LGSOTD 01-Jun-24

• Brush: Highlander - TSR LE 2023 Omega Boar #FRANKENBRUSH
• Razor: Weck - Hair Shaper #WECKONISTA
• Blade: Kismet - Hair Shaper
• Lather: Soap Commander - Fortitude
• Post Shave: Soap Commander - Fortitude Balm

Welcome to the opening of the shaving hunger games, a bunch of nutcases all clubbing together to celebrate the daily ritual of hair removal (wherever that hair may lay). For todays fun event I took to everything new and opting for perhaps the easiest of the photocontest themes (still trying to think how to include the rest so this may be one and done), Black and White.

Never having tried Soap Commander I was curious so bought a couple of sets, this and Endurance, I was sorely tempted to opt for Endurance today as it smells brilliant but with tomorrow on the horizon I thought I would hold back. So on for Fortitude, on the surface should be right up my street, but the scent strength is perhaps a little weak and can't cope against a fresh piggy, and I wasn't keen on the initial feel of the balm, but the scent did pick up a bit and it soaked in well.

The Highlander brush, sadly there can't be only 1 in this case, or at least not for me as they seem to breed like tribbles. Made by a very nice fella for the TSR forum last year, this one has been sat in my drawer unused since that time so decided it was time to give it a run. Plus who doesn't need another boar on the go! Saying that, I think it's set a little lower than I would normally like, but it did sort out itself out a little in use, need to get shot of that funk though.

Finally the Weck, I've been itching to use this razor when it arrived a while ago but held my nerve for this event. I sought advice on blades prior to this and the resounding feedback was to stay the hell away from Personna, I did listen but I was curious at the same time so picked up both Personna and Kismet. I was very tempted to dive on with the Personna straight up, but decided I'd try and ease myself into the games rather than rip my face up on day one and have to go easy for the rest of it. I was very tentative with the Weck, I don't have the best of experiences with shavettes and thought this would be the same. It was actually quite forgiving, the rounded end and stiff blade made for quite an enjoyable shave. I won't be switching out my standard straights of course, but can't grumble.

Overall though, a decent enough start to the month long marathon.

Hope everyone has a good kick off and a cracking day.

Cheers

Marc

Photocontest

Great description of a failed first Weckoning

June 1 - A RAWRing Good Time - Day 9

• Brush: Semogue 610 21mm Boar

• Razor: Gillette Flare Tip Super Speed F1

• Blade: Sharp Star Platinum

• Lather: Noble Otter - RAWR Soap

• Post Shave: Lucky Tiger Splash

• Post Shave: Mickey Lee Soapworks - The Kraken Splash

• Fragrance: Acqua di Parma - Fico di Amalfi EdP

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Literally last night I decided I'd take place in this year's Lather Games, but solely for the Feats of Fragrance. I didn't take place last year, and intended to do the same again due to focusing only on my soap kill goal. But, I already put more thought than most average folks about my daily smellgood selection and write about my thoughts on them a few times a week. So why not keep doing what I'm already doing? I have no intention to win anything, just want to share my thoughts. I am a Scribe after all.

RAWR is a light, floral-ish, citrusy soap. It's gonna be here for another two weeks or so, and I am thankful that it's a relatively versatile scent, thus I can do my pairings with little worry of fragrance clashing. Sweet.

The Kraken is a clean, barbershop splash that has a salty twist. The clean saltiness works wonders for setting the stage for the Mediterranean Fico di Amalfi; a breezy citrus reminiscent of walking along the Amalfi coast. The salt of the splash and aromatic freshness of the fragrance are a fantastic pairing that evoke happiness, calm, and good vibes. I dig it.

#FOF

Bonjour, Lather Games!

• Brush: Zenith — 506 N XS (extra soft horse) #HORSESASS #OLDWORLD
• Razor: Dovo — Shavette
• Blade: Dovo — Professional Shavette
• Lather: A A Shaving – Wapiti
• Aftershave: Declaration Grooming — Bangarang
• Fragrance: Declaration Grooming — Bangarang

Boom! Lather Games are back! Who will go above and beyond this time? Will there be intercontinental feuds again? Who will follow u/cowzilla3 and u/MrTangerineSky path and cause new legislation?

The Wapiti smush was provided by the very generous u/OnionMiasma. This was the first time trying this base (and brand), but I got a nice, creamy lather nonetheless. Really easy to use base, this.

The scent aquatic, sweet-woodsy scent reminded me of Bangarang, and both scents are supposed to evoke wet forests. A nice pairing.

The Dovo Shavette with professional blades has been approved by u/USS-SpongeBob for the New all the Things! challenge in accordance with the seasoned veteran clause. The shavette does not spark joy and feels flimsy and cheap compared to my Weck-style shavettes. In the spirit of the challenge, I also used a new brush. The extra-soft Zenith horse hair brush did well with this soap, and it has very little horse funk. The knot is pillowy soft ad the bristles have so little bending stiffness that they completely stick together just by capillary forces. Very pleasant!

• Brush: Stirling-synthetic 2 band.

• Razor: Gillette Slim adjustable.#Adjustable

• Blade: Gillette-Platinum.

• Lather: Summer Break Soaps- Cannonball.

• Post Shave: CeraVe -Moisturizing Cream.

First LG. First time using an adjustable razor- which I’m grateful came just in time. TY u/angleamazing ! Very smooth on low setting (leg shave), will play around with the adjustments more. Looking forward to using it more as it is much different than my daily driver (Henson mild).

Also first time using SBS which has been patiently sitting in my cabinet waiting for the start of LG. “A tropical day at the pool.” I definitely get the pineapple, citrus vibe and brief cooling affect. The lather is slick and performs well. Will def come back out after LG! #ROTY

June 1, 2024

• Brush: Semogue Galahad C3 Premium boar
• Razor: Weck Sextoblade
• Blade: Kismet hair shaper
• Lather: Colgate Shaving Mug Soap
• Post Shave: Wholly Kaw - Man From Mayfair AS
• Post Shave: Barrister and Mann - unscented balm
• Post Shave: Olay Complete

I picked this cake of soap up from the PIF table at the Maggard Meet. I've never tried vintage Colgate. The puck has no scent whatsoever, just a faint smell of soap. I underloaded and had a weak lather for the first pass. I fixed that for the subsequent passes. I worked the brush longer and with more water on the puck. It made a huge difference. The shave was decent. It was nothing to write home about, but I've had worse shaves.

Jun. 1, 2024
Brush: Stirling 2-Band Synthetic Brush
Razor: Merkur 34C
Blade: BiC Astor Stainless [9]
Lather: Noble Otter - Nectar Amissa - Soap
Post Shave: Noble Otter - Nectar Amissa - Aftershave
Post Shave: Stirling - Alum Block

Was PIFed this a while ago, and saved it for an occasion such as this. There are definitely other NO scents I want to try, but not a big fan of this.

Shared from My Shave Den for iOS

** 1.06.2024 **

• Brush: Shavemac Black 26mm AP Shave Co. Tuxedo Synthetic knot #FRANKENBRUSH
• Razor: Feather Artist Club SS #KAMISORI
• Blade: Feather Artist club Professional
• Lather: Eleven Shaving - Lime and Basil
• Post Shave: Taylor of Old Bond Street - No. 74 Victorian Lime
• Post Shave: Mühle alum stone

Hi, guys! Nice to see (read) you again! Greetings from Bulgaria!!! I this year I have luck that I never use a shavette coz I don't like it. Don't ask why! I just don't!!! But stop this tradition, please, because for the next year I don't have a option! I have to forge a knife or sharpening a lid from tuna can. In my video I translated some words to Bulgarian and if you want to hear them how they sounds in my language just tell me in comments or if you don't give a ..... just tell me to .... my self!!! See you tomorrow!

Bonjour, Lather Games

• Brush: Aurora Grooming LG24 w/26mm Oumo Synthetic #SUBBROOSH
• Razor: EldrormR Industries MM24 #FLIPTOP #MODERNGEM
• Blade: GEM PTFE (1)
• Lather: AA Shaving - Wapiti
• Post Shave: D.R. Harris - Marlborough Splash
• Post Shave: Zingari Man - Unscented AS balm

Aaaaaannnnddd we're back to the craziest month on the calendar. The month where many of us are sneaking our cellphones into our bathrooms to provide proof of shave pics. It's a month where we are scraping every last bit of smooshes off of wax paper into our bowls like a crazy person. It's a month where (most) of our spouses wonder whether we lost our minds somewhere between May 31 and June 1. It's a month where some hearty souls will attempt feats of derring-do (ice kamisori anyone? How about a headstand shave?) and live to tell the tales. Lather Games 2024 is here. Let's Fucking Go.

A big thanks to u/OnionMiasma for his generosity and sending out a bunch of smooshes of AA Shaving's Wapiti. This is not a soaper I am familiar with, but I'm glad I got to try. The LG 2024 brush did a fine job of whipping that smoosh into a YouTube worthy lather (it was friggin' sexy and shiny) and the shave was top notch. There's some seriously awesome residual slickness and post shave feel with that soap base. The Marlborough definitely matched up well with the woody notes in Wapiti. I would definitely be down for trying another scent from these guys.

As to the new to me hardware? I've got nothing. There isn't much I haven't shaved with at least once and only appeals to my desire to avoid a visit with a plastic surgeon (Rolls Razors scare the crap out of me). So there's that.

We'll see how the first 10 days of this go as my sister-in-law is staying with us, which impedes my ability to hit some of the day-of sponsor points since much of the hardware is in the upstairs bathroom in the bedroom she is camped out in. So no AP Shave Co brush this morning.

Looking forward to everyone's competitive spirit this month. Try to enjoy your day and remember to be kind to one another.

June 1, 2024 - Schadenfreude-free LG

• Prep: House of Mammoth Embrace Doppio Bath Soap
• Brush: Dogwood Handcrafts 26mm Turn n Shave Quartermoon Synthetic #FRANKENBRUSH
• Razor: Wolfman WR2 1.05mm/WRH1 #CNC
• Blade: Personna Lab Blue
• Lather: Lodrino + Pasteur Pharmacy - 34th Street NYC - Soap
• Post Shave: House of Mammoth - Sonder - Aftershave
• Fragrance: House of Mammoth - Dammusi - Eau de Parfum

I guess I'm half-assing it again this year. Making my decisions a day ahead. No calendar or plan. No special hijinks. Just super low effort. You're welcome, judges. You're welcome.

Never used Lodrino. This sample came with a Pasteur order when it was new, but it isn't even listed on their site anymore that I can see. As it turns out, this is really great soap. It loaded up easily and was super creamy. I needed maybe half as much soap as I put in my bowl. Good stuff. I dig it. I want to try their sandalwood now.

Good luck to all you "high effort" folks. I'm keeping it schadenfreude-free this year, but I hope you're not.

LG SOTD 01Jun2024

• Brush: Stirling G&W - 24mm two band (tuxedo) synthetic
• Razor: Karve - CB SB-C (Copper) #RUSTYBUTTRUSTY
• Blade: Wizamet - Super Iridium (4)
• Lather: Tabac - New Formulation
• Bowl: CaYuen - Dark Nebula, large
• Post Shave: Afta by Mennen - Aftershave Lotion, Original

Hello, beautiful people! Welcome to the first shave of the 2024 Lather Games, an exhibition competition where the love of shaving meets excessive consumption. Today's theme is "Bonjour Lather Games" and involves shaving with a brand of lather never tried before. There are hundreds of soap brands out there I haven't tried and I'm choosing to pop my Tabac cherry - not sure what that says about me.

Today's razor is one of my "three horsemen", the Karve Christopher Bradley made of solid copper. There is some minor "new to you" going on here - using a new SB-C baseplate that arrived just two days ago. I bought it with a D-plate and it's amazing to shave with, but it's also at the aggressiveness limit for my face. It was a once a week only razor so hoping the C-plate will tame it down enough that I have the option of using it multiple days.

This razor is also my #RUSTYBUTTRUSTY entry. This is what it looked like shortly after I got it, and here it is today.

The brush is Stirling's Synthetic Two Band knot in their Green & White handle. It's the most basic looking brush in my chosen seven. It remains in the daily rotation because the knot is both very good but also unique among the many synthetic knots I've used. Stirling can call it a two band synth if they want, but it's a tuxedo knot. The fibers don't feel like Yaqui's tuxedo fibers that are used widely - Not sure where they sourced the fibers, but I really enjoy the uniqueness of the knot.

Alright, onto the Tabac. I've seen many "Tabac Tuesdays" come and go and didn't know what I was missing out on until today... I cut a small piece off the puck and pressed into the CaYuen logo and got to working. Worked up easily, about what I expected from a hard soap like this. Took more water than I thought it would. Makes a decent lather, not as creamy as I would like but good enough for me. It's not that slick, but sufficient and had no issues shaving. Where it was a dud was zero residual slickness - reapplied lather far more than usual. Post shave feel is surprisingly good for how the shave was - expected my skin to feel dry but it's alright - not so great I'm going to skip shave balm today, but not bad. The fragrance was a bit herbal/medicinal off the puck but not unpleasant. It kept that same smell throughout the shave. Not very strong and soon faded. I was expecting something much more from descriptions, but it's a basic mass produced old-timey men's cosmetic scent, have had much worse from Stirling and BaM.

Conclusion: You all can keep your Tabac Tuesdays. Maybe the tallow version was different, but I can't imagine why I would choose this over so many other soaps - it's mid for fragrance and proctectiveness/slickness, ok on post-shave, and bottom of the barrel for residual slickness. Other than being cheap and old, it's not doing anything particularly well.

As for the C-plate, I'll have to wait for tomorrow to tell for sure, but this was as good a shave and face isn't quite so "fresh" looking as when using the D-plate. Fingers crossed.

Enjoy your weekend, enjoy your shaves, and good luck in the Lather Games

June 01, 2024 – Lather Games Shaves

• Brush: Yaqi "Under the Sea" w/ 26mm Synthetic. #COMPOSITE
• Razor1: Cosmo Mfg. Co. – 5/8" Straight #STRAIGHT
• Razor2: Rex Supply Co. – Konsul
• Blade2: Gillette 7 O'clock SharpEdge (2).
• Lather: Henri et Victoria – Amande
• Aftershave: A&E – Ultima Unmasked Unscented Splash

First time with a straight razor ever. I have no leather strop so I've used jeans to start. I started with this and then realized I need to send this out for professional honing, it's too dull to shave with. I got a few strokes with it but that's it.

I finished with the Konsul, it was easy enough to work with. There's a bit of drag with the razor when using it, probably because of the lather. This is the first time with this soap brand, I got the samples at the meetup the other month. It was okay overall. First time with the brush also I think. Great finish, minimal irritation. Have a great Saturday.

