u/souleater7173's SOTDs for challenge 'Rookie of the Year'

July 1, 2023

• Brush: AP Shave Co. Handcrafted Purple Snakeskin 26mm G5C
• Razor: Gillette Red Tip
• Blade: Astra SP (Green) (3)
• Lather: Southern Witchcrafts – Samhain
• Post Shave: Barrister and Mann – Lavanille
• Fragrance: Chatillon Lux – Gratiot League Square

First time using Southern Witchcrafts. The performance of the base was great, the Samhain scent I can live without. I did my best to match the fall vibes with Lavanille and this frag. I’m already regretting the heavy scents with how hot it is outside,

First time using this kind of Gillette (the twist to open). I’m amazed how different it is from the NEW Long Comb I also own. Shave was very rough today, but I’ll blame that on a rosacea break out getting in the way of a razor I’m not used to.

This is my first lather games and I wanted to tie it into my favorite part of shaving, self-care. I am going to use this space every day to discuss something healthy that I do everyday this month. Summer break has definitely led to an uptick in my depressive tendencies, so far, and I have a whole month of external motivation to try and build some internal motivation. The goal is to reinforce to myself how strong it can be to build daily habits when trying to be a healthier person mentally and physically. So, here it is:

Healthy Activity of the Day: I did a 3 mile bike ride today! It took way too long, and made me way too tired but I’m happy I did it. I’m to the point in my weight loss where exercise is going to be required. So this month is my attempt to build the habit. If /u/merikus can become a daily shaver due to the Lather Games I can become a daily exerciser.

Tags: #ROTY

July 2, 2023

• Brush: AP Shave Co. 26mm G5C
• Razor: Blackland Vector #CNC
• Blade: Kai Captain Titan Mild (AC) (4)
• Lather: Wholly Kaw – King of Oud
• Post Shave: Wholly Kaw – King of Oud

Went with Wholly Kaw’s Vegan base today. Absolutely love this scent, and the soap performance was great. I definitely prefer an alcohol based splash, so this one is not my favorite. The scent makes up for it. I’ve got one more WK soap in my calendar for the month and I’m already looking forward to it.

Used the Vector for today’s SE challenge. This is 100% my favorite razor. It’s so efficient, and the head size is so nimble that it makes it super easy to get under the nose on a face shave and around the ears on a head shave. I guarantee this will be my most used razor this month, barring daily challenges.

Healthy Activity of the Day: Walked the dog this morning. Forecast is too hot for him to get an evening walk. I’m going to suffer the evening heat later today on my bike. Mileage is constant from yesterday, but tomorrow’s number will include this evening’s ride. LG Miles so far: 3.

Tags: #ROTY

July 3, 2023

• Brush: AP Shave Co. 26mm G5C
• Razor: Feather Artist Club SS Folding
• Blade: Kai ProTouch MG
• Lather: House of Mammoth – Almond Leather
• Post Shave: Zingari – Unscented

I think this is the last scent in my LG calendar that I’m really not a huge fan of. I think it’s good, it’s just very not for me. That said, since I don’t have any almond post-shave, I’m going with this unscented balm to make myself wallow in the Almond scent as long as possible.

To appreciate /u/RedMosquitoMM I’m using this folding Feather AC razor. I purchased this from him on the bazaar a couple months ago for my very first purchase from somebody in the community. I’m so grateful he was willing to entertain an online purchase from a person with zero history, while also being patient with my complete lack of PayPal understanding.

Healthy activity of the day: I’m forcing myself to get out of the house today. Going to see the movie Past Lives after my bike ride tonight. Mileage so far this LG: 6 miles.

Tags: #ROTY

July 4, 2023

• Brush: AP Shave Co. 26mm G5C
• Razor: Blackland Razors Vector
• Blade: Kai Captain Titan Mild (AC) (5)
• Lather: Noble Otter – Two Kings
• Post Shave: Noble Otter – Two Kings
• Fragrance: Chatillon Lux – Sunrise on LaSalle

For a person who teaches statistics, data science, and has a degree in mathematics I sure suck at coming up with science experiments. This is going to be a two part experiment. I always load my soap in the same pattern. I count the swirls, “1 2 3 4, 2 2 3 4, 3 2 3 4, … , 29 2 3 4, 30 2 3 4.” I always stop at 30 no matter what. I am going to do a head shave later with the Moar Boar to see if there are any differences in soap usage between brushes. Will post the results in a follow up edit later tonight.

Morning shave: the load pattern used less than a gram of soap (scale read 167g before and after) with the G5C, still enough lather for a 3 pass shave. Evening shave: (EDIT begins here) After drying all day, the scale read 166g for the soap. So I'm calling the before weight a high 166. For my night time head shave I used the same loading pattern, on the same tub the only difference is that I used the Moar Boar instead of my G5C. Before drying down, the scale bounces between 163 g and 164 g. So, accounting for some weird floating points that my terrible scale is ignoring, the Moar Boar uses at least twice the soap per load as my G5C. Conclusion: If you want to kill tubs twice as fast, use the Moar Boar. (EDIT Ends)

For today’s shave, This is the most floral scent in my collection. I don’t really get the rose they advertise, but I get A LOT of the lily and the jasmine. The florals just put me in a mood that feels like today is going to be great.

