u/ChrisDaBombz's SOTDs for challenge 'Lather Games 2024'

June 01, 2024

• Brush: Prometheus Handcrafts w/ 28mm Synthetic

• Razor: Weck Sextoblade

• Blade: Kismet Hair Shaper (1)

• Lather: Eleven Shaving - Lime and Basil- Soap

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

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

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

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

Cheers.

June 02, 2024

• Brush: Prometheus Handcrafts w/ 28mm Synthetic

• Razor: Razorock Gamechanger .84

• Blade: Gillette Silver BLue

• Lather: Dr. Jon's - Anne Bonny - Soap

• Post Shave: Dr. Jon's - Anne Bonny - Aftershave

• Fragrance: Chatillon Lux – La Petite Prairie

Anne Bonny is my absolute favorite bay rum scent. It's really a shame Dr. Jon's went out of business. I would have loved to see this scent in an updated base. While I don't have a bay rum fragrance, La Petite Prairie has a pineapple note for everyone's favorite sponge who lives under the sea.

In honor of top scorers in Lather Games, I spent way too much time and effort mowing my yard today, similar to how much time and effort the winners put into their posts.

June 03, 2024

• Brush: Declaration Grooming Blood of Kings B3

• Razor: Razorock Gamechanger .84

• Blade: Gillette Silver BLue

• Lather: Chicago Grooming Co. - Excursion - Soap

• Post Shave: Chicago Grooming Co. - Excursion - Splash

• Fragrance: YSL L'Homme

Oleo Canard base with the quack fat. Damn good scent. I know this set is a dupe of YSL La Nuit De L'Homme and differs from the fragrance I've got, but I like both. Canard base surprises me every time I use it. It's no darkwing, but it doesn't slouch off either. Gamechanger could be my one and done razor. This is also probably my favorite badger brush. Yeah it's a touch on the small size, but it feels larger than it is while lathering.

I do not have Osama, but I am probably 40% through my Maggard alum block. I don't use it every shave. Really only if a shave felt particularly rough or my lather seemed subpar. I'm not truthfully convinced it really does anything. It'll sting in some spots sure, but does it actually do anything? Everyone rinses it off right away, right? Nobody actually leaves it on their face?

June 04, 2024

• Brush: Dogwood Handcrafts w/ DG B9A

• Razor: Razorock Gamechanger .84

• Blade: Gillette Silver BLue

• Lather: Southern Witchcrafts - Grapefruit- Soap

• Post Shave: Southern Witchcrafts - Grapefruit - Splash

• Fragrance: Chatillon Lux - Nonaginta

Here's one the youths might not be aware of. Southern Witchcrafts used to have an entire line of single-note "basic witch" scents. The grapefruit and peach were by far my favorites. I think since then, a grapefruit centric soap scent has been my number one love, however I'm always doomed to love discontinued products such as this SW Grapefruit or MLS Paradise Frost.

The Base Wars are something only the veterans experienced. Any answer today that isn't Declaration Grooming bison base is just plain wrong. Arguably every soap brand's latest base has continued to evolve for the better, except the history of the DG bases. Bison was perfect. Bison was supreme. Bison was king. Then for some reason (not that mysterious of a reason actually, people said it was too soft) it was replaced by the rock hard, nigh unusable Icarus base. Milksteak overcorrected the base softness too far. Bison was the goldilocks, perfect, in the middle softness.

My favorite current base would have to be Catie's Bubbles Premium Shaving Soap. Chris managed to take the already perfect cream base and make it even better witht the premium base. My only gripe is that today's bases have become so soft that they're too easy to overload. You need to consciously hold yourself back from overloading or you won't have a good time.

June 05, 2024

• Brush: Hand

• Razor: Razorock Gamechanger .84

• Blade: Gillette Silver BLue

• Lather: Barbasol - Original Thick & Rich - Soap

• Post Shave: Nivea Men - Cooling Post Shave - Balm

• Fragrance: Nautica - Voyage

Hand lathered which is absolutely the opposite of anything I'd typically do, per the daily challenge. This lather is certainly thick. I think this is where the W_E'rs get their idea that cushioned lather is good lather. It worked but the slickness wasn't there. I actually really dig the scent. It's old timey and reminds me of a grandpa or something. I went full drugstore/local market for the entire shave. It was okay but I'll definitely look forward to the artisan products tomorrow. I believe the Nivea balm was actually the first aftershave product I bought when I was just getting into wetshaving. Nautica Voyage is a good, cheap aquatic. Looking forward in the calendar, isn't today pretty redundant with frugal shave day? That was the nice part about flex day in lieu of frugal day.

