All in all a great shave, and great smells.

#ROTY

Jul. 24, 2023
Brush: AP Shave Co G5C
Razor: Karve CB
Blade: Astra SP Green
Lather: Stirling Soap Co. - Piacenza - Soap
Post Shave:* Stirling Soap Co. - Piacenza - Aftershave

Unfortunately I have no gifted soaps

ROTY

July 24, 2023 Christmas in July's Eve

• Prep: Warm Shower
• Brush: Yaqi Atlantis 24mm Synth
• Razor: iKon Tek
• Blade: Voskhod (2)
• Lather: Wholly Kaw - Tempest
• Post Shave: Barrister and Mann - Leviathan
• Fragrance: Barrister and Mann - Leviathan

u/Priusaurus provided me this smoosh of Tempest from Wholly Kaw. Thank you again! My youngest shaved with me this morning before I left and while he wasn't the biggest fan of the scent I really enjoyed it. Wholly Kaw describes tempest as , "Straight from the throne of Zeus himself". As such I paired it with leviathan today which is linked based on mythology. This article even mentions Zeus when talking about Leviathan.

Other than u/Priusaurus some of my most recent interactions have been with u/chronnoisseur42O . Each interaction I've had has ended well and I have been glad to have had it each time. Super nice and a pleasure to talk to and deal with!

7/24/23

• Brush: Zenith Two Band
• Razor: MMOC
• Blade: GEM PTFE (3)
• Lather: Stirling Soap Co. - Smoky Grapefruit
• Post Shave: Stirling Soap Co. - Smoky Grapefruit Aftershave Splash

A PIF, a gift, and a trade.

This brush came to me via a PIF from u/ConquerorChromatic over a year ago now. For a long time, this was the largest brush in my den. It has since essentially became Mrs. Pudding's leg brush. Not a bad brush at all, and if I were to use it regularly, I think I would need to raise the loft a little.

The MMOC was gifted to me by community giant u/EldrormR. I have no doubt he's going to be pinged quite a bit today. This MMOC is the 2nd safety razor I've tried, the first being the MM24. I think it's fair to say I really like GEMs. As an open blade user, their aggressive blade feel is right up my alley.

The Smoky Grapefruit I got in a trade from u/oswald_heist. I distinctly remember this trade because before this, I had only briefly peeked in on this sub, but very briefly. He had pinged me on his first use of the Citricuya set I'd traded him. One thing led to another, and I found myself reading all posts on that SOTD thread and even going back and reading older threads and the DQ threads. I liked what I had seen, all the bullshitting, joking, sharing of information, and also the immediate shutdown of shit advice. That's when I started to frequent the sub and participate regularly.

For my community shout-out, I wanna shout a few people.

u/EldrormR - Again, a giant in this community. The man is creative, knowledgeable, and kind. He's always pushing people to try new things or coming up with something new if he's not finding it. You can come to this guy with questions about anything, and he always approaches it with patience, and if he doesn't have the answer, he looks for that answer with tenacity. Cheers, Eld, your friendship has been a pleasure.

u/J33pGuy13 - Hot takes, hot memes, and a weird obsession with Banana. He's funny, kind, and creative. Always on the lookout for other members and always with an open mind. I absolutely love watching this guy take off when he gets fired up about something. J33p, I know it's been a little rough lately, but I'd like you to know I appreciate you. I've gotten a ton of laughs out of our conversations and broadened my horizons.

u/gcgallant - Another extraordinarily kind member. This gentleman has an attention to detail to match my own and an eye for photography that I can't even begin to imagine. If there's ever a question he knows the answer to, rest assured you will get a kind and comprehensive answer from this man. GC, I have appreciated our talks and value your insight and admire the depths you will go to gain said insight.

There's so many more people here I appreciate and could say these things about. Those of you who know me, though, know that I am not one for large blocks of texts, and even making it this far has stretched me extraordinarily thin. I appreciate this community for the wide range of characters in it and what each of you brings to the table.