#LatherGames

Bonus:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7S4OB6wALt4 ← China Built A 737 Max Replacement. No One Wants It…

June 1, 2024 – LG Day 1 – Bonjour, Lather Games!

• Brush: AP Shave Co. Pure Bliss SHD 24mm x Heritage Collection Merit 99-4 Handle #RESURRECTIONBRUSH #SHD
• Razor: Supply Single Edge
• Blade: Black Label Injector
• Lather: AA Shaving – Wapiti
• Post Shave: Stirling Soap Co. – Island Man
• Fragrance: Zoologist Perfumes – Squid

I have come down from the mountain and out of the forest to wish all of you hearty and joyful salutations. The Lather Games have begun – the tenth annual and my third. Lets clear up some answers to my fans’ frequently asked questions: No, I will not be shaving my beard. Yes, I will be shaving my head, like my brothers in arms u/hairykopite, u/Impressive_Donut114, and others. No, I will not be taking it easy. And most importantly: Yes, I will be drinking lather, and consuming who knows what else. My appetite cannot and will not be sated.

Onto the heart of the matter. AA makes an impressive base. It whipped up easily (especially for my first go at it) and made for a very nice shave (at least in theory), which was surprising to me coming from a brand that nobody in the sub seems to have heard of before a month ago. Thanks to our overlord u/OnionMiasma for sending out approximately three thousand smushes of this stuff.

I was not as impressed with my first injector shave. My favorite part was easily the loading of the blade. Boy oh boy, that is way more fun than your traditional DE or SE razor. My excitement ended there. It took me quite a while to figure out an efficient angle, because the “NickStop Technology” is a bit much. I’m not knocking injectors altogether. I’ll try a Schick or some other lauded brand, but I don’t have much interest in trying the Supply again. Thanks to u/Tonality for the loan.

Finally, my favorite part: the fragrances, or as we call them in my hometown, the smiffs. We begin today with an attempt by Wapiti to evoke the Ho rainforest, with trees inundated with a deluge of precipitation, but which effectively comes off as ozonic all the way through (to my nose). There is a hint of woods, but unfortunately any opportunity for a woody dry down is prevented by the prompt application of Island Man, which doubles down on the aquatic notes but much sweeter, joined by a hefty dose of coconut and jasmine, rounded out by other notes that have become less distinct in this aged and now-empty splash sample. We have shifted from the rainforest to the sea, which makes for a beautiful segue to Squid, which, full disclosure, I adore. The salty, inky opening triples down on the aquatic theme today, but is quickly followed by a beautiful smoky, resinous blend with a background, oceanic quality. Altogether, a true delight. #FOF

First good FOF writeup I've encountered. Might be a player to watch.

Day 1

• Brush: Dogwood Handcrafts – Svolaer 2023 LG Prize #COMPOSITE #FRANKENBRUSH
• Razor: Maggard Razors Shavette
• Blade: Half of a Gillette Silver Blue
• Lather: Jordan’s – Lime
• Post Shave: Henri et Victoria - Lime
• Fragrance: Chatillon Lux - 1904

A month or two ago, Jordan’s Soap offered a sample pack of their stuff for like $3, so I obviously took them up on it. And shortly after the 3ish weeks it took to get to me, the Lather Games announcement happened and I just knew I had to hold off on using any of that Jordan’s pack until today. The soap itself was… Fine. Nothing special. Today was my first time ever using a shavette, so I wish I used a better soap for this. I’ll have to try the shavette again, later in the games, using a higher quality soap, because I did not really love today’s shave. I’ve used a straight razor before and I was thinking the shavette would be similar. And it is, but actually not. It wasn’t nearly as enjoyable as a straight. Off the samples, the all of Jordan’s soaps smell very sweet and the lime scent was actually enjoyable. But I don't think I'll be buying a tub of Jordans anytime soon. There are many companies out there who make products that I enjoy much, much more than I enjoyed this.

Plus, I’m honestly not sure I trust this company. On their DNP post advertising the sample pack, a brand new reddit account, u/Aggravating_Mud_9954, made its first comment EVER to announce to the world they just bought 3 tubs. The only comment this account made since then was about Canadian coins. Is it a good time to mention Jordan’s is a Canadian company? 👀

This whole company strikes me as someone who just discovered wetshaving, saw the swimming pools of money a lot of the top artisans are swimming in, and decided to try it on their own before learning the ins and outs of soapmaking, scent profiles, or the wetshaving hobby itself.

It’s bad when on Jordan’s own website FAQs, under “Why Choose Jordan’s?”, the answer is “Our products actually work.” Ummm… Hey Jordan – this is your time to differentiate your product from the zillions of shaving soaps out there! If your biggest selling point is that your shaving soap is a shaving soap, we have problems. The way you put “Our product actually works” as the biggest selling point makes it seem like even you are surprised it works. When in reality, the biggest surprise will be if this company is around long enough to make it to see the 2025 Lather Games.

For #FOF, the lime scented splash was clearly the move with lime soap, and for the fragrance, I chose Chatillon Lux 1904, which features a nice lime note. With all of today’s lime, scurvy doesn’t stand a chance with me.

Between the lime, and the saltiness I have toward Jordan’s, we’re just a shot of Tequila away from a tasty margarita!

photocontest theme is: Trash

imhonestlylying’s Daily Top 5: In honour of “Bonjour Lather Games!”… The Top 5 most fun sounding greetings in languages other than English:

1. Ciao bella! (Italian) – Something about it just sounds romantic!
2. Namaste. (Hindi) – You going out tonight? Namaste at home instead.
3. Sorrey! (Canadian) – Thanks how Canucks say hello, right?
4. Konnichiwa! (Japanese) – Upbeat and cheery!
5. Jambo! (Swahili) – Impossible not to smile if someone greets you with a Jambo!

June 1, 2024 – HERE WE GO!!!!

• Brush: New Men Shaving Brush - Black Badger Hair #WEDONTNEEDNOSTINKINGBADGERS #SMOLL #RUNT
• Razor: Schick Injector
• Blade: Schick Injector (1)
• Lather: Eleven – Cedar, Vetiver & Sweetgrass
• Post Shave: Chiseled Face – Cedar & Spice
• Fragrance: Ralph Lauren – Ralph’s Club

:Looks around: Am I in the right place?

So here we are, LG2024. The 10th Lather Games apparently. New judges, new themes, new everything.

I thought I’d try something new myself, so rather than run this completely solo, I teamed up with u/Admirable-Nobody-946 and u/AdWorried2804. We shared a dens of hardware and software (side note getting hardware and software to and from the Philippines is hard) and bounced ideas off each other. There may be some loosely organized team shenanigans. (Emphasis on loosely). See when I pitched this all that time ago, I described it as a sort of “racing team” taking queues from NASCAR where team share resources but race independently, while still drafting and blocking for their team members. Also taking a queue from Ricky Bobby I’m all in this year, gunning for first. So look out u/priusaurus!

Now when I was brainstorming ideas to launch this, I was planning on getting in my car, going down the highway and shaving. I-44 ain’t the autobahn but it’s close. But then, we had to go get a u/Mrtangerinesky rule, which ruled that out. (Plus my lead foot got me a speeding ticket last weekend anyway). Fine fine, I’ll have my wife drive me around while I hang out the passenger side… wait no, that is against a different set of rules

Ok then, we’ll use the power of our imaginations. I put my kids to work with a giant box, and they turned it into a racing Prius! Take a look at this beauty (Yes, racing Prius, take that #photocontest, using the power of imagination I have a Prius racing car in my photo for that theme.). We’re gonna shave in it. In my TV room, with my daughter documenting taking pictures. Does it make sense? No. Then why? Because Lather Games. Luckily, I have never used an injector before so I’m not trying to use a weck or anything packed in this ~~tiny box~~ totally real racing machine. Also let’s use a new brush, a cheapo badger $7.89 from Walmart who says it’s badger) for the points. (It lost more hairs than u/shavinginCT’s B17). The shave went ok, lather sucked, because new brush and a soap I've never used before is a bad combo when the brush is cheap. I forgot I had no mirror downstairs and had to finish upstairs.

I’m also doing #FoF again this year, because why not. For today’s approach I pulled the Cedar note through the entire shave, a nice soap with subtle ceder notes in the back, to the feeling of being stuffed in a ceder chest with the splash, and back to the subtle cedar base with the Ralph’s club. A sort of cedar bell curve of sorts. It plays better than I expected. The Ralph’s club needed a bit of cedar punch up IMHO, and the splash should have helped it there but frankly overwhelmed my senses entirely.

User's daughter builds racing Prius

June 1, 2024 - Saturday

• Brush: Summer Break Soaps "Tekamah" / 26mm AP Shave Co. G5C
• Razor: Yates 921-H
• Blade: Gillette Rubie (5)
• Lather: Murphy & McNeil Old Sport
• Post Shave: Osma alum, Thayers Rose Petal toner, Alt Innsbruck splash + Zingari Man Rescue Potion, Zingari Man Sego unscented balm
• Fragrance: Rogue Perfumery Tabac Vert EdP

First time using Murphy & McNeil's AON base. I wasn't expecting much, but the G5C whipped it up into a nice lather and a great shave was had.

June 1, 2024 – Lather Games Day 1: Bonjour, Lather Games

• Brush: ERSKINE 19mm Synthetic #RUNT #SMOLL
• Razor: Weck Hair Shaper #WECKONISTA
• Blade: Personna Hair Shaper (1)
• Lather: A A Shaving – Wapiti
• Post Shave: Abbate y La Mantia – Ishtar
• Fragrance: Mancera – Amber & Roses

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Daily Theme: Bonjour, Lather Games!

Theme justification: A A Shaving is a brand I have never used before

Relevant Post Shave & Frag: I’m continuing the theme of “new to me” products. I have not used Abbate Y La Mantia aftershaves or Mancera frags before.

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Scavenger Hunt Justification:

Razor: It’s a weck, with a Personna blade

Brush: It’s 19mm with a 48mm loft. (Here is where I was going to link the etsy page where I purchased it, but it no longer shows the description. I have reached out to Aaron of TalentSoapFactory for confirmation should the judges require it.) Edit: He responded and confirmed: https://i.imgur.com/BxESWR5.png

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Daily/Special Challenge: New all the things!

WARNING: PICTURES IN THIS SECTION MARKED #NSFW DUE TO MINOR BLOOD. NOTHING TERRIBLE, BUT I’M STILL GIVING A WARNING.

This is my first time using a weck razor. WTF. Not only did I give my face a decent gash, but I even cut my finger. Why on Earth would anyone want to shave with these things? All of those who did this for AA last August are pure masochist. This was by far my worst experience shaving since I started down the wetshaving rabbit hole, and I pray that I never have to do it again. It did produce a “good enough” shave in terms of visual hair removal, so I guess there is that.

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Frag description

Mancera Amber & Roses

First, I have to start off by saying that this frag and aftershave do not mix at all. Amber and Oud are both tree based resin, there is a difference. Can I adiquitely explain said differences? No, not really. The rose from Mancera overpowers the Amber to my nose, so as of right now that is all I can smell. Maybe the amber and oud cancelled each other out? Not sure. I was not a fan of Ishtar when I put it on. So as I sit, I just smell like a musky bouquet of flowers.

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Last year I watched the Lather Games from the sidelines. I have to say, it was incredible enjoyable to see the action. Watching /u/Priusaurus get kicked out of a restaurant and /u/OnionMiasma shave with motor oil showed me that I am not as crazy as most of you. I’m not as delusional; I know I will not be winning these games. That doesn’t meant that I won’t be trying my best. I just have a different set of skills.

I’ll be doing my best to avoid embarrassing myself, but I’ll be raising my own level where I can. That’s all I can do, and it’s good enough for me!

So to all my fellow Lather Gamers out there, here’s to you! Let’s have a fun month!

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Totals:

Razor Hasthtags: 1/10
Brush Hasthtags: 2/10
Hardware Sponsor Points: x/2
Software Sponsor Points: 1/16
Number of Lather Brands: 1/30
Number of Lather Scents: 1/30
Number of Post Shaves: 1/30
Number of Frags: 1/30

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Contest Hasthtags:

#FOF

#ROTY

July 1, 2024 - Bonjour, Lather Games! / New All The Things

• Brush: Dogwood Handcrafts / Declaration Grooming B11 26mm #FRANKENBRUSH
• Razor: Boker 376 5/8" straight
• Lather: AA Soaps - Wapiti
• Post Shave: Captain's Choice - Lime
• Fragrance: Geo. F. Trumper - Eclipse

Daily Write-Up
I think there was some shock across the community when I came out of the closet as a Lather Games judge. I suspect even those who were planning to really compete wanted me to take my rightful place as winner of the Lather Games.

But I felt I could do more to ensure that such a miscarriage of judgment that happened last year to put u/Priusaurus on top will never happen again.

So I implore all of you to shave your hearts out and shitpost valiantly so Mr. Saurus is forced to mail you his beloved trophy.

For today, I broke out the straight I had been fearing for 18 months since I won it in a PIF. I had attempted to use it once, when it was evident that it was not shave ready, I sent it off to Mr. u/whosgotthepudding of Muninn Woodworks to have it honed just for this day. For my first straight shave I didn't get as close as I would have liked, but there was no blood and no stinging from the Captain's Choice – a brand of aftershave I've never used before.

The AA Shaving performed ok. I wish I had used a soap I was more familiar with for my first straight shave, but it seemed to work fine. This new-to-me B11 is fantastic though. Beautiful handle and a nearly perfect knot. I suspect after a couple more uses it results in a different brush heading to the ‘zaar.

I finished it up with GFT Eclipse. I was hoping this scent, once again one I've never used, would just be a faithful dupe of B&M Eclipse, but sadly it's best described as “generic, vaguely-British chypre”. Pity.

Soap Theme Justification
I’ve never used any soaps from AA Shaving.

Post-Shave and Fragrance Relevance Notes
Theme: New All The Things. Soap, AS, and Frag I’ve never tried before.

New to you SOTD:

• Razor: Blackland Blackbird Ti #CNC
• Blade: Leaf Super Platinum (3).
• Brush: Summer Break Confidence B9a #FRANKENBRUSH
• Lather: Night Watch Soap Company - Tropical Fusion.
• Aftershave: Chatillon Lux/Declaration Grooming - Agua Fresca.
• Fragrance: Chatillon Lux - Agua Fresca

Another year, another games.