Healthy Activity of the Day: Hanging out with some friends for the holiday today. Continuing my 2 day trend of getting out of the house even though I don’t have work or obligations for another month. LG Mileage: 8

Tags: #ROTY

July 5, 2023

• Brush: Yaqi 26mm Synthetic
• Razor: Karve CB (SB – C)
• Blade: Gillette Silver Blue (1)
• Lather: Barbasol – Soothing Aloe
• Post Shave: Noble Otter – Bare

I was going to skip the brush but the lather out of this can was SO DRY. I ended up putting it in a bowl and using a brush to add water and paint. My first attempt (actually trying to mix the water with the lather) broke the lather. On the second attempt I put a bunch of lather in the bowl then used a VERY wet brush to paint that on my face. Did several round of this wet painting per pass. The Karve CB performed great as usual. I chose it to be something very mild. My aftershave is off theme (because I did in fact buy this jar of Noble Otter balm at a Texas grocery store), but the Barbasol left my face so dry that I just had to use the balm in my cabinet that gives me the most moisture.

I want to point out what Barbasol thinks is important for good advertising as well. This can has three call outs on it. It says that it is “thick & rich shaving cream,” it says “SOOTHING ALOE” in a big green bar on the front, and, in the only other thing on the front of the can, it says that there is a “rust-proof aluminum bottom.” That’s it. If you’re walking down a store aisle that’s all you get to influence you into picking up the can. Their marketing relies 100% on brand recognition. I think at this point they’re only catering to BIG PRANK not to shavers.

(Nothing to see here, just an edit putting in my daily challenge that I totally didn't forget about this morning while being completely flummoxed by Barbasol. Nope, definitely not that) I want somebody to make a lavender bay scent. Get some sea salt, plus bay, plus lavender. I have no idea if it would smell good, it's just all of my favorite things. I know Garibaldi is tobacco instead of bay, but just mix Garibaldi and B&M Lavender and you've got gold.

Healthy Activity of the Day: Starting a new book today, Hyperion by Dan Simmons. Force myself to stop staring at a tv so much. Mileage: 11 miles

Tags: #ROTY

July 6, 2023 – I hope you’re happy.

• Brush: Zenith 31mm MOAR BOAR #CHONK #OLDWORLD
• Razor: CJB GR-100B Kamisori #KAMISORI
• Blade: Kai ProTouch MG
• Lather: Spearhead Shaving Company – Seaforth! Black Watch
• Post Shave: Spearhead Shaving Company – Seaforth! Black Watch
• Fragrance: Spearhead Shaving Company – Seaforth! Black Watch

This shave sucked. I hate this razor so much. I don’t know how it can technically have the same head geometry as the Feather SS yet feel so much different. I told myself I would never use this razor ever again, yet here I am. Placating you jerks. I hope you’re happy.

From a lather perspective, I love Black Watch. All time favorite scent. The Highland base is phenomenal, if it wasn’t so good I would have so many weepers right now instead of just one. This was the first ever alcohol free toner I bought, and while it is great I definitely prefer the alcohol burn. This was also the first fragrance I bought, and I would wear it every day if it wasn’t a migraine trigger. That’s right. I’m giving myself a migraine for you people today. I hope you’re happy.

I copped out slightly on the stack. I didn’t realize that none of theses bottles have a flat bottom. Stacking is hard! I risked breaking a bottle of frag for you. I hope you’re happy.

Healthy Activity of the day: I’m taking a rest day today. Primarily because it is going to rain all day and I don’t feel like biking in the rain. But also because I’m giving myself a migraine for you people today. I hope you’re happy. LG Mileage: 13 miles

In all seriousness, I love this subreddit. Every bad decision today was my own. I legitimately hope you're having a great day.

Tags: #ROTY

July 7, 2023

• Brush: AP Shave Co. 26mm G5C #FAUXFUR #PREMIUMPLASTIC
• Razor: Blackland Razors Vector
• Blade: Kai Captain Titan Mild (AC) (6)
• Lather: Barrister and Mann – Bay Rum
• Post Shave: Barrister and Mann – Bay Rum

This is one of the first soaps that I bought. It’s definitely ended up at the back of the drawer as I’ve tried new things, and that’s a shame because this scent is great. Great performance on the soap, and my technique with the Vector is so much better than that kamisori yesterday. Reopened a weeper but other than that, no feedback on the splash.

I hope y’all are ready for a nerd alert, my other hobby is math. I’m constantly on math youtube looking for interesting problems and puzzles, and I always have a problem that I’m working on in my head when doing other things. The best part of this hobby is that I get to tie it into work by sponsoring math clubs and coaching math contest teams for the school I teach at. It’s so cool how the internet has allowed niche groups to find other people with similar interests and share it with those around them. If anyone wants to try their hand at some high school math contests hit me up.