#ROTY

July. 24, 2023 - SOTD 

• Prep: Splash of warm water
• Brush: Oumo O4 Venus SHD Badger Brush 26MM
• Razor: West Coast Shaving Multi Titanium Collection Razor
• Blade: King C Gillette
• Lather: Stirling Soap Co - Pharaoh's Dreamsicle
• Post Shave: Nivea Men - Sensitive Soothing Aftershave Balm

This is from my first tub I ever got courtesy of u/antwonpeachfuzz the man who got me into wetshaving and gave me a lot of samples and this tub. This shave is for you bro.

ROTY

July 24, 2023 – The day of the night before not Christmas

• Brush: Summer Break Sheridan w/ 26 mm Synbad
• Razor: Razorock Hawk v2
• Blade: Feather ProGuard (AC) (12)
• Lather: Los Jabones de Joserra – Kush
• Post Shave: Declaration Grooming – Darkfall
• Fragrance: Maher Olfactive – Nefertiti

Challenge: Thanks to /u/chronnoisseur42O for helping me fill out my calendar. Today’s soap is 1 of 3 smooshes he sent me. If you take a look at the trade thread you’ll see he offered to help pretty much everyone who needed something. He’s putting together a very solid effort in these games. I’m sure a lot of planning went into that. And still, in the spirit of the games, he generously helped his fellow competitors.

When I asked chronnoisseur for a smoosh of this soap, I assumed it would smell like weed. I now know that this is a dupe of Nasomatto Black Afgano, which I’ve smelled before. Kush is pretty close to the real deal. The fragrance is dark and smokey. It doesn’t smell like tobacco, matches, or even burning wood. It’s more like the smell of burnt wood after the fire has gone out. It’s woody. I’m definitely getting a cannabis note. There’s a mossy greenness. The soap is pretty good and made a slick lather. I don’t understand why it’s $35, especially when their soaps are dupes.

I decided to use Darkfall to pair with the smokiness of Kush. Darkfall is an amber fragrance that’s inspired by the smell of GA in the fall. The fragrance has a smokiness reminiscent of burning piles of dead leaves. Once my nose adjusted to the smoke, I could smell a nutmeg, clove, cinnamon type of spice. It’s very dark and feels too heavy for summer.

After I found out that Kush is a Black Afgano dupe, I pulled out my sample of the Nasomatto fragrance. Unfortunately, it has either evaporated or leaked. There’s nothing left. So instead, I’m using another fragrance with a cannabis note, Nefertiti. This bottle was received in the December gift exchange.

Nefertiti is an exotic blend of cannabis, honey, and incense. There’s a resinous quality to it. There is a fragrant green note that smells like ivy and is almost soapy. I think it’s lavender. After a while the lavender note gets stronger, and is still accompanied by mossy cannabis. I’m now also smelling amber. It’s a very interesting fragrance that feels indulgent.

#FOF

Edit: I wish I'd come up with this in time for meme day, but the latest LG podcast made me think of this.

July 24, 2023 - Christmas in July’s Eve

• Brush: Yaqi Dandelion Green 24mm Cashmere
• Razor: EldrormR MM24
• Blade: Personna GEM PTFE
• Lather: Tallow + Steel - Shag
• Post Shave: Stirling Soap Co. - Satsuma
• Fragrance: Rogue - Derviche

FOF

Today’s Theme:

I went with as many things as I could fit into today’s shave that came from this community. First up is the razor that u/EldrormR put together for me. He made it from a broken MMOC that I sent to him. Next is the lather from u/tsrblke. He won it in a PIF, and immediately turned it into a smoosh PIF. The splash is from a big box of samples I got from u/putneycj. Finally the fragrance is a sample that was in a den clearing PIF from u/wyze0ne. I hope I remembered everyone correctly, but thank you again.

