u/OnionMiasma's SOTDs for challenge 'RawHoggin' 2022'

u/OnionMiasma submitted 31 SOTDS.
  1. u/OnionMiasma posted on 2022-08-01 13:26:17-07:00 (Pacific Standard Time). Reddit Comment

    Aug. 1, 2022 - AA Day 1 - Unboxing, weighing, and the start of breaking in

    Day One of AA.

    For my Austere August I'm going with the following items.

    Razor: Micromatic Open Comb, Gen 2. I picked this up in May, but haven't gotten a lot of quality time with it due to the Lather Games and wanting to use some other stuff in July. So far the shaves I've had with it have been adequate even though they required more attention to detail than normal. My actual razor is pretty ugly, but structurally it's sound.

    Blade: I had ordered some PTFEs for August, but they didn't arrive. So, I'm using a Stainless instead. This is unfortunate, but rules are rules, and a PTFE blade is arriving tomorrow, a day late.

    Brush: There has been lots of talk about how finding a bad boar is a lot harder than finding a bad badger, because boars are so much cheaper that even the cheapest brushes are generally acceptable or better. I'm putting this to the test - I found and bought two very inexpensive boar knots from Shave Forge (they were ~$5 when I bought them, they're now about $15!!!), and 3D printed two handles. Why two you ask? So we have a control and a test brush. I'll be able to compare on a daily basis the brush I'm using vs. what it started out like. I knotted the brushes last week, and then boxed up the brushes until today. I'll be leaving the control brush in a ziploc bag so that it doesn't air out, so I can compare the aroma of the control vs. test. I also have a well-broken in (probably 50 shaves) Stirling Boar that I'll periodically show in comparison to highlight the changes of the brush throughout August. I won't compare the smell of the Stirling brush, because it still smells like a mix of spinach baby food and gasoline.

    Soap: Sea Spice Lime is getting the nod, due the fact that I really like it, and since I won a trickhole of it during the Lather Games. I don't like to lather directly on my soap, so I've scooped approximately half of my container into an empty tin I have, and will be working from this tin during AA. I will be logging weights at the end of my shave each day (after the soap has had a chance to dry) so that we can see how much soap I'm burning on a day to day basis. If I need to refill the tin, I can. I started today's shave with the tin weighing 54g.

    AS/EDT: SSL Toner and EDT.

    Today's Shave: I unboxed my brush, and set out all of my accruements for the day's shave. Smelling the brush, there is a definite stink. I noticed when I first used my Stirling boar that there was almost no smell, because I was ready for it - with this brush there is a distinct heavy smell. That smell intensified 3 fold when I ran water on the brush to get it ready for shaving. I hope the scent goes away quickly, because it's stomach-churning bad. Almost like the smell of beef bouillon. Not what I wanted to rub on my face.

    I'm typically a scoop-and-precision-lather guy, so face lathering is relatively new for me. I lathered the soap for 30 seconds, and was amazed at how much soap seemed to be used up. Moving to my face, I started to build a lather, and found that there was very little splay with this brush unless I really put pressure on it. That in turn dug the bristles into my face, which was quite unpleasant. The smell of the brush is overwhelming, and SSL does little to mask it. If anything, the porky/lime smell just made me think of some tacos I had in Mexico City and started my stomach growling. However, I was able to get a good lather up, and moved to the shave.

    I've used the MMOC before, and this blade before, so I knew what to expect. The other blade I have I've taken to about 15 shaves, so I'm expecting to double that this month. Honestly, this is the part of AA that has me most worried, but for today, I had a good-but-not-quite-BBS two pass shave.

    Shave weight after the soap drying for a couple hours is now 50g, so 4g of SSL went into today's shave. That's an insane soap usage - if the soap usage doesn't drop I'll definitely have to restock SSL before month end, but I suspect that as the brush becomes broken in, the soap usage will drop.

    So, I am planning to log my thoughts on the shave each day, and compliment those with daily progression photos of the brush against the control brush and my broken-in Stirling. I'll also keep track of soap usage by day, to see if it remains constant or drops as the brush starts to soften.

