July 1, 2023

• Brush: r/wetshaving Zentih MOAR BOAR 31mm
• Razor: Razorock Game Changer .84
• Blade: Gillette Platinum (17)
• Lather: Mäurer & Wirtz – Sir Irisch Moos
• Post Shave: Thayers – Rose Petal

It's here! I'm hopeful that being pushed back a month will help lead to a more interesting, developed Lather Games, but I suppose we'll see over the course of the month.

Somehow I've managed to go my entire wetshaving career without using Tabac or any other - Mäurer & Wirtz products, so SIM is my first foray into their lather product line up. It's a solid performer - not exceptional, but it certainly does what it needs to. To me, the scent is on the funky side of fougère, easily approachable and generally a very nice scent profile.

​

Lather Dance to the tune of Humpty Dance by Digital Underground

Lyrics:

All right, stop whatcha doin' 'cause I'm about to ruin

The image and the style that ya used to

I look funny, but, yo, I'm makin' lather, see

So, yo, world I hope you're ready for me

Now gather 'round, I'm another fool in town

And my sound's laid down by the Underground

I lather all the Bufflehead ya got on ya shelf

So just let me introduce myself

My name is Mango, pronounced with an -Ango

Yo, faces, oh, how I like to shave thee

And all the shavers in the top ten

Please allow me to bump thee

I'm shavin' tall, y'all and just like Humpty Dumpty

You're gonna fall when the SOTDs pump me

I like to rhyme, I like my beats funky

I'm spunky, I like my lathers lumpy

I'm sick wit dis, straight razor, mack

But sometimes I get ridiculous

I'll use up all your C Bub’s and your Wholly Kaw

Uh, yo shavers, come here, are ya waxin’ now?

Yeah, I said you’re waxin’, don’t get in a tizzy

Shavin’ never stopped me from gettin' busy

I'm a freak, I like the soaps with the boom

I once got shaved in a Burger King bathroom

I'm crazy, allow me to amaze thee

They say I'm ugly but it just don't faze me

I shave at every chance

And I even got my own dance

The Lather Dance is your chance to lather up

(Oh, lather, baby) come on, uh

Get all lathered up, come on and get all lathered up

(Oh, oh, do me, baby) check me out y'all

Get all lathered up, just watch me get all lathered up

Come on, get all lathered up, ha, get all lathered up

July 5, 2023

• Brush: My hand
• Razor: Schick Hydro 4 in 1 Groomer
• Blade: Schick Hydro 5
• Lather: Gillette Foam
• Post Shave: Harry’s - Post Shave Balm
• Fragrance: Liz Claiborne – Curve for Men
• Music: Gillette – The Best a Man Can Get

In a weird way, I’ve been looking forward to today. I haven’t shaved with canned goop since I picked up wetshaving almost two years ago. Even last Lather Games, I used Cremo with a DE razor because I didn’t want to go back. But now, for the first time, I realized if I want to truly be dedicated to the Lather Games, we have to go back. So I’m going back. I’m going back to a simpler time, when I didn’t have to decide what scent profile to use on a given day or what razor I felt like using today.

Shortly after I got the hang of shaving with a DE and using shave soap, like so many from r/wicked_edge, I declared to myself “I’m never going back” to shaving with canned goo and I got rid of any and all of that shave stuff I had. For today’s shave, I went down to CVS and bought a travel sized Gillette Shaving Foam. Off the jump, the scent was kinda reminiscent of my dad in my childhood. It was light, basic, and kinda fresh

The razor I chose for today is perfect for the man (or woman) on the go. It’s a half trimmer and half cartridge razor. It’s actually called a “4-in-1 high performance styling tool that Shaves, Edges, Trims, and Hydrates.” I’ll concede that it does shave, but aren’t edging and trimming the same thing?? And how the hell does this thing hydrate?!? Unless it has a button that shoots out moisturizer, I’m calling shenanigans on the hydration factor. At any rate, it’s at least a 2-in-1. Have you ever felt the need to trim your sideburns before or after your shave? Or when you get out of the shower, do you ever look at your sideburns and think, “damn, I gotta trim this back”? If you answered yes to either of these questions, this is the perfect razor for you! Toss in a AAA battery and you’re good to go! This is perfect for the person on the go who also uses a 4-in-1, Shampoo, conditioner, bodywash, and moisturizer shower gel!

The foam actually felt okay on my skin, but the razor was a catastrophe. It was so big and awkward, sure it’s nice to be able to trim any and all hair back at a moment’s notice, buuuuuttttt…. Is it really necessary? Who’s to say? I say no, but I’m only one man. After this shave, I can safely say, I’m never going back to cartridge razors, and if I do, it’s not going to be this monstrosity. I finished the shave off with Harry’s Post Shave Balm, which actually wasn’t bad. Felt fine and smelled okay. And then for the fragrance, I dug deep into my memory of working at CVS when I was in high school in the late 90s/early 00s. Out of all the fragrances, we sold more Curve for Men than just about any fragrance in the cabinet. Spraying this on brought me way, way, way back to a time of JNCO Jeans with a pocket big enough for my Disc-man, and a flannel shirt tied around my waist. Ahhhh… Those #FOF memories.

For today’s challenge, I’m sticking with my love of gourmand. I need someone to make a S’Mores scent: Marshmallow, Graham Crackers, and Chocolate. There’s a pre-blend out there, but it includes smoky firewood, and I don’t want smoke in my gourmand. I also dream of someone making a scent that smells of coconuts, the beach, and aged wood, then adding a touch of Ginger and calling it Gilligan’s Island.

For the #photocontest, I put all this shit in a hole so I can bury it and hopefully never see it again.

Just because I’m not using a world-class artisan today, doesn’t mean I’m not gonna include an interview. So I went to Gillette’s website and started a live chat. So, without further ado, here is:

10 Questions with… Wendy from Gillette’s Live Chat

Wendy: Hi I'm Wendy. How may I help you today?

1) Me: Hi Wendy - I'm thinking about switching to the King C. Gillette Double Edge razor, like my grandfather used to use. Can I get a better shave with a double-edge razor?

Thank you for taking the time to reach out to us here at Gillette. I am happy to assist you by sharing information on this product with you today. The King C. Gillette Double Edge Safety Razor features: Our Iconic heritage-inspired design, A single-blade razor designed for edging sideburns and strong beard lines to help you achieve your perfect look, Long-lasting sharp blades for ultimate precision - Thin sheet of high-quality stainless steel coated with platinum for durability and an anti-friction coating for comfort, Closed comb head for the best control. When we design our products, we do extensive research and consumer testing to create features that we think you will love. We know that preferences can vary from person to person, though, so we really appreciate your taking the time to reach out.

2) Is it difficult to learn how to shave using a double-edged blade?

I am happy to share with you how to shave with this product. One moment while I collect this information. First, choose a razor that feels good in your hand. Weight is important, as you do not want to apply any pressure. You should let the razor do the work. To shave with a safety razor, do the following. Shower or wash with warm water, then lather shaving cream over your face and neck. Hold the razor guard at a 30° angle to the skin. (You may not be able to keep the razor at this angle around the nose, ears, and chin.) Hold the razor firmly to guide it in the direction of the shave without pressing too hard. The weight of the razor should be pressure enough. Make the skin tight by flexing your facial muscles into appropriate positions or using your free hand to stretch the skin away from the direction that you’re shaving. Start shaving in the direction of hair growth. If necessary, apply more shave cream and shave lightly against the direction of hair growth. The coarser and thicker the hair, the shorter the strokes you will need to use. Use short, choppy strokes when shaving around the jaw and chin. Rinse your face, pat dry, and apply an aftershave product to the skin. I am happy to share a few additional tips: We recommend you change the blade on a specific day each week. A blunt blade can ruin your shave. If you’re new to using a safety razor, take your time. You will not master the technique on the first shave.

3) How long does a typical Fusion, 5-blade cartridge last vs. a blade for a double edge razor?

The lifetime of a blade depends on various factors. How tough and thick your hair is; How often you use the razor & on which areas of the body. How well you rinse the razor. To get the best shave, we recommend you change your blade at the first sign of blade dullness or discomfort. If you can't remember when you last changed the blade, that probably means it's time for a new one. https://gillette.com/en-us/products/beard-care/king-c-gillette-double-edge-razor You can view or purchase this product right from our website. This product would ship to your home with free shipping.

(INTERVIEW CONTINUED IN THE REPLY)

July 2, 2023

• Brush: Dogwood Good Gully Maggard Black and White Synthetic 26mm
• Razor: New England Straight Razor 6/8
• Lather: Southern Witchcrafts – Peach
• Post Shave: Thayers – Rose Petal

Vegan day? Of course, Southern Witchcrafts is an easy choice. I don't know the first thing about soap making, but I do know that their soaps are all vegan and have fantastic performance to boot. The peach scent also really hits the spot this time of year, with peach season coming up fast. I don't think the soap perfectly captures the scent of peaches, but it's just a little sweeter and creamier, making for an excellent summer scent.

For (ICan'tBeliveIt'sNot)ButterTheToast Day ... I am a bit short on single edge razors (and scrapers), but a straight razor does have one edge, so I think that counts?

​

Without Cow to the tune of Black Cow by Steely Dan

Lyrics:

In the corner

Of my eye

I saw you in r/Wetshaving

You were lathering

You were shaved

It was a cryin' disgrace

They shaved your face

On the counter

By your brush

Was a lather calendar

And your shaving soaps

One of these

Surely will shave off the sorrow

But where are you tomorrow

I can't lather more

While you run around

Shave away

Just when it

Seems so clear

That it's over now

Lather without cow

And get out of here

July 3, 2023

• Brush: Maggard mixed Badger/Boar 24mm #MISTURA
• Razor: Razorock Game Changer .84
• Blade: Gillette Platinum (18)
• Lather: House of Mammoth – Almond Leather
• Post Shave: House of Mammoth – Almond Leather

Almond Leather is, in my opinion, the best almond scent in the shaving world. It's wonderfully simple and complex all at the same time. Almond dominates up front, but the leather provides a strong base to keep it from just being an overly sweet marzipan-esque scent like many traditional Italian almond soaps.

For the daily challenge, I was planning on writing in the style of u/RedMosquitoMM, but it turns out that I cannot write anywhere near as well as Mosquito can. So, I had the brilliant idea of using a red brush (since my shaving mosquito is out of commission). Apparently my photography and lighting skills are even worse than my writing because that definitely looks very brown, and not at all red. So, uh, maybe just pretend it's red in the pictures?

​

Mammoth Monday to the tune of Manic Monday by The Bengals

Lyrics:

Six o'clock already

I was just in the middle of a shave

I was latherin’ shave soap

Got that Almond Leather scent that I crave

But if I can't lather

Then I guess I just won't get shaved

These are the days

When you wish your face was already shaved

It's just another Mammoth Monday

I wish it was Sunday

'Cause that's my shave day

When I don’t have to slave away

It's just another Mammoth Monday

July 3, 2023 - Almonday - Live Almonday in an Almondway™ * Brush: Stirling 24mm Boar Brush, Almond-colored * Razor: Muhle R89 #TWINS * Blade: Gillette Platinum (1) * Lather: Stirling Soap Company - Almond Creme - Soap * Post Shave: Apex Alchemy - Speakeasy - Splash * Fragrance: Tom Ford - Lost Cherry * Music: Belle and Sebastian - The Boy With The Arab Strap

Daily Write-Up
Too often we post our SOTD early in the morning, and then never come back to reflect upon how that day’s themed shave has affected us throughout the day - what changes may have happened based solely on what we chose that morning. Well, I didn’t necessarily get to choose the theme - rather, it was chosen for me by our benevolent judges. But to see how a theme can affect my daily living I’m going to be constantly asking myself - how can I incorporate the simple almond into almost every facet of my day?

7:30 a.m. - I stumble into the bathroom to start my day. I fumble around the closet, and pull out some Aveda Cherry Almond shampoo (thanks, honey!), and a sample of Almond Creme bath soap. This was a gift from the fine folks at Stirling Soap Co., which was great, as it is what my wife uses.

9:00 a.m. - Logged into work. Work sucks. The end. I could really use some caffeine, but unless I can pair it with almond in some way - no go.

10:00 a.m. - I gotta eat something. I head into the kitchen, and find some Almond butter. We had picked it up after we found out that our daughter was allergic to peaches, as peaches and almonds are in the same family, and often if you’re allergic to one you’re allergic to the other. Great news - SmallestMiasma is not allergic to almonds. But, the almond butter toast was a good choice. Smokier and less sweet than peanut butter, but chalk full of protein. Since I found a suitable snack, I allowed myself a Diet Coke. I’ll have to go grocery shopping in a bit.

12:00 p.m. - After a few hours of work, it’s time for my lunch hour. Since I hadn’t planned to Live Almonday in an Almondway™ prior to this morning, I needed to go get some provisions. I headed to my local grocery store and shopped for some Almonds and Almond-adjacent items. First I picked up ingredients for a delicious post-work cocktail, then made my way to the nut aisle to pick up some snacks, where I see that they have my all-time favorite snack on sale! Score! (Note - not kidding. These are freaking delicious, Almonday or not). Next, to the cereal aisle, as I’m planning for Brinner tonight. Lastly, I hit the snack section on the way to the produce area to grab items for lunch. It was here I saw that they are advertising an inferior nut, so I decide to finish my shopping elsewhere.

Luckily, there is a Trader Joe’s right across the street. If you’re really truly trying to Live Almonday in an Almondway™, this is where you should do your shopping. The Motherlode of nut juice, dessert Almonds, and many other Almond or Almond-adjacent foods.

I quickly took my items home, and whipped up a quick lunch. Chicken and green bean almondine, with almond milk-infused coffee.

Delicious!

Back to work for a bit - I’ll take a break to shave here in a bit.

1:00 p.m. - I couldn’t wait any longer, the anticipation of shaving in an Almondway™ was too much. I went with Stirling Almond Creme, for obvious reasons. I had three options in my den; I used the terrible Colonel Conk Amaretto yesterday, so it was this or Cella, and given the celebration of Almond we're having today, I went with the far superior product.

I matched it up with Apex Alchemy's Speakeasy for the aftershave. Most of Apex Alchemy's scents are very sweet - this is no exception. The star here is cherry, which is a frequent partner of Almond in scents and dishes. One of our family's favorite desserts is a Cherry Almond Bundt Cake that my wife makes.

I don't have an appropriate fragrance for living Almonday in an Almondway™, so I'll have to source that after work.

For my razor, I picked the R89, the first of the R89/DE89 twins. I know they're supposed to be the same, but I don't feel like mine shave the same. My EJ is way more aggressive.

1:09 p.m. - While I sit here working and drinking my almond milk and coffee, I put Sebastian and Belle on the stereo, an artist that /u/RedMosquitoMM turned me on to last year shortly after I joined the sub. I'm reminded of a conversation I had with one of the LG judges last August. We were talking about the results, and I said that for me, I didn't feel like there was ever any doubt who would win- Skeeter was operating at a level far above the rest of us, who were all playing for second place with our hijinks, while he just put together perfectly thoughtful post after perfectly thoughtful post.

3:35 p.m. - Whelp. I've eaten an entire container of Salt n' Vinegar almonds. Only 1020 calories.

6:08 p.m. - I quit working for the day. Having my brinner and then going to find how to scent my new Almondway life.

6:38 p.m. - I headed to the swankiest store in my nearby mall, and wouldn't you know it, the first fragrance I tried was perfect. Tom Ford Lost Cherry- it is a perfect blend of almond and cherry, and is a perfect end to the day. I have truly lived Almonday in an Almondway™.

Soap Theme Justification * Almond Creme - it's right there in the name.

Post-Shave and Fragrance Relevance Notes * Aftershave - Apex Alchemy Speakeasy - the cherry notes in the aftershave pair really well with the Almond in the Almond Creme.

• Tom Ford Lost Cherry ties the soap and AS together by being a perfect blend of cherries and almond, smelling almost exactly like our family Bundt Cake recipe.

#photocontest - food

Lather Games 2023 Day 4

• Prep: Warm water
• Brush: Mühle - Rocca Jet silvertip fibre
• Razor: Razorock - Lupo OC 95 SS
• Blade: Gillette - Platinum
• Lather: MacDuff - Spring cabin
• Post Shave: Osma - alum block
• Post Shave: MacDuff - Spring cabin

Top secret

Undisclosed location

Science military base "MacDuff"

Operation "Spring cabin"

Mission purpose: to get most danger Close slick shave.

Test subject: tier 1 top operator

Substance: 1.71 g explosive soap

Catalyst: 18.5 ml heavy water

Integration: 007 methodology - stirred not shaken

Weaponry: Razorock, model: "Lupo," division: SS, cartridge: Gillette caliber: Platinum, ordinance: Mühle- Rocca Jet propelled

Mission conclusion:

"this substitute is made for slick and razor sharp operations"

My original plan is to use whole Mühle Rocca Jet set ( because is black like night operation, black ops ) but today I was surprised by delivery! The new Razorock Lupo! I was so excited so I put it directly in action! It was a great shave! The base of the soap is amazing! Great sickness and firm cushion. Lupo perform really well. I love it! After the Lather games I'm gonna make battle between Lupo and R41! And why not if i can manage during lather games. Will see if I have opportunity. Test subject Out!

ROTY

Spring-Themed Shaving Science: a Failed First Attempt to Investigate the Water:Soap Ratio in a Shaving Lather

First published: 04 July 2023

Abstract

There has been considerable discussion on r/Wetshaving of the importance of using sufficient water when building a lather for shaving. Here, I made an attempt to examine if my usual judgement by feel actually gets close to what may be the optimal ratio for today's soap.

Discussion

Today's challenge is "science." Now, science, of course, is not measurement, no matter how precise. Science is a process where you test a hypothesis through experimentation and prouduce evidence to support or contradict it. I am aware people colloquially use "science" to describe any kind of research whatsoever, but today I will not condone it. If there is no experiment, it cannot possibly be science. If there is an experiment, then it might be science, even if you're not measuring precisely.