Today’s Challenge:

It is easy to say nice things about people here. I don’t know if I’ve encountered such a generous group of enthusiasts before. Reminds me a bit of a group of friends I made in my early online days playing on MUDs. Very friendly group, and I met my wife on one MUD. This group shares its passion for the hobby, and really help out those who are new to it. Anyone I don’t mention, sorry, but there isn’t enough space for everyone, and I’d hate to miss anyone if I try to list you all. If you’ve ever given a nice reply, funny post, good advice, or read through my sometimes, ok often, rambling posts, thank you. You guys are what keeps me coming back. To highlight a few u/gcgallant always has some good advice and nice comments. I was pondering trying the Weck challenge, and even though the answer was in the post already, helped me not only decide on the blades, but sent me a couple to try. He also included a dull razor shaped object to get a few practices in before I commit to slicing my face off with the real thing. Another person I’m sure is on many people’s posts is u/OnionMiasma. I commented on someone’s post last year how I kept seeing people rave about Seville. He reply asking if I wanted a smoosh. Then he just does some awesome other things, like turning his personal tragedy into an opportunity to help other people. Ok, maybe the Park Police are after him for the sign makeover, but I’d say he’s still good people. Post is getting long, so again if you are reading this, know you made the list.

Today’s Fragrance:

My scents are a bit of a hot mess today. Deciding to go with only PIFs and Smooshes really limited my choices. The T+S Shag off the soap is almost an assault by patchouli. When I got the smoosh in the mail, I left the envelope in my home office for a few days. My office smelled like patchouli for several days. When I opened it up today, the scent was still strong, and all I could smell was patchouli. Knowing I had to deal with that, I picked Stirling - Satsuma for the citrus to give a clean and fresh scent to temper the soap. Finally, I only have two little EdP samples. Both are from Rogue, Derviche and Jasmine Antique. I thought tobacco, leather, and musk of Derviche would play well with the scent of Shag. So I went to make my lather, and as soon as water hit the soap, I lost the patchouli scent. I still can’t figure out how, but that full forward patchouli I was getting from the smoosh just dissipated. Did my nose just break? Well Satsuma still had that smell of tangerine peels, and Derviche was a tobacco and leather mix to me. Total surprise, and not sure what is going on here.

Today’s Haiku:

Where did the scent go?
How can patchouli fade so?
Strange, I just don’t know.

Just a very nice post, exactly the kind I was hoping for with today's challenge

DAY 24 LATHER GAMES! MR.NICESKY!(MR.NICEKEY)

• Prep: Water
• Brush: DS Cosmetics 30mm Tuxedo Knot
• Razor: Soluna* #JETSETTER #UNICORN
• Blade: Gillette Minora (17)
• Lather: Pre de Provence - Nr. 63
• Post Shave: Clubman Pinaud - Classic Aftershave Lotion
• Fragrance: Bourjois - Masculin 2 Vetyver

*(ASTERIX)- The razor I think is marketed as travel and the Unicorn # is cause it is on loan from a friend of mine who is around 45 and has told me that this is a razor his grandpa used ever since he could remember himself. So my assumption is that it is before 1971.

PIC OR IT DIDN'T HAPPEN

​

DAILY THEME

This soap sample along with many other things was a PIF I won from u/BourbonInExile! To this day I am thankful, cause it was his PIF, that introduced me to GEM razors! And I couldn't be happier about that!!! I was always curious about PdP, but luckily enough was lucky to get to try it. It is a fancy and heavy scent, true baller type of scent, like super classy. Soap itself is decent!

The razor is something that baffles my mind. Now this is a real YMMV, but it is similar to the Blackbird in the sense that by feel on the skin it shaves super rough and awful, but does a very clean shave with zero to none irritation. I don't know how that happens, you just feel that you are scraping your skin, but at the end the Alum does not give any feedback and you are left with a BBS shave!

DAILY CHALLENGE

Oh boy....

First off, as always, a GREAT BIG THANK YOU, to the djudges( u/USS-SpongeBob, u/wallygator88, u/Djundjila, u/walden, u/DoctorRotor, u/J33pGuy13, u/VisceralWatch, u/merikus, and u/EldrormR ) for doing all of this and organising everything, I can't even imagine how hard it is! So yeah, gotta suck up to the djudges! Thank you for your patience and tolerance towards the mistakes of the participants! Joke aside, I really do appreciate your work!