    At the end of August, one lucky Xir can win the control brush via PIF. Let Austere August begin!

    Tagging u/EldrormR, u/Semaj3000, u/djundjila

    This SOTD is part of the challenge
    1. GEMsOfWisdom 2022
    2. RawHoggin' 2022

    sotd.djudgement_invitations: [<DjudgementInvitation 4>, <DjudgementInvitation 2482>]

    This SOTD was djudged by u/EldrormR for GEMsOfWisdom 2022

    This SOTD was djudged by u/Semaj3000 for RawHoggin' 2022

  2. u/OnionMiasma posted on 2022-08-02 14:29:44-07:00 (Pacific Standard Time). Reddit Comment

    Aug. 2, 2022 - AA Day 2

    Day 2 of AA.

    Brush status: After yesterday's shave there is some obvious signs of break-in already. The control brush is orange - note how the black (test) brush has already started to fan out. It's starting to open a bit already. The piggy smell is still there, but this brush has absorbed the SSL like that is its job. Weirdly today the stale piggy + SSL smelled a bit.... fishy? Only while I was lathering though. The control brush continues to smell like barnyard.

    The brush is splaying better. Definitely still very scratchy, but not nearly as stiff as yesterday. Significant change from day one to two.

    Soap status: At the start of today's shave my tin weighed 50g. After the shave it was down to 47g, for a two-day use of 7g. At this rate, I would go through a tub of SSL in 32 days. It would seem fortunate then that August only has 31 days, but my tub isn't brand new, and has some use. So...I would say we're still in the danger zone of needing to panic buy another tub.

    Razor status: This thing seems scary, but in reality is a cute little kitten. I did a three-passer today and had a great shave. I am dealing with some irritation, but based on the fact that it's pretty widespread, I'm blaming the brush and my novice face lathering technique rather than my technique with the razor which is much more practiced. I had one little weeper on my chin today that the SSL toner handled nicely.

    Cumulative Stats: * Shaves: 2/31 * Weepers: 1 * Nicks: 0 * Shed hairs: Too many to count. They're thoroughly imbedded in the soap now. * Soap grams used: 7

    This SOTD is part of the challenge
    1. GEMsOfWisdom 2022
    2. RawHoggin' 2022

    sotd.djudgement_invitations: [<DjudgementInvitation 84>, <DjudgementInvitation 2532>]

    This SOTD was djudged by u/EldrormR for GEMsOfWisdom 2022

    This SOTD was djudged by u/Semaj3000 for RawHoggin' 2022

  3. u/OnionMiasma posted on 2022-08-03 10:37:29-07:00 (Pacific Standard Time). Reddit Comment

    Aug. 3, 2022

    Day 3 of AA.

    Brush status: Yesterday's shave highlighted signs of break-in already - that break-in continues. The control brush is orange - the black (test) brush has already started to fan out, but is still much closer to the control brush than my fully broken in boar brush on the right. Looking up close, you can see some splitting happening on the test brush (right). The control brush continues to smell like barnyard; on the test brush the swine smell remains, but is less intense and somewhat masked by lime. I call this combined aroma "Swime®". The Stirling brush no longer smells like pig at all, it smells of an Exxon station just on the other side of the Indiana border. shudders

    Thanks Stag.

    The brush is splaying better and is developing some softness. Still very scratchy, but clearly better than yesterday, which in turn was much better than the first day. I do have a couple places on my face where I have some small abrasions that appear to be caused by the brush. Not dissimilar to the breakout I had when I used a pot scrubber as a lather brush, though not as intense of a breakout. This brush is definitely a shedder - much like the rest of my life seems to be covered in Labrador hair, my soap is coated in piggy hair.

    Soap status: At the start of today's shave my tin weighed 47g. After the shave it was down to 44g, for a three-day use of 10g. At this rate, I would go through a tub of SSL in 34 days. Soap use stayed even from day 2 to day 3.