June 06, 2024

• Brush: AP Shave Co. 26mm Synbad

• Razor: Razorock Gamechanger .84

• Blade: Gillette Silver Blue

• Lather: Turtleship Shave Co. - Te Java - Soap

• Post Shave: Catie's Bubbles - Eau de Thé - Splash

• Fragrance: Noble Otter - Thé Noir et Vanille

I'm actually surprised at how many beverage scented items there were to choose from today. Between coffee scents, tea scents, even a bourbon scent, today's choice was tough. I was recently turned onto milk teas and boba drinks due to some new restaurants and shops that have opened in the area. They're honestly addicting and the flavor cobinations are endless. Te Java excells at it's scent of royal milk tea with notes of tea and honey. It is very sweet and pleasant, almost like a graham cracker smell. If an aftershave for this product had been produced I'd undoubtedly use it. I followed the tea theme for the remainder of the shave. Eau de thé is incredibly refreshing and light. It consistently gets usage in my rotation. Thé Noir et Vanille is another fan favorite. The sweet strawberry and vanilla notes work beautifly on top of the black tea base.

My wettubing debut was not in the stars for today. My favorite wettuber was hands down Michael Freedberg. I purchased my first soap, Declaration Grooming Gratiot League Square, and my first brush upgrade, a Yaqi Moka Express, based off a Freedberg reviews. His tutorials are extremely informative, the reviews are thorough and genuine, and every video is full of positivity and joy.

June 07, 2024

• Brush: Dogwood Handcrafts w DG B11

• Razor: Razorock Gamechanger .84

• Blade: Gillette Silver Blue

• Lather: Catie's Bubbles - 322 - Soap

• Post Shave: Catie's Bubbles - 322 - Splash

• Fragrance: Declaration Grooming - Dirtyver

What an earthy/grassy day with the vetiver and patchouli combination. 322 never ceases to amaze and has plenty of depth to keep you sniffing for more. The Dirtyver adds a slightly smokier vetiver on top. I think I owe it to myself to pick up the 322 edp sooner than later. ATG only isn't bad with daily shaving. Had this been the challenge on the first for example, I could see that being rough if folks had more hair growth.

June 08, 2024 * Brush: Maggard Razors 22mm Synthetic * Razor: Maggard Razors MR6 w/ V3 Head * Blade: Gillette Nacet * Lather: Maggard Razors - London Barbershop - Soap * Post Shave: Maggard Razors - London Barbershop - Splash * Fragrance: Barrister and Mann - Fougère Gothique - EdP

The Maggard starter kit special. It's funny how long this handle feels now, but at the time when ordering as someone completely new to wetshaving, I thought I was getting the most bang for my buck with the heaviest, longest handle. Honestly, I still really enjoy this scent. It's just clean and soothing in all the right ways. While I don't have a London Barbershop fragrance, I went with a Maggard Exclusive scent with Barrister and Mann Fougère Gothique. If you haven't tried Gothique, I highly recommend it but suggest a sample. It's a vibe. While I absolutely love every time I use FG, I don't think I could comming to running it for an entire month. You've definitely gotta be in the right mood for it.

With Maggard Razors' low threshold for free shipping, I really don't have a ton of huge orders. Any time a new release would pop up, I would not hesitate to just grab that set plus a few other small items I was running low on. My biggest order $ wise was two fragrances (RIP APR). A single, most stupid order isn't coming to mind. I've never really YOLO'd an entire collection or brand or anything like that. My 3rd ever Maggard order consisted of 17 samples across a slew of brands. Ariana & Evans, Barrister & Mann, Catie's Bubbles, Chiseled Face, Noble Otter, Southern Witchcrafts, and Black Ship Grooming.