Healthy activity of the day: Continuing a book, getting back on the biking grind. I skipped yesterday for a rest day. Normally that would chain into more inactivity, but I actually feel excited about going out for a ride against later. LG Mileage: 13 miles

Tags: #ROTY

July 8, 2023

• Brush: Maggard 30mm Black & White Synthetic #TOLL
• Razor: Henson AL13 Mild
• Blade: Gillette Silver Blue (2)
• Lather: Maggard Razors – London Barbershop
• Post Shave: Barrister and Mann – Seville

This is my first time using Maggard’s House Soap and the performance was pretty good. I used a gram of soap and got WAY too much lather out of it. Probably enough to do both a face and head shave, but I didn’t want to shave my head today. The scent on London Barbershop is a little generic, but it is definitely something I would be ok smelling like all day every day if I was on a budget and could only afford one tub of soap. I decided to do a shave today of all things from my very first Maggard’s order, which was my very first foray into this hobby. This is the first brush I bought (it’s way too big lol, also here is a Maggard's link to prove the TOLL tag), this was the first splash I bought (Seville is a top seller for a reason), and this was the first razor that I bought (I have since decided that it is way too mild, but it will always hold a nice place in my heart for being first).

In the DQT I asked a question about the OC plate for the vector. I really want to try it, but would like to hear some others’ experience first. Here is the permalink.

Healthy activity of the day: I got my longest ride so far yesterday. Starting to have to find new additions to the loop I’m riding. I’m continuing Hyperion today while killing time until it’s cool enough outside to go for today’s ride. This summer has been very bad for me sitting in front of a TV and reading is my new weapon against that. LG Mileage: 17 miles

Tags: #ROTY

July 9, 2023

• Brush: AP Shave Co. 26mm G5C
• Razor: Gillette NEW Long Comb #REGUS
• Blade: Gillette Silver Blue (3)
• Lather: Catie’s Bubbles – Irish Coffee
• Post Shave: Barrister and Mann – Cheshire

This shave kind of sucked. I think it was a combination of using products I don’t use very often and having to be at a weird angle to get the mirror I could put in my kitchen to work. I’ve gotten great lathers out of this CB soap before, just didn’t get it today, maybe all the brand switching for LG is messing with me. I struggle with this razor in general, can’t ever seem to keep the angle consistent. Sometimes it feels extremely mild, sometimes, like today, it feels blade heavy. I tend to use this as my travel razor since it came in a nice carrying case. I’m pretty sure it’s a Gillette NEW Long Comb, but I’m pretty bad at identifying razors, so if anybody thinks I should correct my post let me know. It definitely doesn’t have a date code.

The kitchen part of this shave was interesting. I regret using a mirror. I can’t shave with my glasses on, so I had to lean down into the mirror and that probably messed with my shave angle. I think if this pops up in next year’s games I’ll do a head shave since I don’t need a mirror for that. It was really nice drinking a cup of coffee while shaving with coffee and tea scents. I'm definitely going to have to stop at the boba place for a coffee milk tea later.

Healthy activity of the day. I’m going to start counting calories again. I hate it. It makes me sad. But I need to get a lot better at keeping track of what I eat. On a positive note, I get to add 6 miles to my bike ride tracker today. Did a 2 mile sprint last night (bad idea for the future, my heart rate was way too high the whole time), and got another 4 miles in at a reasonably pace this morning. Going to switch to morning rides for the rest of the month probably so that I can walk my dog in the evening. LG Mileage: 23 miles

Tags: #ROTY

July 10, 2023

• Brush: AP Shave Co. 26mm G5C
• Razor: Blackland Razors Vector
• Blade: Kai Captain Titan Mild (AC) (7)
• Lather: Barrister and Mann – Adagio
• Post Shave: Summer Break Soaps – Bell Ringer

For the music theme, I originally just picked a soap with a musical name. I then spent a while wracking my brain trying to figure out what post shave to pair with it, when I remembered this recording a student of mine found on the internet and then shared with me last year. Here is the recording (for full clarity, this is not me or anyone I know, a student of mine found it last year and shared it with me). Yes, this is a recording of Adagio by Mozart (I’m not a huge music person, so I’m not sure which Adagio this is), played on the bells.

Overall this shave was nice. Did two passes of head shave and one pass on the face. I’m impressed with the Vector every time I use it. Full week’s growth on the head shave to BBS in two passes with no clogging. I love this thing.

I recreated a picture of the label for Adagio using LaTeX with tikz. I use this software to generate documents for work, things like assignments, assessments, notes, etc. My biggest pet peeve is when teachers make things using terrible screenshots, dump them into a word document, and then get mad when kids can’t read their blurry paper. I really like this program because it lets me be super specific about where everything goes on the page, what it looks like, and hand craft every figure to be exactly the right size. Here is a blurry screenshot of the soap label, and a blurry screenshot of the codebecause I can't figure out a good way to upload the pdfs. I am very bad at this. Please make fun of me.