I don't pay much attention to new soap companies or just soap companies that don't show up on Reddit often. Night Watch was a new one to me when I stumbled across this sample on TRC's site. I love me a good summer scent, so this one sounded right up my alley. I was not disappointed, I often find that I don't get amazing lather from samples because bowl lathering is the worst, but I got excellent lather from this one. The scent straight up smells just like Juicy Fruit gum, which I am here. You guys know I've got a thing for nostalgic scents and this one sends me right back to my childhood.

Today's challenge, absolutely not. I try by best not to buy things these days, which is terrible advice. You should all buy lots of new things especially from artisans located in central Nebraska.

June 1, 2024 – Tabrnak, it’s The Later Games deux mille vingt quatre

• Brush: AP Shave Co Synthetic
• Razor: Pearl Slant razor
• Blade: Gillette Silver Blue (1)
• Lather: AA Shaving – Wapiti

Both Wapiti (and AA Shaving) as well as this slant razor are new to me. So is shaving in a car. Did not use my aftershave as planned. Québec roads suck.

Same justification as the podcast.

Like Ray said, shaving in a moving car is pretty unusual, and his banter really sells it. 'Razor is very mild, even on Quebec roads', etc. Another funny element is Ray and his partner (who's driving) joking about how pronounces words.

2024-06-01 - Let's Get it Started in Here

• Lather: A A Shaving - The Hunt
• Razor: Schick Injector #RUSTYBUTTRUSTY
• Brush: Qshave Pure Badger #WEDONTNEEDNOSTINKINGBADGERS
• Post Shave: Lothur - Oregon
• Fragrance: INeKE - Idyllwild

Pack it up, boys and ladies! You're reading the first post of this year's Games' winner! Seriously, give up now. That way, I can half-ass this thing and still come out on top!

I'm not really planning on exerting much effort this time around, but I still find myself starting this June with several new tubs of soap that I don't need, because I'll be damned if I'm not going to fill the calendar! What's that? No, you're the one with a problem!

Side note: Did you know that June is Men's Mental Health Awareness Month? Just want to put that out there, because certain members of this sub think it's a funny little joke to shit on people who try to support men's mental health.

Bonjour, Lather Games: With three new sponsors this year, none of which I've previously tried, it just came down to a roll of a three-sided die. Or whichever one I didn't pick for a different day. I don't know; roll a two-sided die. Either way, A A Shaving is new to me.

Challenge Accepted: Purchased shortly after last year's Games, this razor sat in a drawer for about 9 months, like some backward gestation before the end of my injector virginity... "Injector virginity." Um... Huh.

Anyway, it took me no more than a handful of seconds to work out the angle at which to hold it, but I do not like that the head has nearly no mass at all; I prefer a more massive head. Um.... Huh.

Side note: That's a pretty sweet patina. I'm not sure why there's been such an emphasis on rust for patinas (patinae?), much less the emphasis on green coloration; I have the impression that there was a chain of false transitivity somewhere. You can have a non-green patina on clean, rust-free metal. But, if you insist, it's literally rusty, too.

Unifying theme: Wooded West-coast Locales
Oregon and Idyllwild are obviously named after such locations, and The Hunt is inspired by the woods of Cascadia. Incidentally, I was literally planning on relocating to the PNW this summer, but I'm going to remain for a while longer here in the Wasteland of Fire and Death, where it has already been summer for several months and will be for many more.

But I digress.

#FOF
Anyway, the scent of pine is dominant in The Hunt, with what I take to be ozone imparting a welcome, damp airiness. Leather, moss, and musk keep it grounded, even dark.

Oregon presents a brighter green, perhaps—I suspect—from a greater prominence of citrus notes. It represents a rather stark contrast to The Hunt's depth.

Idyllwild is also lighter than The Hunt, but is also more generally woody, rather than being so pine-heavy. Idyllwild includes a smokiness that balances well with its lightness, which makes me realize that Oregon doesn't seem to ground its own aggressive brightness.

#photocontest Birds
I have mixed feelings about this contest. On the one hand, the photos are one of my favorite parts of the Games. On the other hand, I was so insistent on hitting all of the themes in last year's contest that I feel my photos suffered for it. So I'm still doing this, but I'm not hunting for all the things (no pun intended), especially if I think I have an otherwise good photo. This one just happens to have a bird.

June 1, 2024

Prep: Hot shower Brush: Chisel and Hound Sakura with v21 Fanchurian Razor: Muhle Companion Blade: Astra Green (Indian) Lather: Maggards London Barbershop Post Shave: Zingari Man Sego Aftershave Balm Unscented

2 pass. This is the only Maggards lather product I own, I had completely forgotten I had the sample, and I only ever used it once previously. I'm hoping that gets me partial points. Moreover, today I overloaded the brush and made a huge lather, thus making that other day totally inconsequential by comparison.

ROTY

6/1/24

• Brush: Muninn Woodworks w/ C&H V19 Fanchurian #FRANKENBRUSH #SHD
• Razor: Weck Sextoblade #WECKONISTA
• Blade Kismet
• Lather: Ethos Grooming Essentials - Dragonsbeard
• Post Shave: Ethos Grooming Essentials - Dragonsbeard Aftershave Splash

Bonjour Lather Games!

Thankfully my sense of smell is back in time for opening day of the Lather Games! Today's software comes courtesy of the generous u/gcgallant. Mr. Gallant and I not only share in our enjoyment of straight razors and overly anal honing methods, but also in scents. Tonka bean, amber, oud and vanilla definitely seem to be a common interest, and Dragonsbeard is full of it. Such a nice scent.

This was my first time trying anything from Ethos, so I figured I'd step it up and try a whole new lathering method while I was at it; The controversial GUTL. In short, in regards to GUTL: It's fine, I guess. Nothing about it wow'd me enough to stick with it. I think, if using bowl lathering, I will just stick with the precision loading techique.

The soap performance was really nice. Good slickness, both primary and residual. The post shave feel reminds me a lot of Grooming Dept splashes, and I might have gotten away with just a few drops. It's very thick compared to a lot of other splashes. The resulting post shave feel was nice, however, and left my skin feeling refreshed and hydrated.

Also new to me today, the Weck. Not only is this the first time trying a Weck, but it is the first time I have used a Shavette style razor on myself. I have, in the past and in the moments leading up to me diving into the straight razor rabbit hole, had an open blade shave from a barber using a shavette style razor.

The Weck was not bad. Its small size makes it a little squirrely, and the blade is comfortable enough. In the end, I still prefer traditional straights with an edge tailored to my liking.

Good luck to everyone this month, and may the odds be ever in your favor!

• June 1
• Brush: Chisel and Hound – 26mm AP Shave Co Synbad #COMPOSITE #FAUXFUR #FRANKENBRUSH
• Razor: Gem G-Bar #FLIPTOP
• Blade: Gem Blade
• Lather: AA Shaving – The Hunt
• Post Shave: Stirling Soap Co – Deep Blue Sea
• Fragrance: Armani – Acqua di Gio

First time using a Gem and it wasn’t too bad. I understand the G-Bar is a pretty forgiving one to start with. At first I think my angle was a little to steep, but when I kept the razor’s head flat against my face, things went better. Good shave with no nicks or cuts.

It was also my first time using AA Shaving. u/iamhonestlylying sent me a bunch of smushes for these games, so thanks to him I can participate today!

And it’s also my first Lather Games! So I’m looking forward to winning #ROTY! A friend has been trying to get me into the hobby of wetshaving for some time. I’ve been using a DE for a little while, but never really got into the artisanal product side until somewhat recently, so I’m looking forward to trying a lot of new-to-me things this month!

Happy shaving ya’ll!

ROTY

June 1 Lather: Henry et Victoria - Amande

• Brush: AP Shave Co Cashmere 24mm Emerald Green
• Razor: Gillette Proglide Shield
• Blade: cartridge
• Lather: Henry et Victoria - Amande - Soap
• Post Shave: - Black Mountain Shaving - Nantahala - Splash toner (witch hazel base)
• Fragrance: Chatillon Lux - Agua Fresca sample - Edp

I probably am taking on too much in attempting to participate in the lather games this year. The 60 hour week job, three kids, a dog and two cats. But it’s just too much goofy fun not to give it a go. So here I am.

TODAY’S THEME: I have not used this soap before. I am a lather freak. Software is my deal. I got a handful of razors (about 8 or 9 I think), about 12-15 brushes, but probably 125+ tubs of soap and almost as many aftershaves. Plus samples. It was not easy to find a soap I hadn’t tried before. In fact, I didn’t have anything I hadn’t tried, so I grabbed this sample from Maggards a few weeks back. It smells like Cella. Or more specifically, I’d say it smells quite like Moon Soaps Amaretto Speciale. Almond/Cherry. Only has 6 ingredients, but the base was just fine. Nothing to write home about, but it does the job just fine.

TODAY’S CHALLENGE: I have not used a 5-blade cartridge razor. And it sucked. This is not a disposable. Prior to DE shaving, I used an electric razor or a disposable Mach 3, and before that, those 2 blade Gillette disposables – I believe they were called, “Good News”? This is the first use of a cartridge razor. It’s not disposable. Five blades. Awful. What the hell do I need 5 blades for? Never before, never again. It was not the lather that left my face so itchy. It was this damn pro glide shield.

SPONSER SPOTLIGHT: AP Shave Co. I have 2 of their brushes. This Cashmere and a Synbad. Both are great synths. This one feels like a makeup brush. No scrub, but great when I crave a gentle lather application. The emerald handle is nice.

Happy Lather Games, all!

June 1, 2024 * Preshave: Hot Shower
Brush: Chisel and Hound "Anthracite" TurnNShave V8 Tip Knot
Razor: Yates Precision Manufacturing 921-M
Blade: Gillette Silver Blue (2)
Lather: Martin de Candre Fougere
Post Shave:* House of Mammoth Shire 2 Splash

Welcome to the Lather Games! The tragic beauty of judging this year is that I cannot win and therefore I do not need to give it an A+ effort as I have toyed with. After all, if u/Priusaurus and u/OnionMiasma can finish top 2 then really anything is possible. Alas, maybe next year. Then again, this freedom from planning and trying so hard is, well, freeing.

So - I did use a new to me soap today - MdC Fougere (I've never used any MdC) and it was quite nice. I see how u/EldrormR was able to use this stuff for several months in a row last year (though I don't really want to replicate that crazy feat) - if I had to, I could. It's got a gentle and pleasant fougere scent that's not at all overwhelming and fades really quickly making it easy to pair with whatever splash you want.

I went with Shire 2 because it's kind of green and so it paired well enough.

I did not use new hardware, but, I did use my new_est_ hardware, which doesn't count at all but see paragraph 1.

I hope all you aiming for the top have months that do not tragically fall apart and that you do not "accidentally" post in the wrong thread and lose one days precious points, effectively eliminating yourself from the runnings for the top - looking at you u/tsrblke.

Anyway. Have a good one.

June 1, 2024 – LG24 Day 1: Bonjour Lather Games!

• Brush: Vie-Long Vintage Alter #HORSESASS
• Razor: Weck Hair Shaper #WECKONISTA
• Blade: Diane – Platinum Japan (1)
• Lather: AA Shaving – Wapiti
• Post Shave: Eleven – Cedar, Vetiver & Sweetgrass
• Fragrance: D. S. and Durga – Mississippi Medicine – EdP

Lather Games 2024 Day 1: Bonjour Lather Games!

Bonjour les rasiogoodfellas! J’adore les sandwichs et j’ai mangé un délicieux rosbif sur weck. Mais, passons au SOTD d’aujourd’hui!

Daily Challenge: New All The Things—Weck Hair Shaper

A very nice shave, if a bit unwieldy due to the slipperiness and possibly the light weight of the razor itself. Of the three styles of straight razors I have now tried, I might say the hair shaper has been the best. I think I want to try a Sextoblade next since the hair shaper felt a little small and light for my preference.

Use of Theme: AA Shaving – Wapiti

Thanks to u/OnionMiasma for sending me the smoosh of Wapiti and for being an all-around great guy. Brand new to me, I find the scent to be very nice, and I think a bit different than the usual woody scents I have tried. The base did well and gave ample slickness for the hair shaper blade to do its job.

Taking the woody theme from Wapiti, Eleven Cedar blends nicely as it soothes the skin and the nose with its warm, resinous accords. The fragrant finish of Mississippi Medicine rounds out the experience with a pungent green top note that softens to a smoky, sweet dry down that compliments the notes of Wapiti perfectly.

Have a great Lather Games, everyone!!

Edit: Stupid hashtag.

LGSOTD 2024- June 1

• Brush: Elite Razor Custom Birch
• Razor: Razorock GC .84
• Blade: Astra Green 1st Use
• Lather: Red House Farms- Lumos
• Post Shave: Proraso- Green splash
• Fragrance: Creed- Green Irish Tweed

For the games I figure since commercials seem to be a thing of past with streaming (does anyone have cable anymore?), I’d share some on theme commercials that I grew up with. As I was looking through the calendar some days may be difficult ie vetiver. I may need some assistance :). Let’s start it off right!

Bonjour- a typical American greeting

For todays shave I am using Red House Farm. Many a shave this month will be thanks to u/kind_simian due to his massive sample PIF I received a few weeks ago. I don’t have any info on Lumos. It’s very green, like a pistachio/ mint ice cream color. Scent is kinda Irish spring sport-ish. Before this PIF I had never heard of Red House Farm. This stuff is soft, perhaps softer than Macduffs. Scent was meh. Whipped up a great lather and easy glide

ROTY

June 1, 2024 - New All The Things

• Brush: Zenith 506U XS Horse Hair #HORSESASS #OLDWORLD
• Razor: Ralf Aust 6/8 Square Point w/ Horn Scales #STR8SNOB
• Lather: Talent Soap Factory - Wolf Mother
• Post Shave: Noble Otter - Jasmine Green Tea Splash
• Fragrance: Michael Malul - Jet Black Intense EdP

FOF

New All The Things:

I bought the Talent Soap Factory soaps back on a Black Friday sale. I waited until the LG to actually use it. The brush I bought from the Your Shaving anniversary sale, and is my first horse hair brush. The Noble Otter splash is a recent purchase and was still sealed until this morning. The fragrance is a sample I got in a recent order, and the brand and scent are new to me. When I saw the calendar, there was a gaping hole on day 1. Every category of razor I’d pretty much tried. Except straight razor, that is. When I got a bonus last month, I decided it was time to learn with a real straight.

Theme and Challenge:

Everything used today is a new brand, product, type of razor, and/or scent for me.