June 09, 2024

• Brush: Prometheus Handcrafts 28mm P2 Handtied

• Razor: Karve Christopher Bradley OC B Plate

• Blade: Ladas Super Stainless

• Lather: Zingari Man - The Wanderer - Soap

• Post Shave: Zingari Man - The Wanderer - Balm

• Fragrance: Declaration Grooming - Bandwagon

Same same scent as yesterday but different, but still same barbershop. This base is much better than yesterdays. I don't know why, but overly treated knots give me such a hard time. This P2 is very similar to B14. I get why people love the pillowy softeness, but it just doesn't have the backbone I'm looking for. Also with these very treated knots, I find myself constantly not having enough lather. I had to reload for the second pass. Maybe if I used the brush more frequently I could dial it in.

Oh snap, a pop quiz? I got 22/32 answers. It took me a sec to figure out the formatting and how to get the answers to submit.

June 10, 2024

• Brush: AP Shave Co. 26mm Synbad

• Razor: Karve Christopher Bradley OC B Plate

• Blade: Ladas Super Stainless

• Lather: Storybook Soap Works - West Egg - Soap

• Post Shave: Chatillon Lux - West Egg - Aftershave

• Fragrance: Declaration Grooming - Persephone

West Egg is an r/Wetshaving exclusive collaboration between Storybook Soap Works and Chatillon Lux. Unfortunately, Storybook is no longer. Their base is still great by today's standards. West Egg and Shaken are two of my favorites in this base. West Egg smells so delicious. It's incredibly creamy while still having a touch of that champagne bite. Persephone is also sweet and I think the tart pomegranite red fruit goes nicely with the champagne creaminess.

I don't know why, but songs about champage just make me think of Like a G6. I'm probably just showing my age as this song was popular when I was in college.

June 11, 2024

• Brush: Zenith Moar Boar

• Razor: Karve Christopher Bradley OC B Plate

• Blade: Ladas Super Stainless

• Lather: Declaration Grooming - Vernal - Soap

• Post Shave: Declaration Grooming - Vernal - Aftershave

• Fragrance: House of Mammoth - Alive

The tomato leaf note in Vernal is chef's kiss. I absolutely owe it to myself to get the fragrance, but I still don't have it. I wish the green apple was more prevalent in Alive, but overall I really enjoy this scent. Its an easy one to throw on whenever the mood or occasion. Obviously the theme is green in the photo. While I don't have a green razor, if I allowed my brass Karve to get nasty, it would develop a green patina. Like that one guy from W_E that makes all his razors look nasty on purpose. So I should actually get more bonus points for having a clean, non nasty brass razor and for not making you look at somethign hideous.

June 12, 2024

• Brush: Prometheus Handcrafts w/ 28mm Synthet

• Razor: Karve Christopher Bradley OC B Plate

• Blade: Ladas Super Stainless

• Lather: West Coast Shaving - Grapefroot - Cream

• Post Shave: West Coast Shaving - Grapefroot - Aftershave

• Fragrance: House of Mammoth - Shire 2

Jojoba Shave Cream under the West Coast Shaving label. This set definitely doesn't get the use it deserves. Just amazing scent and performance. The tobacco and violety notes of Shire paired very well.

The Den is stored in the bedroom closet in some little shelves. Soaps on one, aftershaves the other.

June 13, 2024

• Brush: Zenith Moar Boar

• Razor: Karve Christopher Bradley OC B Plate

• Blade: Ladas Super Stainless

• Lather: Stirling Soap Co. - D-503 - Soap

• Post Shave: Stirling Soap Co. - D-503 - Aftershave

• Fragrance: Stirling Soap Co. - D-503

A great dupe of Legend by Mont Blanc. A personal favorite of u/J33pGuy13 and I. This is a very easy to wear for any occasion scent. This actually encouraged me to go out and buy the actual fragrance. So there's that to all you people who turn your nose up to dupes. For me, dupes are a low barrier of entry to try scents I otherwise wouldn't.

If I do say so myself, the resemblence in my hand drawn 1/1 rendition and the original art is uncanny. Luck of the draw with the soap labels.

June 14, 2024

• Brush: Dogwood Handcrafts with Declaration B11

• Razor: Karve Christopher Bradley OC B Plate

• Blade: Ladas Super Stainless

• Lather: Noble Otter - Northern Elixir - Soap

• Post Shave: Noble Otter - Northern Elixir - Aftershave

• Fragrance: Gentleman's Nod - Musashi

Karve CB had been great daily so I'm just gonna keep running it until I get bored or the blade goes bad. Tough choice between Orbit and Northern Elixir, but I wasn't feeling the rose as much today. Great performance all around from the soap and aftershave. I really should use menthol soaps more often and I quite enjoy them. Mushashi fragrance today because why not.

