July 8, 2023 – Buttering toast for the first time
- Brush: Maggard Synthetic
- Razor: EldrormR Industries MM24 #brassing
- Blade: GEM (1)
- Lather: Maggard Razors – Lilac
- Post Shave: Stirling Soap Co. – Bergamot Lavender
- Fragrance: Chatillon Lux – La Petite Prairie
Today I used the MM24. And tied that directly into my DQ thread question.
So no not a shit post but nicely tied together.
I want to thank u/EldrormR for the opportunity to grab that MM24 before he went public with it. It’s a beautiful unique razor. This one in particular because the plating was in such bad shape he removed it from the lid creating a two tone top. His picture is better than mine. I hope he won’t mind if I use it.
The shave was not my best but no worse than the first shave with the Parker or the kamisori. I titled a little too much in several places, nicked my chin 3x and mole once. But nothing serious, a little stypic and fixed. Some feedback on the balm and I feel a bit raw but I’ll get better and probably pretty quick if today’s start was any indication.
On to #fof. Now you’re thinking “wait wouldn’t Le petite prairie made more sense with wild flowers?”
No. And let me tell you why. Because my grandparents and mom lived off a street aptly named “Lilac Road.” it’s the second to last Missouri exit on the bypass. They weren’t directly off it but that’s how we got there. Once it was a large farm but by the time I was born and we’d visit (most notably for the large annual family reunions that occurred outside) most of the land was unfarmed and while not quite fully restored prairie, pretty damn close. I used the bergamot Lavender to bridge these two scent profiles and I think I did pretty well. A trip down memory lane. I appreciate Shawn’s recreation of the prairies that became south stl, because I’ve stood in the ones that remained just 15 miles or so away. (that area won’t be developed so they’ll stay there for a while I’d bet).
Hard to tie today’s #photocontest to the challenge as I have been, so I turned my kids lose and this extinct animal is the result. The giant dinosaur may as well be alive with it’s roaring sound. You can see my daughter’s arm holding it up as she tries to get the perfect shot for me. #ROTY
I want to close by just giving my appreciation for Maggards. This hobby revolves around small businesses and Maggards is one of the best. Yes I try to buy from the artisans directly when I can. My sister also has a small business (a clothing boutique in Chicago) so I’m aware of wholesale problems, profit margin, inventory costs, etc. But artisans can’t sell everything and sometimes you need a broad variety of things and it’s more cost effective go get it all at one place. I’ve had to exchange emails with Brad over a few tiny order issues (one my mistake and one the stock counter) and he’s always been awesome. They ship faster than imaginable. There’s a reason they’ve managed to get the most of my shaving spending (though u/Mammothben is trying to overtake them, and he doesn’t sell much in the name of hardware, so that’s impressive.)
Today’s shave used as much Maggards stuff as I could. Brush soap, that bottle of bergamot Lavender didn’t come from them but it’s almost empty and the replacement did. They were my first stop to prep for lather games and where I send my wife to get me gifts. Yes I gave away some of my sample to others did this which cost them a sale or too, but I also have spent enough there to offset that several times over. Thanks Maggards!