The Shave:

I have 70+ shaves on Weck/Kismet hair shapers, but this is my first shave with an old fashioned straight. I figured learn honing too, so I have some inexpensive straights I got from Ebay that need varying levels of work. However, I didn’t want my first straight shave to be with an amateur edge from me. I splurged on this straight from Maggard Razors, and Brad honed it for me. So what does a crazy idiot like me decide to do for his first straight shave? Why shave off the sides of an untrimmed full beard of course! I normally only shave my neck and trim around the cheeks daily. I told my wife my plans, and after some head shaking, she asked me to keep the goatee. I guess she doesn’t want to see my chin. For the shave, I thought the brush was very soft already, so I just got it wet and started building lather with a generous scoop of soap. Ok, first mistake, I didn’t soak the brush for a few minutes. The horse is thirstier than any boar I’ve used. I needed a lot of water, and the brush kept soaking everything up. Still I persisted and eventually got enough for a couple passes. Second mistake, I’ve been spoiled in only breaking in bleached or pretty clean boars. The brush stank of barnyard when it got wet. This wasn’t a “Raw Hog” challenge so why didn’t I prep the brush more? It also shed a fair amount. Third mistake, I should have brought up a paper towel to clean the razor as I went, instead of rinsing off the piles of lather and beard. My sink got a little clogged. I kept things slow and steady, still have all my skin, no blood loss, and my earlobes are still there. I think I’ll enjoy the next straight shave more though. If you are going to shave off a beard without trimming first, a straight is definitely the way to go.

Fragrance:

I was pretty limited in my restrictions to keep it all new to me. I picked Wolf Mother from my Talent soaps, that were purchased ages ago and waiting patiently for a turn, because it had some gourmand/beverage notes that would work with the jasmine green tea. Of course the horse hair destroyed the scent of the soap, so any of them would have worked. Jasmine Green Tea is a nice clean scent with hits of citrus and the earthiness of green tea. I like that scent. Wolf Mother, I love off the puck, so next time it will get a better chance to add to the fragrances. The EdP sample was nice smelling and has some compatible notes, but it leans more to traditional cologne and fougere. It does not complement the other choices. If I were giving it a US letter grade, I’d say today’s choices merit a C+. It passes, but didn’t wow me.

Sponsor time:

I have one brush so far from AP Shaving. It’s a G5A SHD, and is the best synthetic I’ve used. Ordering was easy, and no issues with shipping. I’d definitely recommend picking up a brush or two.

I had no sense of smell for the first week or two of the 2022 Lather Games. That…stunk…or didn’t, depending on how you look at it.

June 01 2024: Bonjour Lather Games

• Brush: AP Shave Co Beehive w/ 28mm G5C
• Razor: Gillette New Long Comb
• Blade: Personna Platinum Chrome (6)
• Lather: Proraso - Sandalwood Shaving Cream
• Post Shave: Stirling - Sandalwood
• Fragrance: D.S. & Durga - Radio Bombay

The first day of Lather Games is always fun, also fun is trying new things. Unfortunately I don’t have anything for the bonus challenge today but I did use a specific razor that I haven’t used before so you know, F for effort. I also grabbed one of my AP Shave Co brushes for sponsor day synchronicity.

Last year I had my first shave with Tabac and this year I’m introducing myself to another storied wet shaving brand that I have never tried before: Proraso. It has a dry sandalwood scent, maybe a tiny bit of bitterness there, and the lather was nothing special. Definitely a step above canned goop, but nowhere near as slick as any random artisanal soap.

The through line for my choices today was sandalwood. The slightly medicinal Proraso, the dry and woody Stirling splash, and the metallic, creamier sandalwood of Radio Bombay all went quite nicely together.

**June 1, 2024**

LG24 DAY 1 - A NUTCASE'S SUITCASE

photocontest

Fill the Frame (subject: the suitcase with its contents)

Prep: Shower with Oleo & Company Cedarwood Handmade Liquid Soap. Pre-shave beverage: Cedrata Tassoni (alcohol-free soda, embossed glass bottle)

* Brush: Black & Yellow Merit 99-5 by Heritage Collection Shaving / AP Shave Faux Boar Synthetic 24mm #FAUXFUR #FRANKENBRUSH
* Razor: EldrormR Industries MM24, Two-Toned Finish #FLIPTOP #MODERNGEM
* Blade: Personna GEM (1)
* Lather: AA Shaving - Wapiti
* Post Shave: Tallow + Steel - Himalaya - After Shave
* Fragrance: Hermès - Eau de Citron Noir (sample)

ACROSTIC OUVERTURE

“Begin your journey with an SE Blade
Oh, you shave nerd, on this first day”
“New all the things”, “Easy thing to say!”
“Jump on the chat, and we will give you aid!”
OnionMiasma sent a (AA) generous smush
u/EldrormR, his GEM fabulous, and in a rush!
Rookie as I am, I still lacked a faux boar brush

Lather then I made with all my brand-new goods:
AA’s soap scent kinda inspired by woods
TS put its mark on the world’s peak heights
Hermès a dark citrus from the city of lights
Exact match it isn’t, your cedar’s not citron
Riddled with false friends, this lifeboat I got on!

GEM blade: I was ready, u treat'd me like spaghetti
Acrostic rhymes or rap will not become my brand
My mic’s about to drop, my shave to reach its end
Experiment, I’ll keep to, and share it naming names
Such is my commitment, for this year’s lather games

ACT 1: NORTH BY NORTHWEST

AA shaving is a new-to-me lather brand (just like it’s my first time with an AP Shave Co brush). I read that Wapiti is inspired by a forest in Washington state’s Olympic Peninsula, a place that according to Google hosts the northernmost and northwesternmost points in the contiguous United States.

I wondered if there was a connection with Hitchock’s North by Northwest: I checked and there isn’t any. Nonetheless, take it as my MOTD recommendation, together with a cool quote that is likely unrelated, yet still somewhat meaningful:

“I am but mad north-north-west: when the wind is southerly I know a hawk from a handsaw”
William Shakespeare. Hamlet, Act 2, Scene 2

AA's soap base has immediately proved to be very easy to lather: I was quite impressed, and I can't thank enough u/OnionMiasma for sending me a smush across the ocean.

As instructed by u/EldrormR, in preparation of the shave with my new MM24 I kept the lather as hydrated as possible, to the point that I accidentally projected a couple of lather splashes across the room.

However, testing the lather under the (figurative) pressure of the unfamiliar GEM made me wish for more slickness.
While I got a BBS on my face (after a slow shave during which I was entertained by the acoustic feedback of the blade), a small area of my neck - which had been heavily scrubbed by yesterday's experiment with a vintage boar - ended up getting a few annoying nicks. Technically, it could easily be my fault, as I might have fumbled the razor angle on the neck, but still I had the feeling that the lather was not as glide-friendly as some of the top performers such as DG Milksteak, B+M Ombnibus, MM Kodiak.

I was pleasantly surprised by AP's Faux Boar: I purchased it as a way to honor the first hardware sponsor on the list, and to try an example of boar replica, but I didn't really know what to expect. While it doesn't have the strong backbone of some actual boar knots, it does perform quite effectively and without too much of a "whiplash" effect. So far, I really like it.

I'm very happy about my new hardware, looking forward to using both razor and brush again!

ACT 2: CANADA’S STAKE ON THE HIMALAYAS

After a US brand for the lather, I wanted a Canadian one for the post-shave, as the exploration of North American artisans’ creations from both sides of the border has been the leading theme over the last few months of my wetshaving journey.

In our hyper-connected world, an Italian like me can get an AS splash crafted in Winnipeg, Canada, that uses Himalayan Cedarwood among its ingredients.
I had totally forgotten that Ryan from T+S in an email had advised me that Himalaya is "a warm / sweet amber type oriental scent".
I had purchased it last January and then put aside, so when I was looking for some Canadian cedarwood from an unusual provenance, I picked it without remembering that the woods were just one of the instruments in the symphony.

I actually like it, but it doesn't fit much with AA Wapiti (whose scent rapidly fainted), nor with my subsequent choice..

ACT 3: HAIL CEDAR!
A CAUTIONARY TALE ON PICKING A FALSE FRIEND AS YOUR TRUE LEADER

Upon embarking in a journey away from the comfort of your homeland, one must be ready to embrace chaos and confusion, to mistake a hawk for a handsaw, a Roger Thornhill for a George Kaplan, and then
live with the consequences, as bizarre as they can be.

Today my FOF semantically challenged challenge was: can we trust Cedar as our Leader?

Do we even all mean the same thing when we talk about Cedar?

Here in the Mediterranean, when you talk about a Cedar tree, people will likely think about the Cedar of Lebanon. However, the Italian word for the tree, Cedro, also refers to a citrus fruit, that in English is called Citron or Cedrate – a name that sounds like our popular soft drink Cedrata, a soda made with Citron fruit juice.

But Citron turns out to be yet another false friend when you speak with a French, to whom citron is a just a standard lemon.

There is no steady ground.
It all keeps shifting. Nothing is certain.

This is my Hail Cedar, a madcap story of woods and citrus, silver screen compass directions and misdirected investigations, a story that starts in a dupe place called “Olympic” even if it's half a world away from the original Mount Olympus, then goes to Himalaya to look for a mythical high-altitude Cedarwood note, but comes back jet-lagged with a boozy oriental drydown. A final detour brings us to a Paris fashion house, where we find out how they deem it elegant to spin the woody-citrus thread, in this mad mad world where Cedro is not the fruit of the Cedro tree, and your Citron is not the same as the Citroen’s workers Citron.

FOF

EDITED a couple of times right after posting to fix some bugging text editor issues

ROTY

June 1, 2024

• Prep: Shower
• Brush: Zenith 506U N #HORSESASS #OLDWORLD
• Razor: Durham Duplex #WECKONISTA
• Blade: Durham Duplex Hair Shaper Blades
• Lather: Australian Private Reserve - Fenchurch
• Post Shave: Myrsol - Formula C
• Fragrance: Dua - Plumlicious

It's good to be back, and with a new Lather Games, a New All The Things kickoff. First of all a couple of shoutouts to those that made this possible, u/enndeegee sent me a Durham Duplex completely unsolicited out of the kindness of his heart. The gesture was amazing, the shave itself was.... sub-par. It came with a proprietary hair shaper blade which I've never seen before, and it was... rough. It will be tough to find a new razor for next year as I think this was the last one on my bucket list.

Also the first time using a horse brush, and I must say, I really enjoyed it, it has decent backbone with some scritch, somewhere between a badger and a boar. Will definitely keep it in the rotation post LG.

And most importantly, onto the lather. Shoutout to u/infernalinternal for also sending me some unsolicited smushes out of the kindness of his heart. I haven't used APR before, and the scent was quite nice, sweet with notes of fruit to my nose. I was so sad to hear about what happened to the maker. The purpose of new things day is to expose us to new brands, and unfortunately this one is permanently unobtanium. I'm glad I got to try it and I wish everyone else good luck for the duration of the games in our month-long thunderdome style shaving competition.

• Prep: Warm Shower
• Brush: Stirling Two Band Synthetic
• Razor: Van Der Hagen 85mm Safety Razor
• Blade: Gillette Nacet
• Lather: Catie's Bubbles - A Midnight Dreary
• Post Shave: Van Der Hagen - Unscented Aftershave Balm

Today I shaved using Jordan’s Lemon soap and an AKA handle with a TurnNShave Boss knot. I used an open comb GC .68 with a Personna blade. I followed up with Paganini’s Violin aftershave and a spray of The Fresher.

Just curious: why is this called *Saturday* Lather Games *Thursday* SOTD thread?

Is Thursday a hint for a future challenge, or a leftover from a copy and paste?

Bonjour, Lather Games!

• Brush: Chisel and Hound Vitae Taper w/AP Shave Co 26mm Pure Bliss™ SHD Premium Synthetic Knot #COMPOSITE #FAUXFUR #FRANKENBRUSH #PREMIUMPLASTIC #SHD #TOLL

• Razor: Fromm Hair Shaper Razor #107 #WECKONISTA

• Blade: Fromm Hair Shaper Blade

• Lather: Summer Break Soaps - Daydream

• Post Shave: Barrister and Mann - Cologne Russe Aftershave Balm

• Fragrance: The Zoo - Rhubarb My Love

Warning: Video contains minor amounts of blood.

Daily Gratitude
Thanks to my mom for recording the whole shave and for being so excited for me! Thanks to u/ShavingInCT for the soap and fragrance. Thanks to my dad for buying the razor. Thanks to my grandma for buying the blades. Thanks to our wonderful judges and other people for putting this whole thing together.

Daily Mistakes
Video is in portrait mode, sorry. I touched down the razor without moving and got cut. I used too much talc and got it everywhere. I thought I wouldn't need the styptic pencil so I already applied talc but I ended up having to use it on top of the talc and it made the talc chunky in that area. I thought I used too much fragrance but it wasn't enough. Lather was hidden in the bottom of the brush so I wasted it.
EDIT: More mistakes, I don't know why the bottom hashtags keep on bolding and why the stuff that is supposed to be bolded up at the reddit markdown won't work

Daily Writeup
First day of my first Lather Games went pretty good! I made it through the hair shaper razor with minimal irritation. I thought this weird B&M finger balm would be pretty bad but it was a pleasant surprise when I tried it. The soap had a great scent and despite how dry it was at first it lathered pretty great and was very slick. The fragrance is pretty light but surprisingly nice, I might apply some more before I head to work. The new brush is pretty nice but I spent like 5 minutes loading with like no moisture so it was super dry and probably not a good representation of the knot.

Daily Theme Points
I have never used any soaps from SBS.

Daily Relevant Post Shave & Fragrance
I have never used a B&M finger balm. I have never used any fragrance from The Zoo Fine Fragrance.

Special Challenge
I have never used a replicable blade straight razor or hair shaper razor.

Hardware Scavenger Hunt
This brush handle is crafted from lignum vitae with a vertical acrylic inlay topped by a matte resin ferrule for #COMPOSITE. The knot is a, "Synthetic that LOOKS like Pure Badger" for #FAUXFUR. The handle is from C&H while the knot is from AP Shave Co making it eligible for #FRANKENBRUSH. This knot is synthetic and cost me $24 before tax and shipping making it #PREMIUMPLASTIC. This brush is advertised as #SHD. I made sure that C&H lofted the knot at 60mm making it #TOLL.

Photo Contest
Hugging a bucket for u/hugbckt.

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

Side Contests #photocontest
#ROTY

Saturday, June 1, 2024

• Brush: AP Shave Co - Black Matte Alumihandle Layered Comfort - 25mm Mühle STF
• Razor: Karve Shaving Co. - Overlander (Matte Black Aluminum)
• Blade: Personna Med Prep
• Lather: Noxzema - Protective Shave - Cream
• Post Shave: Jack Black - Double Duty Face Moisturizer

First time trying Noxzema for a shave. The scent is nice and reminds me of a face wash of theirs I used in high school. Nothing else is new here. I did grab my AP Shave Co Mühle STF since AP is today's spotlight sponsor.