Healthy activity of the day. I got 4 more miles in this morning’s ride, probably going to take a rest day tomorrow to give my wrists a break (you’d think biking would hurt your legs, but nope it’s all wrist pain for me). LG Mileage: 27 miles

Tags: #ROTY

July 11, 2023

• Brush: Zenith 31mm MOAR BOAR
• Razor: Blackland Razors Vector
• Blade: Kai Captain Titan Mild (AC) (8)
• Lather: Stirling Soap Co. – Electric Sheep
• Post Shave: Spearhead Shaving Company – Seaforth! Sea Spice Lime

Definitely my best lather of the games so far. Probably my first ever BBS face shave without touchups. This mutton stuff is the real deal.

I picked Electric Sheep for summer day for two reasons. First, the lemon comes through hard core and hits the citrus. Second, the citronella reminds me of summer evenings dodging the worst thing on the planet. FUCK MOSQUITOS FUCK MOSQUITOS FUCK MOSQUITOS not that red one he’s ok FUCK MOSQUITOS FUCK MOSQUITOS FUCK MOSQUITOS!!!!!!!!!! I live in the southern US and summer is all bug spray, citronella candles, and big trucks driving around at 3am spraying more bug spray to coat the surface of the earth. There is no scent I attribute more to summer than citronella. I would pay good money for the folks at Stirling to send me an Electric Sheep candle in a little tiki torch. I got 4 fucking mosquito bites getting my color coded picture today. FUCK MOSQUITOS!

Healthy Activity of the Day: I’m taking a rest day and grilling a steak. Got too many mosquito bites on my ride yesterday. LG Mileage: 27 miles

Tags: #ROTY

July 12, 2023

• Brush: AP Shave Co. 26mm G5C
• Razor: Blackland Razors Vector
• Blade: Kai Captain Titan Mild (AC) (9)
• Lather: Abbate y La Mantia – Laureato
• Post Shave: House of Mammoth – Dammusi

AyLM was the easy choice for me today for coconut oil. I used this sample of Laureato for the first time today. Every time I try a new scent from them I immediately tell myself this is my new favorite from them. Sadly this is the first one that didn’t unseat a prior (Isaaco holding strong), but it is still amazing. The whole shave smelled like coca cola. Paired with Dammusi it’s like I’m walking through the woods drinking a coke with fresh orange slices. I’m in scent heaven right now.

I normally bowl lather these really soft soaps, so for the daily challenge I face lathered. This was, by far, the messiest lather I’ve ever been a part of. It was everywhere. Ended up with my best lather from one of these AyLM samples though. Turns out when you get enough water things get messy.

Healthy Activity of the Day: Got another 4 miles in today. Even at 7pm it was still 97F with a 103 heat index. So needless to say I’m pretty beat. Looking forward to tomorrow’s ride. LG Mileage: 31 miles

Tags: #ROTY

July 13, 2023

• Brush: AP Shave Co. 26mm G5C
• Razor: EldrormR Industries MM24
• Blade: GEM PTFE (7)
• Lather: Tallow + Steel – Shag
• Post Shave: Declaration Grooming – Yuzu/Rose/Patchouli

Today’s patchouli shave is brought to you by a smush from u/tsrblke . I really hate this scent! This is my first time trying T&S and the soap base was awesome, got 4 super slick passes worth of lather out of the small smush that was shared with me. The scent though. It’s like I teleported back to my grandma’s house with shag carpet and terrible incense and just general dirt smell everywhere. I’m glad YRP was here to save me with some actually balanced patchouli. I’m going to smell like patchouli for days. It’s crazy how YRP can be a top 10 scent for me and this Shag is close to the bottom.

For today’s challenge I present LCD Soundsystem “Dance Yrself Clean”. This is the song I listen to when I need a boost to get going on some task I'm not ready to commit to. So it gets played pretty much every day before work.

Healthy Activity of the Day: Best ride so far this morning, put in 5 miles. I bought some new handlebar grips to try and help with the wrist pain and so far they’re helping, we’ll see if that keeps up. LG Mileage: 35 miles

Tags: #ROTY

July 14, 2023

• Brush: AP Shave Co. 30mm SynBad
• Razor: Blackland Vector
• Blade: Kai Captain Titan Mild (AC) (10)
• Lather: Barrister and Mann – Arctique
• Post Shave: Barrister and Mann – Arctique

Late night 2 pass head shave, ATG – ATG. Fantastic shave.

So far the best thing about Lather Games is that I’m learning which soaps should be bowl lathered and which should be face (or in this case head) lathered. Turns out that creating a flying mess of nuclear cold lather by using your head as a mixing tray is a bad idea. I currently have menthol in places I definitely shouldn’t. My one complaint with these uber-mentholated soaps is that I can never tell if I’m getting a great shave because my head is numb, so I can’t feel anything going wrong, or if I actually had a good lather. I think this time I actually had a good lather. Arctique hasn’t missed on a shave yet, glad I bought a whole tub.