I wasn't going to stack originally, but I know it's u/J33pGuy13 's favorite day.

June 15, 2024

• Brush: AP Shave Co. 26mm Synbad

• Razor: Karve Christopher Bradley OC B Plate

• Blade: Ladas Super Stainless

• Lather: Chiseled Face Groomatorium - Midnight Stag - Soap

• Post Shave: Chiseled Face Groomatorium - Midnight Stag - Aftershave

• Fragrance: Chiseled Face Groomatorium - Midnight Stag

Turns out my AA gear is the lowest soap I have. THe rest of the trifecta too. We'll see if I can swing another month out of everything. Genuinely enjoy this scent but will admit it does get to be a lot by the end of the month. My CFG Banana is also getting dangerously low. I also have a half full Midnight Stag Balm that I use interchangedly during AA. My frag may not actually make it through AA. Admittedly I do have a back up Stag tub on standby.

Unfortunately CFG doesn't have a great base for today's challenge. It get thin and airy very quickly. It actually produces a very quick lather with little water and work, quickly hitting it's sweet spot. So instead of ideally hydrated lather, I went on the drier side. The edges of the lather on my face were completely after I finished lathering. It would've been a lot worse were it a soft soap that is easily overloaded. That paste makes any razor stop in it's tracks.

June 16, 2024 * Brush: Zenith Moar Boar * Razor: Gillette Flat Bottom Tech * Blade: Gillette Silver Blue * Lather: Cella Milano - Crema Da Barba Almond - Soap * Post Shave: Clubman - Pinaud - Aftershave * Fragrance: Dana - Canoe

A shave comprised of old brands: * Brush - Zenith since 1902 * Razor - Gillette since 1901 * Razor Blade - Gillette since 1901 * Soap - Cella Milano since 1899 * Aftershave - Pinaud 1810 * Fragrance - House of Dana 1932

What a fun theme. I never would've guessed some of these brands would be so old. Big shock at what Pinaud claims as their origination.

Today's challenge: Nah. There's fun challenges and then there's seeing what hoops you can force people to jump though. Congrats to all the monkeys, enjoy that 1/5 point.

June 17, 2024

• Brush: Prometheus Handcrafts w/ 28mm Synthetic

• Razor: Karve Christopher Bradley OC B Plate

• Blade: Ladas Super Stainless

• Lather: HAGS - Dark Side - Soap (Vegan Base)

• Post Shave: Zingari Man- No. 1 - Balm

• Fragrance: Zingari Man- No. 1

This is the HAGS Vegan base from back when they had every scent in 4 different bases, which everyone loved (sarcasm). People were pretty crazy and made a fuss about this scent when it was released. I bought into the FOMO hype and got a tub. While it's good, it isn't earth shattering. Zingari Man's NO. 1 products matched beautifly with the oud and rose notes.

I knee-rely forgot about the daily challenge. Since I was a wet blanket about the leg shaving. I participated the the knee lathering today. I don't know if I'll continue to do it an-knee-more, but it wasn't too bad.

June 18, 2024

• Brush: Declaration Grooming B7 Blood Pact

• Razor: Karve Christopher Bradley OC B Plate

• Blade: Feather New Hi-Stainless

• Lather: Mickey Lee Soapworks - Unforgiven - Soap

• Post Shave: Mickey Lee Soapworks - Unforgiven - Splash

• Fragrance: Etat Libre D'orange - Fat Electrician

Not pictured in my SOTD photo is my razor stand, lather bowl, preshave, and the dice I use to track how many shaves are on my blade. Hi guys, today was my first wet shave and it didn't go well. I think I'm going back to my Gillette razor. I don't know what the problem was, I used a Feather blade since everyone here said they were the sharpest. I know my lather was good cause it was a half inch of pillowy thickness all over my face, just like the youtubers do it. I should also mention I have sensitive skin but very coarse facial hair. I pressed the razor really hard into my skin to get all the hair so I can be BBS, but now my neck is super red and I got a ton of cuts that I needed to use my stypic pencil on. I was under the impression wetshaving would be easier but I think I'm very close to going back to my old cartridge razor that did better. I was hoping to save money with this hobby. On the bright side, today I found a flea market vintage Gillette razor and clearance Proraso I scored at Marshalls.

