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

June 3, 2024 – Lather Games: Day 2

• Brush: Shavemac w/ AP Shave Co 26mm Pure Bliss™ SHD Premium Synthetic Knot #FAUXFUR #PREMIUMPLASTIC #SHD #TOLL
• Razor: Blackland Osprey #CNC
• Blade: Astra SP (Green)
• Lather: Master Soap Creations – Vintage Spice
• Post Shave: Stirling Soap Co. – Stirling Spice

Old Spice has and will always have a special place in my heart. It reminds of my dad, who thought it was a gift from the gods. That was always his go to scent, and he hardly, if ever, tried anything else. I can’t say I blame him, because let’s face it, it’s a classic for a reason.

Master Soap Creations does a good job replicating the scent. Heck, it’s better than the new variation from Old Spice. Not just does it smell great, it is a good soap. I enjoy using it. The Stirling Spice is decent, but seems to be a bit less spicy than the MSC soap.

To honor u/Priusaurus, I decided to have some Chesapeake Bay blue crabs with Old Bay spice. How does this honor him you may ask? Well, today he used Terrafirma Soapery – Chesapeake Bay Rum Splash. I figured it was close enough, and I love blue crabs with Old Bay (the Maryland style way to prepare crabs).

June 3, 2024 – Lather Games: Day 3

• Brush: Shavemac w/ AP Shave Co 26mm Pure Bliss™ SHD Premium Synthetic Knot
• Razor: Blackland Osprey
• Blade: Astra SP (Green)
• Lather: West Coast Shaving Duck Fat Shaving Soap – Oriental
• Post Shave: West Coast Shaving – Oriental

I really like the scent of WCS Oriental shaving soap. It’s that has a manly and sophisticated scent. Honestly, It is one of my favorite spice scents. The lather it produces is thick and slick, taking very little work to get great results. I’m not sure if that’s due to the duck fat or not, but it works. To note, this is a collaboration with Vida Perez from Oleo Soapworks.

Today’s Challenge: When I first started wet shaving, I bought a block of Gentleman Jon alum. I used it for awhile, but noticed that it really didn’t seem to help. It burned when I applied it, and it seemed to irritate my face and neck. At first, I thought perhaps my shaving technique sucked so bad that the alum wasn’t at fault. That was partially true. However, even as my technique improved and my software/hardware was upgraded, my skin still felt raw every time I used it. Eventually, I just stopped using it. Then my problems went away. I haven’t used alum since.

June 5, 2024 – Lather Games: Day 5

• Brush: Shavemac w/ AP Shave Co 26mm Pure Bliss™ SHD Premium Synthetic Knot
• Razor: Blackland Osprey
• Blade: Astra SP (Green)
• Lather: Barbasol Sensitive Skin Thick & Rich Shaving Cream
• Post Shave: Mennen – Skin Bracer

Barbasol Sensitive Skin Thick & Rich Shaving Cream sucks compared to most decent soaps. I really have nothing else I can say. I really wish a saved my receipt to return this.

Today’s Challenge: For canned crap, I will place some cream in my hand and spread it on my face. Today, I decided to place it in a bowl and try to put it on my face with a brush. My brush did a respectable job, but it now hates me for making it suffer this indignity.

I figured another widely available shaving product should also be used. Fortunately, I like the scent of Mennen Skin Bracer. I doubt it’s very good for my face though.

June 6, 2024 – Lather Games: Day 6

• Brush: Shavemac w/ AP Shave Co 26mm Pure Bliss™ SHD Premium Synthetic Knot
• Razor: Blackland Osprey #ADJUSTABLE
• Blade: Astra SP (Green)
• Lather: Wholly Kaw – La Fougère Parfaite
• Post Shave: Pinaud – Clubman

Wholly Kaw Iced Tea has a lemony iced tea scent to me. Not sure why, but I also seem to smell pepper, but my nose sucks. It’s a pleasant smelling soap, although I’m not sure I’d want to smell like it all day. The shave itself was great; Wholly Kaw’s Siero base is quite good. As a side not, it never dawned on me until recently that the “Iced” part of the name also hints at the synthetic menthol that’s mixed in.