Now in NO PARTICULAR ORDER:

• u/FMKJuli - Mentioned it earlier, will mention it again. Thank you for your help through your own experience!
• u/J33pGuy13 - A friend with whom we competed together in the LG last year and made a great connection, awesome guy with great energy! His passion for crazy scented soaps or items in general is so contagious everyone joins in. He's done a lot for the sub. Also one tough SOB!
• u/djanovshaving - Another friend part of the Bulgarian community that we created. Very happy he joined cause it's a lot more fun when a friend can join in, also I'm very happy to see how well people receive him!
• u/souleater7173 - What he said today really touched me and made my day and week! Also mad props to the guy for sticking to something I cannot do myself, and I've tried.
• u/OnionMiasma - Another friend that was made in the last LG and a great competitor, one who made the previous and current LG worth it!! Great guys, great posts!
• u/Priusaurus - He's ok I guess.... But seriously, I don't think I would have pushed myself in general for the LG if it wasn't for him and the SPITE SHAVES that came out from the whole thing! He really stepped up his game since last year, and I'm very happy battling side by side! #Frenemies!!!
• u/chronnoisseur42O - A very charismatic person, who was "blamed" for being too practical! I say BOOOO, the guys is great and you can clearly see how much he loves the hobby! I still think he should try and see how it goes with youtube. People say that Vis is dry, but hey, he's an allstar either way!!! Pure shaving content, I LOVE IT!!!
• u/Crisp_Mango - This dude is crazy.... Every day a different song? And he always comes first here! Hope his wife has a different experience!
• u/EldrormR - A true connoseur of GEM razors and a master at restoring them!!
• u/raymoonie - My favourite SOTD photo guy, I like his photos best, always!

EDIT - u/USS-SpongeBob - Thank you for teaching me about soaps and fatty acids, really broadened my view in ingredients in general and what I buy or don't buy!!

​

#FOF

Now having in mind the scent of PdP 63 I wanted to keep it simple and stylish, so aftershave was Pinaud Clubman Classic, which truly is a classic oldschool scent, that probably a lot of barbershops used(or smelled like). So I decided to use something simple to top it off which is Masculin 2 Vetyver. Honestly the name says it all, it's just BAM, Vetiver to your face, and it's fucking strong, but it pairs up well with the Pinaud Clubman, both very simple yet well made scents who give you a manly feeling!

• Daily Lather Themes: 24/30
• Daily Challenges: 24/30
• Hardware Scavenger Hunt: 18/20
• Hardware Vendor Points: 2/2
• Software Vendor Points: 12/13
• Software Vendor Bonus Point: 0/1
• 30 Different Soap Brands Point: 24/30
• 30 Different Soaps On Theme Bonus Point: 24/30
• 30 Different Post-Shaves Bonus Point: 24/30
• 30 Different Fragrances Bonus Point: 24/30

24 July 2023 NOn Complementary Non Dickkhole Wholly Kaw Amber Bomba

• Prep: Warm Shower
• Brush: Dogwood Cadinsor 28mm Zenith Unbleached
• Razor: Blackland Blackbird SS
• Blade: Gillette Silver Blue (18)
• Lather: Wholly Kaw - Amber Bomba (1)
• Post Shave: Spearhead - Seaforth! Black Watch A/S
• Post Shave: Thayer's Concoction
• Post Shave: Cold River Soapworks - Sandalwood Post Shave Lotion
• Post Shave: Chicago Grooming Co - Project Lawnsdale Balm
• Fragrance: Rouge Perfumery - Bon Monsieur

Thank to /u/J33pGuy13 for the PIF.

I do miss Cadinsor, especially after getting to meet him at Maggs.

Also miss Ruds reviews these days, after seeing all the junk reviews the influencers put out (with the exception of our dear /u/VisceralWatch ). I think I was too hard on him and his line about matching scents.

Cheers

JULY 24, 2023

• Brush: Stirling Synthetic 24mm
• Razor: Paragon - Shaving ‘Don’ DE razor
• Lather: Stirling - Margaritas in the Artic
• Post Shave: Stirling - Margaritas in the Artic Splash and Toner

What’s like shaving using margaritas in the artic in the morning after an intense workout? I just like the name, drinking a margarita on a hot day by the beach, absolutely awesome. There is lime, salt, sweet and sour, it’s all there.