Therefore I think "shave like it's a science experiment" should mean experimenting with your shave to test a hypothesis, regardless of the precision of your measurements. When considering what hypothesis I might test within a single shave, I believe my options are limited. Most would be best tested via many shaves. Not only do multiple trials allow the identification outlier data, but also reducing variables to a single independent variable: even within a single shave, each pass will be different, and different parts of my face are different.

Also, of course precision in measurement is helpful, even crucial, depending on what you're testing. I'm not arguing it has no place in science, merely that it is not a sine qua non.

I settled on the question of whether I am still not adding enough water to make an optimal lather, despite all the discussion in this forum on the topic over the last few years.

Equipment

• Brush: Omega 20102
• Razor: Gillette NEW long comb
• Blade: Topaz Platinum (64)
• Lather: Talent Soap Factory - Save the Earth
• Post shave: Murphy & McNeil - Ogham Stone
• Fragrance: Barrister and Mann - 42

Methodology

Normally, when shaving I never measure the soap or water precisely, I judge the ratio by feel: id est, does the lather "feel" wet enough as I work the lather on my face? As I conceived of the experiment immediately before the shave, and am concluding it just after, there was insufficient time to determine a baseline measurement of soap & water.

I shall instead pick an arbitrary amount of soap to start with (0.8 g) which I expect to be sufficient for the shave. I'll then gradually add water a few grams at a time and work it in, judging first by appearance in the bowl, and then by working the lather on my face, adding more water until I "feel" it is ready. This should mimic my normal routine well enough to start at the same baseline.

I'll then complete the first pass and note in qualitative judgement how the shave feels. I'll then add more water to the lather remaining in the bowl, lather my face again, and complete the second pass, noting any qualitative differences in how the shave feels. This process shall be repeated for the third pass, although if the lather feels far too wet in the second pass, I may decide to add more soap in addition to, or instead of, water, for the third.

Results

For the initial preparation, I found with 0.8g soap, approximately 19.3g of water approached what I consider a "normal" feel appropriate for shaving. This gives my first pass a water:soap ratio of about 24. I had soaked the brush well before the shave, and made sure to squeeze out as much water as I could: I wanted the bristles fully soaked so that they would not absorb any water from the lather, but I also did not want to throw off my water measurements by letting an unknown amount remain in the brush.

The first pass felt good, while it was a little tuggy, that is to be expected when using a blade which has been used for sixty three prior shaves. The "drippiness" of the lather may also be relevant: the lather gathered around the razor's head while shaving, and would drip off only when a large amount had gathered (enough to fully obscure the base plate). However gently shaking the razor will also cause most of the lather to drop off.

Before the second pass, I decided to add about 10% more water: I added 3.0g to the bowl. And only after doing so, realized my mistake: I failed to weigh out how much lather I had built, nor how much remained. Therefore I no longer know the ratio, because I no longer know how much soap or water remains of what I had initially added. If I had removed one third of the lather for the first pass, the water:soap ratio might now be approximately 29. But this was not measured.

Still, I shall press onward. The second pass lather is noticeably wetter than I usually shave with. However it is not wholly unfamiliar; since my usual process is not precise, I will sometimes add enough water to reach approximately this same point, I think. While shaving the lather will easily drip off the razor head without accumulating much. The feel of the shave is still quite normal however. It is less tuggy than the first pass, but that is to be expected as the stubble is shorter by this point.

Before the third pass I added yet more water, 0.9g, to make the lather wetter still. Indeed, as I lather my face again, it is now dripping down off my face and neck where I spread it by gravity alone. Again, if I suppose half the remaining lather was used, the water:soap ratio might now be about 33. Also, while I thought it would be sufficient, 0.8g was too little soap for this shave. I had sufficient lather for the third pass, but only by scooping every last bit out of the bowl. Thus my estimate of one-third of the total being used for each pass.

During the shave, I again perceieve no significant difference from what I would normally expect. This pass feels slightly rougher, but that is to be expected in a pass against the grain.

Conclusion

The methodological failure to measure the amount of lather built, or how much was used in each pass, invalidate any guesses at the ratio when adding more water after the first pass.

Still, within the bounds of a single shave, I did not notice a significant difference in the quality of the shave as additional water is added. Here the limitation of performing the experiment within a single shave also reduces the quality of the data and conclusion: it would be better to judge the quality of each pass with each ratio. While I certainly could have prepared three different lathers for this shave, I chose not to, due to time constraints.

Based on the lack of significant qualitative differences noted between passes, beyond what would be expected by the different nature of the passes, I would conclude that this soap has a fairly wide range of optimal performance.

But as is often written, more research is needed.

July 4, 2023

• Brush: Maggard Badger #WEDONTNEEDNOSTINKINGBADGERS
• Razor: GEM – Star #TWINS
• Blade: Personna GEM PTFE (1)
• Lather: E&S Rasage Traditionnel – O’Vert
• Post Shave: E&S Rasage Traditionell – O’ Vert
• Fragrance: Roberto Cavalli – Uomo

Difference between science and screwing around

Me: “Welcome to our new episode of Mythbusters – Lathergames edition. Today, we have a special guest. Let me introduce you to Mr. Science Link”
Mr. Link: “Ha,zig,yeah!”
Me: “We have an international audience, would you please switch to english?”
Mr. Link: “Okay”
Me: “We have seen a lot of Posts regarding GEM razors. Their reputation speaks of hard to use and unintuitive handling, which will be rewarded if mastered. Another myth we want to crush is that the maggards badger is not suited for samples and precision lathering. Mr Link, what will we use today?”
Mr. Link: “As you mentioned, we will use the Maggards no name badger brush. We will precision lather today. We also need to use a Gem. u/Teufelskraft send us a GEM Star to try today. Thanks to him. We will also use a sample from him called O`Vert as soap and aftershave to be on theme.”
Me: “But then we dickhole. Isn’t that bad?”
Mr. Link: “I have read your post yesterday. I dont think you consider a dick to be that bad!”
Me: “Let us start. I dressed in a bathrobe, because it looks a bit like a gown.”
Mr. Link: “I want one too!”
We will first soak the brush while we brush teeth. Mr Link, can you stop the time?”
Mr. Link: “You took 16 seconds to load your toothbrush and 86 seconds to wet your face and clean your mouth. That means we soaked the brush for 4 minutes and 32 seconds as we germans brush teeth for exactly 3:00. Did I mention that it’s unnecessary to soak a badger?”
Me: “I just like to soak my brushes wet.”
Mr. Link: “I also like things to be soaking wet, just like Yo Mama” Me: “We will now swing the brush to get the water out. 4 times should be enough to get it damp.”
Mr. Link: “Why did we soak it, when we use it damp?”
Me: “Because Cosmobarber said so.”
Mr. Link: “BeCaUsE CoSmOBaRbEr SaId So”
Me: “He was lathergames champion, and who are you?”
Mr Link: “I am the hero of time, and i see that you are wasting my time.”
Me: “Lets start to build some lather for 30 seconds and see how it goes… The brush swallowed all lather. We need more water”
Mr. Link:”MMMHHHH, feels so good to be right NSFW)”
Me: “We will add 8 ml of water and try to get some lather for 30 more seconds. Mr. Link, can you tell us about the waterquality here?”
Mr. Link: “14,8 dH”
Me: “Mr. Link, can you put that into perspective for our readers?”
Mr. Link: “Yes. Imagine you have a tea party than you do not need to serve crackers. How is the lather going?”
Me: “Its shaveable, but wont be great.”
Mr. Link: “I know.”
Me: “Why did you not say anything?”
Mr. Link: “You need to learn. Add more water!”
Me: “Thats what Cosmo would do too.”
Mr. Link: “Sigh!”
Me: “Lather is better, but we can get better. Add 12 more ml. It looks pretts good now. Mr. Link, what do you think about the brush and its clip?”
Mr. Link: “Looks sus to me”
Me: “I agree. But let’s give it a shot.”
Mr. Link: “Don’t bleed to death.”
Me: “Teufelskraft told me to hold the cap really flat to the face. Let’s see. It works damn well. I can barely see any hair on the razor but the result is fantastic, even for a first shave.”
Mr. Link: “You learned from the best.”
Me: “But the comb prevents me to get my mustache area clean.”
Mr. Link: “Then grow a mustache and stop looking like a baby.”
Me: “I ‘ ll look like a hipster if I do that and I don’t like them.”
Mr. Link: “You listen to synthwave and wetshave. You are a hipster!”
Me: “How much soap did we use according to our scale?”
Mr. Link: “Both scales are out of battery. In what kind of household do you live?”
Me: “At least I do not live in a trea with a cow. What do we say about the scent?”

FOF

Mr. Link: “It’s as grassy as it can get. It got heavy notes of fresh mowed grass in it. Before it overwhelms you, it turns earthy and moss comes out. The scent is as green as my armor.”
Me: “What will we combine it with?”
Mr. Link: “As grassy notes are rare in your fragrance collection, I bought you some Roberto Cavalli Uomo. Do not get confused by the scent description. Woody, oriental? Give it a try and you will see. Maybe you get an idea why i picked it for today.”
Me: “Mr. Link this smells interessting. It got woody notes, yes but its very floral.”
Mr. Link: “Correct. Black violet. Interestingly, although its a head accord, it stays very long and you will get it for a long time. It also got woody and honey notes, which are also on theme. Due to to violet it starts almost feminine. Give it a few hours and its a dark floral scent thats interesting to wear. You are now twice on theme. You have grassy and floral parts in your shave.”

FOF end

Me: “Mr. Link, anything else you want to add?”
Mr. Link: “Yes. Two things. 1. Nothing burned, not even your skin fromthe aftershave. Nothing exploded.”
Me: “But look at the Myths. We proved that GEMs are awesome and busted the myth that we can’t lather samples with the maggards brush.”
Mr. Link: “Because you are a morron. For how long are you wetshaving?”
Me: “Three years maybe?”
Mr. Link: “Disgraceful”
Me: “You wanted to say a second thing?”
Mr Link: “Are you aware that you are talking to a puppet for an hour now?”

July 6, 2023 – I am an idiot

• Brush: Böker – Synthetic
• Razor: Valet Autostrop
• Blade: Feather – FHS-10 (2)
• Lather: Southern Witchcrafts – Gravefruit
• Post Shave: Southern Witchcrafts – Gravefruit II
• Fragrance: Southern Witchcrafts – Gravefruit II

FOF

Daily challenge:
First I have to thank u/Teufelskraft for supporting me again with this trifecta. Fragrances of our beloved artisans are either hard to get, or super expensive in europe. My first challenge is in fact two challenges combined. I wanted to shave outside, but also in the kitchen. So either, I shave on the balcony and put a few plates and my grill there to make it more kitchen like, or I open the kitchen window to let the outside come in. I decided to do the later. If you wonder about the perspective, I chose to shave on the floor lying flat. Next I needed lather challenges. The obvious one was to add some ice. The next one was knee lathering. Maybe I ll be successfull this year? No. I cant reach my knee while lying flat on the floor. Damn. As you can see on the pictures, I was already running into problems and I havent even done the first swirl. The ice froze to my brush. I tried to pull the ice cube out, but it would have destroyed my brush. I started to panic. Don’t worry. Just wait till it melts. But you need to get to work, so work with the things you have. I chose to shave and lather with my non dominant hand. Compliments to Southern witchcrafts, that even with ice and a motorical handicapped morron, I was till getting something that was close to lather. The icecube fell out of the brush while I did that. What a relief. On the new to you day, I have used this razor and not again, so maybe we can also count it as new to you? The trifecta was new to me, although I am not unfamiliar with SW. I ll let the djudges decide. Unfortunately this is just a Valet Autostrop and not Rolls, because I wanted the #skindonor achievement. Ohh, before I forget it. As I could not knee lather, I tried armpit lathering. The runny mess, called lather did not change much. Damn ice in lather. Who comes up with these things? You may have noticed, that I am wearing a kitchen apron? Well, I wore it last year when i build my barbershop. Can we count that in? Since it’s stacking day, my setup looked like the following: Setup. In the bowl above my head, there is a wash cloth to get the used lather off my face between the passes. Keep in mind that I cant get up, as we are flat shaving. The bowl above that was there to clean my razor. It was pretty difficult to do that, as I did not know when my razor was in the water. Wait! Why am I wearing a hat? That had been a challenge too. But not in the last LG. This thing screams: I am a tourist. Lets do the first pass. I only get earthy notes from the soap. The grave in Gravefruit is the perfect name for it. Am I even smelling soap, or my armpit? We will never find out. As I am flat on the floor, I can only look towards the ceiling. No mirror, just audio feedback. The Valet was loud! #butterthetoast unlocked. I placed the razor on my stomach, reached behind me into bowl 1 and cleaned my face off lather. On the second pass with watery airbubbles, I realized that the combination of floor and head is annoying. You can not stretch your neck. As I could not see what I am shaving, if I am shaving at all or doing a massacre, I went with what i heard and scrapped off hair by hair until the razor got silent. Time for a photo finish. Do you remember the stacking challenge we had last year? Stacking samples is pretty difficult, but I thought it’s funny if I stack things on myself. There are also sexy feet in the background. Does that count as Den Tour? Last year it did. Turns out that the shave was okay. Of course it was not super close and I had slight irritations, but I guess I own that to the sub. Yesterday you had your worst shave in years with Barbasol, while I got something decent from Palmolive. Today was my turn to shave mediocre at best.

The aftershave was night and day compared to the soap. It was Grapefruit up front with a tiny bit of earth. The fragrance was much more interessting to me. It started off with boath these scents dominant. Then settled down and after an hour you can better distinguish them. Even later it got … werid. In the first sniff it was dominant in Vanilla. The range of the fragrance had shrunk to skin closeness by now. In a second whiff, the fragrance was soapy, bit grapefruit and bit of dark earth. I liked the scent much more at this stage. The earth played wonderfull with the sweet accords.

Edit: I am an idiot. Stacking challenge! Not stack challenges!

2023-07-09 "Kitchen," you say?

• Brush: Omega 11047 Mixed (43mm x 20mm) #MISTURA #SMOLL #RUNT
• Razor: Gillette Travel Tech (J3: 1964) #JETSETTER
• Lather: Catie's Bubbles - Irish Coffee
• Post Shave: Epsilon - Scottish Spirit
• Fragrance: Chatillon Lux - 1904
• Blade: - Lord Platinum (1)

Well if it isn't my annual reminder to clean my kitchen! I'm kidding. I didn't clean my kitchen last year, either.

#photocontest

Photo: Drinks
Super original, I know. Yes, it's the same little bottle of whiskey I used last year. Yes, they're the same coffee beans. What can I say?

What is new, as of this morning, is the moka pot in the back, which the Games inspired me to finally spring for. I'm not much of a coffee drinker, but I am a fan of tea, and I've been known to enjoy the occasional straight espresso. That said, I don't handle caffeine all too well, so it wasn't great when I got this thing this morning and promptly made 2... batches? brews? witch's brew? I don't know, but I had already had too much caffeine this morning, so I was really fucking amped before I started drinking the third.

Challenge Accepted: I knew I wouldn't be alone in choosing a different kitchen than my own, considering it was hinted in the challenge description. I was hesitant to follow through with this, but super-wired with faux-expresso, my brain barely able to process reality, and my kitchen now more of a mess, I sought another kitchen.

I shaved in a kitchen, alright: Pei Wei Asian Kitchen.

As I waited in line to order, I scoped out the restaurant for a secluded place to accomplish my task. There was none. It's an open, casual-fast restaurant; there are no secluded booths, only one open space. Everyone in the restaurant was part of an audience.

After I selected a table, I realized I would need another bowl for water, so I asked the person working, who graciously brought me one. I began preparing, and it wasn't long before the food arrived.

After having a few bites, I commenced lathering. That was inconspicuous enough, but once I began applying the later to my face. there was no hiding.

Two things became clear: 1) People are generally focused on what they have going on and 2) as long as you're not bothering anyone, they don't care what you're up to. The people who did notice didn't gawk or stare. They just observed that there was some guy nonchalantly shaving in the middle of a restaurant, and carried on with their own food and conversation.

And so I was able to proceed with shaving (using my phone's camera as a mirror) with little concern for the other people there, much as they had little concern with me. I admit I was nonetheless a little rushed, so I hadn't gotten the lather as thick as I would have in my own kitchen, but I got it better for the second pass.

Once I was finished, I rinsed each bowl in the restroom, and reflected on the fact that a greater coward would have done the entire shave in there. Similarly, a greater coward would promptly leave, but I decided it was time to finish the food

Relevant Post Shave and Fragrance: Tied together as the main features of the lather: coffee and whiskey.

#FOF

Lather: Because this will undoubtedly be one of the most popular lathers today, there isn't going to be much that I can add. I will say that it's probably the most pleasant coffee soap I've tried. In contrast, Stirling's Iced Coffee (a bar of which I currently have in the shower) is strong on hazelnut. Storybook's Coffee Spoons smells like coffee-flavored ice cream. Catie's Bubbles, on the other hand, is mellow and smooth coffee, with no bitterness. I do not pick up mush "Irish" in it, but I admittedly don't know what I would be sniffing for in that regard. During today's shave, I admit I didn't pay much attention to the scent.

Post Shave: First off, I very much enjoy the wordplay in the name, Scottish Spirit. Secondly, this aftershave pairs astonishingly well with General Tso's Chicken! I had started eating again when I donned it, and the whiskeyness laid beautifully over the hot spices of the meal. I feel comfortable calling the aftershave woody and smoky, words that I think are not uncommon when describing whiskeys. By itself (i.e. not alongside the chicken), the clove note comes through pretty strong to my nose, which I don't mind at all; I'm a fan, even. Cinnamon also seems quite prominent, but I've never been much a fan of cinnamon anything, so I could do without that part, but it's not terrible.

Fragrance: Following up with 1904 brought back the coffee, which frankly interrupted the graceful chicken/whiskey dance, but that's not the fragrance's fault. 1904 is what I might expect as the general ambient scent of air in a coffee shop, just the background smell that reminds you that it is a place where coffee is made.

Speaking of the fragrance in isolation, I think that the coffee note is close enough to the neighborhood of sandalwood that it occupies the same nose-space, so I don't think I can pick it out.
I still don't know what cardamom is, but if I learned anything from yesterday's cardamom+ylangx2 fragrance, I expect it's a light one that works with the jasmine and lime notes to brighten the scent from the coffee and sandalwood (that is straight guesswork there). I think I can actually detect the jasmine here—definitely more so than the lime—which pleases me; as I keep saying for some reason, jasmine is something I cautiously wish was more prominent in more scents.