Pinaud Clubman is a classic aftershave for me, and brings back memories of the barbershop I got my hair cut at as a kid. Not sure it matches the soap, but hey, it really doesn’t matter to me.

Today’s Challenge: I’m not sure anyone will eclipse u/VisceralWatch, but I do like watching Kevy Shaves. I watched some videos of his when I first started to wet shave, and for some reason I just found them easy to watch. Maybe, it’s because he seems so happy when he’s shaving.

June 7, 2024

• Brush: Shavemac w/ AP Shave Co 26mm Pure Bliss™ SHD Premium Synthetic Knot
• Razor: Blackland Osprey
• Blade: Astra SP (Green)
• Lather: Barrister and Mann – Hallows
• Post Shave: Barrister and Mann – Hallows

I am hoping that B&M Hollows is counted as a vetiver. It’s the only soap I own that I know has it, or better yet, has it listed as a top scent note. Heck, it’s the first listed scent note! In truth though, I wouldn’t really know what vetiver smells like. I know it’s a grass, but I always think of common green grass. I’m not sure if vetiver smells the same, but common grass is not a scent I detect in the Hollows. My understanding is that you either love the scent or hate it. I am in the latter group. I think it’s a decent scent (not my favorite, but definitely not the worst), and I have no problems adding it to my shaving regiment.

Today’s Challenge: Oddly, my first passes are usually ATG, so this challenge is somewhat easier for me. I do admit that I usually need more than one pass, especially when shaving my head. For the sake of this challenge, I made only one pass. Not the best shave I’ve had, as a result.

June 8, 2024 – Lather Games: Day 8

• Brush: Zenith Boar
• Razor: Tatara Muramasa
• Blade: Astra SP (Green)
• Lather: Maggard Razors – Orange Menthol
• Post Shave: West Coast Shaving – Chypre

I received this soap as an add-on from the bazaar a long time ago. I never use it. I love Maggard Razors, but I’m not fond of this soap, especially the scent. There are only a few citrus forward scents that I really like, and this isn’t one of them. I also don’t find the soap to be a great performer. To be fair, I got this several years ago, and their soap may have drastically improved. I only use it for this type of event. It’s a shame since I find the store itself magnificent in satisfying my shaving needs.

One of the citrus scents I do like is WCS Chypre, which I thought would be a great aftershave for this soap. It compliments the soap quite well.

Today’s Challenge: My largest and possibly stupidest purchases is from Murphy and McNeil. I bought all kind of soaps and matching aftershaves since they were having a pre-owned items sale . I figured I could add just enough to get free shipping on top of the great deals. Before I knew it, my bill was around $90. This may not be a lot for some people, but I don’t think I’ll be needing any soaps or aftershaves for quite awhile. Well, that’s kind of untrue. I don’t think you can ever have too many shaving supplies, so it won’t stop me from buying more products in the near future. However, I will be limiting myself to only a few items at a time.

June 9, 2024 – Lather Games: Day 9

• Brush: Zenith Moar Boar #OLDWORLD
• Razor: Tatara Muramasa
• Blade: Gillette Nacet
• Lather: Noble Otter – Barrbarr
• Post Shave: Noble Otter – Barrbarr

I have an on and off again type relationship with Noble Otter BarrBarr. Sometimes, I think it’s the greatest barber shop scented soap and aftershave I’ve ever had the pleasure of using, and other times, I find it to be a bit cloying. For that reason, I generally go longer periods before using it again. I figure, this way, I will miss the scent more and forget just how sweet I find it. Fortunately, it’s been awhile since I’ve used it, and I’m loving the scent.

As for the performance Noble Otter products are top notch. I get a nice thick lather, with a nice slickness. I find it rather easy to get the lather going too.

Today’s Challenge: Well, this confirms I have no clue what scents are being used when I shave. I mean, I really just go with what smells good to me. Almost all of the time, unless it’s just a few powerful scent notes (e.g. vanilla, lemon, mint…), I can’t tell what my sniffer is picking up. I got a whopping 4 out of 32, and two of those were lucky guesses.