TODAY’s CHALLENGE: I want to say a special thanks to u/Curbside_champ ! He was the person who introduced me to wetshaving by getting me my first tub of Stirling MargArtic and a stirling brush. I was very apprehensive about the change and the fear of using a DE razor terrified me. But after overcoming my trepidations he then introduced me to r/wetshaving last year and my life changed - for the best! I literally dove into this rabbit hole and never looked back and made tons of friends along the way. Here are some names that I now consider mentors in my journey to improve my skills.

Big shout out to u/tsrblke and all your support and generosity.

BIG Thanks to u/mitosismonkey , I love my paragon.

u/GroundbreakingRole45 for the King Gillette.

u/merikus for GUTL.

u/ginopono for my MMOC that thing is a beast!

u/EldrormR for teaching me how to use my MMOC and not slicing my neck.

u/35048467 for MoarBoar AA hook up

u/walden for Storybook soapworks

u/djundjila for putting up with all my mistakes (yes I’m kissing ass)

u/Enndeegee for no SCRUB so far lol…

And much much more which will bored anyone reading this to death. Thanks to all that have been supportive of me in this sub and accepting me into this family.

ROTY

July 24, 2023 – Kamsamida!

• Brush: AP Shave Co Synthetic
• Razor: Gillette Tech #regus
• Blade: Astra SP (Green) (2)
• Lather: ideal for men: perfect cleansing all in one foam
• Post Shave: House of Mammoth – Dammusi

I had every intention of posting a shave from a random smush I was gifted earlier this month, instead my girlfriends parents recently came back from South Korea and brought me some shaving cream! I could have used the google translate to read the description and possible directions for use but I enjoy the mystery of it all. Apparently they asked my girlfriend if I wanted anything from there in passing and I asked for something shaving related, forgetting completely about it. It actually sent them out a a fun scavenger hunt through Seoul going from pharmacy to pharmacy using their hands and poor Korean to find it. I’m thankful for them. On to the shave, I attempted to lather this like I do LEA, smear on my face and use a warm damp brush to build a lather, but this stuff just gummed up the brush and no lather this made. It really just seemed more intensive care lotion than soap in any form. Smelled like it to, every now and then I thought I’d get a whiff of commercial soap scent, but it would pass and go back to smelling like Jergens. Slick shave though. I did two acceptable passes with the Tech for an unsatisfying yet comfortable shave. Not sure I’ll be using this again anytime soon, but the sentiment was nice, and it got me another unique shave for LG!

u/cowzilla3, thanks for the old spice write ups, I think they may be what got me to jump from wicked_edge to this rabbit hole. Just really appreciate the effort and execution. I have an affinity for that scent as well and reminds me of my father wearing big wooly sweaters in the winter and smelling like Old Spice. Maybe soon I’ll buy some of that Indian stuff. Also am grateful for the easy mode Austere August challenge. I won’t be shaving daily but I’ll still post my shaves with the same easiest set up throughout the month, at the end I’ll also drop a donation in the Planned Parenthood basket. Not to mention the Air Bu……. Anyways, thanks for keepin it rad. 🤙

ROTY

• Brush: Summer Break Soaps 28mm B10
• Razor: Merkur 34c
• Blade: Gillette Perma Sharp
• Lather: u/frankieivfingers meets Barrister & Mann Latha Osmanthus
• Post Shave: Summer Break Soaps - Homecoming aftershave splash
• Fragrance: Southern Witchcraft - Gravefruit II trial run sampler

U/visceralwatch - a few years ago you invited me to IRC to join the community. I remember my first few days and getting kicked out for being silent as not knowing what to say. But that was a great way to introduce me to some people I would easily call friends despite having never met.

U/frankieivfingers - this shave was for all the times we trade our tea olive tree blossom pics despite the IRV caring much less about gardening. Thanks for taking the time for this special shave

U/rocket455 - you gave me this awesome shave handle and splash for winning your AA competition a few years ago. This handle holds my favorite gelly brush B10. While you took my money to place it, so are not officially part of the challenge for the day, thank you Declaration Grooming for the awesome contributions you have brought to each of us in this community.

U/phteven - you rocked Gravefruit twice. The first was with a great partner, the second was uniquely yours. Thank you for involving us in your work.