June 19, 2024

• Brush: Prometheus Handcrafts w/ 28mm Synthetic

• Razor: Karve Christopher Bradley OC B Plate

• Blade: Ladas Super Stainless

• Lather: Shannon's Soaps - Mars - Soap

• Post Shave: Shannon's Soaps - Mars - Splash

• Fragrance: Ralph Lauren - Polo Black

Shannon's Soaps hails from the state of Ohio, which was part of the Union. Honestly this soap exceeds expectations for the cost and actually, at $30 for a set, this is the same price as other artisans are charging for a tub of soap alone. This soap scent is inspired by Chanel Allure Homme, which I've never smelled but this is pretty clean, fresh, and easy going.

I know what you're thinking. While papa doesn't have a ton on hand, I did cook up a few. If you're like me and bought into the Mammoth FOMO release, I'm sure you can relate to how I'm currently feeling. While we sit around and wait, it's difficult to find entertaining things to pass the time. Even hardware thrill is dangerous waters these days. But at least we still have W_E for entertainment, whether it's watching their mod get bribed with shit soap, seeing a poor attempt at one-upping the Moar Boar, or watching them genuinely inspire magic.

June 20, 2024

• Brush: AP Shave Co. 26mm Synbad

• Razor: Karve Christopher Bradley OC B Plate

• Blade: Ladas Super Stainless

• Lather: House of Mammoth - Kryptonite - Soap

• Post Shave: Black Ship Grooming - Thomas Tew - Splash

• Fragrance: House of Mammoth - Sonder

Non-green Kryptonite soap is a blast of lime to the face. Side note: I'd totally replace this tub with a green soap were it to be produced. The WS-23 menthol is nice in the soap and I'd like to see a new scent that also uses it. I chased the lime down with a huge dose of orange with Thomas Tew. Incredible citrus splash. What goes better with lime and orange, than lemon. Sonder is incredible and if I had to pick just one HoM frag to save in a fire, I'd have a damn hard chocie picking between it and Shire 2.

Longest day of the year and boy was it a doozy temperature wise. Who's not ready for the heat of summer? Raises hand

June 21, 2024

• Brush: Zenith Moar Boar

• Razor: Karve Christopher Bradley OC B Plate

• Blade: Ladas Super Stainless

• Lather: Spearhead Shaving Company - Seaforth! Heather - Soap

• Post Shave: Spearhead Shaving Company - Seaforth! Heather - Splash

• Fragrance: Spearhead Shaving Company - Seaforth! Heather

A fougere shave that smelled of fern

For once a soap that doesn't burn

Shawn's the best

Unlike the rest

Ye perfumers have much to learn

June 22, 2024

• Brush: Summer Break Soaps Handle w/ 28mm AP Shave Co Silksmoke Synthetic

• Razor: Karve Christopher Bradley OC B Plate

• Blade: Ladas Super Stainless

• Lather: Barrister and Mann - Hallows - Soap

• Post Shave: Barrister and Mann - Hallows - Balm

• Fragrance: Barrister and Mann - Hallows

Hallows is "a seasonal fragrance perfect for the cool and bitter late October days" and inspired by the churchyards and swamps of Boston. SCARY STUFF! I love this scent, though I know it's not everyone's cup of tea. The more I smell myself, the more I wish it was already fall. I think for me it's the earthy cocoa part that I like most.

For the challenge, well, obviously nobody has pumpkins in June (???), so I instead mutiliated this perfectly good grapefruit.

June 23, 2024

• Brush: Prometheus Handcrafts w/ 28mm Synthetic

• Razor: Karve Christopher Bradley OC B Plate

• Blade: Ladas Super Stainless

• Lather: Talent Soap Factory - Cakehole - Soap

• Post Shave: Summer Break Soaps - Icy Stare - Splash

• Fragrance: Stirling Soap Co. - Haverford

Talent Soap Factory is a new one for me. I was pleasantly surprised with the lather performance, as admittedly, my expectations weren't high for an etsy seller. I would say the majority of Talent Soap Factory's catalog is gourmands with a few other scents mixed in whose notes are verbatim with preblend sites. I settled on Cakehole for who knows why. It definitely smells like a cupcake or cake loaded with frosting. While it isn't unpleasant, I am glad I only have the soap as I imagine any sort of scent longevity on the face could become too much. Summer Break Soaps Icy Stare was a great match to put the ICE in icing. Since I don't think I have any gourmand fragrances, Stirling Soap Co. Haverford was the sweetest frag that came to mind. All in all, I do really like the TSF soap performance and would love to see some development in the scent offerings.