June 10, 2024 – Lather Games: Day 12

• Brush: Shavemac w/ AP Shave Co 26mm Pure Bliss™ SHD Premium Synthetic Knot
• Razor: Tatara Muramasa
• Blade: Gillette Nacet
• Lather: Declaration Grooming – Cerberus
• Post Shave: Barrister and Mann – The Full Measure of Man

Cerberus, for me, is just a mediocre scented soap. Perhaps I was expecting my socks to be blown completely off, especially with the artisans involved, but it just never packed that punch that I was anticipating. That’s not to say that it’s bad. It’s definitely not. It just isn’t a favorite of mine.

The quality of the product is awesome. Declaration Grooming’s milksteak base is no joke. It performs extremely well for me.

Today’s Challenge: I was listening to Imminence – “Heaven Shall Burn” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3rAUiieikoE). It just seemed appropriate when using the Cerberus shaving soap.

June 11, 2024 – Lather Games: Day 11

• Brush: Shavemac w/ AP Shave Co 26mm Pure Bliss™ SHD Premium Synthetic Knot
• Razor: Blackland Osprey
• Blade: Astra SP (Green)
• Lather: Ariana & Evans – Poison Hemlock
• Post Shave: Ariana & Evans – Poison Hemlock

Poison Hemlock is a spring blooming plant which is highly toxic, as the name suggests. Per the USDA, all parts of the plant are poisonous, that’s the leaves, stem, fruit, and root, with the leaves being even more poisonous in the spring. Oddly, it is part of the carrot family.

For the reasons stated above, I’ve never really smelled the plant in the wild, nor do I plan to. That said, I can’t really say how much the hemlock plays a part in the scent of this soap. If it plays a big part, then hemlock smells quite nice. To me, it has a sweet fruity smell, and this might be due to the other scents that are involved. Whatever it is, I think it’s refreshing and different than most of the darker scents I usually gravitate towards. As expected, it performs quite well; it’s A&E.

June 12, 2024 – Lather Games: Day 12  

• Brush: Shavemac w/ AP Shave Co 26mm Pure Bliss™ SHD Premium Synthetic Knot  
• Razor: Blackland Osprey  
• Blade: Astra SP (Green)   

Dulci Tobacco smells great, but I can’t get a decent larger to save my life. I know it’s gotta be me, because Wholly Kaw makes great products. I admit I don’t use it very often, so this could be a reason. Whatever it is, my shave was just mediocre at best.

June 13, 2024 – Lather Games: Day 13

• Brush: Shavemac w/ AP Shave Co 26mm Pure Bliss™ SHD Premium Synthetic Knot
• Razor: Blackland Osprey
• Blade: Astra SP (Green)
• Lather: Murphy and McNeil – Magh Tured
• Post Shave: Murphy and McNeil – Magh Tured

Let me say that I think that Murphy and McNeil is one of the more underappreciated shaving products company. Their soaps perform very well, with a nice thick, slick lather. The scents are quite nice, especially if you like cologne homages.

I used their Magh Tured soap for this shave, and absolutely loved it. It’s an homage to Tom Ford’s “Oud Wood”, which happens to be one of my favorite cologne scents. To my nose, Magh Tured is quite close in scent to Oud Wood. My only real complaint is that the scent is not as strong as I’d like it. This seems to also be true of the aftershave; even more so honestly.

Today's Challenge: Here's my basic, crap pic https://imgur.com/a/RFdIBJQ

June 14, 2024 – Lather Games: Day 14

• Brush: Shavemac w/ AP Shave Co 26mm Pure Bliss™ SHD Premium Synthetic Knot
• Razor: Blackland Osprey
• Blade: Astra SP (Green)
• Lather: Chiseled Face – Cryogen
• Post Shave: Soap Commander – Passion

I received my Cryogen through the shave bazaar via a trade. The gentleman I traded with stated the consistency was funky, but I was okay with that; I just wanted to try it to see what the hype was all about. When I received it, it was like goop or very wet slime. I did get it to lather, albeit, not well. Despite all of that, I learned why people were talking about it. It brought a tear or two to my eyes.