The merkur was from my first r/wetshave Christmas in July. I am uncertain who gifted it as it was a while ago, but this razor truthfully has brought me more favorable shaves than any I have ever bought myself. Thank you for this wonderful razor.

shave

July 24, 2023

• Brush: Omega Penelli White HI-BRUSH Synthetic
• Razor: GEM Micromatic Open Comb
• Blade: Personna GEM PTFE
• Lather: House of Mammoth – Kryptonite
• Post Shave: Declaration Grooming – Nightman

Comfortable shave with double lime software. This smoosh was from /u/whosgotthepudding from a trade we did a while back, I have been saving one shave’s worth of soap for today. It probably sent me down the HOM hole and now I have tried quite a few of them. Unfortunately I pulled the knot out of the fantastic handle he made (my fault, I set it) or else I would’ve used that too. Like I always do because it is awesome. Special thanks to /u/tetriside for 3 other smooshes I used this LG’s as well.

I know there are a lot of kind words today, but I feel the community has a lot of unsung heroes. So, kind words for everyone in the LG who has been participating. Its a lot of work before and during. Thanks Djudges for all that you do as well, from the backend portal stuff to the podcast.

July 24, 2023 – LG 24: Christmas in July’s Eve

• Brush: Zenith Titano
• Razor: GEM Junior
• Blade: GEM (35)
• Lather: Red House Farm – Sedona
• Post Shave: Declaration Grooming – B Cubed
• Fragrance: Gallagher Fragrances – Behold, Patchouli

For starters. Thanks to u/teufelskraft (sp? they deleted account) for the zenith boar PIF, 1st one I started form new to break in. Thanks to u/oswald_heist for the GEM junior, my first GEM from a PIF. Thanks to u/grindermonk for the soap. I was initially going to use 9 Days up Nort Today but couldn’t find the PIF, I think he was so kind to just send me that one because I’d won/puchased a lot of his other soaps and tried a lot of his different bases, but just to be sure today I went with Sedona from this PIF. The B cubed was from u/el_charminman from the 50K PIF that I think originated here. In my messages it was labeled 50K PIF, but I know that one was done a bit differently. Lastly, my frag is a donor from either one of our Xmas, Xmas in July exchanges, or FOF winnings gift card, thanks!

With that out of the way, my linking theme for today is more PIF based, not scent based. However, for the sake of #FOF, Sedona comes of as juniper and sage heavy to me, even though it has woods and patchouli base notes. I almost get a winter fresh gum style smell from it, which I would not associate with its high desert smell description, but its what I get. I never tried the original BBB, but the Cubed is a sweeter bay rum, slightly floral, with a heavy dose of blackberry and still plenty of spice and rum. I opted to go with Behold! Patchouli from Ghallagher Frgrances since it sort of builds on that spicy accord. It opens with some tart citrus, but quickly moves to heavy patchouli and some warm amber, and is anchored by musky woody base.

As for appreciations, obviously everyone mentioned above. However, I want to shout out a few other people. First, u/onionmiasma for sending me smooshes, even after the first ones were swallowed by USPS, as well as some hardware to try out (tomorrow and next day). u/priusaurus and u/mrtangerinesky for providing some lovely entertainment these games, the former also some soap smooshes. u/eructate also lent me a razor these games, and I’ve won a PIF from him in the past. u/tetriside also came in clutch from trading this year. Lastly, here is where we also stroke the judges…um egos. So thanks u/djudjila, u/uss-spongebob, u/visceralwatch, u/wallygator88, u/j33pguy13, u/doctorrotor, u/walden, and u/eldrormr. Seriously LG is such a blast and I’m sure judging, Doing, portal making/sustaining, etc. is such a huge task, so thank you all.

For our #PHOTOCONTEST I went with masterpieces. Today seemed fitting since the people here and the artisans, the sub as a whole, are all awesome masters in their own way.

soap brands 24/30, post shave 24/30, frag 24/30, post/frag linked 24/30, software sponsors 11/13, hardware sponsors 2/2, razor hashtags 10/15, brush hashtags 10/15, photo contest 24/30, daily challenges 21/25, special challenges 3/5

July 24, 2023 – Christmas in July's Eve

• Brush: Paladin Chief 26mm Satin Juma Smoke
• Razor: Blackland Blackbird Ti
• Blade: Astra SP (3)
• Lather: Barrister and Mann - Waves
• Post Shave: Spearhead Shaving – Sea Forth! Sea Spice Lime splash
• Fragrance: Duke Cannon - Huron

The Soap/Lather: It’s Barrister and Mann, so you know the scent is great and the lather is awesome

The Shave: The shave was smooth and easy today.

