2024-08-31 Austere August Day 31, Final Shave Day of the Month
Last thoughts on Austere August...
On Raw Hoggin:
I broke in a brush. A blond boar on a Shore Shave handle. This boar has become much more enjoyable, no longer eats lather, and while it has softened quite a lot at the tips it still has amongst the most backbone of any brush I own. I like the brush now that it has had some time put into it. I think the handle was a good creative purchase as well. I still love where Bill Reid of Shore Shave concealed his coin in the handle.
On Headless:
This year I really took on Austere August for it's basic premise. Spend time with a part of your collection and really learn it. The challenge of a straight every day was something to really bite into.
I had up to this point made use of a straight only occasionally and was never fully comfortable and always very wary (I actually have a small scar from the first time I ever used a straight).
But, repetition does allow skill to develop. Simply stated I now feel comfortable with a straight and I'm happy with the effort in learning this month. I only had a few days where it looked like I tangled with a grumpy domestic house cat. But those were few and enriching of skills made that "tax" paid worthwhile. I went in with a reasonably good edge that had some use on it that is now in need of some work. I guess my next task would be to buy a gold dollar and stones and learn to hone. I may send this one out for honing though in the meantime.
On Mammoth Mafia:
Mammoth's Uitwaaien was a great pick for a month of shaves. I love a lot of the Mammoth products and selected this particular one because it was a cologne type scent that I thought would work well for a whole month. It did well on that count and my new boar brush certainly is scented by it. But it is now time for other scents and soaps. All that said - I enjoyed the soap for the month and it is not being locked away. It will see a shave from time to time. I almost went with Mammoth's Shire, which I love, but decided on a more cologne type scent as it is more IDK neutral? Anyway, a great soap and I enjoyed using it.
So, I think this Austere August was put to good use for me. I certainly developed more skill with a straight razor.
Or as Stan Lee often said in the Marvel bullpen bulletins:
'nuff said!
Take care and have a good one.
-PZ
$MammothMafia24
$RawHoggin
$headless