I think today's daily challenge is the one that annoys my wife the most. Who cares when you shave on the back porch, lather on your knee, or mix ice cubes in your sink of water, but when you start shaving in the kitchen, that's when the side-eyeing starts.

June 24, 2024

• Brush: Prometheus Handcrafts w/ 28mm Synthetic

• Razor: Razorock Gamechanger .84

• Blade: Gillette Silver Blue

• Lather: Proraso - Sandalwood - Soap

• Post Shave: Sir Irisch Moos - Irisch Moos - Splash

• Fragrance: Sir Irisch Moos - Irisch Moos - EdT

Today's soap was gifted to me by Mr. u/frankieIVfingers in the original running of the April Proraso Red Train Month, my thanks to you again Frank. I can't believe we ran this soap for a month. The scent is amazing. I hear the cream performs better than the soap and I'll probably give that a try at some point. I actually won this razor in a PIF on the sub as well, though that user has now deleted their profile.

It goes without saying that the artisan who's most deserving of a sub exclusive is Stirling Soap Co. But I know what's cooking right now and I know it'll be a good one. Looking forward to having a full set of Irisch Moos scented products. u/J33pguy13 is on a roll, first with his involvement on the Zenith sub brush and what he's got planned for the future.

June 25, 2024

• Brush: Yaqi Moka Express 24mm Mew Brown Synthetic #FAUXFUR

• Razor: EldrormR Industries MM24 #MODERNGEM #FLIPTOP

• Blade: Personna GEM PTFE

• Lather: MacDuffs Soap Company - Winter Cabin - Soap

• Post Shave: MacDuffs Soap Company - Winter Cabin - Splash

• Fragrance: Wholly Kaw - Vor V

I think I actually prefer the OC MM over the MM24. I think my MM24 needs to go in for an alignment check, I find the blade "pops out" from under the end tooth that's supposed to hold it in place. The result is that throughout the shave, the blade is at an angle and unevenly exposed since it's popped back into the cap on one side. Today's shave was quite sweet, but nowhere near gourmand day. Vor V has a strong raspberry note that paired nicely with Winter Cabin.

Shaving with a hat on felt odd. Maybe I should've shaved outside and it would've felt more normal. I'm just glad it wasn't lather in your hat day. Missed opportunity there, eh judges? I'm glad we're nearing the end of LG. I'm even more glad LG was in June this month to give a break before AA kicks in. Last year's back to back LG into AA tested the mettle of all shavers who participated in both.

June 26, 2024

• Brush: Dogwood Handcrafts w/ Declaration Grooming B11 Knot #SHD #FRANKENBRUSH

• Razor: Lady Gillette #RAINBOW

• Blade: Gillette Nacet

• Lather: AA Shaving - The Hunt - Soap

• Post Shave: Noble Otter - The Trail - Splash

• Fragrance: Chatillon Lux - Confluence - EdT

Here we are with some 1 AM shaving shennanigans. I normally wouldn't bother but AA Shaving is a sponsor with only 4(?) offerings and today was the only day I could work this sample in. This soap sample is courtesy of Señor u/JoboozeRum, a fine, upstanding gentlexir. It seems like everything in AA Shaving's catalog (idk are there more than the 4 soap scents that can be found on their or TRC's website?) is some form of woodsy scent. The Hunt is supposed to be their take on the PNW wilderness. I have not been so I cannot attest to it's accuracy, however it was a very nice scent and I think complex per their description is accurate. Thankfully the ozone in this wasn't detectable and was blended in. The soap performed well to boot. I applaud the Judge's vetting of the new soap sponsors. All of the new bases were actually good. AA Shaving was the hardest to source, and I'm sure TRC loved being the only place with AA in stock for people buying new soaps. I paired The Hunt with Noble Otter's The Trail. I get a ton more pine off The Trail and initially it actually reminded me of a resinous IPA. This is an old old version of Noble Otter's aftershave and I find it to be slightly sticky on the skin. While I don't have any PNW forest frag, I have Shawn's version of "coniferous forests and the incense burning" at the intersection of the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers. Oddly enough when I first spray this fragrance, it almost comes off lime-y for me. The Lady Gilette is very mild and the handle seems awfully long. This and the OC MM are my only Twist-to-Open razors and I find them fun to operate.

