31-08 - A Mammoth month, completed
- Brush: Yaqi 'Purple Haze' w/ 24mm Mew Brown knot
- Razor: 1953-54 Gillette 'Aristocrat Junior'
- Blade: Gillette Nacet (31)
- Lather: House of Mammoth - Mood Indigo - Soap
- Post Shave: House of Mammoth - Mood Indigo - Balm
- Fragrance: Proraso - Wood and Spice - Cologne
It's over. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't kinda sad about that fact.
Looking at the clock I don't have much time to get this post in (it's been a hell of a day here at the office so I've hardly had a minute to think) so I'm going to keep this brief and maybe expand on it later.
This has been an amazing month of championing a great set of shaving gear. From my vintage razor that's as mild and forgiving as can be to the best bang-for-buck synthetic brush I could recommend, it's been an absolute blast. Mood Indigo doesn't just have the benefit of coming in one of the best bases in all of wetshaving, it also has a killer scent to back it up. That, combined with the ease-of-use of my hardware, made this a dang enjoyable month (in stark contrast to some of you, who apparently looked to imitate the labours of Hercules or the passions of Christ).
Before I thank the organisers of this whole month and slew of side-challenges, I'd also like to thank some notable posters whose work I've greatly enjoyed throughout the 31 days. u/Marquis90, u/MrTangerinesky and u/tsrblke for our enjoyable back-and-forth chats - it feels at times like we could rely on each other for sanity and levity alike, and I enjoyed reading your posts as much as I enjoyed writing mine. Truly goes to show how great a community this is. I'd also like to thank u/OnionMiasma for his insight, u/djundjila for his speedrun shaves and for introducing me to u/sgrdddy's 'Slurry Lather' (thank you for that method, by the way!), u/gcgallant for his amazing photos and nice convo we had about the artform, and a heap of other people for your great posts and/or choices of soft- and hardware that kept me wanting to try more (or relapse and fall back on the rest of my den). If I haven't mentioned you by name, I hope you nevertheless know who you are and that I appreciate you all.
Lastly, big thanks to u/cowzilla3 and u/InfernalInternal for your respective side-challenges (or unchallenges). I've been very happy to follow along with the requirements for each, and in Spice Man's case even inadvertently contributing to a great cause. Thank you to u/mammothben for making this amazing soap and balm I had a blast using, and for the kind and encouraging words about my wife's embroidery work. Hope your fans on the socials enjoyed it too! Massive shout out to u/wallygator88 for setting up AA - without you it wouldn't have happened.
I've learned a lot throughout this month, come to appreciate my gear for what it is, and really settled into a comfortable routine. It's been fun. Now to think about what to use for my first shave of 'freedom'.
Wow, I ended up going for the full post anyway, so disregard my disclaimer at the start I guess...
Tags: #MammothMafia23 #UNCHALLENGE