I went ATG for both passes today. Honestly, the second pass was touchup. I was 90% to BBS after the first ATG pass. It’s been almost a week since my last head shave, too. I don't think I'm going to keep doing first pass ATG, unless I start daily headshaves, but I'm glad to know it works. I think I can finally say that I’ve got the Vector technique fully dialed in for head shaves.

Healthy Activity of the day: had to take another rest day today. This is the first day I’ve woken up still sore from the day before. I also have plans to meet with a friend and try an extra long ride tomorrow. After that I’ll probably take a couple more days off. I really like this feeling though of wanting to get back out there. In the past, taking a day off of exercise was an excuse to stop completely, and I really don’t feel that way this time. LG Mileage: 35 miles

Tags: #ROTY

July 15, 2023

• Brush: AP Shave Co. 26mm G5C
• Razor: Karve CB (SB – C)
• Blade: Gillette Silver Blue (4)
• Lather: Wholly Kaw – Chypre Rose Concerto
• Post Shave: Wholly Kaw – Chypre Rose Concerto

Pretty simple to be on theme today. I picked my favorite scent with Chypre in the name. Always looking for an excuse to be a full on rose boy. Great lather. LG really hammering home that non-alcohol splashes aren’t my jam.

I do my absolute best to keep my face off the internet. I won’t even put myself in lesson videos I make for work. So to meet today’s daily challenge I’d like to shout out my favorite wetshavetuber PaulHFilms. He’s my favorite of the daily shave type channels that I’ve found so far. I just really like his vibe and listening to him talk. I think he’s better than VisceralWatch because I can zone out more while listening to him talk.

Healthy Activity of the Day: Tacked on 5 more miles today. Originally planned on doing a double (to get 10), but I went with a friend to some trails near here instead of my usual ride. Actual hills kicked my ass. LG Mileage: 40 miles

Tags: #ROTY

July 16, 2023

• Brush: AP Shave Co. 26mm G5C
• Razor: Karve CB (SB – C)
• Blade: Gillette Silver Blue (5)
• Lather: Noble Otter – Barrbarr
• Post Shave: Noble Otter – Barrbarr

Barrbarr is the best barbershop scent. I'm willing to fight about it. Sign me up for the waiting list for Noble Otter’s local pickup order system. I’d pay extra for same day pickup. Noble Otter is routinely my best performing lather, and probably the best formulated aftershave that I’ve used (although I finally tried some HoM and they’re in the running).

I made a thing. It is, unfortunately, accurate to my personal experiences.

Healthy Activity of the Day: Another rest day, the hills yesterday kicked my butt more than I thought. Aiming for 5+ miles every day this week after today’s rest. LG MIleage: 40 miles

Tags: #ROTY

July 17, 2023

• Brush: Zenith 31mm MOAR BOAR
• Razor: Blackland Vector
• Blade: Kai Captain Titan Mild (AC) (11)
• Lather: Declaration Grooming – Weinstrasse
• Post Shave: Declaration Grooming – Weinstrasse
• Fragrance: Chatillon Lux – Weinstrasse

Fantastic shave today. 2 passes, face lather. So glad I mentholated this splash. This scent never gets old and is perfect for these super hot days. Today's theme was between Weinstrasse and YRP for me today. Went with Weinstrasse since it's the first collab soap that I bought.

I don’t own a bar of Osma, so I used a bar of Maggard’s Alum I bought when I was first starting out. At some point I decided that my face doesn’t really need Alum for the post shave, and today didn’t really change my mind. At some point I will have to buy a bar of Osma to see if I can understand the hype.

Healthy Activity of the day: New PB distance today. Got a 6 mile ride in before it got too hot outside. My goal is to do 10 miles two days in a row before the month is over. We’re getting there. LG Mileage: 46 miles.

Tags: #ROTY

July 18, 2023

• Brush: AP Shave Co. 26mm G5C
• Razor: Blackland Vector
• Blade: Kai Captain Titan Mild (AC) (12)
• Lather: Summer Break Soaps – Homecoming
• Post Shave: Summer Break Soaps – Homecoming

Today’s theme is all about fall. To give y’all some insight into my life, I want to showcase our local/state take on a national tradition. As a current Texas high school teacher, and former Texas high school student, there isn’t really a time more important in the fall than Homecoming week. Usually held in October, Homecoming is marketed as a chance for former students to come back and interact with the community. In reality it’s a week long nightmare built to infuriate me as an educator. Y’all these stupid fucking mums are the worst. The kids where them all week long, they’re covered in literal bells, whistles, and other distracting items, and half of them are bigger than the child wearing them. If you haven’t tried taking a test while your neighbor jangles like a cat every time they shift, I don’t recommend it. The week culminates in a school dance, and a big important football game that 12,000 people will show up to watch your terrible school team lose. Don’t believe me? Check out this video. That is not my district, but I teach at a similarly sized school with an even larger stadium for high school football. I’m one of those weirdos that thinks school exists for knowledge and not for experiences (aka a math teacher), so I’ll never understand the appeal of Homecoming. But I wanted to take the Fall theme day to shout it out anyways.