Post Shave/Frag: In order to create the ultimate aquatic citrus scent I opted for SSL aftershave and Huron as my frag. The combination of all 3 was quite nice.

Theme: I received todays soap sample from u/2SaintsDude. He’s a close personal friend that I finally convinced to join us in wet shaving. He and I send each other samples of almost everything we buy so that we can maximize our experiences. The splash and frag were also gifts I was given from other people in my life.

Challenge: For todays challenge I thought I would do something a little different. This whole community has been awesomely supportive and I could say something about most of the active members. Alas I don’t have the time to write it all and the judges certainly don’t want to read it. Instead let me recognize the person who gave me my first PIF u/InfernalInternal. I want to give a shout out for the generosity of the PIF as well continuing on the Mammoth AA. More importantly he’s putting up a donation for each member who joins him. If ever we should meet, first drinks on me.

#ROTY

Jul. 24, 2023
Brush: That Darn Rob Verdant Fanchurian V5 Badger
Razor: Wolfman Guerrilla Ti WRH7
Blade: Perma Sharp
Lather: Martin De Candre - Fougere - Soap
Post Shave:* Spearhead Shaving - Seaforth Heather - Aftershave

I’m going to make this short and sweet….

The soap was from a sample from a pass around from u/Walden

The razor head is a loaner. I have the Guerrilla 2.0, which I lent him earlier. He sent his OG Guerrilla to me to try. I will be mailing it back tomorrow or Wednesday at the latest.

I simply can’t say enough about SO many of you in this community. From the Heart of Europe to the West Coast of the US and yes, 🇨🇦, too.

There are so many of you that I just genuinely admire. You’re great Dads, Brothers, and Husbands. I’m a much better person for having made your acquaintance.

There are so many of you I would like to buy a bourbon, or a Bordeaux, and just swap stories with. So don’t be bashful, if you’re ever in Nashville….

Today Theme Song….

The Boomtown Rats.

I Don’t Like Mondays

https://youtu.be/FcZW0GFLSdw

Shared from My Shave Den for iOS

July 24, 2023

• Brush: DG Jefferson Miscellaneous 28mm B15
• Razor: Wolfman Ti WR1 .61
• Blade: Polsilver (4)
• Lather: Barrister and Mann - Red Letter Day
• Post Shave: HoM - Z Balm (Uncool)
• Fragrance: Hendley - Mown

Shout out to u/J33pGuy13, who I've probably probably borrowed half his den at some point. During one of our many shipments of stuff back and forth, he included in a good sized sample of RLD from Barrister and Mann. The idea of just mashing together a bunch of scent notes voted on by strangers on the internet and making it into a soap was a weird one, but Will made it work. Not a scent I would buy a full tub of, but very nice for an interesting project with a pretty unqiue scent profile.

Monday, the 24th of July, 2023

• Brush: Omega 20106
• Razor: Gillette late model English Tech
• Blade: Gillette Rubie (32)
• Lather: Grooming Department - Encens Agrumes
• Post shave: Barrister and Mann - The Full Measure of Man
• Fragrance: Australian Private Reserve - Santal Noir

All today's software was PIFs. The soap I got from u/wallygator88, expressly for use in last year's Lather Games. It's a nice scent, and I like using it outside the Lather Games, as well! The balm was a PIF (along with the matching soap) from u/SasquatchAteMyFamily, who I haven't seen around here lately. But I still use and appreciate it! The perfume was part of a PIF from u/B_S80.

We have a very generous community here, and I'm lucky to be a part of it. Oh, wait, did you want to hear something about someone specific? Hmm. How about a few specific someones?

You know what comes after the Lather Games? Austere August. And several side contests. I may not participate anymore (the same setup for the whole month is just so boring), but it's really great to see people setting up challenges, and prizes, to encourage people to go for AA.

