August 1, 2023 – Month of Austerity Day 1
- Brush: RazoRock 506U Olive Wood w/ 26mm Natural Boar Bristle
- Razor: RazoRock Game Changer .76-P
- Blade: Personna Lab Blue Super (1)
- Preshave: Stirling Soap Co. – Unscented
- Lather: Catie's Bubbles – Le Nude
- Post Shave: Zingari Man – Unscented Balm
- AA Tags: #RawHoggin #unscented
Wow, just like that Austere August is upon us. The challenges I will pursue are the Raw Hoggin' Challenge, the 5th Annual Unscented Challenge, and AA Extreme Mode. I've never used a blade beyond a week so a side-challenge to myself is to see how many shaves I can get on the blade before I cry uncle. If I make it to 10 days I will shoot for Ultra Nightmare Mode.
Raw Hoggin' Challenge: It's been two decades since I've used a boar brush, and the ones I've did use were so cheap (Van Der Hagen and equivalent) that I never learned to appreciate them. I expect that to change this month. Here's the unboxing picture collage of my virgin boar. RazoRock doesn't state it on their web site, but it sure looks like the RazoRock 506U is a rebranded Zenith 506U SE. Time will tell if the RazoRock breaks in as easily as the real deal Zenith.
Unscented Challenge: Here's the ingredient labels for my unscented preshave soap, shaving soap and post shave balm.
The Shave: I soaked the new boar for 15 minutes, tub-loaded for about a 30-count and then started face lathering. The lather started pasty but after adding a $H!+ ton of water the lather started to slicken. I should have added a bit more water but got impatient and jumped into the shave. I've had smoother shaves, but I can't argue with the two pass DFS result. Tomorrow I will add more water at the start of lather-building to get the lather closer to what I normally achieve with CB.
The Brush: I was pleasantly surprised by the lack of offensive odor from the boar. It did smell "natural" but nowhere near as stanky that some have experienced. The bristles had lots of backbone and splayed nicely so overall I'd say Day 1 was a success. Here's just before and immediately after the shave brush pictures.
Thank you u/EldrormR for organizing the AA2023 Raw Hoggin' challenge, and u/rocketk455 for sponsoring your 5th Annual Unscented Challenge.