Today’s shave was great. 2 pass head shave with a quick 1 pass face shave to finish off the lather. The picture is gross. This is probably going to be my AA software.

Healthy Activity of the Day: The PBs are rolling in. 7 miles today, probably could’ve gone more if the temp didn’t break 100F. LG Mileage: 53 miles

Tags: #ROTY

July 19, 2023

• Brush: A Literal Sock
• Razor: Karve CB (SB – C)
• Blade: Gillette Silver Blue (6)
• Lather: Proraso – Green Tea & Oat
• Post Shave: Noble Otter – Rawr

Cream Lather, Cream Aftershave.

I can’t decide what I hate more, the person who came up with this idea or the fact that it actually kind of worked. If I used way less water I might have been able to actually get this to be a decent lather. I could try again… actually fuck that.

Healthy Activity of the Day: Took a day off to sleep in today. Going for 10 miles tomorrow. LG Mileage: 53 Miles

Tags: #ROTY

July 20, 2023

• Brush: Zenith Brass Handle B36 #HOLLOW
• Razor: Karve CB (SB – C)
• Blade: Gillette Silver Blue (7)
• Lather: Chicago Grooming Co. (Formerly Oleo Soapworks) – Excursion
• Post Shave: Barrister and Mann – Spice

Huge shoutout to u/worbx for this smush. This is the first time I’ve ever tried anything from this artisan. I’m very impressed even though I had to ruin the experience with too little water. I’m not super big into the frag world, so I’m trusting the link in the post description above that Excursion is a dupe of an Yves St. Laurent scent. I really liked this scent, and the soap performance was pretty good, considering the daily challenge.

I under watered the soap. I hated the feeling. I used a very mild razor since the lather was so sticky. Seems to have saved my face.

Hopefully the SotD pic is enough to convince the judges for the Hollow tag. I just got this brush from EldrormR, and I’m still amazed how light it is. I really don’t see how it could be this light if it wasn’t hollow. My other brass brush would break the floor if I dropped it.

Healthy Activity of the day: I got 10 miles today. I want to die. Here's the ride, not bad for my 320lb lard. LG Mileage: 63 miles

Tags: #ROTY

July 21, 2023

• Brush: AP Shave Co. 26mm G5C
• Razor: Weck Sextoblade #YTHO
• Blade: Personna Hair Shaper (1)
• Lather: Barrister and Mann – Fougère Gothique
• Post Shave: Barrister and Mann – Fougère Classique

Digging this fougere,
Spicy wet dirt is the bomb.
Classique rounds off nice.

First time using a
Weck. Bloodshed minimal. One
Pass was all I got.

August will suck. Need
Lots more practice. Otherwise
Students will be scared.

Five mile ride today.
Total mileage Sixty Eight.
Refrigerator.

Tags: #ROTY

July 22, 2023

• Brush: Maggard 30mm Synthetic
• Razor: EldrormR Industries MM24
• Blade: GEM PTFE (8)
• Lather: Noble Otter – Thé Noir et Vanille
• Post Shave: Noble Otter – Thé Noir et Vanille

Ok, first thing, lather theme. The Noir et Vanille smells like strawberry tea with a tiny bit of vanilla. The strawberry is so forward it would punch you in the face.

Second. WHY DOES ANYBODY DO THIS? Before and after. I made a couple big mistakes, but luckily the only bloodshed was just standard shave angle mishaps. I could do this with practice, but… why? If I had trimmed my hair first I think it would’ve been a lot less effort, but again, why? Both legs, just to right above the knee took an hour.

Healthy activity of the day: met up with a friend and got a pb ride. 12 miles today. Found a new path near my house that is WAY easier, managed to not spike my heart rate the whole time. That 10 mile double before the end of the month is on track. LG Mileage: 80 miles

Tags: #ROTY

July 23, 2023

• Brush: AP Shave Co. 26mm G5C
• Razor: Blackland Vector
• Blade: Kai Captain Titan Mild (AC) (13)
• Lather: Noble Otter – Lonestar
• Post Shave: Noble Otter – Lonestar

Late night headshave. 2 passes, about a week’s growth, Vector does good work.

Lonestar is by far the most complimented scent I have. This is the only scent I’ve been stopped in public by a stranger for them to ask what I’m wearing and where I got it. Not totally sure why other people like it so much, but every time I smell it I get a vivid flashback to little league baseball on a Texas summer evening, with the hay field just cut nearby and a big heat lightning cloud over the trees on the other side.

Here's my lather, did a head lather today, so the first pass is already on my head. There’s enough on the brush for 2 more passes, even though I only did one more. Not quite as slick as I’d like, but it did the job.