• There's u/EldrormR, u/djundjila, and u/Semaj3000, with the Month of Weckoning,
• Then u/InfernalInternal, with Mammoth Month,
• u/wallygator88 puts up the Midnight Stag challenge,
• u/cowzilla3 offers a tempting route easy route "unchallenging challenge,"
• And what's this, but u/EldrormR again, with another Raw Hoggin' challenge,
• And I feel like I should give u/djundjila another credit here for putting together the Djudge portal to help everyone running these contests keep everything straight.

That's a lot of awesome contests for August, fellas, and here's to you!

July 25, 2023 – Lather Games: Day 24

• Brush: Zenith Boar
• Razor: Tatara Muramasa
• Blade: Gillette Nacet
• Lather: House of Mammoth – Shire 2
• Post Shave: Zingari – Wanderer

First and foremost, I would like to thank /u/TheStallionPartThree for providing me a sample of the Shire 2 soap from HoM. The scent is a good one, although it isn’t my favorite from HoM (Mood Indigo and Tobacconist claim the 1 & 2 spots). The shave itself was great, but is to be expected from HoM.

For the challenge, I would like to thank /u/TheStallionPartThree, /u/OnionMiasma, and /u/RedMosquitoMM. I had originally sent a message on the official Smush thread, admittedly a little late, but no one answered. In desperation, I asked on the Daily Questions thread. These three gentlemen responded. Without their selflessness, I most likely would not been able to complete today’s theme. I appreciate all of you. This subreddit has the friendliest and kindest members I know. I feel fortunate to be a part of this group.

PS – /u/OnionMiasma is hosting his his annual Shave Against Suicide fundraiser. If you have a chance, please participate for this great cause. https://www.reddit.com/r/Wetshaving/comments/14ti3f4/pif_samples_for_the_second_annual_shave_against/

July 24, 2023 – Pass It On  

• Brush: Dogwood Badger  
• Razor: Ever Ready 1912  #BRASSING
• Blade: GEM   
• Lather: Zingari – The Gatherer  

Theme: everything is PIF’d. The bowl is my dad’s old shaving mug. The Ever Ready is from Environmental-Gap380. The brush is from Phteven_j. The Zingari is from the LatherGames Fairy.

A bit of amusement/backstory: Family legend is that I forced my dad to shave for several years because as a toddler/little kid I would absolutely melt down if he grew it too long. I do remember not liking if my goodnight kiss was scratchy. Mom worked nights so Dad did bedtime and I guess it just wasn’t worth the fight.

When I showed Dad the Ever Ready, because at this point I enjoy his absolute bewilderment over The Games, he commented that he learned to shave on one. He doesn't talk about his childhood so it was neat it get that little tidbit.

Challenge: u/ktturtlesue makes me laugh, she’s funnier than the esteemed Mr.Miasma. It’s my opinion that he wouldn’t stand a chance if she really went for the gold in these games and he’s lucky to have her support.

u/bloodcrab for being a fellow late-poster, he’s got solid write-ups.

As always, my annual thanks to the community for the general positive culture. As someone who spends nearly all their time in male dominated spaces, if we could capture the culture here and export it - the world would be a significantly better place.

July 24, 2023 * Brush: Declaration Grooming Washington B3 * Razor: Karve CB OC B * Blade: Gillette Silver Blue * Lather: Moon Soaps - Bixby - Soap * Post Shave: Chatillon Lux - Unconditional Surrender - Aftershave * Fragrance: Chatillon Lux - Unconditional Surrender - EdT

Today's PIF'd soap sample came from none other than u/J33pGuy13. What can be said about J33p that hasn't already been said? Scrolling through today's posts, it's easy to see how widespread his influence is. J33p's generosity and kindness knows no limits. He'll loan you out anything you want to try and has hooked more people up with samples and items they're looking for than anyone else. He's done a lot for the sub and helps turn Moar Boar dreams into reality. I can't think of anyone else who participates and contributes more to our community, always with positivity and thrill. Yes, he's the Banana Man, but he's our Banana Man. Cheers, u/J33pGuy13!