July 9, 2023 – LG2023 Day Nine – Coffee Day

• Brush: Omega – IL Rasoio 28mm HD Silvertip
• Razor: Swing – Swing Travel DE
• Blade: Polsilver (10)
• Lather: Bufflehead Soap Co. – North York
• Post Shave: Extro – Caffè

Morning Degenerates

Coffee day was a tough pick for me as I have a few but I went with North York from bufflehead, with notes of Coffee, Vanilla, Barley, and Blood Orange it’s not a straight up death by coffee slap you in the face espresso, more so this is a gentle Latte on a cosy Sunday Morning.

Bufflehead head are another sadly now extinct Soap artisan and you don’t see there stuff traded too often either so I’m happy to still keep a couple of tins in the den.

With today’s task being to shave in the kitchen (I did notice the subtle invitation to use someone else’s kitchen but I’m not that brave) I thought I was just as well to make use of my coffee equipment at the same time.

I soaked the brush with water from my machine while I carefully prepped my coffe Puck but not for drinking this time. Puck prepared I turned my faithful beast on and bathed my soap (in my scuttle) in a wonderful aroma of fresh rich espresso. I’m not sure if it was too much water of the oils in the coffee but I will confess the lather wasn’t the best I have ever produced but I proceeded to slap in on my head regardless. The scent was strong, three wasn’t a chance that any of the original soaps note would break though but I must confess this did smell like a very edible lather.

The hardware today we’re both items I had been searching for a while with the Brush just an Omega but with the IL Rasoio graphics you don’t see these very often at all and other than this one I haven’t seen one for sale in a very long time.

The Swing is a razor I became attracted to because of its disc like case and again although they are sold now and again I didn’t want to sell a kidney to get one so I was happy when a friend offered me this one. The shave is just smooth as you like with the efficiency to match.

All in all another good shave and I hope you all have a good Sunday.

July 9, 2023 - Death Before Decaf

• Brush: Everready 300 PBT #SMOLL #ANCIENT #WEDONTNEEDNOSTINKINGBADGERS
• Razor: Child’s Spatula Kamisori #Kamisori
• Blade: GEM PTFE (1)
• Lather: Noble Otter - Thè Noir et Vanille - Soap
• Post Shave: Barrister and Mann - Cheshire - Splash
• Fragrance: Varvatos - Artisan Blu
• Music: Dave Matthews Band - Sweet

Daily Write-Up / Daily Challenge Notes:
I rolled out of bed today, embarrassingly late. Checked my phone, talked to Mrs. Miasma on the phone, who has MiniMiasma and SmallestMiasma with her at her parents, and then set into getting some things done around the house.

Before I knew it, it was 4:00 and I hadn’t showered, eaten, or shaved.

Remembering that today was “shave in the kitchen”, I grabbed my Soap, AS, Frag, an old Gillette Superspeed, and my current favorite brush.

I walk down the stairs, around the corner, and go through the living room to our kitchen, when out of the corner of my eye I see something interesting. MiniMiasma and SmallestMiasma have a play kitchen in our living room that would make a really perfect shaving space. Especially given that I’m home alone and don’t have to explain my decision-making process to… well, anyone.

So I set my items down and immediately I am hit with a bolt of inspiration. Last year, u/Impressive_Donut114 was able to fashion a razor out of a pair of chopsticks, and u/MrTangerineSky used a fork to shave. I bet this child’s spatula sitting here would make a perfect Kamisori handle.

I ran upstairs for a new GEM blade, and then slowly walked downstairs (we don’t run with razors, kids). I set aside my Gillette for another day, and got to work trying to make the Kamisori. First I tried holding the blade on to the spatula with a rubberband, but the blade kept cutting through rubber bands. Then I looked in the closet, and found some duct tape. I channeled my inner Red Green and quickly got the razor assembled.

You’ll note that one of MiniMiasma’s Barbies was sitting in the play kitchen. I considered using her luxurious blue locks for a brush, but figured that if any harm came to Mermea, I would be crushing a 5 year-old’s spirit. So, instead, I grabbed this old Everready brush (toy banana for scale), as it’s approximately the same age as the child’s tea set I’m using for my rinse and hydration water. That picture might be deceiving as to its size - but keep in mind the cracker is exactly the same size as a normal saltine.

I filled up the tea pot with some water, and began to soak the brush. If ANYTHING in this shave is child-sized, it’s this brush. My intent was to use it for the lather games, and then see if I could put a new knot in it. As it is today, it is laughably small.

I used a toy cracker to scrape out some of the soap, and then pressed it into the bottom of a toy saucepan to make my lather.

I lathered up what was a pretty decent lather, and started to paint it on my face. Since it was like painting with a model car brush, and I’m fat and have more than my fair share of neck, this part of the shave seemingly took forever. Once my lather was ready to go, I poured some water into the sink, and got ready to shave.

I very slowly used my makeshift kamisori to get a good one-pass shave. You’ll notice one little nick - that’s all I managed to cut myself during the shave (pre-shave is a different story - I am still bleeding on my finger where the GEM blade bit me during kamisori construction. Worth it.).

Finished product. I encourage everyone to use a makeshift kamisori at least once - you might be a better shaver for it.

Music today is from the band I've spent the last two nights watching. An epic show, if you've never seen them. Yeah, I get the "frat boy rock" image that they had in the 90s that turn a lot of potential fans off, but the reality is that these are seven super talented musicians who just have fun jamming with each other on stage for 3 hours. This song is about when he taught his young daughter how to swim, and the responsibility you have as a parent for your kids. I thought that paired well, since I was shaving in their kitchen.

The Shave
Fashioning a Kamisori out of a child’s toy and a GEM blade > Valet Autostrop.

Very low bar there, but it’s true. I got a decent-ish shave with the Kamisori, despite sitting on the floor in my living room using my phone as a mirror. I had a much more perfect shaving situation with the Valet (bathroom, running water, real mirror) and got much worse results.

I picked this brush up just for the Ancient hashtag - luckily it also knocks off the badgers and smoll hashtags as well. Provided that the djudges take no issue with my tags today, that’s 10 brush tags for me. Just working on the razors.

Having said all that - a shave with the Gillette and a normal brush would have been less dramatic and better.

Soap Theme Justification
* Thè Noir et Vanille - “Black Tea with Vanilla”. Also a lot of strawberry.

Post-Shave and Fragrance Relevance Notes
* Today’s scent theme is “cup of tea overlooking the ocean”. My goal for retirement is to be able to buy a home on the Maine oceanfront and move there when we are no longer working. For this shave, I tried to recreate what my mornings might smell like, with two versions of tea (TNeV and Cheshire, one of the GOAT scents), followed by a very blue, aquatic fragrance.

July 9, 2023

• Brush: Oumo - Imitate finest two band 24mm synthetic
• Razor: Chiseled Face - Legacy
• Blade: Wilkinson Sword
• Lather: Chiseled Face - Gemutlichkeit
• Post Shave: Storybook Soapworks – Coffee Spoons
• Fragrance: Halloween – Halloween Man X
• Music: Frank Sinatra – The Coffee Song

Today might be my favorite day of the Lather Games. I love trying different coffees from different regions and brewing them in all sorts of ways. Fun Priusaurus Fact: Every year in December,I do “12 Days of Coffee” with my wife and brew coffee 12 different ways in the 12 days leading up to Christmas. Thus, my weakness for coffee soaps isn’t too surprising. And Gemutlichkeit is one of my favorites because it takes coffee and then adds more gourmand sweetness on top of it. As the self-proclaimed Gourmand King, this is right up my alley. I have no idea how to pronounce it, and I have to double check the spelling every time I type it, but Gemutlichkeit is top notch.

Fun challenge today. Shave in the kitchen day?? LEEEEEETTTTTTS GOOOOOOO!!!!!

I looked around my kitchen, looking for something to take my shaves to the next level. And I spotted her. In all her glory. My KitchenAid Professional 600. And I started to wonder… Could I? … Should I? I’m usually a face latherer, but can I use this expensive kitchen gadget to bowl lather? I HAVE TO try. But how? The dough hook! I could somehow attach the brush to the hook. And when you want to attach something to another thing. Duct tape! I used orange, because it’s more fun and I thought I’d be able to see it better if something went awry. I took a scoop of Gemutlickeit, and rubbed it in the mixing bowl. I put my modified brush attachment on the mixer, razed the bowl… And… Turned that son of a bitch on!. I learned if I put it on a setting above 6, the brush starts to come off lather flies everywhere. For those that want to try this at home, setting number 4 seems to be the sweet spot. It didn’t take long to whip up a nice, shiny, beautiful lather.

The shave itself was great. Clean-up and set-up were a pain, so I can’t see myself regularly including my KitchenAid mixer into my daily shave routine, but for a once-a-year occurrence, sure. My family already thinks I’m nuts. Might as well lean into it.

I finished the shave using the gone-but-not-forgotten Coffee Spoons from Storybook Soapworks. I actually picked up this set from Inna’s collection on Murphy & McNeil. I wasn’t fortunate to know or interact with Inna, since I started shaving after he passed away, but it seems like he was loved and respected in this community. I’m glad his collection now lives on in the hands of those in the hobby he loved. The scent of Coffee Spoons is just black coffee, which I appreciate. That’s how I drink my coffee, so while the sweetness of Gemutlichkeit smells delicious, I respect the simplicity of Coffee Spoons.

For the fragrance, I’m using Halloween Man X. And it’s okay. It’s a warm scent with mostly coffee notes, but it also has some bullshit cardamom, lavender, and lemon. I’m okay with the inclusion of whiskey, cinnamon, leather, tonka and amber. Hell, even incense is okaaaay. But I don’t want those first three in my coffee frag, they don’t complement the scent of coffee at all and the #FOF would be better without them (MOIMO).

For the #photocontest, it’s not surprising that I’m including the best drink in the world: coffee! It’s really only appropriate today.

For today’s “10 Questions with…” segment, I have Ron Weide from Chiseled Face Groomatorium. He made the soap I used today, as well as the razor. My first introduction to the Legacy was when u/J33pGuy13 was kind enough to have a passaround, and after literally 1 shave, I decided I needed to add my own Legacy to my arsenal of razors. It looks great, handles beautifully, and shaves wonderfully smooth while being extremely efficient. Ron was kind enough to give a lot of really interesting insights into his business and perspective on where things are trending. Thank you u/chiseledface for taking part. Really appreciate it!

10 Questions with… Chiseled Face Groomatorium

1. So, you have Chiseled Face, Stubble Buster, LA Shaving Co under the Groomatorium umbrella, and each one is a little different. If each of your brands were rival gangs, which one would win in an all-out, no holds barred street fight?

As much as I love all my 'children', Chiseled Face would certainly dominate in a street fight. It represents over 90% of my sales and has a dedicated following.

2. On top of making your own soaps/splashes/frags, you make your razors in house, and you print your own labels in house too. Is that for quality control, cost savings, or something else? Or all of the above?

Making everything in-house certainly involves elements of quality control and cost savings, but mostly, I love learning. The opportunity to master various disciplines and put a personal touch on my products is what makes this job incredibly satisfying.

​

(INTERVIEW CONTINUED IN THE REPLY)

July 9, 2023

• Brush: Smilez4Miles 24mm Synthetic
• Razor: Gillette New Long Comb #REGUS
• Blade: Gillette Silver Blue
• Lather: Catie’s Bubbles – Irish Coffee Soap
• Post Shave: Apex Alchemy – Morning Glory Splash
• Fragrance: Thierry Mugler – Angel Men

Death before decaf, indeed. What the heck is the point of decaf coffee anyway?? I don’t trust it. And I don’t trust people who drink it. But you know what I do trust? People that put whiskey in their coffee, like the folks at Catie’s Bubbles! This was actually one of the first full size tubs I bought after starting down this wetshaving road and as soon as I open the tub of this soap, it puts me in a good mood. I mean, two things I love: coffee and whiskey, in one soap! Sign me up!

Can I go on the slight tangent about coffee? Is that allowed? I hope so, because I’m about to! I live in the Northeast United States and Dunkin Donuts are everywhere. I literally have 3 within walking distance to where I live. AND DUNKIN DONUTS SUCKS! WHY ARE PEOPLE STILL BUYING THIS SWILL? I understand that at one point, it was the only game in town, and that’s just where you had to go, but there are sooooo many better options available today! The donuts are so bad that they’ve officially dropped the “Donuts” from their name and officially go by “Dunkin”, but it’s not like their coffee is any better. Dunkin Donuts coffee is just like having sex in a canoe – They’re both fucking close to water. I’m going to urge the 2 people who are likely reading this – stop supporting this garbage and support your local coffee shop instead. The coffee will be better, the service will be better, the pastries will be 1000X better, and you’ll be supporting a local business person that cares about the stuff they sell. There. Rant over. It’s so frustrating to me when I see a line outside Dunkin and then a small coffee shop with a superior product has tumbleweeds blowing by it. It really grinds my gears. And if you live in a place that doesn’t have Dunkins everywhere and have no idea what I’m talking about: (1) consider yourself lucky and (2) I apologize for a rant that you can’t relate to.

CHALLENGE

Shave in “a” kitchen. Doesn’t have to be MY kitchen, ay? Then how about I shave in my niece’s play kitchen? You wanna get nuts, let’s get nuts. Pretty much immediately after I saw the challenge posted yesterday, I texted my sister “Hey – You gonna be home tomorrow? I need to borrow XXX’s play kitchen.”

“WTF?”

Now, I’m sure she’s wondering WHY I, a grown man, wants to borrow her daughter’s toys, but I don’t want to embarrass myself by saying it’s for an internet shaving game. So instead, I tell her my kitchen is broken and I need to use her daughter’s.

Then she asked me if I was high. That’s none of her business. “Are you going to be home or not? Maybe around 11AM?”

“Sure.”

Bingo. This morning, I head over to my sister’s house with my shave gear, hoping she didn’t have the time to set up an intervention. When I see her, I come clean. She’s going to figure this out sooner or later. She thinks I’m crazy but my niece already thinks I’m the fun uncle, so no problem there. I set up my stuff on the kitchen to take my picture. And go to the real sink to get water in this tiny, sink. Then I see the hardwood floors. And I also see my sister look at me. Shit. I did not think this through. I make an absolute mess when I shave. FORTUNATELY, this tiny kitchen is portable so we bring the kitchen outside. I load up the tiny sink with water and soak my brush. I make small talk with my small niece while we wait. Then I start the process. Load the brush, lather my face, and start to shave, using my phone’s selfie mode as a camera. My little niece got a kick out of it, and my sister… Well.. She’s just glad I don’t have a drug problem, asking to play with her daughter’s toys. Fortunately, it’s a nice day and shaving outside was a neat novelty. Plus, an outdoor kitchen is always known as something luxurious. Now I can see why!

No complaints with Catie’s Bubbles. The Morning Glory aftershave goes great with Irish Coffee, because, well, they’re both coffee scented. Morning Glory is a little bit sweeter and smells like someone ordered a “Regular Coffee”, which is a coffee with 1 cream and 2 sugars. I don’t know how or why a “Regular Coffee” isn’t just a black coffee, but I’ve already gone on one rant in this post and my blood pressure can’t stand another one. I finished everything off using Angel Men, by Theirry Mugler because it is a sweet vanilla, coffee, and caramel scent with a bit of earthiness to it. Not something I could see myself wearing every day, but perfect for a day dedicated to coffee! #FOF

July 9, 2023

• Brush: Smilez4Miles 24mm Synthetic
• Razor: Gillette New Long Comb #REGUS
• Blade: Gillette Silver Blue
• Lather: Catie’s Bubbles – Irish Coffee Soap
• Post Shave: Apex Alchemy – Morning Glory Splash
• Fragrance: Thierry Mugler – Angel Men

Death before decaf, indeed. What the heck is the point of decaf coffee anyway?? I don’t trust it. And I don’t trust people who drink it. But you know what I do trust? People that put whiskey in their coffee, like the folks at Catie’s Bubbles! This was actually one of the first full size tubs I bought after starting down this wetshaving road and as soon as I open the tub of this soap, it puts me in a good mood. I mean, two things I love: coffee and whiskey, in one soap! Sign me up!

Can I go on the slight tangent about coffee? Is that allowed? I hope so, because I’m about to! I live in the Northeast United States and Dunkin Donuts are everywhere. I literally have 3 within walking distance to where I live. AND DUNKIN DONUTS SUCKS! WHY ARE PEOPLE STILL BUYING THIS SWILL? I understand that at one point, it was the only game in town, and that’s just where you had to go, but there are sooooo many better options available today! The donuts are so bad that they’ve officially dropped the “Donuts” from their name and officially go by “Dunkin”, but it’s not like their coffee is any better. Dunkin Donuts coffee is just like having sex in a canoe – They’re both fucking close to water. I’m going to urge the 2 people who are likely reading this – stop supporting this garbage and support your local coffee shop instead. The coffee will be better, the service will be better, the pastries will be 1000X better, and you’ll be supporting a local business person that cares about the stuff they sell. There. Rant over. It’s so frustrating to me when I see a line outside Dunkin and then a small coffee shop with a superior product has tumbleweeds blowing by it. It really grinds my gears. And if you live in a place that doesn’t have Dunkins everywhere and have no idea what I’m talking about: (1) consider yourself lucky and (2) I apologize for a rant that you can’t relate to.

CHALLENGE

Shave in “a” kitchen. Doesn’t have to be MY kitchen, ay? Then how about I shave in my niece’s play kitchen? You wanna get nuts, let’s get nuts. Pretty much immediately after I saw the challenge posted yesterday, I texted my sister “Hey – You gonna be home tomorrow? I need to borrow XXX’s play kitchen.”

“WTF?”

Now, I’m sure she’s wondering WHY I, a grown man, wants to borrow her daughter’s toys, but I don’t want to embarrass myself by saying it’s for an internet shaving game. So instead, I tell her my kitchen is broken and I need to use her daughter’s.