Healthy Activity of the day: Took another break after yesterday’s long ride. Bought a bike computer so I can start keeping track of more things than just heart rate and distance. LG Mileage: 80 miles

Tags: #ROTY

July 24, 2023

• Brush: AP Shave Co. 30mm SynBad
• Razor: Weck Sextoblade
• Blade: Personna Hair Shaper (2)
• Lather: Chiseled Face – Gemütlichkeit
• Post Shave: Barrister and Mann – 42

I got this smush from u/worbx in his pre LG smush PIF. It was my first time using Chiseled Face. I loaded the smush and got like 8 passes worth of lather. This stuff explodes in a great way. The scent was awesome, but probably not something I want to shave with every day.

I got this splash from u/jeffm54321 in an old PIF (was for both soap and splash). It doesn’t really pair with this soap, but it was from an LG participant. Also I still give jeffm54321 a little credit for my team’s big academic contest win this year. I used this set of 42 for that whole trip. It’s my lucky soap.

For the daily challenge I’m going to say something nice about u/MrTangerinesky. He might be the biggest shitposter and memer here but he has a ton of heart, and has been very supportive of everyone trying their best in the LG this year, whether they’re going for a top score or, like me, using it as a way to get themselves to do something positive every day. Really appreciate him and everyone like him.

Healthy Activity of the Day: 8 miles today, had a new riding partner that is way slower than me. So I couldn’t go as far as I wanted. Used it as a chance to practice standing up on the bike, because that’s something I really struggle with. It’s crazy that at the beginning of this month 8 miles was super hard, and now I’m using it to practice something that makes the ride harder. LG Mileage: 88 miles

Tags: #ROTY

July 25, 2023

• Brush: AP Shave Co. 26mm G5C
• Razor: Blackland Vector
• Blade: Kai Captain Titan Mild (AC) (14)
• Lather: House of Mammoth – Santa Noir
• Post Shave: House of Mammoth – Santa Noir

This trickhole is literally the only thing I have that fits today’s theme. Good news is that I really like this scent, bad news is that this scent is terrible in the heat. Nothing throws my northern hemisphere located brain into existential dread quite like smelling Christmas Trees when it’s 102F outside.

For the daily challenge I’m posed with a bit of a problem. I always shave with both hands at a basically 50/50 split for both head and face shaving, and I live alone so I can't ask someone else to do it. I’m right-handed, so I could’ve just done the whole shave with my non-dominant hand, but that sounded kind of boring. So what I actually did was completely invert my routine. Anything I normally shave with the right hand I shaved with the left hand, anything I normally shave with the left hand I shaved with the right hand. This was actually quite challenging to make sure I got the directions right with my weird growth pattern. Here is a diagram of my normal shave pattern, color coded by hand, so to imagine today's shave just swap red and blue.

Healthy Activity of the day: Super short ride today, waited too long to go out and it got too hot. LG Mileage: 91 miles.

Tags: #ROTY

July 26, 2023

• Brush: AP Shave Co. 26mm G5C
• Razor: Blackland Vector
• Blade: Kai Captain Titan Mild (AC) (15)
• Lather: Abbate y La Mantia – Garibaldi
• Post Shave: Summer Break Soaps – Valedictorian

Going with Garibaldi today. Felt like a tobacco day, and this scent just showed up in the new hard base. djundjilla recommended Valedictorian splash as a pairing with Shire 2 and it works pretty well here too.

Here is the den. Just under 30 full tubs and splashes, mostly trickholes, with at least that many samples, though a lot of those aren’t in this picture. Favorite set is still Black Watch, just wish I could use it. Not shown is my hardware, but my favorite brush and razor were both used in today’s shave.

Healthy Activity of the Day: 10 miles today. Broke that 100 barrier! LG Mileage: 101 miles.

Tags: #ROTY

July 27, 2023

• Brush: Zenith B36
• Razor: Blackland Vector
• Blade: Kai Captain Titan Mild (AC) (16)
• Lather: Barrister and Mann – Lavender
• Post Shave: Barrister and Mann – Lavender

This is my desert island scent. If I could only use one scent for the rest of time it would be this. It’s not my favorite, but it’s definitely the best all around. Shaving outside made it hard to smell the soap.

I shaved on my patio. I didn't use a mirror, and I'm surprised that the hardest part about that was actually getting a good lather, not the shaving itself. I wish shaving outside was the stupidest thing I had to do this week, but I think tomorrow is going to win that title.