6/1/24 Lather Games shave  

• AP Shave Co 2BED synth    

• Summer Break Soaps Woodshop soap (sample)    

• Charcoal Goods Everyday (brass) w/ Suneko    

• Thayers unscented witch hazel  

• Eleven unscented ASB    

• Cremo Reserve Blend EDT    

I've somehow never used Summer Break Soaps, but I knew I had this sample so it seemed appropriate to break it out. Very easy and nice lather, smooth sailing for the shave. I thought that the scent might to too aggressive but it was actually quite nice and not overly strong by any means.   

Good start to the month. Have a nice weekend everyone!

June. 01, 2024 - SOTD 

• Prep: Splash of warm water
• Brush: Oumo O4 Venus SHD Badger Brush 26MM
• Razor: King C Gillette
• Blade: King C Gillette
• Lather: The Los Angeles Shaving Soap Company - Vanilla Eucalyptus Mint
• Post Shave: Nivea Men - Sensitive Soothing Aftershave Balm

Jun. 1, 2024 - The Last Time I Can Get Points on This Day

• Prep: Shower, Baxter Shave Tonic
• Brush: AP Shave Co. G5A
• Razor: Heritage Collection Gibbs 15
• Blade: Personna Platinum (1)
• Lather: Areffa Soap - The Sea Son
• Post Shave: Old Spice (Indian)

In previous years "New to You"/"Bonjour Lather Games" was an easy win as I had a stack of Old Spice dupes I'd never tried before from soapmakers I'd never used but today I realized that this was it (and it's not even a real Old Spice dupe just a Old Spice LE dupe). This is the last time I can earn a point on this day because I've tried every soapmaker's Old Spice dupe. Farewell to this day's points... unless, of course, some intrepid soap maker I've never used before makes one. That list is getting way shorter, though.

As for the rest of the shave... I... ummm... I've never used Old Spice after shave. Yeah... that's it. That's for sure.

Wow! Guys! Have you tried this stuff? It's pretty amazing. It's got some complex scents in there. I think some citrus? Any one ever heard of it. I may have to buy a whole bottle of this stuff. I feel like it would feel good in a ceramic bottle. Does it come in bottles? Mine says it's made in India? Could someone explain the difference? Do you think that's the same as the one in my CVS? I'm sure it is, they probably all smell the same, right? I can't believe I've never used this stuff before. My life is changed! My eyes are opened to the grandeur of scenting! Come, join me, everyone, in using this as-until-now unheard of after shave. I just did some googling and it looks like this may be a vintage scent that everyone use to wear but isn't worn so much now. Man, wow. Wowy wowy wow. So new. Newer than new. Definitely new to me. I hope someone can let me know all about it in detail. Like some sort of connoisseur of this stuff. Whoever that guys is must be pretty awesome... and good-looking. Like really, really, really ridiculously good-looking.

2024-06-01 LG SOTD

• Brush: Semogue 2015 HD (22x55mm Badger) #OLDWORLD #SHD
• Razor: Wolfman WR2 #CNC #SPOOKY
• Blade: I don't even know what's in there, I forgot to check - maybe Astra Blue?
• Lather: The Goodfellas Smile - Amber Fougère
• Post Shave: Faberge - Brut
• Fragrance: Jean Paul Gaultier - Le Male

I'm back bitches (for 30 days (probably (we'll see)))

So one of the lame things about being LG staff and doing things like "deciding what the theme is every day and what criteria you need to meet to earn points" is that you have an "unfair advantage" when it comes time to "Play The Games," so you aren't eligible to win any prizes

On the other hand

If there are no prizes for judges then the points don't matter and I can do whatever the fuck I want all month without crippling my chances to win a prize

So I'm gonna be on theme in solidarity with y'all, but fuck everything else. 30 brands? 30 different dumb aftershaves? Etcetera? WHY? I want to enjoy my summer and just use stuff I enjoy, not be a slave to weird rules

Anyway, Ahem:

This vegan soap from The Goodfellas Smile (a brand I have never used before today) is in their latest "AJ-1" base, which is short for the modest doses of "argan oil and jojoba" they include in the formula. It's basically a classic Italian style croap recipe - heavy on stearic acid, coconut oil, and almond oil. Softer than any other soap I've used, nearly a cream; loaded less than half as many swirls in the tub than normal and still had plenty of lather for 3+ passes. Works up quickly, lots of volume, but still pretty wet instead of airy, which is a good thing. Slickness was decent, secondary slickness was acceptable. Post-shave is acceptable now in summer but would probably require the assistance of a good balm in winter.

Scent is... interesting. Despite their marketing I'd say this scent is more reminiscent of something from the late '60s than something from the 21st century. Fresh / fresh-spicy, aromatic green, a weird vanilla that strikes me as not quite vanilla - maybe heliotrope?, a little medicinal, a little Nag Champa-y, a bit grainy-textured in scent... really riding the fine edge between "nice and classy" and "this belongs in a bathroom." Reminds me somewhat of of Brut, Canoe, maybe some hints of Clubman, but doesn't smell like a direct descendant of any of them. Published scent notes (now that I read them) include orange, eucalyptus, basil, aldehydes, lavender, orchid, heliotrope (ah, yup, there we go), hawthorn, geranium, rose, musk, vanilla, coumarin, tonka, woods, amber, and patchouli; so yup, pretty significant cross-over in fragrance accords with the three aforementioned classic scents. Good homage to the pre-Paco Rabanne fougère genre.

I followed it up with some Brut splash (because I had some on-hand at my shave shelf and it seemed like a logical choice) and finally a spritz of Le Male, a proper modern amber fougère with its amber-vanilla-sandalwood drydown and its industry-redefining massive overdose of laundry musks (apparently something like 76% of the entire fragrance formula). Good mix with the TGS and Brut. Nicely complementary without actually occupying the same olfactory space.

#FOF , good luck y'all

(lol just kidding about FOF (or am I? (naw I definitely am, I got too much other stuff going on to write an essay every day)))

SOTD 2024-06-01 Bonjour, Lather Games!

• Brush: Semogue 2020 Best Badger
• Razor: Some new-fangled 3-piece razor design
• Blade: Dorco ST-300, 1st use
• Lather: Haslinger Salbei (Sage) Fur Sensible Haut
• Post Shave: Henri et Victoria Coeur de Vetiver splash
• Fragrance: Henri et Victoria Coeur de Vetiver EdP

It is somehow June.

Lathergames has arrived!
I remembered that I had these two soaps from Haslinger I ordered and never opened.
Even I forget things.
Don't judge me.

And on to the soap:
Bought it partly because it was inexpensive, partly because of the cute tin.
Ok, it was 100% because of the cute tin. You see, I love tins.
Under the lid with the cute bunny is a very firm soap.
This soap can really make lather! I could have shaved all morning.

If I were to fault the soap it's that it barely has any scent.
Maybe it's because I'm used to heavily scented artisan soaps.
Good though if you don't want to clash with any aftershave.
Unless of course you enjoy your scents clashing...
Really, who would do that except in the name of Lathergames?

I even created an IMGUR account just for the games!
My thinking was I should finally get with the times.

Now if I'm using a brand that is new to me, I should also use my newest razor!
Of course, that razor is the Gillette New!
Then obviously I should use the newest New, which would be the Long Comb version.

So I know what you're thinking: "That's not new at all!"
Of course, it is! It's even called the "New".
Reason for the LC? It was the newest New when the New came out!
Really, what were you expecting something made in the 21st century?
You're welcome.

• https://imgur.com/a/g7Glj6l
• Brush: AP Shace Co. Red /Clear handle with G5C Knot
• Razor: Asylum Rx Injector Brand New First Use
• Blade: Schick Injector
• Preshave: PAA Bubble Gube
• Bowl: Naked Armor Silver Fox Scuttle
• Lather: Marting Soaps Legend First Time used
• Post Shave: PAA Chocolate Bourbon Star Jelly
• Fragrance: PAA Chocolate Bourbon Star Jelly

Fortunately my new Asylum Rx Injector arrived this week. I have never used an injector. I have a few old Schicks, but never got around to using them. A nice shave for an unfamiliar razor! i have too many soaps and Marting never made it up to bat until today. It was a nice lather with a good scent

LG24-01: Bonjour, Lather Games 2024

• Brush: Dogwood Handcrafts 26mm Declaration Grooming B9B #COMPOSITE #FRANKENBRUSH #SHD
• Razor: Blackland Razors Vector #CNC
• Blade: Schick Proline (24)
• Lather: Eleven - Organic Sweet Orange - Shaving Soap
• Post Shave: Stirling Soap Co. - Pharaoh's Dreamsicle - Aftershave
• Fragrance: Clandestine Laboratories - Wendover - EdP
• Passes: WTG, XTG
• Coffee: Ethiopia Natural Process

We made it to another Lather Games! Looking forward to doing more reading than writing this time around. Case in point...

Shoutout to u/OnionMiasma for this sample of Eleven Organic Sweet Orange shaving soap. It's harder and harder to find stuff I haven't tried, but I've managed to miss Eleven up until now. The Julien base performed beautifully for me, I love their somewhat unique and stark packaging, and straight-up orange is always a great smell. Great shave to start the Games.

See you around.

June 1, 2024 - Bonjour, Lather Games!

• Brush: Yaqi Surf
• Razor: Yates Precision Manufacturing - Merica #CNC
• Blade: Gillette - Silver Blue
• Lather: Zingari Man - The Master
• Post Shave: Clubman After Shave Lotion

Excited to be apart of my first Lather Games. I first started posting in r/wetshaving last year in around August. I would read and hear about LG, but never really understood what it was or why it was talked about so much. Not sure how involved I can get with Daily Challenges, but I have soap/cream set up for everyday.

Today’s theme being using an artisan that I’ve never tried before, and Zingari man was the first artisan that popped into my mind. u/Eructate sent me a generously sized smush that I split in half and can use the other half when my respiratory illness subsides.

This scent was incredible and I think it could easily be a daily driver for me. It’s described as a dark barbershop and the spices are very nice. The slickness and protection was ridiculous and I didn’t need to put much thought into building the lather. I got very little feedback from Clubman which can tend to light me up if I have a rough shave.

I did not attempt the Daily Challenge, but my trusty CNC machined YMP Merica did an awesome job as always.

Cheers to this month everybody, may the biggest shaving nerd win!

ROTY

June 1, 2024

• Brush: Oumo Warhammer Iceberg 27mm Meri-2

• Razor: River Razors 6/8 3/4 Hollow

• Lather: Henri et Victoria - Amande - Soap

• Post Shave: Wholly Kaw - Hiatus - Aftershave
• Post Shave: Thayers - Lemon - Toner
• Fragrance: Elysian Soap Shop - Atlantis Deep - Eau de Parfum
• Talc: Yardley Classic
   

---

Bonjour! Ça va!

I have not used a soap from Henri et Victoria before. I picked this sample up, along with three others at this year's Maggard Meetup. Amande is very cherry and rasperry forward. There's coconut, and a touch of rose in there too. I don't normally enjoy fruity, gourmand scents but I really liked this one. I chose to take the fragrance more towards a Piña Colada with Hiatus. The rum note makes this fragrance less like a candy treat. Finally, I chose Atlantis Deep. This is decidedly an aquatic scent but it has yuzu and rose and manages to keep light enough to move away from the pineapple in Hiatus and into fragrance notes that I can feel comfortable with all day.

Oh wait! You may have noticed the razor. Well, I have used the major razor types; being of the older persuasion and now a fairly avid wetshaver. So, for today, I thought I would use a razor form factor that I have never used before, 6/8 - 3/4 hollow, and use a razor that nobody else in the world (except for the maker) has used before.

IRL, this razor is just stunning. The polishing is absolutely perfect, as is the file work on the spine. The Red Juma Dragon scales and Blue Juma Dragon wedge, offset by the white liners just can't be realized in a photo -- though I will try to get some glamor shots of it. While it is 3/4 Hollow, the shape is not a copy of any other 3/4 hollow 6/8 razor. This is a unique design from my friend Boris de Riviere (the artisan behind River Razors).

In fact, he made this for me as a surprise. We had been talking about a 6/8 razor. I mentioned a French Point, and that some file work on the spine would be nice. That's all. Boris has a waiting list and I expected to hear from him about the razor in the fall; though we do correspond semi-regularly via email. The next thing I know, he emails some photos and a video of this razor. I was dumbstruck. He absolutely nailed it!

Oh, it's a great shaver too!

June 1, 2024

• Brush: AP Shave Co. 26mm G5C #FAUXFUR
• Razor: Rolls Razor #FOREVERSAFETY
• Blade: Rolls Razor
• Lather: AA Shaving – Moonlight
• Post Shave: Barrister and Mann - Lavanille
• Fragrance: House of Mammoth - Indigo

Lather games, so let's start with the lather. I'm using a smush generously provided by u/archsoup. I got good performance with this, even though it exploded in the envelope and was probably half of what I'd normally scoop out for a bowl lather. It was thick, surprisingly low cushion, and very high on residual slickness.

I decided to pair the moonshine theming of this soap with an elegant night out at the speakeasy. Lavanille is pure luxury, constantly making me think I should be out on the town while wearing it, and Indigo is the inside of a speakeasy with blueberries. Love it.

Now, the elephant. To meet today's special challenge I'm using the only style of razor on the list that I've never tried before. This razor fucking sucks. I think I ripped more hairs out of my face than I cut off. If this soap was any less slick I would definitely be soaked in blood right now.

Today's photo brought to you by trash. I've been called crazy for not throwing away these boxes and smush envelopes in a timely manner, but today it pays off. I really just wanted to show off that the smush exploded in the envelope and thought trash was a fun way to do that. Also the trash is where this razor belongs. #photocontest

01 June 2024 Complementary Non Dickkhole Mythos Grooming Violetas

• Prep: Warm Shower
• Brush: Semogue TNS LE 50/50 Mixed
• Razor: Aylsworth Apex
• Blade: Gillette Nacet (33)
• Lather: Mythos Grooming - Violetas (1)
• Post Shave: Dr Jon's - Aphrodite A/S
• Post Shave: Thayer's Concoction
• Post Shave: Good Oleo
• Post Shave: Stirling Soap Co. - Unscented Balm
• Fragrance: Caron - Pour Un Homme

First day of the LG. A day of respite before the judging storm begins.

Make sure you formatting and tags are on point.

My goal for the LG is to be on theme and have a small blurb everyday.

I've had this soap sitting in my next to use pile and decided to pick it out for today. I don't know much about the soap maker except that I vaguely remember reading that this brand was out of Brazil? Base is quite slick and nice and the scent is a pleasant mix of what I think is iris, violets and a fruity element, likely the plum note.