Since the batch I had (and still has) an unusual consistency, I can’t really say if the performance is good or not. Based on other Chiseled Face soaps I have, I’d say it would normally be fairly decent. The scent is just menthol or maybe that’s all my poor nose could smell.

June 17, 2024 – Lather Games: Day 16

• Brush: Shavemac w/ AP Shave Co 26mm Pure Bliss™ SHD Premium Synthetic Knot
• Razor: Blackland Osprey
• Blade: Astra SP (Green)
• Lather: C.O. Bigelow – Premium Shave Cream
• Post Shave: Pinaud – Clubman

C.O. Bigelow is my go-to when I need to shave quickly without taking the time to make a true lather. I just spread some on my face and head, and then, take a wet brush to start the lather. I also use it when I go traveling too. It’s just convenient in that way. C.O. Bigelow is merely for ease of use and speed when I shave. The resultant lather isn’t overly outstanding in most instances. However, it serves its purpose, and for that reason, it’s indispensable.

Today’s Challenge: I was going to do this, but my wife thought it was a bit weird. I couldn’t argue that it wasn’t, so I didn’t go through with it.

June 17, 2024

• Brush: Shavemac w/ AP Shave Co 26mm Pure Bliss™ SHD Premium Synthetic Knot
• Razor: Blackland Osprey
• Blade: Astra SP (Green)
• Lather: Southern Witchcrafts – Necromantic
• Post Shave: Southern Witchcrafts – Necromantic

Southern Witchcrafts is one of those companies where you either love or hate their scents. Either way, you can’t say their scents aren’t unique. Not many companies would dare add notes of dirt, diesel, mold, burning rubber, charred wood, etc. to there soaps. Yet, as odd as some of these ingredients are, they seem to work for me in MOST instances (Boonana smelled like fermented bananas, and just wasn’t good to me).

Necromantic is one of the scents I like, and I don’t know why. The dirt is there, in your face and unapologetic. And then you smell the roses and the other scents. It’s like being in a freshly tilled garden.

As for the performance, SW is definitely top tier. The lather is slick and voluminous, and it isn’t hard to whip up either.

Today’s Challenge: After this challenge, I can honestly say that I am not a huge fan of lathering soap on my knee. I usually lather in a shaving bowl, but when I don’t, it’s directly on my face or head. I’m not great at either of those, and this was no different. Software Search

June 18, 2024 – Lather Games: Day 18

• Brush: Shavemac w/ AP Shave Co 26mm Pure Bliss™ SHD Premium Synthetic Knot
• Razor: Other Straight Razor
• Razor: Tatara Muramasa
• Blade: Gillette Nacet
• Lather: Dr. Jon’s – Rose of Phrygia
• Post Shave: Dr. Jon’s – Rose of Phrygia

Rose of Phrygia is my favorite rose scented soap. Heck, it’s one of my favorite scented soaps in general. It draws you in and never lets go. For this reason, I was devastated when they closed their doors and exited the shaving scene. This is my only tub of soap and bottle of aftershave, and they’re about half gone. I have been using them sparingly so that I may enjoy that extra bit longer.

That all said, I never got a great shave with the soap. I’m not sure if it’s because I have an older batch (got it from the bazaar a long while back), or I just haven’t figured out the soap just yet. The lather never seems to be slick enough. It’s not the worst I’ve used, but it does leave me wanting. The scent makes up for it though.

Today’s Challenge: The worst cut I ever received from shaving was on the top of my head. I had a small bump there, and didn’t really pay attention to it when I was shaving. Being lazy and careless, I shaved over it, which I instantly felt. As I reached up to feel the bump, my hand was full of blood and shaving cream. I rinsed it off, but it just never stopped bleeding. Finally, I used a styptic pencil to help control the bleeding. It helped, but my goodness did it burn. I finished my shave and then showered. This caused it to bleed again. I used the pencil once more also (hurt again too). With some pressure applied and the use of the pencil, it stopped bleeding once more. The next day, I noticed it had bled just a tad while I was sleeping; the spots of blood on my pillow were my indicators. For the next several days, I had to shave around the spot to ensure I didn’t reopen the cut. From then on, I payed a lot more attention as I was shaving.