Then she asked me if I was high. That’s none of her business. “Are you going to be home or not? Maybe around 11AM?”

“Sure.”

Bingo. This morning, I head over to my sister’s house with my shave gear, hoping she didn’t have the time to set up an intervention. When I see her, I come clean. She’s going to figure this out sooner or later. She thinks I’m crazy but my niece already thinks I’m the fun uncle, so no problem there. I set up my stuff on the kitchen to take my picture. And go to the real sink to get water in this tiny, sink. Then I see the hardwood floors. And I also see my sister look at me. Shit. I did not think this through. I make an absolute mess when I shave. FORTUNATELY, this tiny kitchen is portable so we bring the kitchen outside. I load up the tiny sink with water and soak my brush. I make small talk with my small niece while we wait. Then I start the process. Load the brush, lather my face, and start to shave, using my phone’s selfie mode as a camera. My little niece got a kick out of it, and my sister… Well.. She’s just glad I don’t have a drug problem, asking to play with her daughter’s toys. Fortunately, it’s a nice day and shaving outside was a neat novelty. Plus, an outdoor kitchen is always known as something luxurious. Now I can see why!

No complaints with Catie’s Bubbles. The Morning Glory aftershave goes great with Irish Coffee, because, well, they’re both coffee scented. Morning Glory is a little bit sweeter and smells like someone ordered a “Regular Coffee”, which is a coffee with 1 cream and 2 sugars. I don’t know how or why a “Regular Coffee” isn’t just a black coffee, but I’ve already gone on one rant in this post and my blood pressure can’t stand another one. I finished everything off using Angel Men, by Theirry Mugler because it is a sweet vanilla, coffee, and caramel scent with a bit of earthiness to it. Not something I could see myself wearing every day, but perfect for a day dedicated to coffee! #FOF

July 10, 2023

• Brush: Dogwood Good Gully Maggard Black and White Synthetic 26mm
• Razor: Razorock Game Changer .84
• Blade: Gillette Nacet (5)
• Lather: Barrister and Mann – Adagio
• Post Shave: Thayers – Rose Petal

Adagio is Italian for slowly, or a tempo on music to be played slowly. To my nose, Adagio is very cherry forward, calling to mind cherry pie or maraschino cherries on top of an ice cream sundae. Perfect for the hot summer evenings when you just want to take it slow.

For today's challenge, I chose to Google Draw my soap label. You know, Google Drawings, MS Paint's shittier, web-based cousin.

​

Old Time Shaving Goal to the tune of Old Time Rock & Roll by Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band

Lyrics:

Just take those old soaps off the shelf

I'll sit and lather 'em by myself

Today's shaves ain't got the same soul

I like that old-time shavin' goal

Don't try to take me to Wicked Edge

You'll never even get a vote there from me

In ten minutes I'll be Wetshaving

I like that old-time shavin' goal

Won't make me stop shavin’ wet

I'd rather use a straight or shavette

There's only one sure way to get me to go

Start goin’ for old-time shavin' goal

Still like that old-time shavin' goal

That kind of lather just soothes my soul

I reminisce about the days of old

With that old-time shavin' goal

Call me a relic, call me what you will

Say I'm old-fashioned, say I'm over the hill

Today's shaves ain't got the same soul

I like that old-time shavin' goal

Still like that old-time shavin' goal

That kind of lather just soothes the soul

I reminisce about the days of old

With that old-time shavin' goal

Still like that old-time shavin' goal

That kind of lather just soothes my soul

I reminisce about the days of old

With that old-time shavin' goal

Still like that old-time shavin' goal

That kind of lather just soothes my soul

I reminisce about the days of old

With that old-time shavin' goal

Still like that old-time shavin' goal

That kind of lather just soothes my soul

I reminisce about the days of old

With that old-time shavin' goal

Still like that old-time shavin' goal

July 11, 2023 - Sunny Days

• Brush: Stirling Soap Company 24mm Boar
• Razor: Gillette Travel Tech #JETSETTER
• Blade: Gillette Platinum (2)
• Lather: Chicago Grooming Co. - Montrose Beach - Soap
• Post Shave: Chicago Grooming Co. - Montrose Beach - Balm
• Fragrance: Chicago Grooming Co. - Montrose Beach - EdT
• Music: Jimmy Buffett - Fruitcakes

Daily Write-Up: Montrose Beach, part of the Chicago Park District, is the inspiration for today’s soap. It’s a very good beach, with a separate dog beach for our four-legged friends, and is the largest of the many public beaches along Chicago’s lakefront.

And it’s only 25 miles from my house, so it’s totally easy to just go shave there, right?

Well… not exactly. Traffic.. When I looked it up, it was going to take between 2 and 4(!!) hours to do a round-trip drive to Montrose Beach from my house, due to rush hour traffic.

Ok… so I need to leave the house by 5 a.m. in order to make it back in time for work.

Instead, I opted for a little subterfuge. Please don’t tell the judges.

First, I looked around my house for some materials. I grabbed some cardboard left over from our move, some markers, and got to work.

I put on my best beach wear, loaded my mobile shave den, some materials, and a way to play music - it is the beach after all - into the back of my car, and set off. Grabbed some quick breakfast at a local eatery, and then headed to the beach. Perfect weather for a pre-work trip to the beach.

I got to the beach, and got parked. I looked around to make sure there are no police or park district personnel around, and then shot my shot. I quickly modified the beach to make it on-theme. I wonder if Vida got her inspiration for the label artwork from the waves on the sign at Montrose Beach?

I stepped back and took a look at my handi-work and then headed to the lakefront. Now, I’m not a huge fan of the /r/airbudrule, but turns out it absolutely applies to today’s shave. Ain’t no rules saying you can’t shave in the park. Just no swimming or wading.

For being the biggest beach in Chicago, I expected Montrose Beach to be… well… bigger, but I claimed a spot and laid out my beach towel. I was also surprised at how… suburban?... it felt. Not a skyline to be seen anywhere. The Chicago Park District really did a great job of making this feel like an oasis in the city.

After eating my breakfast, and doing some light reading (ok... work emails), I figured I would get a shave in. I put some beach music on, unpacked all my shaving items, and then had a horrible realization. I had grabbed my Nalgene for my lather water, but in my rush to leave the house, I had forgotten to fill it.

I’m so stupid. This is the second year in a row I’ve forgotten something critically important in my mobile shave den. But - this one was easily recoverable. I dipped my Nalgene in the lake and had plenty of water for a good three-pass shave.

I used my lake water to whip up a really drippy, slick lather, and got out my Gillette Travel Tech, which was conveniently packed away in a Montrose Beach blue case that came all the way from West Germany! Who knew there are two Germanys?!

I got my shave on with my lake water lather, and had a good, if somewhat dramatic shave. Just as I was finishing, someone came to yell at me for shaving on the beach. Well, not someone, exactly. Something. A one-legged goose that I’ve named Monty, since he lives on Montrose Beach. Monty was VERY angry that I was there, and was not shy about making it clear he wanted me gone.

I quickly packed up my items, left the beach as I found it (take only memories, leave only footprints!). The best part about getting up stupid early to go all the way to Montrose Beach before work? I can get other things done before getting started, like tile shopping in my beach wear.

Daily Challenge Notes: Close up, non-beach shot of my items. The ivory and black in the brush handle are exactly the same as the ivory and black in the label. The blue of the tech case - a ringer for Montrose Beach blue.

Soap Theme Justification
* Per the artisan: ”Just in time for Summer! Montrose Beach is what I imagine the beach should smell like! Scent notes are sea salt, dried coconut, eucalyptus, jasmine, carnation, vetiver, driftwood and seaweed.”

Post-Shave and Fragrance Relevance Notes
* Montrose Beach Trickhole

July 12, 2023

• Brush: Stirling Soap Company – 24mm Synthetic
• Razor: Gillette Travel Tech #JETSETTER
• Blade: Wilkinson Sword
• Lather: Abbate y La Mantia - Don Jose Soap
• Post Shave: Hoffman’s Shave and Soap Co. – Road Trip Splash
• Fragrance: Southern Witchcrafts – Samhain EdP
• Music: The Clash - I Fought the Law

Alright boys and girls. I’m going to Tarantino this SOTD post a little bit: I’m going to start at the end, then go the beginning and tell you what happened leading up to the end. Sound good? Good.

I got asked to leave the restaurant I was shaving at.

Now that I have your attention, today started out as a pretty normal day. I was kinda bummed because for the first day in these Lather Games, I didn’t have an interview to bring to the people of r/wetshaving. The why doesn’t matter. I hoped I would, but an artisan backed out of an interview, so I shifted my calendar around a bit and that left today with no interview. And while I’m trying to bring the heat to every single post I make, I realize the interviews are kinda my secret sauce for this year. And since I didn’t have one today, I wanted to go CocoNutty on Coconut Oil Day. And being inspired by the likes of others in the sub shaving in public, I thought that sounds like a fun challenge. I’ve never wetshaved outside of the comfort and safety of my own home, so I wanted to live on the edge a bit. But where could I shave? It’s not kitchen day. It’s Coconut Oil Day. So, I go on Google Maps, zoom out and type “coconut”, and there’s a restaurant called Coconut Thai Café that is not too far from me. Bingo. I could feel my heart beating faster just thinking about it. I’ll go there and shave.

I gather up my travel shaving gear, get in my car and drive to downtown Wellesley, Massachusetts, timing my visit for right when they open, because I want to ensure I get a table and it’s hopefully not too busy. Lucky me, when I arrive, there’s a few tables with people already seated inside, but outside is completely empty. This bodes well because I make an absolute mess when I shave at home and I’d feel bad making a mess inside the restaurant. I go in, ask the waitress for an outdoor seat and check out the menu. Since it’s Coconut Oil Day, I ordered the Coconut Soup appetizer, then the Coconut Pineapple Yellow Curry with Chicken, which was delicious. The lovely waitress brought my check over, I paid and then it was go-time. I pulled out my travel shaving kit with everything I’d need, and even learned from u/OnionMiasma’s mistake and brought my own warm water in a Contigo travel mug (not pictured). I usually face lather, but it didn’t take long to complete the challenge and build my lather in a bowl today. Then I quickly start to spread the lather over my face. I’m immediately hit with the scent of coconut and banana, which continues to be incredibly on Coconut theme for the day where the soap just needs to be made with coconut oil. This is without a doubt the worst lathering job I’ve done since I first started wetshaving. My excuses are as follows: (1) I’ve never used this soap before (2) my heart is RACING and I’m trying to move as fast as possible (3) since I was outside and wearing sunglasses, the selfie mode of my phone was really hard to see and (4) I had NO IDEA this soap was mentholated until the brush hit my skin. I was already in a stressful situation and then my face started to unexpectedly burn – absolute disaster - but I’m determined to power through. A got a somewhat serviceable lather and start to go to town with this tiny travel razor (another mistake, when shaving quickly and nervously, I wish my razor fit in my hand a little better, but a hashtag is a hashtag). And right as I finish my first pass, I capture my face just as my waitress comes out to ask what I’m doing. My heart beats faster and it drops way down into my stomach, past the Coconut Pineapple Curry and Coconut Soup. Remember that feeling as a kid, when you were caught doing something that you knew you shouldn’t be doing, but did it anyway? That’s what I felt. I could feel my face turn beat red - which was possibly from the surprise menthol in the soap, but likely because of my immediate and severe embarrassment.

Quick aside: As a straight, white, male, who is approaching the age of 40, I realize I’ve lived with certain privileges throughout my life. Generally speaking, no one is ever suspicious of me. Add in the fact that I’m dressed somewhat nice and clean cut, I never expected anyone to actually ever come say anything to me. I was wrong. If my worst nightmare was getting the police called on me or something, this was a second.

I tell her I finished my lunch, and I realized I hadn’t shaved yet today and I’m heading to a meeting. And she politely asked that I please choose a different place to groom myself, other than her patio, next to the front door, where people walk in and out of her restaurant. Fair. But she doesn’t realize the stakes of the Lather Games. I quickly determine it best to not take the time to explain that the people of Pei Wei let u/ginopino shave there without incident. It’s clear to me that Coconut Thai Café is no Pei Wei. And then she said “I think it’d be a good idea for you to leave now.” And I agree. I apologize and clean up after myself, wiping down the table better than I ever clean my bathroom at home. And as I’m packing up my things, I make sure I give the Road Trip splash a good shake and apply it to my face before walking back to my car. I opted not to push it with the EdP right there. After I packed up my things, the waitress did tell me that I was welcome to come back anytime, just not if I shave there. And once again, I thought that was fair. I tell her the food was delicious and we part ways.

As I walk away to my car, I can’t help but smell the sense of accomplishment of my first public shave and first time being asked to leave an establishment while it was light out. I can also smell the scent of Road Trip, which went great with the soap, as well as my lunch. Road Trip has a lot of notes, but I mostly pick up Rum, Banana, Pineapple, Coconut Milk, Vanilla & Nutmeg. It’s really well done and perfect for the Coconut & Banana soap, as well as the Coconut Pineapple Curry I ate for lunch. And when I got to my car, I sprayed myself with a couple spritzes of Samhain, which is sweet, rich, and delicious like Road Trip, sharing Vanilla & Nutmeg notes. The self-proclaimed Gourmand King strikes again for a great #FOF win.

A few lessons learned: (1) going to a full service restaurant probably wasn’t the best idea (2) while going before the lunch rush made things less awkward because less people were there, it also meant less people were there so the staff had nothing else to do, (3) the “staff” was likely the owner or the family member of the owner, who cares far more than just a regular hourly employee would (4) shaving outside had pros and cons, but selfie mode was kind of a challenge to get used to (5) the Travel Tech, while convenient for traveling, is a pain in the ass to handle, (6) great success because I finished the shave, but ultimately, it would have been nice to NOT get asked to leave.

Before I head home, I decide to close out Coconut Oil Day, by getting a Coconut Milk Latte from Dunks. I’m usually a black coffee sort of guy, but I wanted to treat myself today. I earned this. I got it Salted Caramel flavored, because I was thinking there were caramel notes in Samhain, but in looking at the scent notes now, I realize I’m smelling caramel where there isn’t any. Whoops! The latte is still delicious anyways.

Of course, #photocontest them is society, because this restaurant is on a very busy street and I’m sure many people drove by my shave today and I learned that not everyone in society appreciates shaving in public.

July 12, 2023

• Brush: Stirling Soap Company – 24mm Synthetic
• Razor: Gillette Travel Tech #JETSETTER
• Blade: Wilkinson Sword
• Lather: Abbate y La Mantia - Don Jose Soap
• Post Shave: Hoffman’s Shave and Soap Co. – Road Trip Splash
• Fragrance: Southern Witchcrafts – Samhain EdP
• Music: The Clash - I Fought the Law

Alright boys and girls. I’m going to Tarantino this SOTD post a little bit: I’m going to start at the end, then go the beginning and tell you what happened leading up to the end. Sound good? Good.

I got asked to leave the restaurant I was shaving at.

Now that I have your attention, today started out as a pretty normal day. I was kinda bummed because for the first day in these Lather Games, I didn’t have an interview to bring to the people of r/wetshaving. The why doesn’t matter. I hoped I would, but an artisan backed out of an interview, so I shifted my calendar around a bit and that left today with no interview. And while I’m trying to bring the heat to every single post I make, I realize the interviews are kinda my secret sauce for this year. And since I didn’t have one today, I wanted to go CocoNutty on Coconut Oil Day. And being inspired by the likes of others in the sub shaving in public, I thought that sounds like a fun challenge. I’ve never wetshaved outside of the comfort and safety of my own home, so I wanted to live on the edge a bit. But where could I shave? It’s not kitchen day. It’s Coconut Oil Day. So, I go on Google Maps, zoom out and type “coconut”, and there’s a restaurant called Coconut Thai Café that is not too far from me. Bingo. I could feel my heart beating faster just thinking about it. I’ll go there and shave.

I gather up my travel shaving gear, get in my car and drive to downtown Wellesley, Massachusetts, timing my visit for right when they open, because I want to ensure I get a table and it’s hopefully not too busy. Lucky me, when I arrive, there’s a few tables with people already seated inside, but outside is completely empty. This bodes well because I make an absolute mess when I shave at home and I’d feel bad making a mess inside the restaurant. I go in, ask the waitress for an outdoor seat and check out the menu. Since it’s Coconut Oil Day, I ordered the Coconut Soup appetizer, then the Coconut Pineapple Yellow Curry with Chicken, which was delicious. The lovely waitress brought my check over, I paid and then it was go-time. I pulled out my travel shaving kit with everything I’d need, and even learned from u/OnionMiasma’s mistake and brought my own warm water in a Contigo travel mug (not pictured). I usually face lather, but it didn’t take long to complete the challenge and build my lather in a bowl today. Then I quickly start to spread the lather over my face. I’m immediately hit with the scent of coconut and banana, which continues to be incredibly on Coconut theme for the day where the soap just needs to be made with coconut oil. This is without a doubt the worst lathering job I’ve done since I first started wetshaving. My excuses are as follows: (1) I’ve never used this soap before (2) my heart is RACING and I’m trying to move as fast as possible (3) since I was outside and wearing sunglasses, the selfie mode of my phone was really hard to see and (4) I had NO IDEA this soap was mentholated until the brush hit my skin. I was already in a stressful situation and then my face started to unexpectedly burn – absolute disaster - but I’m determined to power through. A got a somewhat serviceable lather and start to go to town with this tiny travel razor (another mistake, when shaving quickly and nervously, I wish my razor fit in my hand a little better, but a hashtag is a hashtag). And right as I finish my first pass, I capture my face just as my waitress comes out to ask what I’m doing. My heart beats faster and it drops way down into my stomach, past the Coconut Pineapple Curry and Coconut Soup. Remember that feeling as a kid, when you were caught doing something that you knew you shouldn’t be doing, but did it anyway? That’s what I felt. I could feel my face turn beat red - which was possibly from the surprise menthol in the soap, but likely because of my immediate and severe embarrassment.

Quick aside: As a straight, white, male, who is approaching the age of 40, I realize I’ve lived with certain privileges throughout my life. Generally speaking, no one is ever suspicious of me. Add in the fact that I’m dressed somewhat nice and clean cut, I never expected anyone to actually ever come say anything to me. I was wrong. If my worst nightmare was getting the police called on me or something, this was a second.