It's a rainy grey day and I was debating pairing this with something dank and green to play with the other notes. I ended up picking Caron's Lavender+Vanilla+Musk combo with Pour Un Homme and Aphrodite's sweet fruity rosy floral combo to play with the fruity floral notes. The aftershave is quite strong and I can just feel it radiating from my face like a cloud of rose fruit.

Label quality is absolute shit and not even waterproof, all the ink is starting to wash of it, so that is going to be interesting.

Good luck!

https://www.wxyz.com/news/hear-from-the-man-caught-driving-during-virtual-court-hearing-for-suspended-license

Cheers

New All the things

Today Scent

• Brush: Smilezformilez Black Badger #WEDONTNEEDNOSTINKINGBADGERS
• Razor: Enders Speed Razor
• Blade: Enders
• Lather: Palmira Sapun Za Brijanje
• Post Shave: Don Draper Green
• Fragrance: Alpa Eau de Cologne Fougére

Fast First Shave.... I struggled to have a close shave with this machine, constantly buffing to cut the beard. The black badger brush is another experience to live, using a hedgehog for lathering is the closest experience.

.#photocontest Fill the frame

.#FOF The oldest scented shave, feel like grandpa.

2024-06-01 Bonjour, Lather Games!

• Prep: Coffee, Face wash soap/warm water
• Brush: AP Shave Co. - Handcrafted Series "Summer" with 24mm Gelousy SHD fan knot (A1)
• Razor: Blackland - Blackbird, DE safety razor, Brass, 101 mm handle - "Brassbird"
• Blade: Astra Superior Platinum, DE
• Lather: A A Shaving – Gale
• Post Shave: A A Shaving – Gale

The quick of it for the judges - Artisan never used before = A A Shaving and I enjoyed it. Could not fulfill new blade format today (had the razor for months but the blade is still in the mail). AP Shave Co. featured today? All good I love the handcrafted series handle and Gelousy fan knot from them. Plenty happy to use this today.

Lots going on in the Zombie household. PZombie Jr. graduated high school earlier this week and this morning had the party / reception. Pancakes, sausage, fresh fruit, and coffee. Lots of coffee. Been a crazy week with graduations, business travel, and today is my anniversary. Don't worry I have not forgotten Mrs. PZ with all that is going on.

A A Shave: New artisan for me. I know they have been around but I have spent too much Seriously - how cute! It comes with a guitar pick! Shave went well enough. I followed the lead of the artisan and scooped with the pick and may have not scooped enough. With a new soap I'm not the best at gauging what I need. I usually brush load from the container and whip it up in a bowl. But this time I followed the lead. Next usage I will go my regular route. Basically I did not get enough mushed into the bottom of the bowl. It was an easy lather. The scenting - I enjoyed it as I like aquatics, storms and even violet (the funk flower). That said, if you do not enjoy violet you may want to pass as this is a very prominent note.

The after shave was an equivalent matching set of notes with a not overly fussy set of ingredients. All in all happy with the set.

The featured artisan of the day: AP Shave Co.

I have a beautiful handle from their handcrafted series that was made from a blank the owner of AP Shave Co. custom ordered from a pen maker whose wares he took a liking to.
The Gelousy SHD fan knot is nice blend. While low scritch and more of a painter it is an all around winner.

I could not meet the all new! I have a GEM based razor that I have restored, but the blades are still in the mail.

Take care and have a good one.

He did a good job of highlighting the daily sponsor here.

SCRUBA GAMES DAY 1

• Brush: No scrub  Restored Gillette standard 19mm boar #hollow #oldworld #smoll #runt #composite 

• Razor: kanton straight razor #rustybuttrusty 

• Lather: red house farm X No scrub - no scrub soap

Min/max run is a go. 

Current ratio of soaps to theme 1:1

June 1, 2024 – Bonjour, Lather Games!

• Brush: Z Feidu - Barber Brush #HORSEASS #MISTURA #TOLL
• Razor: GEM Junior #FLIPTOP #RUSTYBUTTRUSTY
• Blade: GEM Blade (1)
• Lather: AA Shaving - Wapiti
• Post Shave: 345 - 345 – Rocky Mountain Tree Line splash
• Fragrance: Goodfellow & Co - Cedarwood & Geranium Cologne
• The Lather: There are good decisions and there are bad decisions, and then there are the decisions made that are so bad they make you question your sanity. Well today I am questioning mine. It began with the idea that I would use a new to me soap with a new to me brush. Except not only was the brush brand new, but it was of a hair type I had never tried (horse) and is large enough to mop my floor with its splay. The soap itself was, I think, rather forgiving considering I should have used a bucket to lather with this brush. Admittedly the lather ended up evening out pretty well so while there was a bit of a struggle, it was only a mild disaster.
• The Shave: Now I have never tried a GEM razor before so when u/OnionMiasma put this little GEM Junior up for PIF some months back I was pretty excited but knew enough to save it for Lather Games. It took me a minute to make sure I had the blade loaded in correctly (first flip top). So, after lathering with my face with the floppy horse brush, I put steel to whiskers as delicately as I could. From the very first stroke I knew I would regret this shave. I thought I was prepared for an aggressive razor, but I was not prepared for this innocent named monster. I tried every angle I could think of with the faintest of pressure, but alas I paid for this shave with flesh. Oddly enough it left little red streaks in perfect lines spaced just far enough that I can’t blame them on my dog. I will likely try again with this razor, but I think I’ll hold off until it’s a day with soap and brush I’m familiar with.
• Aftershave/Frag: I decided to pair todays shave with a splash of 345 – Rocky Mountain Tree Line aftershave and some Goodfellow & Co – Cedarwood & Geranium Cologne. This choice was made for 2 simple reasons. I have never used either of these 2 product lines (Todays Theme) and they carried a similar scent idea of a woody forest. Overall, I was very happy with the scent combination between my software today and would happily combine these again.
• Theme/Challenge: Today’s theme/challenge is using all new brands/razor types and everything I used today was new to me in brand and/or razor type (GEM).
• Acknowledgements: Special thanks to u/OnionMiasma for the smush of Waipiti, the GEM Junior, and the GEM Blade. Thank you to u/2SaintsDude for the splash and frag decants.

LG24-01: Bonjour, Lather Games!

• Brush: Chisel & Hound Flourite 26mm AP Shave Co. MiG™ Premium Hybrid Synthentic Knot #FRANKENBRUSH
• Razor: Weck Hair Shaper #WECKONISTA
• Blade: Kismet [1]
• Lather: Eleven Shaving - Cremoso - Soap
• Post Shave: Stirling Soap Co. - Island Man - Aftershave
• Fragrance: Chicago Grooming Co. - Shilo - Eau de Parfum

I bought this sample of Cremoso from Eleven last June. I had probably planned to use it in last year's LG. Looking at the list of software vendors, I remembered that I had it. It's marketed as "Summer in a jar!" However, I get more of a toasted coconut cookie from it. It's not bad, but not what I expected once it was lathered. I hadn't used either the Island Man AS or the Shilo EdP either.

The brush handle is my prize from last year's LG. I had put it aside, trying to find the right knot. It finally came together recently with AP Shave Co MiG knot, and using it today seemed appropriate.

I've had this Weck since last AA. I had intended to use it then, but chickened out at the last moment. It's just been sitting on my shelf since then. I wasn't able to get the closest shave with the Weck, but it wasn't too bad. More practice is needed. Since it's still really just a shavette with a different type of blade, I don't think it passes for today's challenge.

Best of luck to everyone playing in the games this year. I'm looking forward to seeing what will unfold. This community never ceases to surprise and amaze me.

Edit: forgot hardware tags; corrected photo link

Bonjour, Lather Games!

• Brush: Omega S-brush
• Razor: Qshave Adjustable #FLIPTOP
• Blade: Bic
• Lather: Denim - Original

New to me Denim shaving Cream. It’s actually not bad.

Edit:

photocontest

Humor

What do you call a denim expert? A jeanius.

Jun. 1, 2024
Prep: Cremo - Coconut Mango Shave Cream - Preshave
Brush: Cumberbatch First Class Silvertip Badger
Razor: W.C.S. Multi Titanium Collection Razor, 84M
Blade: Gillette Nacet [4]
Lather: Chiseled Face - Ghost Town Barber - Soap
Post Shave: Ariana & Evans - Pistachio - Aftershave
Post Shave:* Tower 28 - SOS Rescue Spray

First time using Chiseled Face. I really liked it. Got a great shave today.

Shared from My Shave Den for iOS

Can I even post here?!?!

June 1, 2024

• Brush: 2023 Lather Games Champion Trophy with AP Shave Co 26mm SilkSmoke Synthetic Knot #FRANKENBRUSH #COMPOSITE #TOLL
• Razor: Rolls Razor #FOREVERSAFETY #STAINLESSLESS
• Blade: Rolls
• Lather: AA Shaving – Wapiti Soap
• Post Shave: WSP - Mahogany Splash
• Fragrance: Jovan - Sex Appeal

What’s the best way to kick off my quest to become the first ever back-to-back Lather Games Champion? I need to set the tone from day one. Let every last one of you know that I am not taking it easy this year. If you want to take this trophy from me, you’re gonna have to pry it from my slippery, lathered hands. I will not lay down and I certainly will not back down. No, I won’t back down! You could stand me up at the Gates of Hell… But… I won’t back down.

What’s the best way to set the tone and let your opponents know that you mean business? As I oft do, I look to history to help guide me, since we all know history has a way of repeating itself. I think back to an event that set the tone for something great. Something at set the tone for a lot of our ancestors. Something that set the tone for the foundation of my country. An event that made us THE United Fucking States of America!!! The place where WE first let u/enndeegee’s Great-Great-Great-Great Grandparents know that we aren’t gonna take their bullshit anymore! The British think they can tax our tea?? Get out of here with that nonsense! Good luck collecting taxes from the bottom of the fucking Boston Harbor! That’s right. Priusaurus’ Lather Games 2024 Shave Numero Uno took place at the site of the Boston Tea Party. The place that set the stage for the American Revolution is the same place setting the stage for Lather Games X: Priusaurus’ Revenge: Part Deux: ~~Electric Boogaloo~~ Defending the Crown™.

What was once called “Griffin’s Wharf” is now (appropriately) called “Independence Wharf” and there’s a marker that memorializes the night a group of colonists banded together and tossed 342 chests full of tea into the Boston Harbor, giving a figurative middle figure to King George, u/enndeegee’s family, and taxation without representation. And that’s the same energy I’m working with today! And to really drive the point home, I nicely packed up a special brush to use today. It’s a little big, but I was proud to unwrap this badboy as my brush today. I’m not going to lie to you. As far as brushes go, this isn’t the most comfortable one in my den, but the goal today is intimidation, not comfort. I can have good, comfortable shaves starting in July, as I gaze at my Championship Trophy for another year. Now, it’s time to get to work.

I find a spot on a bench, overlooking a replica of the ship that the badasses threw tea off (called The Beaver), and lathered up my smoosh of Wapiti, that was so generously sent by u/OnionMiasma. And I’m just gonna throw this out there to start. This brush is NOT ideal for making a lather in a travel bowl. It’s my first-time using AA Shaving and I have them fighting with one arm tied behind their back before lather ever hits my face because the brush is unwieldy. Next, the homeless guy sleeping on the bench next to me started making noise, so I was rushing more than I would have liked. And finally, never used a Rolls Razor before and likely never will again. I honed it on my own stones to the best of my ability (which admittedly isn’t that great) but there’s a reason why they stopped making these things. Tough draw for AA Shaving. Might as well tie the other arm behind their back, and maybe a leg too. The first time I use them and it’s also the maiden voyage with these two contraptions for brush and razor. And it’s outside, trying to use the selfie mode on my camera as a mirror. But… That’s the way Lather Games be sometimes. Unsurprisingly, as I shaved, I got a few looks from people passing by, but once again: That’s the way Lather Games be sometimes. Got a somewhat serviceable shave and managed not to slice myself open. Gonna be an awesome month!

Oh yeah, and a friendly little reminder for my fellow competitors this year: You come at the King, you best not miss. Priusaurus’ Revenge: Part Deux: Defending the Crown™ starts today.

#FOF: Against my better judgement, I’m tossing my hat into the ring for FOF again this year, despite having no idea what I’m doing. Sorry u/wallygator88! Not the best start, if I’m being honest. When I lathered it, Wapiti smelled mostly aquatic to me, and I was expecting a bit more woodiness based on the scent notes. I brought WSP Mahogony as a splash, expecting the woody-spicy splash to complement the wood notes in the soap, but it just didn’t jive like I hoped. The fragrance, Sex Appeal, was used mostly for the double-entendre, but also does have a sandalwood note and actually it doesn’t smell too bad. The spiciness of it actually pairs pretty good with the splash and it almost has an Old-Spice-esque vibe to it. The splash and frag really made this a woodtastic shave!

Special Challenge: Never used a Rolls before. And back in the drawer it goes. #neveragain #unlessitsforachallenge

Soap theme justification: Never used AA Shaving before

Relevant Post Shave & Fragrance: All scents have an over-abundance of wood 👀

Not your typical shitpost... but if there is such a thing as shit talking opponents in lather games... this is it!

Shaves with his trophy, shaves in public at the site of Boston tea party, return of the champion!

Jun. 1, 2024
Brush: Rubberset #HOLLOW #FRANKENBRUSH * Razor: Schick Injector L1
Blade: Schick Injector [1]
Lather: Wholly Kaw - Denarius * Post Shave: House Of Mammoth - Tobacconist
Fragrance: Stirling - EMP

My first ever Lather games so what better way to start off then by using everything I have never used before. Wholly Kaw first time using anything from them. When I told someone I was using Denarius he said ooooof, I knew it was going to be strong scented from just smelling the sample but honestly I love it and I will be buying a full tub. First time using an injector, I got it in a lot purchase and never thought of using it till today. The Rubberset, never used one before today, it’s on loan but he might be getting a DM asking how much he wants for it. Now I have used HOM products before but I’ve never used Tobacconist before. Finally, the Stirling EMP, I have never used any frags from Stirling I really like this one. So for the day of firsts, I am pretty happy.

Fragrance choice, honestly I normally think these things through but today, it was just a grab and spray.

#ROTY #FOF #photocontest

Black and White

Shared from My Shave Den for iOS

DAY 1 LATHER GAMES 2024! BONJOUR MES-AMIS!