Note: I used a straight on my face, spurred by Today's Challenge, and DE on my head. Shave lasted a little longer since I hadn't used a straight in a long time. It's fun (in a scary, you might butcher yourself kind of way), but seems way less efficient to me. Fortunately, the shave ended without any blood being shed.

June 19, 2024

• Brush: Shavemac w/ AP Shave Co 26mm Pure Bliss™ SHD Premium Synthetic Knot
• Razor: Tatara Muramasa
• Blade: Astra SP (Green)
• Lather: Spearhead Shaving Company – Sea Spice Lime
• Post Shave: Zingari – The Nomad

I must admit, I wasn’t sure where some companies originated from, so I had to do some research. Spearhead Shaving Company is based in Ohio if anyone didn’t know.

Sea Spice Lime is one of the only citrus focused scents that I truly like. Not sure why, but it just works. The soap itself is my first and only soap from Spearhead, but it certainly won’t be my last. It’s an excellent performer for me, and if the other scents are as good as Sea Spiced Lime, they'll have my money soon enough.

Today’s Challenge: https://imgflip.com/i/8uen51

June 20, 2024 – Lather Games: Day 20  

• Brush: Simpson Badger  
• Razor: Tatara Muramasa  
• Blade: Gillette Nacet   
• Lather: Stirling Soap Co. – Island Man  
• Post Shave: Stirling Soap Co. – Island Man  

I have to be honest. I bought this soap and aftershave based off the color. I mean, it’s blue! How cool is that!?! The scent, based off of a Creed cologne, is a bonus. I guess I’m childish and simplistic in that way

Today’s Challenge: This was nothing special since I did it in my patio. The highlight was having my dog take a crap in the corner while I was shaving.

June 21, 2024 – Lather Games: Day 21

• Brush: Simpson Badger
• Razor: Blackland Osprey
• Blade: Astra SP (Green)
• Lather: Southern Witchcrafts – Fougere Nemeta
• Post Shave: Southern Witchcrafts – Fougere Nemeta

So glad it’s Friday!

Today’s Challenge:

SW soaps are so scary
Even the one with strawberry
A fougere scented by a guy named Shawn
I started my shave near the crack of dawn
Now, I am way less hairy

June 22, 2024 – Lather Games: Day 22

• Brush: Simpson Special S1 Badger #SMOLL #RUNT
• Razor: Blackland Osprey
• Blade: Astra SP (Green)
• Lather: Stirling Soap Co. – Autumn Glory
• Post Shave: Stirling Soap Co. – Autumn Glory

I really don’t know what to say about the scent of Autumn Glory. Per Stirling’s description, “Imagine walking through the damp woods on a brisk fall morning with the falling leaves in all their autumn glory. That’s the scent.” Well, I don’t get that at all. I get the scent of a cologne or something similar. I certainly don’t think of damp woods. With that said, the scent is still quite nice in my opinion.

Today’s Challenge: I had to use an apple. https://imgur.com/a/OaEcxmP

June 23, 2024 – Lather Games: Day 23

• Brush: Shavemac w/ AP Shave Co 26mm Pure Bliss™ SHD Premium Synthetic Knot
• Razor: Blackland Osprey
• Blade: Astra SP (Green)
• Lather: Stirling Soap Co. – Iced Coffee
• Post Shave: Stirling Soap Co. – Iced Coffee

I’m not sure when or how I received this set because it’s been a long while since I’ve had it. It was either through the bazaar or via PIF. Either way, I never use it, except for the Lather Games. It’s not that it smells bad or doesn’t perform well; it does. I am just not fond of gourmand soaps in general, and smelling like coffee throughout the day just isn’t appealing to me. Plus, I hate things that smell so tasty and sweet, yet they’re not edible.