I don't have a strict brush cleaning regimen. I'll mostly tend to use the same few synths with an occasional badger thrown in here or there. For deep cleaning, maybe once a month or two, I just do a mass cleaning of all my brushes with Zingari Man's brush cleaner if they've been used. For daily cleaning, I'll just rinse the brushes thouroughly, squeezing occasionally to make sure all lather is out of the core of the knot. After I'm certain there's no more soap in the knot, I shake it out and gently "strop" it on a towel. Definitely leave the brushes out on the countertop for a day to dry as well. It's crazy that some people don't let brushes dry out completely, especialy any kind of SHD badger knot.

Have fun all you psychos who are shaving with questionable substances. This scrub is peacing out.

June 27, 2024

• Brush: Dogwood Handcrafts Air Bud Brush 🐕

• Razor: Blackland Blackbird Lite #CNC

• Blade: Gillette Nacet

• Lather: Wholly Kaw - King of Oud - Soap

• Post Shave: Wholly Kaw - King of Oud - Splash

• Fragrance: Chatillon Lux - Y/R/P - EdT

First off, though it goes without saying. This Air Bud brush is simply the greatest brush ever created and belongs in the Smithsonian along with a VHS copy of the movie, which is also the greatest.

A great razor for non-dominant hand day. The Lite plate excells at daily shaving. I did choose to use the non-dominant hand that belongs to me, in case that needed to be specified. It's been stated already, even though this has 14 scent notes, rose is really the strongest and King of Rose may have been more appropriate. The splash drydown is great though. Finish line is in sight!

June 28, 2024

• Brush: Omega Pro 48 #HOLLOW #TOLL

• Razor: Maggard Razors #ZAMAC

• Blade: Gillette Nacet

• Lather: Burts Bees - Soap

• Post Shave: Aqua Velva - Splash

• Fragrance: Polo Ralph Lauren - Blue - EdT

Cheap Day.

June 29, 2024

• Brush: CaYuen Abalone w/ Motherlode 26mm #PREMIUMPLASTIC

• Razor: CJB GR-100B Kamisori Style Shavette #KAMISORI

• Blade: Schick Proline (AC)

• Lather: Phoenix Artisan Accoutrements - Supreme Sandalwood Science - Soap

• Post Shave: Proraso - Sandalwood - Splash

• Fragrance: Australian Private Reserve - Torchwood - EdP

Here is the 26mm Mother Lode for Premium Plastic. Welp, a low point for the Lather Games. Due to the strict regulations on PIF day, here we are, forced by the Judges to stoop to new lows. I had managed to avoid using PAA for 5 years of wetshaving. I had acquired this sample tossed in with a purchase and it had sat in the bottom of the box for a while, thought to be never used. Alas it was not meant to be. It was useable, but nowhere near worth the level of fanboying that can be observed on the book of face. There is nowhere but up from this low point in my shaving career.

Obviously the winner of LG is CosmoBarber for his performance in the 2020 LG. IT WAS THAT GOOD. The likes of that effort will never be duplicated again.

June 30, 2024

• Brush: Zenith Moar Boar #SUBBROOSH #OLDWORLD

• Razor: Karve Christopher Bradley OC B Plate #RUSTYBUTTRUSTY

• Blade: Ladas Super Stainless

• Lather: TWOFACE Brothers - Rum - Cream

• Post Shave: Oaken Lab - Batavia Barber - Aftershave

• Fragrance: Parfums de Marly - Herod - EdP

I am from the ole USA and my shave today knows no bounds: * Brush - Italy * Razor - Canada * Razor Blade - Russia * Soap - China * Aftershave - Indonesia * Fragrance - France

I always look forward to this challenge. It seems like international shaving products are becoming more and more common. Very cool to see. Thank goodness we have a month off before Austere August. Last year's back to back was a doozy!