I tell her I finished my lunch, and I realized I hadn’t shaved yet today and I’m heading to a meeting. And she politely asked that I please choose a different place to groom myself, other than her patio, next to the front door, where people walk in and out of her restaurant. Fair. But she doesn’t realize the stakes of the Lather Games. I quickly determine it best to not take the time to explain that the people of Pei Wei let u/ginopino shave there without incident. It’s clear to me that Coconut Thai Café is no Pei Wei. And then she said “I think it’d be a good idea for you to leave now.” And I agree. I apologize and clean up after myself, wiping down the table better than I ever clean my bathroom at home. And as I’m packing up my things, I make sure I give the Road Trip splash a good shake and apply it to my face before walking back to my car. I opted not to push it with the EdP right there. After I packed up my things, the waitress did tell me that I was welcome to come back anytime, just not if I shave there. And once again, I thought that was fair. I tell her the food was delicious and we part ways.

As I walk away to my car, I can’t help but smell the sense of accomplishment of my first public shave and first time being asked to leave an establishment while it was light out. I can also smell the scent of Road Trip, which went great with the soap, as well as my lunch. Road Trip has a lot of notes, but I mostly pick up Rum, Banana, Pineapple, Coconut Milk, Vanilla & Nutmeg. It’s really well done and perfect for the Coconut & Banana soap, as well as the Coconut Pineapple Curry I ate for lunch. And when I got to my car, I sprayed myself with a couple spritzes of Samhain, which is sweet, rich, and delicious like Road Trip, sharing Vanilla & Nutmeg notes. The self-proclaimed Gourmand King strikes again for a great #FOF win.

A few lessons learned: (1) going to a full service restaurant probably wasn’t the best idea (2) while going before the lunch rush made things less awkward because less people were there, it also meant less people were there so the staff had nothing else to do, (3) the “staff” was likely the owner or the family member of the owner, who cares far more than just a regular hourly employee would (4) shaving outside had pros and cons, but selfie mode was kind of a challenge to get used to (5) the Travel Tech, while convenient for traveling, is a pain in the ass to handle, (6) great success because I finished the shave, but ultimately, it would have been nice to NOT get asked to leave.

Before I head home, I decide to close out Coconut Oil Day, by getting a Coconut Milk Latte from Dunks. I’m usually a black coffee sort of guy, but I wanted to treat myself today. I earned this. I got it Salted Caramel flavored, because I was thinking there were caramel notes in Samhain, but in looking at the scent notes now, I realize I’m smelling caramel where there isn’t any. Whoops! The latte is still delicious anyways.

Of course, #photocontest them is society, because this restaurant is on a very busy street and I’m sure many people drove by my shave today and I learned that not everyone in society appreciates shaving in public.

July 14, 2023 – LG 14: Frigid Friday

• Brush: CaYuen Cosmic Abalone 24mm Maggard SHD Fan
• Razor: Space Ice Kamisori #YTHO #KAMISORI
• Blade: Feather FBS10 (2)
• Lather: Noble Otter – Northern Elixir
• Post Shave: Dr. Jon’s – Flowers in the Dark
• Fragrance: Imaginary Authors – Every Storm A Serenade

Mid month lull, nah, let’s turn up the heat, or in todays case, turn it all the way down. Let’s jump straight into a razor making story, which I guess technically began last night. Today I join the ranks of homemade kamisoris, pioneered by u/impressive_donut114 and his chopsticks last year, someone did a fork along the way (edit: credit to u/mrtangerinesky)and most recently in spatula form by u/onionmiasma for his kitchen shave. Thanks for being trailblazers in this space. Today, in honor of frigid Friday, I made my razor out of ice.

Now, this wasn’t my first idea initially, as showcased by whatever the hell this kitchen thing is. Those pics show it clearly wasn’t going to work. Then, a lightbulb went off, and I had my idea – ice ice baby.

I searched for handle shaped things, like aforementioned kitchen device, to try to freeze to no avail. Then it me, let build a mold from LEGO.. I wedged the blade in between some bricks, and filled with water. I was clearly getting some leaking but it was still worth a try. I def lost some volume, but it was at least frozen!. So I topped it off and back in the freezer it went. This morning, I got the brick separator and was ready to carefully remove the mold. First few pieces gone, minor cracking sounds. Making good progress, I had one layer down with integrity remaining. My next speed bump, the initial leakage made for a healthy ice seal along the edges. Ran a little water carefully on seams, and looking better and cleaner at the seams. I can taste it now, almost there. Couple careful slick Jimmys and the space ice kamisori was ready!.

I had to move quick for my SOTD. Thankfully I’d prepped the other components in place. Then I went to put my razor on ice while getting my other gear to the bathroom. If you actually want to watch me miserably fail at shaving today, that’s the video. Upon watching myself, I came to the realization I might have been using the ~~wrong side~~ non-traditional side of the blade for portions of passes, but that’s neither here nor there. That fucker was slipping around left and right.

As for our #FOF I love NO Northern ElixEr, that’s right, I have one of the cool misspelled prints. Loads of eucalyptus, mint, and herby lavender up front, with some woody undertones. It’s for sure the first 2 that are most prominent and remain throughout to my nose. Followed with the lightly mentholated Dr Jon FitD (RIP). It’s a fresh but dark, crisp but murky, stringent but soft – a really neat take on lavender. The cedar wood and ozone make it match and build on NO NE perfectly. Lastly, to keep with a sort of dark/night theme, I went with every storm a serenade. Off the bat, it was hard to smell as my nostrils were heavily mentholated, but I did pick up more eucalyptus and sort of green pine. It also has that ozonic component due to the calone. About an hour later, and as the NO and FitD gave way, I get loads of damp green forest, curtesy of the spruce and vetiver. It has some aquatic saltiness to it as well, similar to the smells of coastal NW forests I leave nearby.

Last but not least, #PHOTOCONTEST, going with the space theme who seemed fitting for a northern lights inspired soap. Complete with Women of Nasa and cool space spray paint graffiti art. Now if only I had contacted Cosmo… that can be for cosmos and not just cosmetology.

soap brands 14/30, post shave 14/30, frag 14/30, post/frag linked 14/30, software sponsors 8/13, hardware sponsors 2/2, razor hashtags 8/15, brush hashtags 8/15, photo contest 14/30, daily challenges 12/25, special challenges 2/5

DAY 14 LATHER GAMES! FREEZE YOUR BALLS OFF DAY! LITERALLY!!!

• Prep: Water
• Brush: DS Cosmetics 30mm Tuxedo Knot
• Razor: Blackland Vector
• Blade: Chinese(4)
• Lather: Kanatitsa(Канатица) - Wild(Див) with Menthol and Eucalyptus
• Post Shave: Chiseled Face - Cryogen balm
• Fragrance: Hermes - Terre d'Hermes

​

PIC OR IT DIDN'T HAPPEN

​

DAILY CHALLENGE+EVERYTHING ELSE

​

YOU GUYS WANNA SCRUB IT UP!?!?! LET'S FUCKING GO!!!!

So to be in the spirit of the theme of the soap today, I took a cold shower today, and I mean COLD, as cold as it could get, it took me around 15-20 minutes to get the dial to the coldest point it could get, BUT I GOT THERE! Having in mind it's 90 F in the apartment it was pleasant to go out of the bathroom shaking like I'm about to have hypothermia and be welcomed by nice and pleasant apartment heat....

Let's get one thing straight, I don't do cold showers, the amount of times I've had cold showers I can probably count on the fingers of both of my hands, so it's a very rare occasion!!

Now I wanted to use Cryogen soap, cause it's wicked sick, buuuut I had other plans for CF so had to opt for a Bulgarian artisan, which is of course, COCONUT BASE... Funnily enough, MUCH BETTER than ABYLM from yesterday....

NOW! For the challenge!

Here's a video(warning, cut my lip and it got bloody) of my challenge(don't worry it's short)

So you know, habits are a great and terrible thing. Usually I start WTG and then whatever else follows, and when you're starting WTG, your hand always goes down towards the floor, right? RIGHT! And when reading the challenge yesterday I was thinking "Wow.... How am I gonna be able to do this, I mean my habits won't let me start moving my hand towards the ceiling....", but then I HAD A GENIUS IDEA! What if I shaved ATG while doing a headstand, that means my hand will go towards the floor and I'll be able to complete the daily challenge and get the points. So that's just what I did and recorded it, for the sake of science and facts!

It went kind of like what I'd expect to happen, but I was reminded, that maybe I should strengthen my neck....

BONUS ROUND(YUP THERE'S MORE) WARNING NSFW

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Now last year(link to my post from then), when we did this they had a different daily challenge and a lot of people moaned about it, buuuuuut I shared a colourful story there of how I once used Cryogen on my privates, and u/Marquis90 just wanted me to suffer by insisting I should re-create that. And as stupid as I was I of course promised him, I remembered today that I did promise but did not deliver, well so I shaved my privates today and then made a video:

Video of me from the torso up with a shirt talking about the LG so far while I put ULTRA MENTHOLATED products on my freshly shaved privates and experience their effects to the MAX!

Yup this was definitely an experience I did not enjoy at all, but I wanted to go all out on the daily theme and challenge so yeah, hope I managed to do that!

​

#FOF

Nothing really goes with mentholated products so I just used Terre d'Hermes, which is a wonderful all round fragrance! You like oranges! Well this is having an orange thrown at your face while someone sprinkles black pepper on your head! It's just good!

• Daily Lather Themes: 14/30
• Daily Challenges: 14/30
• Hardware Scavenger Hunt: 12/20
• Hardware Vendor Points: 1/2
• Software Vendor Points: 6/13
• Software Vendor Bonus Point: 0/1
• 30 Different Soap Brands Point: 14/30
• 30 Different Soaps On Theme Bonus Point: 14/30
• 30 Different Post-Shaves Bonus Point: 14/30
• 30 Different Fragrances Bonus Point: 14/30

u/Enndeegee WHERE'S MY NO SCRUB AT, SCRUB!!!

July 21, 2023 - Fougere/Senryu Friday

• Brush: Summer Break Soaps “Mood Indigo” 28mm Synthetic
• Razor: Blackland Razors Era
• Blade: Gillette Platinum (3)
• Lather: Catie’s Bubbles - Tonsorium
• Post Shave: Barrister and Mann - Fougere Classique - Splash
• Fragrance: Barrister and Mann - Fougere Gothique - EdT

Daily Write-Up:
No hijinks today, no weird(er than normal) shaving rituals. Today I decided just to have a good shave, because I’m worth it. And then write some Haiku.

Fun fact…. What we are writing today probably are not actually Haiku, but Senryu. Haiku typically contain a seasonal reference, and are more focused on the natural world, whereas Senryu are more free-form and are about human subjects.

This month can be long
Fun, engaging, exhausting
Wetshaving burnout

Yesterday, I made
Priceless art for Lather Games
No one commented

So, my art remains
Unloved, shunned, and rejected
Broken heart results

Today, I return
Some fougeres, in hand, three ways
Re-ignites the thrill

A haiku about
The natural world. Fougeres-
Are scented of fern.

Catie’s Bubbles Soap
I don’t frequently use it
Has great performance

Additionally
Chris is a good dude, and is
Easy to talk to

Back to the L-Gs
Twenty-one shaves have gone by
No clear leader yet

Sir Priusaurus
And MrTangerineSky
Fight silly battle

But on August one
OnionMiasma will be
Crowned victorious

Soap Theme Justification
Per the Catie’s Bubbles site, this is “A "Flanker" to my favorite scent "Tonsorial Parlour". A citrus topped fougere* expanded off the heart of the original but unique enough to make you fall in love all over again.”

Post-Shave and Fragrance Relevance Notes
* My theme for scents is “fougeres, three ways” * I always thought of myself as not really liking fougeres, but today proves that doesn’t have to be the case. * Started with Tonsorial Parlour, which had great performance and a nice citrus-forward scent. * For the AS, I went with Barrister and Mann - Fougere Classique. This is more what I think of with fougere - but the powdery scents taking over. The vanilla was an interesting contrast to the citrus in the Tonsorium. * And then I ended with Fougere Gothique, which takes the genre to 11. When I tried this in soap format I liked it, but it is absolutely awesome in EdT. This is a fougere I can get behind.

• Brush: Chisel & Hound Kuai Taper w/ V18 Fanchurian 26mm

• Razor: Muhle Rocca R94

• Blade: Bic Chrome Platinum

• Lather: Declaration Grooming - Cerberus

• Post Shave: Declaration Grooming - Cerberus

• Fragrance: Imaginary Authors - Memoirs of A Tresspasser

Today's Theme: Happy Together - I chose Cerberus for today's collab theme for all the reasons several others chose this soap. Unlike those people though, I used the aftershave liniment which carries the scent exceptionally well for a pseudo-balm.

Today's Challenge: Osma Day - I have Osma, but it is not the Osma that everyone else gets. /u/j33pguy13 harangued me for buying "lame unscented soap that dries your skin" but who's laughing now. I rubbed this puck of alum shaving soap on my skin in the usual portion of a shave routine where others would rub alum stones on their skin. It was ok. I did not lather it, so DQ police can buzz off. I simply rubbed Osma alum crystals on my face.

My theme for today's shave: Guard Dog

So in the myth of Cerberus, the three headed dog guards the entrance to Hades. Though it's generally supposed to be a big, scary guard dog, pretty much every time cerberus shows up in media it's actually quite a good boy. Cerberus in pop culture reminds me of my own dog, who's 75 pounds of pure muscle with a big ol' head. He can be a bit intimidating to people who aren't familiar with big dogs, but he's a total meatball and very sweet. I do feel better leaving my fiancee for a weekend when I know she's going to be with our big meatball of a dog. Maybe Hades just felt safer with a big dog around too.

Memoirs of a Tresspasser felt like it'd be a fun nod to the guard dog motif and it's a nice scent that kind of reminds me of Gratiot League Square. For a "collaboration" themed album I picked an old compilation album that has a bunch of songs from random small time bands. #photocontest #FOF #ROTY

July 22, 2023

• Brush: Farvour Turncraft with 26mm Oumo Lotus Ace Badger
• Razor: GEM MMOC
• Blade: GEM PTFE
• Lather: Daveli Farms – Cranberry, Pomegranite, Vanilla Sheep Fat Soap
• Post Shave: Zingari Man – The Merchant Balm
• Fragrance: Elysian Soap Shop – Lyra EdT
• Music: The Lion King – Hakuna Matata

Hell of day to be a Lather Games Contestant! The day that has been figuratively circled in my calendar for a month and a half. Leg day. I generally live my life the way Timon and Pumba told me: with no worries. Sure, there is important shit to worry about in life, but in the scheme of things, so many of our worries just aren’t that important. Other than the fact I’ve never shaved my legs before, WHY is having hair on my legs important? Why is today such a big deal? I don’t know. Just because that’s kinda what society tells us. Men have hair on their legs. And most of us don’t question it.

But… Hakuna Matata. It means no worries. It means telling society to shut up about gender roles. It means standing up against anyone that says “men are supposed to XYZ”. Hakuna Matata means shaving with Doritos scented soap. Hakuna Matata means being secure enough to order a fruity drink at a bar because it’s fun or tasty. Hakuna Matata means going to brunch with your buddies and getting buzzed on mimosas. It means letting my daughter play with trucks and letting my son play with dolls. Hakuna Matata means celebrating people for being who they are and dressing how they want to dress!! Hakuna Matata means minding your business and letting people be happy. And Hakuna Matata means shaving my goddamn legs for Lather Games!!! Hakuna Matata! Hakuna Matata! Hakuna MaFuckingTata!!! That’s what Timon and Pumba were talking about. And when Timon and Pumba talk – I listen.

Did I shave my legs today? You goddamn right I did! Did I feel weird doing it? Absolutely. Did I regret it the second I put a razor to my legs. No! Because it’s the Lather Games and I didn’t come this far to only come this far. And am I going to let the fact that I don’t have hair on my legs bother me one bit? Hell no! And you know why not? Because HAKUNA MATATA! No worries today, no worries tomorrow, and no worries for the rest of our days. It’s my problem free philosophy. And if anyone has a snide comment about my silky smooth legs, I’m gonna say: “Hakuna Matata!”

Cue the video clip! Or here’s the imgur link if you’re more into that. (Put the sound on for the full effect)

Started the shave with a Rockwell 6s, since that razor is an idiot proof, but after one stroke on the first leg, I realized that wasn’t going to cut it, so I brought in the MMOC with a brand new blade. And that razor worked like a charm. The Daveli Farms Sheep Soap is very good and I was happy to be using that soap today. A few nicks and cuts, but my legs are feeling smooth and great and the soap was wonderful for this tasks. Big shoutout to Zingari Man Balm for keeping everything feeling great post shave. Not sure if I actually like the feeling of smooth legs, but Hakuna Matata indeed.

The scents of the day: Daveli Farms Cranberry, Pomegranate, & Vanilla is obviously berry, for the shave theme, but I connected everything with vanilla. The Merchant Balm is Vanilla and Spices. And Lyra from Elysian is Vanilla, Jasmine, and Patchouli. I love the scent of vanilla, and adding some jasmine and patchouli makes a very balanced, pleasant #FOF scent. Feeling great and confident on my Hakuna Matata day!

For #photocontest: insects. He’s a root borer beetle I caught in my yard (then stuck in the freezer for a couple days for the pic). And before anyone comes at me about cruelty. These bugs are absolute assholes.

For my interview today, I talked with Daveli Farms. He’s posted on the sub a few times and I’m always game to try new soaps. The fact the sheep tallow in this soap comes from sheep on their farm was (and is) very appealing to me. They are definitely a “no-frills” soap shop. You buy from their facebook shop, and the soap comes in a sealed cellophane pack (I put it in my own empty tub for ease of loading). In this interview, you’ll get to read about how they got started making soaps, his perspective on competing against the big guys, and how he is trying to market soaps made from animals on his own farm. I will say that this soap performed very nicely and gave a really nice lather for shaving my legs for the first time ever today. Not an easy task, but this soap was up for the challenge! Thank you u/DaveliFarms for participating in this series and giving my questions a lot of thought! Wish you nothing but this best!