• Prep: Water
• Brush: Muninn Woodworks - 24mm AP Shave Co Cashmere knot #COMPOSITE #FRANKENBRUSH
• Razor: L'Essor #FOREVERSAFETY
• Blade: L'essor
• Lather: Eleven Shaving - Lime and Basil
• Post Shave: Gentleman's Nod - Juniper Reverie
• Fragrance: Lalique - Encre Noire

In the first age, during the first day of shaving, when the lather started dripping, one stood, tormented by the burning sensation that is the embodiment of A&E. He chose the path of a anarchy, trolling and spite shaves. In his balkan crazyness he found no peace, and with a BBS face he strolled through reddit amonts heretics and spiteful people, so that he may find onions, dinasaurs who drive Priuses or other pitiful beings who have wronged him. He wore the banner of "The Order Of Stag", and those who tasted his spite shaves name him..... MrTangerineSky!

I'm back, but not in black! Man it feels good to be here, honestly the Lather Games are just something special for me, you wait patiently for THE CALENDAR, prepare and then it's just one whole month of crazyness, and YOU KNOW, that at the end of the month we'll all be like this! This year, I'm not gonna flap my yap, how I'm gonna win it, I'm gonna play the quiet game, slow and steady, but be solid as a rock! That doesn't mean I won't try to wreak havok, but I'll be smart and won't create any new rules for future LG! Very happy to see many familiar faces and many new ones!

Today is a new day, a new dawn(and Michael Bubble can sue my ass) and the general theme is "things you've never used"(my wording). Gonna break it down for each product and try to keep it fairly short(sorry judge who's reading). Before I do that, as much as it pains me to say, I want to say a great big THANK YOU, to u/OnionMiasma who sent this sample of Eleven Shaving, making it possible for my participation in this year's LG to be at full-value! Also Thanks to u/USS-SpongeBob and u/djundjila who helped me with the choice and approved the razor I used today.

Next part in additional comment cause of stupid reddit....

User goes the Michelle Obama route. Going high.

June 1, 2024

• Brush: Aurora Grooming LG24 Synthetic ("Lux Emerald Green") #SUBBROOSH

• Razor: Shumate Trusty (w/ orange scales, orange tang) #RAINBOW #RUSTYBUTTRUSTY

• Lather: AA Shaving - Wapiti (smush courtesy of u/OnionMiasma!)

• Post Shave: Wholly Kaw - Ikigai

• Fragrance: Atelier Cologne - Bergemote Soleil

"Got me a movie, I want you to know..."

Losing your virginity can be awkward and fumbling. At least that's been my experience. This is my first Lather Games. It's also, because of the Daily Challenge, my first ever attempt to shave with a straight razor. The Shumate was purchased used (and ostensibly shave-ready) on Ebay. It didn't seem to pass the "hair test," and after several minutes of careful stropping I went into the shave apprehensive.

In the end I'm proud of myself. Despite struggling with the angle of the blade, I managed to cleanly shave the flatter, accessible parts of my face—sideburns and cheeks—with only one nick, before bailing when I got to the jawline and chin. Too precarious for the time being. Whenever the blade was near the upper part of the face, near the eye sockets, I found myself thinking of the film Un Chien Andalou.

Lather, Post Shave, and Fragrance items were all used by me for the first time. Wapiti has a wonderful misty, atmospheric vibe, but also a note I can't quite place (like a more pleasant version of chlorine?) With Ikigai I get vanilla and musk more than any other notes.

Brush Strokes is a SOTD coda wherein I highlight a single work of art that, somehow or other, I perceive to be on-theme. Today's work is Tintoretto's Presentation of the Virgin, which hangs in the church of Madonna dell'Orto in Venice. It's a striking image that seems at once grounded and immediate, while also affording a distinct sensation of ascent, or possibly transcendence.

ROTY

Brush: Vielong Alter Brown Horsehair  

Razor: Merkur 34c

Blade: Astra Green     

Lather: Woodshop - Summer Break Soaps

Post Shave: Taylor of Old Bond Street  - Royal Forest

Fragrance: Ex Nihilo - The Hedonist

First lather games, busy weekend so I'll just be posting the basics!

Jun. 1, 2024
Brush: Summer Break Soaps Badger
Razor: Razor Rock Black Hawk
Blade: Feather Artist Club [1]
Lather: Bennesere Natural - Ione - Soap
Post Shave:* Bennesere Natural - Ione - Balm

Ciao Bella!

This soap shares the name with my wife, Ione. I have held onto this for nearly a year. Her birthday is next Saturday so I will use it them too.

The razor is new too. I picked it up last June.

Two passes.

Shared from My Shave Den for iOS

01JUN2024

• Brush: Aurora Grooming Baron w/AP Shave Co 26mm SynBad knot
• Razor: GEM Pushbutton
• Blade: Personna GEM PTFE [3]
• Lather: Bundabeard - Bosbouer
• Post Shave: Stirling Soap Co - Executive Man

Well here I am at my first ever Lather Games! I gotta say I'm pretty excited to see what everything will be like, and even more excited to discover some new stuff!

Segue into today's shave:

Bundabeard Bosbouer...well where can I start with it. This is my new to me product, which I regret not trying sooner now that I've used it. While it didn't have much residual sickness it lathered easily. I whipped it in the bowl after face lathering to see how it'd go and man I was pleasantly surprised. It's got a really clean scent to it, which made me feel like it was the perfect "right before bed" shave. The soap comes from South Africa (cool!) and the scent description on the site reads:

"Bosbouer is a fragrance that has light and fresh woody notes. I tend to 'visualize' smells and this one takes me to the scene of someone having a 'Kondensmelk koffie' at a camping site somewhere in the vast plantations of Mpumalanga, not far from a fresh mountain stream slowly snaking its way over rocky faces and moss banks, and into leaf-filled ponds where you will later spot your mirrored reflection in the water when casting your baited line to catch a fine fresh fish (FFF) for a stupendously glorious breakfast that lives in memory for years and years. Hot towel, shave in the bush, Bosbouer balm to round it off. Legendary stuff."

On top of that the soap is using a black clay base, which isn't something I'm very knowledgeable on, or bases in general really. But the cleanliness of the smell took my hand straight to Executive Man for my post shave since I felt it would pair nicely, and in my eyes, it does.

I've been utilizing my new to me GEM Pushbutton the last few days, and it has proven to be one of my favorite razors in my growing collection. No doubt I'll find something new but for now I'm obsessed.

Now to the brush: AP Shave outdid himself with the SynBad knot. It's my first non-Oumo/TGN Synthetic that I've used so far, and is also my first fan knot I've used (although first use was not today), and it's in the first handle I made to match a soap (I made it to match Stirling). I'm a huge fan of the way it feels, and look forward to more knots from AP.

All in all, good day 1 for me I think. I look forward to what the rest of LG has in store!

June 1st, 2024 - Lather Games Day 1

• Prep: warm shower

• Brush: AP Shave Co x Shavemac with Muhle STF knot

• Razor: Schick BBR-1J

• Blade: Schick Proline

• Lather: Baume.be - Original - Cream

• Post-Shave: Thayers - Unscented - Toner

• Fragrance: Barrister & Mann - Reserve Lavender - EdC

I haven't posted a shave with a Schick kamisori shavette, which is the most unique and furthest piece of razor hardware I could locate in my den tonight.

First time with this Baum.be cream, I've had this sitting for months (shocker to nobody) and remembered I'd neglected to try it. It's a solid cream, it whipped up into a very usable lather extremely quickly, and has a light but very pleasant clean scent. I wouldn't go crazy trying to track some down but I'm glad I got this tub cheap from the BST.

The brush typically lives in my travel kit but I had to break it out to rep our sponsor today. This is easily my favorite synthetic knot I've tried and I couldn't resist getting my hands on a shavemac beehive 🤤

I hope everyone had a great start to the Lather Games, especially you rookies!

June 1, 2024 – Bonjour LG and Blessings

• Brush: Ap Shave Co Synbad 24mm
• Razor: Lady Gillette – Pink
• Blade: Voskhod (1)
• Lather: Holy Black Shaving Soap
• Post Shave: Old Spice – Old Spice Original

My dearly beshaved. We gather here today in this digital sanctuary of lather and blade to compete. Compete together, in games of friendly but possibly treacherous bloody battle. This next month will require much of us. strength, courage, resilience, and faith. But most importantly… a pretty stacked den the result of internet driven hobby of obsessive hoarding. But NAY let me not digress to an argument for another day, let me not spark controversy like those that speak the tounges of a retriever of gold, for our dens may also be stacked, stocked, and overflowed from our fellow shaving brethrens goodwill. I myself shave today from the generosity of u/cowzilla3 and his offering of citrus and spice with an opening of the games shot of gunpowder that begets the most Holy Black. A scent so familiar but a lather wholly new to me. I use this with a razor I myself gifted to my betrothed as she enjoy mid century tchotchkes, and while I have used a DE blade and razor so many times before it is in the SPIRIT of the games I wield this razor as I have never used it. (Also these voskhods, I can’t remember even using them from my maggard starter kit) As many of you all have before me, you may see from my SOTD photo that I assembled my own shrine for today, a mosaic of a personal search for spiritual meaning in my daily burdens and blessings. Tokens and teachers that have shown me the way of just lettin it be, man. And while our beliefs may be disparate, for the next 30 days we together in union put our face and the grooming products we love forward in the search for meaning (but more likely childish friendly hobbyism). So may we now take the time to reflect with reverence on this our collective yet competitive campaign. From the judges to the rookies and raw hoggers, from frag bros to weckists, the poets of posts, exhibitionists and the airbudists may we battle on this summer break like the noblest of otters spirit of goodwill, charity, and fellowship, together. ———————— P.S.: The lady Gillette was actually quite nice with the long handle but a touch too mild. The Holy Black lather was actually very impressive and really a nice rounded scent of OS.

Jun. 1, 2024 - Bonjour Strange

• Prep: CeraVe - Hydrating Facial Cleanser

• Brush: AP Shave Co. Blue & Clear Gelousy A3 Badger #SHD

• Razor: Rolls Imperial #ForeverSafety

• Blade: Rolls

• Lather: AA Shaving - Moonlight

• Post Shave: Micky Lee Soapworks - Luau

• Fragrance: Rouge Perfumery - Tabac Vert

IT’S DAY ONE OF THE LATHER GAMES!!!! My fourth year competing and I’m super excited for it! I have been super busy lately and haven’t been able to really plan for a lot of the month and will be flying by the seat of my pants for a bit.

I had a late shave today, partially because I had Dad responsibilities today with my wife working night shift today. Also partially because I was putting off using this razor after hearing how terrible some people had said it was. It really is an awesome concept for a razor with a pretty cool history. While it wasn’t named after Rolls Royce the creators had hoped that people wouldn’t notice that it was a different company and just assume that it was the same company. After furiously studying the instructions that came with it I decided to use both the hone and strop side to see how sharp it was. Honestly, it wasn’t the worst, it pulled like shit but I didn’t cut myself and it removed hair from my face. It’s a coin flip on if this will end back up on eBay or not.

It’s a damn good thing that my wife is working tonight because none of these scents go together but for the Games, I’m using all new brands for software and this is what I’m stuck with. None are bad on their own, but together they just straight up clash!

Finally, as the resident preachers kid around here, I figure it’s my place to give the invocation for this month:

Our Lather who art in brushes,
Slickness be thy name,
Thy razor come,
Thy stubble gone,
From face down to the ankles.
Give us this day our daily trifecta,
And forgive us for our sniping,
as we forgive those who snipe deals before us.
And lead us not into shave_bazaar; but deliver us from Razor Emporium. For thine is the slickness, the cushion and unobtanium, for passes and passes. Amen.

Daily Theme Justification: I’ve never used AA soap before! Thanks to u/thebunnynator1001 for sending this sample!

Relevant Post Shave & Frag: All software are from brands that I’ve never used before!

User provides us all with a nice convocation for the start of the games.

June 1, 2024 – LG 1: Bonjour, Lather Games

• Brush: Summer Break Soaps B9A #SHD
• Razor: SXDGS No. 152 #STR8SNOB
• Lather: AA Shaving – Wapiti
• Post Shave: Noble Otter – Firefighter
• Fragrance: Ineke – Derring Do

WSDB had a hiccup, so write up take two, FFS. Let’s just say I probably could have gotten a better shave today using a cheese grater or mandolin, but it was not shave in the kitchen day. Especially, since this purchase came from the small boutique where everyone goes for quality shave gear…amazon. Today was my first time using a straight razor, so it seemed wise to try and catch it on video. I did cut the video short so you wouldn’t have to watch me through all ~20+ min trying. Long story short, this shave had more intense tugging than my teenage years. Escaped with about 6 nicks and a patchwork quilt of remaining stubble and razor burn.

I’d never tried AA shaving, hadn’t even heard of it until seeing it as a sponsor. Thankfully, judge u/onionmiasma ~~colluded~~ sent me some to use as a new brand. Good scent, and I’ll refrain from commenting on performance considering the circumstances. Wapiti a clean aquatic forward scent on a base of woods, modeled on the forests of the Pacific Northwest. I can get a similar vibe near me in coastal Santa Cruz mountains, and they nailed the ambiance of those hikes in scent form. NO firefighter and Ineke Derring Do are other aquatic forward scents also on a woody base, with a cedar line through all 3 as well. They are clean, crisp, and a safe wear for all occasions. #FOF

For today’s #PHOTOCONTEST trash seemed fitting, just like this razor. Ironically, I think it qualifies for str8snob.

soap brands 1/30, post shave 1/30, frag 1/30, post/frag linked 1/30, software sponsors 1/16, hardware sponsors 2/2, razor hashtags 1/15, brush hashtags 1/15, photo contest 1/30, daily challenges 0/25, special challenges 1/5

June 1, 2024 - Bonjour, Lather Games!

• Brush: Bundubeard Sekelbos Hoss #HORSESASS
• Razor: Weck Hair Shaper #WECKONISTA
• Blade: Kismet (1)
• Lather: Soap Commander - Optimism
• Post Shave: Floid - The Genuine
• Fragrance: Spearhead Shaving Company - Seaforth! Black Watch

Challenge: I used a new to me soap, blade format, brush, and aftershave.

This was a long day. I spent 10 hours working a sound gig with no internet after getting up extra early to shave before I left. I wrote up most of this offline in docs.

Thanks to /u/Priusaurus for the smoosh. This is my first time using Soap Commander. Optimism is difficult to nail down. It smells a bit like green tea with a touch of bergamot. It also smells a bit like menthol. I was expecting more fruit. There's not much here. I'm having trouble picking up enough soap. It's drying out on my face and feels thin. I'm not impressed with this lather. I'm not feeling optimistic about Soap Commander after this shave. Coming back to this ~14 hours later: smelling my soap bowl, I can see how this is supposed to be pear. The fragrance comes off artificial in a Starburst kind of way.