Today’s Challenge: Shaving in the kitchen was a bit odd, especially since my soap smelled better than the coffee that I actually brewed. Soap/aftershave should never make you question if you want to try it as a food.

June 25, 2024 – Lather Games: Day 25

• Brush: Shavemac w/ AP Shave Co 26mm Pure Bliss™ SHD Premium Synthetic Knot
• Razor: Blackland Osprey
• Blade: Astra SP (Green)
• Lather: Barrister and Mann – Dickens
• Post Shave: Barrister and Mann – The Full Measure of Man

Dickens is one of those soaps I received in the bazaar, and I figured I’d try it as a Christmas time choice. It smells like something Christmas related, but it’s certainly not my type of soap. I really just don’t like gourmand scented soaps. As much as I dislike the scent (for a soap), I really can’t say anything negative about the performance. Barrister and Mann make some great soap.

Today’s Challenge: I shave both my head and face, so I decided to wear a kitchen apron for my shave. It’s not overly crazy, but it’s different than my daily routine.

June 26, 2024 – Lather Games: Day 26  

• Brush: Shavemac w/ AP Shave Co 26mm Pure Bliss™ SHD Premium Synthetic Knot  
• Razor: Tatara Muramasa  
• Blade: Gillette Nacet   
• Lather: OSP – Herb Garden  
• Post Shave: Duke Cannon – Ice Bath  

I still own this soap for one and one reason only, to use it in the Lather Games. Honestly though, the scent is a lot different to me now then it was in previous years. Before, it was horrendous in my opinion. I’m not saying it’s great now, just not as bad. It seems like the odor has died down, leaving more of the menthol scent. This makes it a bit more palatable. It still will not make any other rotation except the Lather Games, but one day I. The distant future I may use more than once a year.

Today’s Challenge: I honestly haven’t taken the time to clean my brushes all that well. The ones I use on a regular basis are synthetic, so I will rinse them with some hot water and dish soap. I’m not sure how efficient that is, but it works for me.

June 27, 2024 – Lather Games: Day 27  

• Brush: Shavemac w/ AP Shave Co 26mm Pure Bliss™ SHD Premium Synthetic Knot  
• Razor: Tatara Muramasa  
• Blade: Gillette Nacet   
• Lather: Murphy and McNeil – Abbey  
• Post Shave: Murphy and McNeil – Abbey  

Abbey reminds me of just that, an abbey full of monks reading ancient tomes in a dim lit room with the scents of incense and candles wafting in the air. I find it pleasant and sickly at the same time. I find it a bit powdery and sweet for my tastes, but yet something draws me in.

The performance is quite nice and provided a very good shave from a software perspective.

Scent Profile:

Incense, amber, balsam, absinthe, vanilla, aldehydes, saffron, rose, osmanthus, lime, & ylang-ylang

Today’s Challenge: My shave took twice as long and I had a few nicks here and there due to the opposite hand shave. This was the not so great part of my shave

June 28, 2024 – Larger Games: Day 28  

• Brush: Shavemac w/ AP Shave Co 26mm Pure Bliss™ SHD Premium Synthetic Knot  
• Razor: Blackland Osprey  
• Blade: Astra SP (Green)   
• Lather: Clubman Pinaud Shave Soap  
• Post Shave: Mennen – Skin Bracer  

Clubman Pinaud is my cheapest soap, and it performs like it. It’s not slick and seems almost impossible to create a decent larger. The scent is the only good thing I can say it has. Avoid this soap unless you hate yourself.

June 30, 2024 – Lather Games: Day 30

• Brush: Zenith Moar Boar
• Razor: Tatara Muramasa
• Blade: Gillette Nacet
• Lather: Pré de Provence – No. 63
• Post Shave: Oaken Lab – Sanctum

Sadly, all good things must come to an end. I want to thank the judges and my fellow competitors for another fun month of competition. It adds variety to my shaving routine, and makes the sometimes monotonous process a bit more exciting. I truly look forward to the Games every year. Thanks again.

Daily Challenge:

Brush: Italy
Razor: Portugal
Blade: Russia
Lather: France
Post Shave: Indonesia