10 Questions with… Daveli Farms

1) What made you get started making shaving soaps?

I was a DE/SE wet shaver and knew that sheep tallow soaps always performed better for me. Once I opened my Natural Food Store, upon picking up a few lamb I had butchered, the butcher actually packaged all the fat up for me. My first thought was, "I'm not a soaper, what am I going to do with this? Oh heeeeey....." And I was off. Our great grand fathers and indigenous peoples never wasted anything on an animal and my butcher knew I requested everything usable back from all of my animals. That's is kind of what makes my store a little unique also.

2) Does all of the tallow in your soaps come from your own animals from your farm?

Every last drop. There is a difference in the fat from different animals (obviously), but there is also a difference in the fat of grain fed vs grass fed animals. I only use enough grain to bring the animals up to the fencling to check their condition, to make sure they are doing good, and to lead them from pasture to pasture. Other than that, they are purely grass fat. Beef and lamb have 4 stomachs that evolved over time. Forcing them to stand at a grain trough in a concentration camp to get fat twice as fast on grain when their 4 stomachs are evolved for it....I feel is unethical. So all of my animals or purely grass fed. I firmly believe this makes a difference in the shave soap even after sopanification.

3) I’ve often had the thought that using tallow in soaps is actually more “green” because it ensures that there is less waste coming from the meat industry. Tallow, which would exist with or without soapmaking, would otherwise be thrown away. Now it is being used. Is that a fair assessment to make?

This is a good question that relates to #2, because most all butchers throw away ALOT of an animal, unless you request it back. Including fat. Some will hold some back for future use in sausages etc. What people don't realize is in the 50s or 60s the cosmetic companies realized there just wasn't enough tallow to go around for all the soap consumers need. So they came up with a chemical concoction that bubbles when you get it wet, and the FDA allowed them to call it soap, even though it isn't true soap. But your statement is true in that less waste goes to the landfill, and if the fat gets used for soaping, it at least serves a secondary purpose.

4) How did you decide what scents to offer in your shaving soaps?

One of my favorite lines from Joe Dirt the movie is from Kickin Wing at his fireworks stand, "Because snakes and sparklers is all I like!". It's about like that. I have spent hours as a consumer trying to decipher the Davinci code of soaper's scent description. And after placing an order I end up with a stinker. My soaps are for the everyman commoner. You don't need a degree in scentology to decipher Green Tea, Peachy Mango, or Cranberry Pomegranate Vanilla. I am not a perfumer masquerading as a soaper. I'm not going to try wet earth or fresh cut grass. I wanted my consumers to easily comprehend the scent of the soap with full confidence when it arrives, it will smell exactly as they envisioned.

​

INTERVIEW CONTINUED IN THE REPLY

July 18, 2023 – LG Day 18 – FALLing Slowly into Madness

• Brush: Stirling Synthetic Li’l Brudder
• Razor: Gillette Gold Ball-End Tech
• Blade: Gillette Rubie (2)
• Lather: Southern Witchcrafts – Pomona
• Post Shave: Summer Break Soaps – Teacher’s Pet
• Fragrance: Ineke Perfumes – Jaipur Chai

Ah, fall. The best time of year, shorter every year as our planet inches closer to becoming uninhabitable.

Pomona is simply one of the best fall scents out there. Honeyed apple wine? Sign me up. Honey scents and honey flavored things are tough for me, because they often taste too sweet and don’t quite capture the unique characteristics of a good wildflower honey. Pomona manages to do what others don’t – smell like a really good, local, complex honey. I bolstered the apple with Teacher’s Pet, which smells to me like the bowl of apple peels that comes from making an apple pie, and is incredibly nostalgic. Truly a delight. Finally, a spritz of Jaipur Chai to represent the hot chai my partner so often drinks in the fall (plus, chai spices are really good in apple desserts – throw some cardamom into your apple pie next time if you haven’t tried this before). #FOF

Hard to truly celebrate Atlas Shaves with only one day of growth. I figured a glass would show off what the challenge asked of us and be easier than trying to wipe off my razor on a towel. And behold, it worked! It looks gnarly, but it smells so good…in fact, it smells tasty……

yes, hugbckt, let the intrusive thoughts win…[warning: NSFW]

July 18, 2023 - Spooky Season

• Brush: Summer Break Soaps “Mood Indigo” 28mm Synthetic
• Razor: Chiseled Face Legacy
• Blade: Gillette Platinum (4)
• Lather: Red House Farm - 9 Days Up Nort’
• Post Shave: Declaration Grooming - Darkfall - Splash
• Alum: Nope
• Fragrance: Southern Witchcrafts - Labyrinth - EdP
• Music: Death Cab for Cutie - Marching Bands of Manhattan

Daily Write-Up:
I love fall. It’s my favorite season, and it’s not even close.

And part of fall in the upper midwest is deer hunting. People take time off of work during the small windows when deer hunting is allowed, and arrange their personal calendars around being able to get out in the woods. To me, that’s what this soap is about - setting time in the fall (Wisconsin deer season is November 18th-26th) to get outside and spend some time in the woods. And if you bag a deer, even better - you can fill your freezer and maybe make some shaving soap.

The music (which feels very autumnal) and the shave has me feeling in a very fall mood. Autumn is only 10 weeks away. So, in honor of that fact, I am going to be completing a 10-pass shave today (broken up, throughout the day, for obvious reasons).

Passes 1 and 2: * Location: Home. * Direction: WTG, ATG * My wife insisted that I clean my sink before showing my internet friends my dirty sink, so… it’s clean * Pic of whiskers available here * On a personal note - I find this to be the most revolting daily challenge thus far, across two Lather Games. It is made far worse by the video etched in my mind of u/hugbckt drinking his whiskers.

It's officially fall on the Lather Games calendar. So I got my flannel on, time to go get my fall on. Luckily I have autumnal tunes and somewhat autumnal weather. LFG!

Passes 3 and 4: * Location: Starbucks * Direction: XTG, XTG * Nothing says fall like a Pumpkin Spice Latte. I learned my lesson from others and chose a chain coffee shop for these two passes, as the baristas don't get paid well enough to deal with randos wearing flannel and shaving on the patio.

Coffee was...sweet. Passes were ok- I should have chosen a less aggressive razor for a 10-pass day.

A lot of times during the fall we get our of the concrete jungle and head up to quieter areas. Given the source and theme of my soap today, I just decided to head to Wisconsin. Maybe do some apple picking and get some Octoberfest beer? See some woods? I don't know if there will be time.

Half an hour into the drive I realize that the PSL already needs out. I pull into a tollway oasis and make my way to a surprisingly clean and empty restroom.

Passes 5 and 6: * Location: Tollway Oasis * Direction: WTG, ATG

I made it to Wisconsin!

Passes 7 and 8: * Location: Welcome to Wisconsin Sign * Direction: WTG, ATG * I asked a nice woman walking a dog near the sign where she goes apple picking around here. It might be my Illinoisan accent, or the fact I was actively shaving, but she didn't seem to understand my question. After I ~~asked~~ shouted at her three more times she gave me some suggestions and walked away very quickly. Nice lady.

I stopped by a liquor store to pick up some local craft beer. When in Rome, am I right? I was hoping to get some stag, but sadly, they were out, and I got some Moon Man instead.

Knowing my trip up Nort' was coming to an end, I stopped to get some gas, and noticed that the temperature outside had dropped a bunch. Time to cardigan up and put a beanie on!

I finally got to the apple picking place the nice dog lady suggested. I was amazed at the apples I could pick. I made my selection and walked to my car, dejected that there didn't appear to be a good place for my final two passes, and were nary a wood anywhere. Turns out SE Wisconsin is really pretty suburban.

I got in my car, and it hit me. Anything can be a mobile shave den if you try hard enough! I used my remaining PSL, to rehydrate the lather in my brush and lathered up.

Passes 9 and 10: * Location: The Ultimate Shaving Machine™ * Direction: WTG, WTG

Now that all my passes were done, I after shaved and then got back on the road for home.

Fall is the best.

Soap Theme Justification
* 9 Days Up Nort’ is a u/grindermonk creation celebrating the 9 days of the Wisconsin deer season, and is made with deer tallow. Rules require the soap be “Explicitly marketed for a holiday occurring between Autumnal Equinox and Winter Solstice “ - deer season is undoubtedly a holiday in the rural upper midwest, and falls in November.

Post-Shave and Fragrance Relevance Notes
* My theme for scents is “fall in the midwest” * For the AS, I chose Darkfall. Scott made this scent to evoke a Southern fall, but the scents feel really similar to fall in my midwestern hometown. Specifically the burning leaf note, which is ever-present. * For the Frag - I pulled in SW Labyrinth. The note here that really rounds out the theme is the wet stone - midwestern autumns can be pretty wet at times, and the damp notes in this frag really round out the theme well.

July 22, 2023 – Regretting leg shave?

• Brush: Ap. shave Co. – purple Haze
• Razor: Otto Busch, Weltmeister – Wiener Schaber
• Lather: House of Mammoth – Mood Indigo
• Post Shave: House of Mammoth – Mood Indigo
• Fragrance: Imaginary Authors – In love with everything

Razor:
The razor translates to “Worldchampion – Vienne scrapper” and is a lending from u/Teufelskraft.
When I got it, it was as dull as a spoon. Ever tried to shave with a spoon? As I knew we would have this challenge, I knew I wanted to do it with a straight, but not one of my freshly honed Bökers. I took my coticule and honed the razor as well as I could in 12 minutes.
With u/djundjila, we talked about the razor on Discord. When I started the shave, The razor was able to shave armhair, but I did not expect the shave to be super comfortable. I was well aware that I had to shave a huge area with lots of long hair. When newtothis said we should take 2 blades, I was confirmed in my decision.

Brush:
Because of the color, I love to use this brush with Mood indigo. I ll probably use it in AA with Mood Indigo. It has the most backbone in my collection without beeing uncomfortable.

#Fof
Soap:
Mood indigo, he smokey blueberry jazzclub feeling melted to soap and shipped to the wetshaving community. I love this scent for late evening shaves, but we have things to do.

Face shave:
Yes, I had one day stubble, so I had to shave my face. At first pass, I was not sure if the razor feels that good, or doesnt cut at all. How can it be that smooth? That feeling passed at the end of the first pass. The shave became uncomfortable, but close enough to go outside. Now I have to rely on the

Aftershave:
HoM aftershaves are new to me. Mood indigo is heavier on the blueberry than on the soap. It felt good to use it and by the time of writing my skin had a bit time to rest.

Leg shave: Thank you for reading so far. Or maybe you skipped to this section. I dont know.

Things I learned:
1. Straight razors work pretty well for leg shaves. My thesis is confirmed
2. with such a huge area I have to shave, I lost concentration quite often. You can count on my cuts, that I lost concentration 5 times.
3. Lather quality is not as important as with face shaves
4. Its fun to massage the lather into the area you want to shave. You can put way more pressure on the brush
5. My back hurts. Sitting on the edge of the bathtub was not the best for my herniated disc. I have no idea how to make it better.
6. Knees are difficult to shave, but not the endboss. Close to the ankle is most difficult when hair hides in a hollow.
7. There are parts I can not see on my own. GF had to help
8. I dont want to do this again
9. Pants feel disgusting. There is no protecting hair layer.
10. My legs do not look that bad or skinny when shaven
11. I found scars I had forgotten about
12. My legs are still tanned and not an optical illusion made by a bunch of wolf hair

Stupid ideas I tried
If you are not able to read it: I tried to shave “Lather games” into my leg hair

Collected all hair I shaved off. Your choice if you want to see it. Be warned!
Not safe for LIFE Chewbacca costume

Safe to watch again:
Aftermath in ballett pose

Fragrance:

In love with everything sparked my curiosity like no other IA scent. The logo is cool, the theme is awesome, the scent notes of raspberry (berry theme!) and vanilla sound lovely.
Got this tester from my trip to Budapest. Finally I was able to look and test IA scents!
Unfortunately, this is “unisex” and suits my GF better than me. When it settles down, I get a bit of sandalwood and punch (drink).

@djundjila: get a Weltmeister.

Edit: I HATE WEARING PANTS NOW!!!

July 19, 2023 – LG2023 Day Nineteen – Sad Sock Day

• Sock: Superman Knee High W/Cape
• Razor: Strivel – Self Stropping DE
• Blade: Polsilver (6)
• Lather: Solea – D’Amaris
• Post Shave: Solea – D’Amaris

Firstly WTF was in the Djudges minds with this challenge, where you just putting your socks on one day and thought man that would make a good challenge?

Todays shave is pretty much all (Bar the sock) thanks to a couple of friends in Romania and also a good example of how great this hobby is.

I while back I sold a razor to a guy in Romania and we got talking about the hobby and mostly about vintage gear this led to me offering to be his middle man for English eBay, after few parcels I came home one day to a rather large parcel filled to the brim with loads on European wet shave products (including the items I used today) that he had sent me as a gift. I started doing the same service to one of his friends in the hobby, together we chat regularly about not just shaving but life in general and without the hobby these are people I would never of met. The Razor I have used today was a surprise gift from them this Christmas as they know I always on the lookout for odd razors and the Strivel although not the smoothest shave is an odd razor.

It wasn’t until I was talking to my wife a while back (Bare with me as this seems paints her as a mad woman) that it cemented what a great hobby this is, she was quizzing me about why I keep getting parcels. She managed to concoct a scenario in her head where neighbors would see we get parcels and for some reason would narc to the cops, me laughing at her didn’t really help but she genuinely thought I was like a smuggler of some kind like razors and soaps are code for crack. The more I laughed at her the more so got really angry, bare in mind I have never even touched weed (I Know I’m dull) so why she thought I had turned into kingpin is beyond me. Once she calmed down and believed I wasn’t Pablo Escobar and all I was doing was saving some guys multiple foreign postage she looked and asked what I get out of it, she found it hard to believe people would do things for my benefit but that’s what this hobby is all about for me. We all help each other out, you talk to people out may never meet but form a bond over spending stupid money on badger fur, so many people have helped my over the years in the hobby I think its great that we do things with no expectation of anything in return.

Daily Challenge

I went with my Superman sock today as you can see, also I don’t think you can have a sock on your hand and not talk to it like its a glove puppet. It doesn’t really lather up so to speak but just spreads the cream over your head, I was part way through this embarrassing task when my son walked in just looked at me and I could see the respect leave his body as he stood looking at this. Shave done, self respect gone, respect from child gone, sock used abused and tossed on the floor just like when I was a teenager.

July 19, 2023

• Brush: My fucking sock?!??
• Razor: Rockwell 6s
• Blade: Wilkinson Sword
• Lather: Taconic Shave – Tequila Lime Shave Cream
• Post Shave: Henri et Victoria – Lime Splash
• Fragrance: Noble Otter - Lone Star EDP
• Music: The Champs - Tequila

Man, I need a shot of Tequila after that shave. Using a sock to lather is a bad idea. Like an awful idea. This is coming from the guy that shaved in a bathtub full of ice. Now, it’s entirely possible (and maybe even likely) that my sock-lathering technique is bad. However, lathering with my sock isn’t something I want to perfect.

Today, I went to the beach for this shave for two reasons (1) I like to feel the sand between my toes in the summer and (2) because u/MrTangerinesky thought he could intimidate me by shaving next to a little river. A little babbling brook in the background is supposed to impress me? Bitch, please. You bring a river and I’ll bring the ocean! As my arch nemesis, u/MrTangerinesky, would say: VIDEO OR IT DIDN’T HAPPEN!

Despite the piss-poor sock lather, the shave was slick. However, it took way too long to build any sort of lather with a sock and sand was all up in my lather, so I only did 1 pass today.

I really enjoy this cream from Taconic – it smells like a margarita and performs great under normal conditions. I chose Lime aftershave because, well, lime is one of the two scents in the soap. Then for my frag, I picked Long Star, since it opens with a nice lemon scent, and lemons & limes are like best friends. The Lone Star then gets really nice with complex blend of floral and woody notes on an earthy base of oakmoss, leather, and hay. It’s nice to have a shave that starts with a relatively simple scent (margarita) then then the frag builds that into a complex #FOF summer experience.

As with a lot of my shaves this month, I have a few lessons learned:

1. Soaking my sock was a good idea, but I should have done a better job at keeping sand off the sock.
2. Sand is a good exfoliator, buuuuuuttttt…. Shaving with a mix of sand and sub-par lather is not ideal.
3. You need a LOT more cream for a sock shave than you expect. I started with this and had to go back to the tub two more times. These socks EAT lather.
4. Socks don’t make good brush replacements.
5. If you are going to use your socks to build a lather, bring an extra pair, so you don’t have to go sock-less for the rest of the day.

For the #photocontest: Sports with the baseball, since I asked Taconic who their favorite baseball team is.

For my interview today, I chatted with Nancy from Taconic Shave. Nancy, and her husband Howie have been slinging wetshaving products for 20 years - long before it was cool. Nancy was such a nice, nice person for this series that I feel absolutely awful publicly desecrating her product by using it with my dirty sock…. BUT… If I can get a serviceable lather using one of my socks, imagine the dreamy lather you’ll get using a brush!

10 Questions with… Taconic Shave

1) How did you get started making shaving creams, soaps, aftershaves, etc?

When we started our wet shaving business about 20 years ago, there weren’t very many good shave soaps available. The retail stores that were selling our Parker Safety Razor products were asking for an American made line of shave soaps and creams. The best ideas come from our customers and we were able to offer the right products at the right time. The wet shaving community was expanding rapidly at that time.

2) What was the first product you ever sold?

Our first Taconic product was a mandarin orange shave soap in a cold poured formulation which is much different than we’re offering today. Our products today have been formulated differently over time.

3) I’ve only tried your shave cream, and I will say it performs wonderfully. How do you compare your cream to your shave soaps?

Our shave soaps have very different formulas than the creams. You’ll have to try one! The shave soaps require a mug and a little more work to create a lather, but they deliver unbelievable glide and cushion thanks to some key ingredients like hemp seed oil and bentonite clay. They are also formulated with all naturally derived ingredients like the rest of our line. We are committed to making our products chemical free.