This is also my first time shaving with a hair shaper. Thanks to /u/jwoods23 for the Kismet. I initially bought this Weck for Austere August. However, I wanted to do Rawhoggin and picked a soap that was easy to lather, but wasn't the best for slickness. I didn't want to do a full month of hair shaper shaves with that soap. So, I chickened out and never used it. This isn't my style of razor. I've tried using a straight razor once or twice, and have used a Kamisori shavette less than a dozen times. The Weck wasn't great, but wasn't terrible, either. My cheeks were easy. My neck was a bit more difficult. Shaving my chin was a challenge. My gotee was impossible. I couldn't get the razor to glide on my skin. When using “no pressure” the razor got stuck. With a bit of pressure it shaves well. But, I feel like I'm doing something wrong.

This is my first time using this new Bundubeard brush. The handle is beautiful and comfortable. The knot is a little scratchy. Backbone is low to mid; a bit more then my silver tip. I tend to mash knots a bit when face lathering. This is definitely more of a “just the tips” kind of brush. Flow-through is good. The knot gelled and stuck together splayed out after a bit of face lathering. This is the first brush I would say truly has a funky smell.

Floid aftershave is also new to me. It's hard to get a read on the fragrance. It dissipated very quickly. It's your standard barbershop fair. It dried quickly and had a touch of cooling. It doesn't feel like there's much in the way of skin-food. I'd classify this as a traditional mass-produced aftershave. Following up: Now that I'm home and can spray a bit on a Kleenex this is your standard powdery, musky, barbershop with the addition of menthol.

I picked Black Watch to match the plum and bergamot notes of optimism. This is a fragrance I like to wear casually. It's a leather heavy fragrance that works best in colder months. Warm spice blend seamlessly with the leather, while sweet plum keeps it from being too heavy. After an hour and a half I'm getting lots of leather and can still smell the plum. Three and a half hours after application it's mostly leather. There's some sweetness, but it's not differently distinctly plum at this point. Black Watch is a refined fragrance that's dressed down. I don't need to be wearing a dress shirt for it to appropriate. But, the shirt needs to have a few buttons.

#photocontest Animal (not alive). The monkey is not alive. I checked.

#FOF

June 1, 2024

• Brush: Chisel and Hound Resolute V20
• Razor: Karve CB SB-D
• Blade: Personna Lab Blue
• Lather: Henri et Victoria – Oud wood
• Post Shave: House of Mammoth – Alive

This LG, I am thinking of a different way to participate, in the spirit of why I have been attracted to wetshaving and this experience as a whole. I love the memories that each scent evokes, and probably why I have such a hard on for soaps/scents over hardware. So I will give a brief memory that each reminds me of, while hopefully simultaneously not wasting djudges time. This was bought well over a year ago (and never used) to help me understand and identify what oud wood smells of. My initial thought: unscented. Now: a delicate perfumy and woody depth, something I recognize in women’s scents over men’s. An undertone, not a star. But needed for a complete scent. Overall it reminds me of my journey to decipher the cacophony of noise that complex scents have. Like that time period, where everything is new to me, this soap brand and scent which I have never used exemplifies all that this hobby has to offer and all that I love about it. I wish you all the best of the LG, and to participate how you all see fit. Thanks all for organizing and donating – this sub really is special because of the friendship and interaction like this. Here is my “money” shot for the #photocontest #FOF

Edit: forgot to add the AS – Alive because that is how I feel for day 1 of the LG.

Jun. 1, 2024
Brush: Chisel & Hound / TnS Quartermoon #FRANKENBRUSH * Razor: Gillette Super Adjustable #ADJUSTABLE * Blade: Gillette Silver Blue
Lather: Eleven - Lime and Basil
Post Shave: Proraso - Menthol & Eucalyptus (Green) * Post Shave: Osma - Alum
Post Shave: Jack Black - Double-Duty Face Moisturizer

First time using a soap from Eleven. Picked this sample up at the Mags meet this past April. Very nice scent that doesn’t linger too long so pairs well with the Proraso AS.

ROTY

LG day 1

Brush: Dogwood - Badger? Boar?

Lather: Hendrix Classics & Co. - Ladies' Man

Razor: Weck Hair Shaper

I ask the judges to take pity on me, I can't remember what site we use to format and this is all I've got in me.

Edit: Challenge: Never used a shavette before. Or Hendrix soap.

June 1, 2024 - Bonjour, Lather Games!

• Prep: Warm Shower
• Brush: Yaqi Moka Express 26mm Two-Band
• Razor: Rolls Razor #FOREVERSAFETY
• Blade: Rolls Razor (1)
• Lather: Historic and Oak - Embargo
• Post Shave: Historic and Oak - Embargo
• Fragrance: 345 Soap Co. - Aces Over 8s

Imagine a professional shaving competition where the top competitors are known for their exceptional skills and technique. The "Aces" in this scenario represent the elite group of shavers who consistently produce flawless results, earning them the title of "Aces" among their peers.

An "embargo" in this situation is where the competition organizers, or what may be known as judges, decide to impose a temporary ban on using certain tools or techniques daily, effectively "embargoing" the Aces' advantage. This is done to level the playing field and give other competitors a chance to catch up or ensure the competition remains fair and challenging.

The phrase 'Aces over 8s' symbolizes the dominance of the top shavers. These skilled and resilient individuals can still achieve exceptional results even when restricted by the embargo. The '8s' represent the rest of the competitors, who may need access to the same tools and techniques.

Thus begins this year's lather games with a soap and razor style I have never used before. All tied together with the heavy tobacco note in all my software. Nothing will hold the competitors back this year!

#PHOTOCONTEST - Animal (not alive) Bella was with us for 13 years before passing two years ago, just before Christmas.

June 1st 2024 - New All The Things!!

You probably thought I forgot how to shave, or that this would be about coffee. Guess again bitches!!

• Brush: Dogwood Handcrafts w/ Maggard Razors G5A 26mm Synthetic

• Razor: Colonial Razors - "The General" Brass

• Blade: Feather Professional AC

• Soap: Through The Fire Fine Crafts - The Lake

• Aftershave: House of Mammoth - Z

• Fragrance: Calvin Klein - ck One

• Brew: Dancing Gnome - Tentacle Squad IPA

Well well well, this is going to be a tough month for me as I've liquidated most of my hardware. Good thing there aren't points for using 30 different brushes and razors anymore...or are there, I haven't read the rules and haven't looked at the calendar. That's right, I'm raw dogging this LG every day. Each day I'll look at the SOTD thread and take it from there. No prep, no plans, I'm just going to improvise.

Thankfully I went to Maggard's Weed Up this year, because I got some awesome samples from TTFFC, their soap is solid and this scent (The Lake) and Northern Lights were two of my favorites from the meetup. I've never actually used anything TTFFC before so that should count. Though technically they make soaps for Maggard so is this a loophole?

This brush was also a pickup from the meetup and the first time I've used this knot, it's really nice as far as synthetics go, but I still prefer Badger. Shape isn't my favorite but when I bought the knot a few years ago there wasn't a fan option.

You'd think that Tentacle Squad is a reference to Squid Games, but this beer has been out since at least 2018. It's a NE IPA but it has more bitterness than most haze bois, that said it's still super fragrant, floral, and grapefruit thanks to all the Vic secret and mosaic hops. I'm not usually a huge fan of mosaic hops, I think they are highly over rated, but this one really hits the spot.

June 01, 2024

• Brush: Prometheus Handcrafts w/ 28mm Synthetic

• Razor: Weck Sextoblade

• Blade: Kismet Hair Shaper (1)

• Lather: Eleven Shaving - Lime and Basil- Soap

• Post Shave: Eleven Shaving - Lime and Basil - Aftershave

• Fragrance: Spearhead Shaving Company - Seaforth! Sea Spice Lime

A day of firsts. Admittedly I bought Eleven solely due to them being a sponsor this LG. I usually don't and typically encourage getting smushes instead of buying products when you're trying something new. After talking to one of the Judges, I was encouraged that the new sponsors added this year truly had good products and had been vetted. I am very plesantly surprised with the performance of the Eleven base, and I'll be honest, my expectations weren't high. Whith so many scents these days getting more and more complicated and the notes lists growing, I have an added appreciation for the simple scents. I'd say I'm typically herb note adverse when it comes to scents after smelling Ferox, but the basil with the lime works damn well. I don't think I'll be adding a ton of other Eleven soaps to my collection as I've already got enough soap, but I'm definitely pleased to have added this one.

Per the bonus challenge, this is my frist time trying a Weck. I had gotten this razor just days before last AA and didn't want to dive into committing to a whole month of weck-ing. Things went okay enough. I didn't want to start the month off with a gouged face, so I didn't try for a perfect shave just went with a good enough one. I these are nifty and I can definitely see the appeal. It certainly keeps you alert during the shave.

Cheers.

June 01, 2024 – LG24 Day 1 - Bonjour, Lather Games!

• Brush: Chisel & Hound Spice Blow handle w/ 26mm v23 Fanchurian Badger knot
• Razor: Weck Sextoblade Med Prep #WECKONISTA
• Blade: Kismet Rostfrei Beschichtet (1)
• Prep: Stirling Soap Co. – Unscented Preshave Soap
• Lather: Eleven Shaving - Cedar, Vetiver and Sweetgrass
• Post Shave: Stirling Soap Co. – Sandpiper AS Splash
• Fragrance: Parfvm - Inspired by La Nuit EdP
• Music: AC/DC - Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap

Mabuhay from the Philippines. It seems like yesterday u/Priusaurus kicked open the door, announced that everyone else was playing for second because he was going to win, and then went out and did it. With the dawning of this year's edition of LG, we have a number of prior year's top-tier participants joining the ~~dark side~~ djudging ranks, many of our esteemed long-term staffers passing the djudging batan to the staff youngsters and taking on "emeritus" roles, returning top-tier participants feeling it in their bones that this is their year, Prius sitting on his throne with a machine gun gripped in each fist daring anyone to come close to him, the rooks wondering what the hell did they get themselves into, and then there's me, who now lives in the Philippines, no longer has access to the US Military postal system, barely survived last year's LG marathon, and is back for more ~~punishment~~ fun.

PIF Disclosure, Daily Theme & Relevant Post/Frag: The Cedar, Vetiver and Sweetgrass smush was generously provided by u/tsrblke. This is my first time using an Eleven Shaving product. I enjoyed the scent, and while my caveman nose didn't notice either the vetiver or sweetgrass, I liked how they tempered the cedar scent to keep it from being overpowering. I went with YSL La Nuit de L'Homme dupes for post and frag to compliment the cedar by brings additional woodiness and a bit of spiciness to the mix. I thought the software scents worked well together.

Special Challenge & The Shave: Prior to last August's Weckonista contest, I had no intent of ever using a straight or shavette. Then I became aware of the Weck Sextoblade Med Prep (with US Medical Corps emblem) and FOMO set in. I lucked into a bargain on ebay and picked up some Kismets, but before I could use it, I relocated to the PI and the Weck got set aside and forgotten about... until I reviewed the LG calendar.

In hindsight it probably was not the smartest idea to use the Weck for the first time with a soap that lists glycerin as a major ingredient. I've never had any luck with soaps high in glycerin and today was no exception. Eleven's Julien base was plenty slick but not nearly as protective as I like. Shaving my cheeks went well enough, but when I transitioned to by neck it became weeper city. The soap just wasn't protective enough considering the abuse I was inflicting with the Sextoblade. When I transitioned to my upper lip and chin, no soap ever created could have protected me from the damage I inflicted on myself. I went full Reservoir Dogs on myself, leaving a 2mm slice on my upper lip and a 1mm gouge on my upper chin. Luckily, I'm used to bleeding like a stuck pig from my pre-wetshaving days, so I was able to carry on and finish the pass, declared victory (as blood oozed out of my face), and started tending to my flesh wounds.

Philippine Fun Fact: Mabuhay is a Filipino greeting, usually expressed as Mabuhay!, which literally means "to live". The term is also occasionally used for toasts during celebrations to mean "cheers".

June 1, 2024 - Bonjour, Lather Games

• Brush: AP Shave Co - TUXEDO full synthetic
• Razor: SHICK - Eversharp Injector vintage 1945
• Blade: SHICK - single blade injector
• Lather: AA Shaving - Waipiti
• Post Shave: 345 Soap Co - Rocky Mountain Tree Line Splash
• Fragrance: Goodfellow & Co - Cedarwood & Geranium Cologne

I want to first and foremost give a huge thanks to u/OnionMiasma for the AA smush. He is officially my favorite soap pimp and go ahead call me a whore I don’t care! Also recognizing u/mitosismonkey for the PIF for beginners which I was super lucky to get. He jump started my wetshaving addiction/obsession.

SOAP - AA is new to me and I must say it was fantastic. The lather came easy which at my age nothing else does. It was fluffy, moist, warm…..hmmm….so nice. Okay anyways the scent was superb got lots of cedarwood on it.

RAZOR - Also new to me. Didn’t think an old geezer razor would shave so well but it did. Now to be honest every razor I put in my face shaves well because of years of hard work accumulating adipose tissue have made my face resemble a watermelon. All smooth angles babe…

THE REST - Well I suck balls (not literally because that would be weird saying outloud ha…ha.. ha…) at pairing fragrances so I saw cedarwood in the soap and decided to use anything else that had cedarwood as an ingredient and worked really really well !!!!!!!! Which kind surprised me immensely like a big schlong hitting your face out of nowhere. Deeply disturbing surprise NOT literally by the way just so we are straight here.

Overall great start !!! I think…?

SOTD - 2024-06-01

• Beard Growth: 96 Hours
• Prep: None
• Pre Shave: None
• Brush: Simpsons Trafalgar T2 Royal Pearl - Synthetic #PREMIUMPLASTIC #OLDWORLD
• Razor: Utopia Shavette (borrowed from a friend)
• Blade: Derby Professional - Single Edge
• Passes: WTG
• Lather: Zingari Man - The Magician
• Post Shave: Eleven - Apollo

• Fragance: Versace - Crystal Noir

• Comments:
  Ah man!! too late to post the SOTD but oh well, as Kyle Broflovski would say: It's not the LGSOTD points but the experiences we get along the way lol...

Everything is new to me Shavette was a cool experience, got it from a friend might keep it for a few more days. Only did small strokes on the flat sides of the cheeks finished up the shave with the Henson.

The soap and the AS are new to me as well, got a PiF with almost 30-40 samples of soaps and AS. Did not like the zingari man at all, felt the slickness was missing. I typically use SW soaps didn't think this held up in performance to that. The AS was new to me as well, I liked it a lot!!

#ROTY