10 more miles today. Met my most recent goal of 10 miles two days in a row. Next goal is to make this 10 miles feel a lot easier. LG Mileage: 111 miles

Tags: #ROTY

July 28, 2023

• Brush: Assured for Men 16mm Synthetic #RUNT #SMOLL
• Razor: Assured for Men DE
• Blade: Assure for Men (1)
• Lather: Power Stick Shave Gel
• Post Shave: Power Stick After Shave Lotion
• Fragrance: Abbate y La Mantia – Garribaldi

Welp. Today is this day that I make good on the u/OnionMiasma Power Stick PIF. Some quick googling puts the gel and aftershave at around $0.03 per mL. By far the cheapest thing I own. I didn’t even bother to look up the brush or the razor because they are absolutely the cheapest things I’ve ever seen. I’m also pretty sure this box of blades is cheaper than a box of Astra Greens (the other cheap blade I own). Garibaldi is by far my cheapest frag ($0.275 per mL), entirely due to it being in a comically large bottle. The original PIF included a Power Stick Deodorant spray that I think I was supposed to call a frag? I didn't do this for two reasons: first deodorants aren't frags (I may work in a school, but I don't behave like I'm in school); second the sprayer didn't work on arrival. I blame the heat in transit. I'll gladly take the easy way out.

Now for the shave. This stuff SUCKS. Surprisingly it lathered, this process was surprisingly quick with this brush. The brush broke while applying to the face, so I just scooped and used my hands for most of the shave. After applying the lather, the bubbles all disappeared instantly, which is probably why you don’t lather gels, but after the shave I absolutely can not get this shit off my face. I had to towel off the extra gel and it’s still not gone. This is the worst. I only did one pass, because the safety bar is clearly bent. So, it has two entirely different shave angles depending on which side you use. I used the same side for the whole shave, and the blade was super tuggy and, pretty much, barely worked. Luckily I’m shaving before bed, so I can fix it with tomorrow’s shave. By far the worst shave of the lather games, quite possibly the worst shave of my entire life. If this is what it takes to save money, I'd rather spend myself into debt.

No ride today, dropped my bike off with the shop to get a new stem put on to try and get some handlebar changes. Hoping I can fix my hand numbness (which also made today’s shave worse). LG Mileage: 111 miles.

Tags: #ROTY

July 29, 2023

• Brush: AP Shave Co. 26mm G5C
• Razor: Blackland Vector
• Blade: Kai Captain Titan Mild (AC) (17)
• Lather: Zingari – The Traditionalist
• Post Shave: Zingari – The Traditionalist

Today’s shave has the honor of being the only set that I borrowed from somebody I know in real life. I normally really don’t like sandalwood scents, and I’m sad to report that trend continues. Performance was great, hated the scent. Can’t wait to get rid of this stuff. No more super obvious sandalwood for me, thanks.

To win the whole shebang I’m guessing OnionMiasma. They have the most legendary post points, and has consistently created my favorite posts all month. I haven’t been following FOF at all, so I’m going to guess RedMosquitoMM, based purely on name recognition. I’m guessing HairyKopite for the Photo Contest. Their picture of Cannonball with the little model swimmers is still my favorite, all time, SotD photo. The challenge didn’t ask, but I’ll give a guess anyways. I’m pegging chronnosseiur420 or trsblke for rookie of the year.

My bike is in the shop for the next couple days, so I’m sad to say that my LG biking journey ends at 111 miles. Going to include a reflection on my progress for the month in tomorrow’s post.

Tags: #ROTY

July 30, 2023

• Brush: AP Shave Co. 26mm G5C
• Razor: Karve CB (SB – C)
• Blade: Gillette Silver Blue (8)
• Lather: Abbate y La Mantia – Don Jose
• Post Shave: Myrsol – Blue

World Traveler. I’m from, and live in, the USA. Today’s soap is from Italy, the aftershave splash is from Spain, the razor is Canadian, and the blade is Russian. I struggled with the brush. AP Shave Co doesn’t make any of the things he uses, he just assembles the pieces (not a knock, I love all my brushes from him). The knot itself uses hairs from Japan (citation), and the handle was made in Germany with German Resin (citation for the same kind of brush I have, mine is just purple). Every part of my shave, even breaking the brush into pieces, from distinct countries different from the one I live in.

Good shave overall today. Don Jose has way way more menthol than I remember. I don’t know what Blue is supposed to smell like, but it’s not for me.

Lather Games recap: Well, I managed to hit every daily theme and every daily challenge (I think, judges don’t at me, I like my head canon). Got every sponsor, got 30 different soaps, and 30 different aftershaves. I don’t have the den for frags or 30 different brands. Not bad for my first time LG. What I’ve learned is that my collection is very trickholed, and could really use some variety when it comes to aftershaves.

I really appreciate being able to use this external thing to help with some other self-improvement projects. I rode 111 miles this month on a bike that I bought right before LG started. I haven’t ridden a bike in almost 15 years. This amounted to me riding a little more frequently than every other day (I rode about 75% of available days. 2 days on 1 day off). Started with rides of about 15 minutes and ended the month at almost hour long rides. My goal for August is to increase this frequency, but I’ll feel like I’ve succeeded if I can maintain it. The motivation to ride after work starts again is going to be very hard to find, but I’m feeling very positive about my chances.

Really appreciate everyone here, especially everyone who’s just letting me do my own thing with the Lather Games. People can get different things out of communities, and I’m glad that I’m getting what I’m getting, and that everyone seems to understand there’s space here for more than shitposts and shenanigans.

Tags: #ROTY