4) You're from New York. Dare I ask: Yankees or Mets?

Yes we’re from New York, and we’re Mets fans (with a high pain tolerance) :)

5) My sister-in-law has a tshirt that says “I love cooking with wine... Sometimes I even add it to food!” Is the recipe for tequila lime soap similar?

In some ways yes - it was always a fun drink and lime is one of our favorite natural scents.

6) Do you have a go-to drink you order at a bar?

Howie loves a good local craft beer. His favorite is Bear Naked Ale from the Adirondack brewery in NY. I always love a good glass of Sauvignon Blanc.

7) You offer 5 different scents of shave creams and 6 options for shave soaps. How did you decide which scents you want to offer in which form?

We asked our customers and our retailers which scents they would prefer. We have a close rapport with our customers and gathered preference feedback. For example, one of our later scents Excalibur started as a solid cologne and our retailers loved it so much they wanted us to grow the use of this scent with our other shaving and beard care products.

8) Of the scents you offer, which one is your favorite?

Mine is Lavender Lime (I just love the citrus balanced with a bit of earthy lavender) and Howie’s is Eucalyptus Mint for its cooling effect.

9) I noticed one of the ingredients of your Creams is honey. I've never made my own soaps or creams, but I have to imagine that's a somewhat unique ingredient. What does the addition of honey do for someone's lather/skin?

Honey is an excellent moisturizer for the skin and has really great antioxidant, antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. It can also be helpful with razor bumps and adds additional glide.

10) How do you differentiate Taconic Shave from all the other shaving companies currently out there?

We have consistently stuck by our values to offer a broad line of wet shaving and grooming products, using the healthiest choice of ingredients that we would want to use ourselves (avoiding many common allergens such as nuts). We always choose to go with small batches, using only all natural and many organic ingredients that are locally sourced whenever possible.

July 19, 2023  

• Brush: Sock – hobbit foot  
• Razor: Gillette Tech  
• Blade: Astra SP (Green)   
• Lather: Geo. F. Trumper – Coconut  

Theme: It’s a cream. It says cream. Zero cuteness.

Challenge: I choose to believe that today is about fun socks! Not somebody’s plot for feet pics. I like to crochet and I made myself some hobbit foot socks a while back, decided it was their time to shine. See SOTD pic. I made a lather. And then I figured the socks needed cleaned anyway. Lowkey, showering in sockas is not as bed as it sounds.

DAY 18 LATHER GAMES! SO CREAMY, MMM I LOVE IT!

• Prep: Water
• Brush: socks
• Razor: Blackland Vector
• Blade: Chinese(8)
• Lather: Nivea - Sensitive Shaving Cream
• Post Shave: Brut - Brut Oceans
• Fragrance: Jean Paul Gaultier - Le Male

​

PIC OR IT DIDN'T HAPPEN

​

THEME+DAILY CHALLENGE

Honestly I don't know where to start, cream itself for a start is bad enough, but then you add THIS daily challenge!?!?! I still can't figure out if the guy in the original video is a genius or an idiot! But someone should message him and tell him he inspired A WHOLE day of the LG, and that's quite the achievement!

Well I'm not sure if I ever used this Nivea since last year, but it definitely has gotten a lot more thicker than then, maybe in about 2-3 years it might calcify itself inside the tube(cause all them good ingredients). In general I'm not a fan of creams, this day, budget day and drug store day are my least favourite cause of the fact of what I have to use... I know I know, I just wanna moan and vent!

Now for the challenges I tried two ways to lather with socks:

- In my opinion, this video is THE BEST way to make a lather with a sock!!! No second opinion needed!!!

- The video of the second method shows that it is more practical and boring, but it does the job.....

​

#FOF

The whole combination of scents is very chemical, Brut Oceans is a better variant of the green Brut, still it has that cheap-o smell to it. No offence to Le Male, but it fits great with all the scents! Just an average smelling shave...

• Daily Lather Themes: 19/30
• Daily Challenges: 19/30
• Hardware Scavenger Hunt: 14/20
• Hardware Vendor Points: 1/2
• Software Vendor Points: 8/13
• Software Vendor Bonus Point: 0/1
• 30 Different Soap Brands Point: 19/30
• 30 Different Soaps On Theme Bonus Point: 19/30
• 30 Different Post-Shaves Bonus Point: 19/30
• 30 Different Fragrances Bonus Point: 19/30

July 23, 2023 – LG23 Day 23: What IS that enchanting aroma?

• Brush: r/wetshaving Zentih MOAR BOAR 31mm #OLDWORLD
• Razor: Gillette Bakelite Handle Tech X-2
• Blade: Gillette Winner (7)
• Lather: Mäurer & Wirtz – Tabac
• Post Shave: Mäurer & Wirtz – Tabac
• Fragrance: Mäurer & Wirtz – Tabac – EdC

“Violinists can’t help but snap up the limelight in a symphony orchestra: they’re sat right at the front, and there are a heck of a lot of them.“ — Maddy Shaw Roberts

So writes the author in Classic fm. She even (correctly) references the volume of sound produced by the trumpet players, of which I am one. Sit in front of a violin player and a trumpet player and one of them wishes they had the fortitude to damage your hearing. Yes we’re loud when called to be. And speaking of called, it wasn’t seven violinists that announced the Apocalypse envisioned by John of Patmos, it was trumpeters, by God.

The God-given ego of the trumpet player is no match for any other, tête-à-tête. Ergo all those violinists. By orchestral numbers, it takes 5 violinist egos to match the ego of a single trumpet player. We know we are enchanted. And that is why Tabac IS that enchanting aroma.

Dazzling, rejuvenating, scintillating. Words that describe the music of the trumpet are, not coincidentally I’m sure, the same that the geniuses at Mäurer & Wirtz chose to ascribe to the Great Tabac. Trumpet players know what they want and they give it to their audiences in free abound. And those audiences should want Tabac. It’s top notes of Aldehydes, Lavender, Neroli, Lemon and Bergamot dazzle with energy. The middle notes of Carnation, Sandalwood, Pine Tree Needles, Rose, Jasmine and Orris Root rejuvenate the soul. The base notes of Tobacco, Musk, Oakmoss, Amber, Tonka Bean and Vanilla scintillate for the long nights of music. Together, like the seven trumpets of the apocalypse, they shake you into awareness and rock you to the core as you await your olfactory judgement.

In homage to one of the great trumpet players and his band, and in paying tribute to one of the greatest album covers, I submit to you my Lather Audit.

LGSOTD 25-July

• Brush: Chisel and Hound - Brazier AP Gelousy #SHD
• Razor: Wolfman - WR2 1.25   
• Blade: Wizamet - Super Iridium  
• Lather: Noble Otter – ‘Tis The Season   
• Post Shave: Noble Otter – ‘Tis The Season AS

Christmas in July, wow I didn’t actually know that was a thing beyond the original movie, I had to Google it and got lost in wikipedia. Seemingly it’s spreading across the world and becoming yet another ‘movement’, who knew, certainly not me, guess I get to use the phrase ‘bah humbug’ early this year.  Saying that though, at least today gave me an excuse to bring out the NO set, bought for this past real christmas but it saw only a handful of uses, shame really.  It’s nice, a little reminiscent of a car air freshener, but it’s actually enjoyable.  One brief note on the setup pic, I bloody hate that elf, 3 years we've had to find a ridiculous number of different hiding places because this child has a memory like a steel trap, damn elf! 

Now for the challenge, this could go a couple of ways.  I could go the easier route and just use my left hand, there’s no real challenge in that one though.  The razor mainly guides itself and with a straight I use both hands anyway.  The other, I could ask the Mrs. I considered this one for a while and thought why not, let's see what she says.  So I sidled up to ask her whether she’ll shave me…I think I could have phrased that better and put it into context first but never mind.  After a very puzzled look and a brief explanation she kindly accepted. I then had to clarify further that she had to use her left hand, a little less sure but after first laying out the terms that any injuries I suffer from shaky hands are of my own doing she was still in, so in for a penny in for pound!  So as my special guest star, welcome Mrs Crossan1983's hand. My choice of razor could have been a bit better, the gap is large ish and she’s not overly familiar with DE’s beyond the crap no name one use I used for the #RAINBOW tags, but I was slated to use this anyway, so this could be fun.  

Can't share the video, but here are a handful of stills, the first couple with the look of shock is that she seemed to take the advice of shave the lather literally, the razor barely touched my skin.  I'll be absolutely honest, we had to stop at one pass, that one pass took 20 minutes, only my first forays into straights took that long. We had to keep stopping, one for her hand to stop shaking, several times because we were laughing and unsurprisingly, given the time it took, I had to reapply (the lather wasn't my best). But after all that I can safely say I won't be asking the Mrs to shave me again unless I'm in a coma, awful finish. That was good for a laugh so thank you for the challenge. 

Hope everyone has a closer shave than me and a cracking day. 

Cheers

Marc

#ROTY #PhotoContest

July 26, 2023 – LG23 Day 26: Impressive Djonut’s Delicatessen Wildcard Wednesday

• Brush: Chef John’s – Kümmelweck
• Razor: Impressive Donut Creations – Chopstick Kamisori v.2 #ALLNATURAL #YTHO #KAMISORI
• Blade: Personna GEM PTFE
• Lather: Chef John’s – Beef Jus
• Post Shave: Walnut Creek – Prepared Horseradish
• Fragrance: Priano – Balsamic Vinegar

In what may have become a Lather Games tradition, today came about after some friendly banter with u/djundjila about Reuben sandwiches and incorporating a homemade Reuben in my shave last year. DJ, the offer still stands. When you come to Ohio, we’ll go to Katzinger’s Deli for Reubens. Or maybe you’ll change your mind? On second thought when I answer the rhetorical question I posed to you awhile ago in your Desert Wecktiver shave you may just want to stick to Reubens.

For those of you who want to really see a guy rub a weck all over his face: Welcome to Djonut’s Delicatessen!

Keeping the Theme Alive Lather notes: Beef Post shave notes: Horseradish Fragrance: Balsamic Vinegar All are recipe ingredients.

Today’s shave:

Freshly baked in the Djonut kitchen Kümmelweck (caraway rolls)

Buffalo New York’s signature Beef on Weck

The debut of the Chopstick Kamisori v.2. (All you really need to see.)

Today I took what good sense I had left this month and flushed it down the crapper, then immediately regretted my horrible decision and dove into the crapper in a lame attempt to get it back. To no avail.

What’s to be said about rubbing a piece of bread soaked in gravy all over your face? I can say beef jus sure tasty with a Beef on Weck, but it absolutely makes a piss poor lather.

The Chopstick Kamisori v.2 features a new and improved bamboo handle and thread whipping to secure the GEM blade in place. The inaugural shave with it the was the worst shave. Ever. At least I drew no blood like last year. I can’t think of using anything worse, but maybe a rusty garden hoe.

For post shave toning everything beats a nice dollop of prepared horseradish. Tasty on beef, but it stung like a MFer. I suppose it has some astringent qualities and may actually benefit my skin in the end.

The magical ingredient, Balsamic Vinegar, in the jus turns out to be just as magical as a fragrance. I have the sweet tart aroma of a salad dressing lingering in my space and it is quite delightful. Hmmmm… I foresee another group soap buy coming soon from whatever ̶s̶u̶c̶k̶e̶r̶ soap artisan wants to take this on as a project.

What? The Daily Challenge is not to record yourself shaving with a deli sandwich and a janky Kamisori? We’re supposed to give a shave den tour? Surely the Djudges have better sense? Well, whatever. Here it is.

July 27, 2023 - Lavendursday

• Brush: Noble Otter 26mm Synthetic
• Razor: King C. Gillette
• Blade: Gillette Platinum (1)
• Lather: Summer Break Soaps - Homecoming - Soap
• Post Shave: Barrister and Mann - Lavanille - Splash
• Fragrance: Barrister and Mann - Lavender Interrupted - EdT

Daily Challenge/Write-Up:
Time to revive the mobile shave den! I learned some lessons from the trip to Wisconsin earlier this month: * Take a brush that you aren’t as fond of, so you’re not constantly worrying about dropping or scratching it * 10 passes is excessive for a shave * A mild razor is the name of the game when you’re out and about * Quiet, not heavily trafficked places are the best places to get your shave on.

Ooh…. about that last one.

Astute eyes may have caught an important detail of my shave den yesterday. Something was missing. As a refresher- here’s the pic of my bathroom. Note the little vanity mirror - all the mirrors in our house are on order, and aren’t here yet. So, for 70 days (and counting), I’ve not had a big mirror for shaving.

And that makes for a much less-comfortable shave. While I’ve gotten fond of the little stand mirror, I’m done with shaves where I’m either hunching over the counter or attempting to use the selfie mode on my phone.

So… I brainstormed about where I could find a good mirror to use and meet the theme of today’s daily challenge.

Train? Done before, and they have 4 walls. Next!

In my garden, using the reflection on the privacy window tint I recently installed? We just moved, so I need to ease my neighbors into the crazy. No Betty White-themed backyard shaves just yet. Speaking of which, it’s crazy to me that u/priusaurus had the same idea last year as I did. Great minds, am I right?

I need to clear my head. I throw my mobile shave den into the back of the Ultimate Shaving Machine™, asked my lather assistant if she wanted to accompany me, and we hit the road to think it through.

Can I use the reflection on the water at “Montrose Beach”? No, too choppy, and unlike u/Marquis90, I don’t befriend the geese.

Then it hit me! I know the perfect spot! I quickly piloted my car onto the expressway, and headed towards the city as quickly as traffic would let me. Well, shit.

Admittedly, it's not the best weather for an outside shave. And the traffic was bananas. Made me wish we had taken the L, but I would have been too tempted to shave in the "air conditioned" train. So we soldiered on.

Getting closer! Time to exit!

We parked and walked into the park…. There was a security station checking bags and I panicked. But u/ktturtlesue talked me down, and they completely ignored the KCG. Score!

Once in the park I laid eyes upon the mirror I'm going to use for my shave. Cloud Gate, or "The Bean", a beloved landmark of our city.

We took a touristy photo, and then I searched for a spot.

I found my spot, and put together my SOTD Photo. Something looked off, so I quickly added something to finish the pic, given that Lavender Interrupted was in the photo. Here's the final result.

Then I proceeded to the shave. I lathered up, and completed a very quick and pasty shave. The couple next to us saw what I was doing, and loudly exclaimed, "look, that dude is shaving!" I explained my mirror predicament, and they laughed and walked away quickly.

Great shave today, in a lovely park in the middle of the greatest city in the country.

Soap Theme Justification
Lavendursday. One of the sub’s foremost experts on fragrance said that Homecoming is his “favorite lavender scent in the game” and that the soaper, “designed Homecoming to ‘draw out an accentuate some of the darker elements in lavender.’"

Further, he continues, “It's…complex… leading with a robust lavender, but texturing it with sharp black pepper, woody vetiver and cedar, and honeyed neroli. The neroli provides a significant amount of floral-citrus sweetness in the soap; the fragrance pushes it back into the blend where it has equal standing with the rest of the blend. I don't know if it's something with my skin chemistry today, or my nose is extra sensitive at the moment, but I can't get over how smoky [sic] the [Homecoming] smells today—especially as it dries down. If you want a dark and spicy lavender scent but don't like a pungent one, Homecoming is a must try…”

Post-Shave and Fragrance Relevance Notes
* Today’s theme is “Lavender, Three Ways” * The soap is Homecoming, described by u/RedMosquitoMM above. * The aftershave continues the dark lavender notes with Lavanille, described by Barrister and Mann as “... our version of Mousse de Saxe with lavender, vanilla, cedar, and the elegant musk Exaltolide…” * Finally, the fragrance finishes with a slightly brighter lavender in the Lavender Interrupted.

July 27, 2023 – LG 27: Laventhrusday

• Brush: Maggard 24mm 2 Band Badger
• Razor: Karve CB
• Blade: Personna Super Stainless (3)
• Lather: Mickey Lee Soapworks – Jefferson Square
• Post Shave: Declaration Grooming/Chatillon Lux – Champs de Lavande
• Post Shave: Dr. Jon’s – Flowers in the Dark
• Post Shave: Imaginary Authors – Telegrama
• Post Shave: Barrister and Mann – Reserve Lavender
• Post Shave: Declaration Grooming – Semicolon
• Post Shave: Summer Break Soaps – Prom King
• Post Shave: Barrister and Mann – Lavanille
• Post Shave: Barrister and Mann – Tuesday
• Post Shave: Mickey Lee Soapworks – Jefferson Square
• Fragrance: Barrister and Mann – Reserve Lavender

Lavender is legit, I love it. We all know u/velocipedic did a cool lavender shootout on r/wetshaving, but who the fuck has time to read all that. In todays video I managed his multi-years work in u/wallygator88 fashion in about 5 minutes. I went Between Two ~~Ferns~~ Lavender style, making for a great lavender surrounded set up shave.

Quick #FOF. MLS Jefferson square is a quite bright and green lavender to my nose. It’s strong and sharp, and quite true to putting one’s nose in an actual plant. Champs is a bit spicy and herbaceous, bordering on that medicinal quality, likely the eucalyptus. It has an earthiness quality, and brings in some rosemary as well. To me, reserve lavender is one of the OGs that got me to go down the artisan rabbit hole. It’s classy and sophisticated, a bit “cologne like,” but has layers that leave one always going for another whiff. I’ve never smelled the Caldey Island Lavender it’s based on, but it Reserve Lavender will always have a place in my den.

For my #PHOTOCONTEST, went with flowers, duh.

Edit to add: posted pretty late yesterday and today, but can enter a PIF here if interested in getting some remote learning and helping out a good cause, I’ll tally it all up tomorrow and figure it out this weekend.

