Aug. 31, 2022 - The Last Hurrah - Austere August Day 31
Well here we are. Finally at the end of the AA road. It feels good to be done and I don't think I'll ever be doing this again. I have far too many other soaps and hardware that need to be used which I'm sure is the case with all of us. Looking back I'm glad that I powered through and completed all of the challenges I set out to do though. It's been a tough and eye opening experience. One of the best take-aways is my changed opinion of Chiseled Face soaps. I was never really impressed with the base until I started getting these stellar lathers with my new fully broken in boar brush. They are like a match made in heaven. I'm curious to see if I can replicate them with my badger brushes. It won't be with the Stag though because that's getting put away for a while lol. I'm happy to join the ranks of the Knights however!
#RawHoggin
Before I decided to partake in this challenge I was not a fan of boar brushes at all. There were various reasons for this which I won't get into for the sake of brevity, but overall I just never had great experiences with them or the patience to fully break one in. This month has changed all of that and has opened my eyes to the reality that boar brushes can be great lathering tools if you can stick with them until they get good. This is an awesome brush now and I'm thinking of pulling the knot and putting it into a new handle I just picked up.
#GEMsofWisdom
The same goes for this razor. The only other time I had used it was a few times back in probably 2016 (?). It was a harsh and unforgiving experience and I hated the thing. I think most of the 180 degree change in my opinion can be attributed to the fact that I'm just a lot better at shaving now than I was back then. It's moderately aggressive and very efficient, but it never felt harsh to me this time around. I can confidently say that I've mastered the OCMM (yeah, I said it) and I can shave with it on autopilot with no nicks, cuts, weepers, or nary a hint of irritation. Hell, the alum doesn't even sting anymore. I can't even say that about my favorite and well used DE, the 0.84 Game Changer.
Brush Day 31
The last Stag sprays for a loooooong time
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