Edit 2: Oh, and I’m wearing reserve lavender hair pomade today too. Also, while at work MsChronn sent me this, as I leave a tech in the shower she uses for legs and tell her to use whatever soap she wants. Lavender family today, but I was the mastermind behind my brilliant photo.

soap brands 27/30, post shave 27/30, frag 27/30, post/frag linked 27/30, software sponsors 13/13, hardware sponsors 2/2, razor hashtags 11/15, brush hashtags 10/15, photo contest 27/30, daily challenges 24/25, special challenges 3/5

July 28, 2023

• Brush: Assured for Men – 18mm Synthetic Shaving Brush #RUNT
• Razor: Assured for Men – Double Edge Safety Razor
• Blade: Assured for Men Double Edge Blades
• Lather: Luxury Men – Smooth Glide Shave Gel
• Post Shave: XtraCare – Fresh Scent After Shave
• Fragrance: Bod Man – Really Ripped Abs
• Music: Lil Dicky feat. Fetty Wap and Rich Homie Quan - Save Dat Money

Anyone that knows me, know I LOVE a good deal, so imagine my surprise when I went to the local Dollar Tree and discovered they have shaving gear! Like an idiot, I’ve been shelling out my hard-earned money to “artisans” for far too long. It’s about time I helped to open the eyes of r/wetshaving to the scam that is the hobby of shaving. We've all been duped and I wonder how deep this whole thing goes. Are our esteemed djudges in on this? Are all of you sock-puppet accounts for Big-Artisan-Soap?? Am I the only free thinker here???

At Dollar Tree, you can get a Double Edge Safety Razor AND 5 blades for the low price of $1.25. Is that cheaper than a Wolfman or a CF Legacy? Why, yes. Yes it is – I did the math twice to make sure.

What about a Shaving Brush? $1.25. Is that cheaper than a Declaration Grooming brush? Absolutely! And will this Assured for Men brand follow through on its commitments? Undoubtedly. Will DG? We know, the answer to that is unfortunately no.

For the Lather? $1.25 AND its aloe enriched! Does House of Mammoth put aloe his soaps? They absolutely do not! Why is this Ben guy trying to scam us! Is he cutting corners and skipping the aloe? And if we know he doesn’t have aloe, I think it’s reasonable to wonder… What else is he skimping out on?? The people need to know the truth!

For post-shave? You guessed it: $1.25! And it doesn’t have the bullshit snake-oil “skin food” that these so called “artisan brands” have! You know what my skin lacks? Mouths. If skin doesn’t have a mouth, how can it eat this so-called “skin-food”? I’M JUST ASKING QUESTIONS HERE PEOPLE!!

And finally, for the fragrance, I had to spend a bit more to acquire this. Dollar Tree didn’t have fragrances, so I drove to Dollar General and I hit the jackpot! I bought 3.4 ounces (100ml) of fragrance for $4.50 – or $0.045 cents per ml. That charlatan Shawn Maher is charging AT LEAST $120 FOR HALF AS MUCH – 50ml. That’s a whopping $2.40 per ml! Algebra was never my strong suit, but that’s like 787x what Bod Man charges. Sure, it’s possible a Maher Olfactive fragrance is slightly better… But 787 times better??? You do the math! Plus, according to their website, Bod Man is America’s #1 Men’s Fine Fragrance Brand. I can only imagine how many Golden Pears they’ve won. Must be tripping over them at Bod Man HQ!

So, all I’m saying is open your eyes and be willing to try new things. You may be surprised to find that there are products out there are aren’t artisan, but still get the job done just as good! Originally, I thought it’d be fun to shave outside my local Dollar Tree, but then I thought shaving in a more controlled environment would be more informative. Ultimately, I decided it’d be fun to write this and then shave with everything, on video, in my bathroom for my honest first reactions to this entire set-up. At the time of writing this, none of these have been opened yet and I haven’t smelled or sprayed anything at this point in time. It’s worth noting, that I picked this software because it was all blue. And I happen to like the color blue.

Click here for the first impression video.

You guys. Real talk. Gonna break character for a minute. I stopped recording and my face was on fire. And everything is irritated. I don’t like this feeling and I can’t pretend anymore. I’m legitimately afraid to shave with any of this stuff ever again. Oh, and this shit smells gross. While the splash actually wasn’t bad, it still a big #FOF fail. It smells bad, sad, and…. Really fucking sad. Seriously... But, to spin this: This may actually smell better than War or Peach Chypre…. So… I’m just saying DO YOUR OWN RESEARCH!! Poor u/OnionMiasma is being hunted for sending hazardous smells in the mail. That’s proof that you could do a lot worse than the scents of this set-up! This was sad, but not exactly offensive. OK. The Bod Man was kinda offensive... But... It was FRUGAL!!!

Also, very funny the packaging was the razor has a stainless steel handle, but the handle is very much plastic.

BTW – That shit I said about Declaration Grooming was absolutely true. I’m out on Scoot until he makes good on u/djundjila’s 2022 LG Prize.

For the #photocontest. Pets (alive or dead). I’m glad the category for pets includes the caveat that they can be dead. Because that’s what I’m including today! This tiny metal vial is a keychain, which has the partial remains of my first dog, Casper. When we had to put him down, we cremated him. My mom has the majority of is ashes in an urn at her house (which are to be buried with her when she dies). And my sister and I each got a little vial/keychain of his ashes. I carried this around on my keychain for years, but now, I just keep it in my desk drawer.

Just because I’m not using a traditional artisan shaving products or fragrances today, doesn’t mean I don’t have an interview! I was able to get Dan, the cashier from Dollar Tree, to answer some questions about the shaving products I found there. So thank you Dan, the cashier from Dollar Tree, for answering my questions and spending your day scanning hundreds of different items, which all cost $1.25!

10 Questions with… Dan, the cashier at Dollar Tree

1) What can you tell me about this safety razor?

It costs $1.25.

2) A dollar-twenty-five seems like a heck of a deal for a razor and 5 blades! Do you sell a lot of these?

I don’t think so…

3) This might be the best kept secret in all of wetshaving! Do you know the blades are more like Feather Blades or Nacets?

I guess you’ll have to try it to find out.

4) Good point. Blades are very subjective and vary from person to person. I shouldn’t have put you on the spot like that. Can we talk about the brush for a minute? Do you know what the hair fibers are made out of?

You kinda have a line forming behind you.

5) Of course! Do you know how much residual slickness this Luxury Men Smooth Glide Shave Gel offers between passes?

Residual what?

6) Nevermind. What scent notes are prominently featured in the shave gel?

The label says it’s aloe enriched.

7) Does aloe have a scent?

I don’t know, man. What are you asking all these questions?

8) It’s for this series I’m working on for the Lather Games and--

What’s the Lather Games?

9) It’s an internet shaving competition that I’m trying to win. Long story. But I ask the questions around here! What can you tell me about this aftershave splash?

It’s blue.

10) Beyond the color. Like, what does the smell remind you of? What’s the history of the scent-profile? How is the post shave feel??

Your total today is $5.31.

July 28th 2023 - Lather Games Day 28

• Brush: Omega 11137
• Razor: GEM Featherweight
• Blade: GEM PTFE (15)
• Lather: Stirling - Weekend in Malibu
• Post Shave: Stirling - Weekend in Malibu
• Fragrance: Stirling - Lightish Red

Weekend in Malibu - $14.25 soap, $13.65 splash

GEM Featherweight: $5.00 at auction

Omega 11137 - $9.99

Stirling EdT - $18.95

GEM Blade - $0.45

Total $62.29 for my cheapest gear. Sticking with this stuff and not being seduced by the siren song of sundry soaps and splashes and surely you would see the sought-after promised land of Shaving Savings.

To investigate why Stirling remains the best value, I decided to take a page from u/Priusaurus' great interviews and query the soapmakers directly, and maybe see if anyone there would join me in a shave. I packed up my gear, typed Stirling Headquarters into Google Maps and headed out. Upon arrival at Lord Stirling's quarters I was not scared off by the sign that said "Not Open to Public" because I am no ordinary member of the public, I am a Lather Games participant and that status gets you special treatment, not unlike how only Olympic athletes are allowed in the Olympic Village. Unfortunately, nobody was home but since I still needed to shave I figured I would make the best of it and shave there anyway.

Of course, this meant shaving outside in the heat for a second day in a row since my failed attempt to do this yesterday by trying to convince Rod and others that Varen is a lavender soap (it's the second listed scent note!) met with well-deserved mockery and scrub status being bestowed upon me.

I set up my gear on the commemorative plaque outside for some #photocontest history action, and then started to face lather. I stopped to pop a lather selfie, having styled my hair in homage to u/chronnoisseur42O's great 'do, and got to work. I completed my first pass which was somewhat difficult without a mirror, especially my cheeks, went back to my brush and lathered up for a second pass. While all this was going on there was a light flow of traffic on the road behind me; hopefully between the curvy road and peaceful scenery they were too busy to notice the guy shaving in the grass. I got through my two passes as mosquitos chewed my legs, toweled off and put on some Weekend in Malibu splash. I then hit myself with a few sprays of Lightish Red, which for me is a very nostalgic scent because it is a dupe of Abercrombie and Fitch Fierce, which was my perfume of choice back in high school. Both Weekend in Malibu and Lightish Red have a fresh, aquatic citrusy feel, with lily of the valley and sandalwood in the background so not only was this shave frugal but it was a great combination of scents.

After my shave I figured I would do a little sightseeing, so I drove through a nearby covered bridge on my way to the Memorial Arch, where Stirling's name was engraved for what I can only assume is their contribution to frugal shaves.

Now if you'll indulge me while I dust off my history degree, I shaved in front of the house where Major General William Alexander, Lord Stirling, was headquartered during the cold and hungry winter of 1777 at Valley Forge.

William Alexander, Lord Stirling, was born in New York in 1727 to émigré Scottish parents and joined the New Jersey militia as a commissioned colonel during the Revolutionary War. He rose to prominence during the Battle of Long Island, when he led a rear-guard action that allowed the American army to avoid catastrophe and retreat safely, and was captured by the British. He was released in a prisoner swap and promoted to Major General after taking part in Washington's crossing of the Delaware River. This house is where he was headquartered (along with future president James Monroe) during the Continental Army's disastrous winter encampment of 1777-1778. Unfortunately Lord Stirling's drinking and diet led to his death from gout in 1783, just months before the Treaty of Paris ended the American Revolutionary War. Thanks for reading!

July 29, 2023 – LG 29: Sandalwood Saturday

• Brush: Dogwood Handcrafts Coprolite B15
• Razor: Gillette Old Type
• Blade: Personna Super Stainless (4)
• Lather: Declaration Grooming – Cerberus
• Post Shave: Declaration Grooming – Cerberus
• Fragrance: House of Mammoth – Sandalorian

Today, we took sandalwood Saturday quite literally.

You’ve spent days on the desert planet of tatooine, your leather plate armor beneath the beskar growing heavier each day as it takes in your musk and sweat. Despite not belonging to their tribe, your newly formed gaffi stick has left sacred wortwood dust and shavings in every crevice possible; the tusken chieftain looks on with approval. You exhale, sweat dripping from your brow beneath your helmet. Your next breath makes you realize the warm woody and leather aroma permeates from you under the 2 suns, a hint of resinous ceremonial incense lingers in the background. Alas, your time has come to make way back to the capital of Corsucant, you put your starfighter into hyperdrive to catch some much needed rest. Upon arrival, the heavily perfumed floral senators pass by and it mingles with the remanence of your musky, woody, dominated regalia. In need of sustenance, you give a few Galatic credits to the nearby vendor, who graces you with the rich aroma of jogan fruit. Then you notice the few meiloorun fruits in the corner, reminding you of your time on tatooine, you ask for a few. Finally secluded to you quarters, you remove your helm, the exotic fruit now truly mingling with your tired, woody, musky self, and just a hint of the florals still caught in your nose so prominently worn amongst ethically questionable senators of the galaxy. #FOF

For my #PHOTOCONTEST, I went with wild animals. I’ll be honest birds and squirrels were all over the feeder in the morning. By the time I set up for the photo, scarcely there. My peanuts could not lure the squirrels back, so we went for a lone bird. I know our photo judges must have keen eyes, but I included a r/uselessredcircle just in case. No joke, I also videoed for like 1+ hour hoping to take a cool screen shot to no avail.

As for the challenge. I have to think u/Priusaurus, u/onionmiasma, u/MrTangerineSky, and u/crisp_mango all made strong showings for the podium.

For u/priusaurus, the interviews, witch, ice and restaurant shaves were all great. Brought his A game everyday.

For u/onionmiasma another A game everyday. I know the oil and gasoline shave got a lot of traction, but the Chicago bean mirror shave had me in stitches. Great interaction with many players too.

For u/MrTangerineSky, he pushed the limits and was continuously hilarious. Wonderful outside setting shaves. Also, he speaks highly of me so he’s clearly pretty smart.

For u/crisp_mango. That dude was one of if not the first poster almost everyday putting out shaving tunes non stop. That takes skill.

As for FoF, reigning LG champ u/RedMosquitoMM (and 2022 FOF runner up) was eloquent all July. Said he had to take it easy this year and still walked circles around majority of players.

For #PHOTOCONTEST, I think u/gcgallant consistently had really cool photos, often in some differing style. I think my favorite was u/impressive_donut114’s Death Before Decaf Photo. Beautiful shot.

As for ROTY, I think u/tsrblke was a consistent poster and putting in bery solid effort, way better than my rookie year for sure. I think u/djanovshaving was superb too. The way he just continually integrates the memes, pics, and gyfs makes for fun reading.

At the risk of sounding like Bobby Newport, can we show self love too? I had a great time this year, particularly pushing myself more with photos. I like to think I went ESPN 30 for 30 on that shit. However, in hindsight I could have used aforementioned names against them. I wish I had done more to include LGers in photos. I mean, Onion for vegetable, Mango or Tangerine for fruit, Donut for food, Mosquito for insect, Priusaurus (that’s and extinct animal, right?!?). NTM u/j33p_guy13 for vehicles or u/airbudruler for airbudrule. You get the idea.

soap brands 29/30, post shave 29/30, frag 29/30, post/frag linked 29/30, software sponsors 13/13, hardware sponsors 2/2, razor hashtags 11/15, brush hashtags 10/15, photo contest 29/30, daily challenges 5/25, special challenges 4/5

DAY 30 LATHER GAMES! AU REVOIR!!

• Brush: DS Cosmetics 30mm Tuxedo Knot (China)
• Razor: Blackland Vector (U.S.A.)
• Blade: Chinese(14) (China)
• Lather: Chiseled Face - Midnight Stag (U.S.A.)
• Post Shave: Chiseled Face - Midnight Stag Splash (U.S.A.)
• Fragrance: Chiseled Face - Midnight Stag EdP (U.S.A.)

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PIC OR IT DIDN'T HAPPEN (THIS TIME IT'S IMPORTANT)

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I am a Bulgarian and live in Bulgaria!(important for Daily Challenge)

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Right, last day of the LG, everyone is teary eyed and sentimental, but I ain't done yet. Not until I press the "comment" button! I have one last day and I am going out with a BANG!

As for the Daily theme I am THE ONLY ONE ( u/ChangoBat doesn't count, cause WCW) to incorporate THE STAG into a normal day theme! Granted it is easy for me to use THE STAG, cause I am not from the U.S.A., but plenty of other people also are, I AIN'T SEEN ANY OF THEM USE IT!!!! CAUSE THEY'RE SCRUBS!!!! u/cosmobarber would be sad at the lack of Stag this year, but I hope at least my post would make him happy, the last frontier!

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Fun fact: This is also my AA setup, minus the Vector, I will do Sub-Cero Fili for AA, but for certain reasons I did not use it today and you will soon find out!

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MY GOING OUT WITH A BANG

I was wondering, what can I do to stand out, to finish on a bang, and it finally clicked, some of you might have noticed in the SOTD picture!

Today I went to my local police station and talked with the nice police officers on duty. The conversation went something like this(keep in mind police here is different than police in the U.S.A.):

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• MrTangerineSky: Good day officer!
• Officer: Hello Sir! How can I help you?
• MrTangerineSky: Well I have a strange request for you....
• Officer: Go on....
• MrTangerineSky: Can I shave in the back of your squad car?
• Officer:.....
• MrTangerineSky:....
• Officer: Are you trying to get into trouble?
• MrTangerineSky: Well no, it's just for this shaving competition(tried to explain a bit detail of what's going on, he wasn't having any of it).
• Officer: Boy, you better get out of here before we whoop your ass....
• MrTangerineSKy: ok, ok, ok, can I at least go there on the other side of the street and shave while I film it?
• Officer: Yeah no problem, you can go there but you can't film, now BEAT IT!

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So that's exactly what I did, I got a lot of laughs, giggles and shaking of heads from the officers while they watched from the sides. I also managed to sneak a picture from the corner, as you can see the cop cars clearly!

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You might think what gave me the strength to do this well it's simple, continue reading below.

#FOF

CAUSE OF THE STAG BROTHERS! AIN'T NOTHING BETTER SMELLING IN THIS WORLD THAN MIDNIGHT STAG! This stuff will make you grow hair in places you've never heard of. It is such a blissful scent, that the heavens open up and you hear angels singing while you apply the aftershaves+EdP! Everytime you use THE STAG, your balls grow an inch in diameter! That's why u/cosmobarber didn't participate in the LG this year, his balls got so big from last year, he can barely move or get to the PC to post! The gasoline in it will make your penis hard(personal experience), the smoke will attract all the women, the wood will solidify your position in society as a badass and the leather will make you irresistible not to touch! COME NOW BROTHERS AND JOIN ME IN AA WITH THE STAAAAAAAGGGG!!!!!

• Daily Lather Themes: 30/30
• Daily Challenges: 30/30
• Hardware Scavenger Hunt: 21/20
• Hardware Vendor Points: 2/2
• Software Vendor Points: 13/13
• Software Vendor Bonus Point: 1/1
• 30 Different Soap Brands Point: 30/30
• 30 Different Soaps On Theme Bonus Point: 30/30
• 30 Different Post-Shaves Bonus Point: 30/30
• 30 Different Fragrances Bonus Point: 30/30

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P.S.- Now for the teary part.... I will do this again when the results come in, but a GREAT, FUCKING, BIG, THANK YOU, to all the Djudges and their patience and willingness to help with errors on our part, trying to give all the participants the maximum chances of getting the best score! Next I really just want to thank everyone that participated and made this event so great, the rivalries, the memes, the shenanigans, everything! Thank you so much!!!! You probably don't know it, but the LG are really a highlight of the year for me and a very special time! Again thank you! Can't believe it's over....