    Razor status: I don't have a ton of experience with GEMs, but with one exception, I've had consistently good or better shaves. The one exception was with a MMOC Gen 1, which was a lot more aggressive. At this point I don't know that I would grab this over the Pushbutton I have that I really enjoy, but it does give a good shave. I suspect that people with much more coarse facial hair would find this razor more helpful than me with my peach fuzz. The very last swipe today did result in a nick, but it was totally my fault, I got sloppy. I also had a tiny weeper, but honestly that might have been broken open by the brush, not sure.

    Cumulative Stats:

    • Shaves: 3/31
    • Weepers: 2
    • Nicks: 1
    • Soap grams used: 10
    This SOTD is part of the challenge
    1. GEMsOfWisdom 2022
    2. RawHoggin' 2022

    sotd.djudgement_invitations: [<DjudgementInvitation 2584>, <DjudgementInvitation 160>]

    This SOTD was djudged by u/EldrormR for RawHoggin' 2022

    This SOTD was djudged by u/Semaj3000 for GEMsOfWisdom 2022

  4. u/OnionMiasma posted on 2022-08-04 13:34:56-07:00 (Pacific Standard Time). Reddit Comment

    Aug. 4, 2022 - AA Day 4

    Day 4 of AA.

    Brush status: Brush continues softening. I'm still not looking forward to it each day, but it is less of a torture device at this point.. The control brush is clearly on the right- the black (test) brush is definitely much more open than the control. The control brush continues to smell like barnyard with no real change; on the test brush the Swime(R) remains, but is fading more to lime.

    Soap status: At the start of today's shave my tin weighed 44g. After the shave it was down to 41g, for a three-day use of 13g, and three straight days of a 3g shave. Also, this stuff smells great. My wife's reaction when I walked into her office area, "man, you smell good." She's not sick of it yet, despite my concern in this area.

    Razor status: This was my best shave of August so far. No weepers or nicks, clean BBS shave on 3 passes. Only a little irritation above my lip. I think I need to skip the ATG pass over my lip - I just can't seem to do that without really making my skin angry. Also I'm noting some razor burn in my Adam's apple area, which is unusual for me. I may only give my neck two passes this weekend to let it heal up a bit.

    Cumulative Stats: * Shaves: 4/31 * Passes: 14 * Weepers: 2 * Nicks: 1 * Soap grams used: 13

    This SOTD is part of the challenge
    1. GEMsOfWisdom 2022
    2. RawHoggin' 2022

    sotd.djudgement_invitations: [<DjudgementInvitation 243>, <DjudgementInvitation 2624>]

    This SOTD was djudged by u/Semaj3000 for GEMsOfWisdom 2022

    This SOTD was djudged by u/djundjila for RawHoggin' 2022

  5. u/OnionMiasma posted on 2022-08-05 21:05:09-07:00 (Pacific Standard Time). Reddit Comment

    Aug. 5, 2022 - AA Day 5

    Family descended upon our house, so I barely had enough time to shave, let alone journal the process.

    Brush keeps getting softer, and less smelly.

    I'm dealing with some pretty bad razor burn under my chin, so I did apply some Stirling Unscented Balm for the health of my skin.

    Still used 3g of soap. Consumption hasn't declined yet.

    This SOTD is part of the challenge
    1. GEMsOfWisdom 2022
    2. RawHoggin' 2022

    sotd.djudgement_invitations: [<DjudgementInvitation 292>, <DjudgementInvitation 2653>]

    This SOTD was djudged by u/Semaj3000 for GEMsOfWisdom 2022

    This SOTD was djudged by u/djundjila for RawHoggin' 2022

  6. u/OnionMiasma posted on 2022-08-06 21:23:04-07:00 (Pacific Standard Time). Reddit Comment

    Aug. 6, 2022 - AA Day 6

    Another rushed evening shave because of family stuff. Today we celebrated the baby's first birthday.

    As such I barely got a shave in. I'll have stats tomorrow on soap usage. The actual shave itself was fine, and the brush is getting pretty deace at this point.

    Only two passes today, trying to give my face a little break, my neck is a bit angry.

    This SOTD is part of the challenge
    1. GEMsOfWisdom 2022
    2. RawHoggin' 2022

    sotd.djudgement_invitations: [<DjudgementInvitation 372>, <DjudgementInvitation 2695>]

    This SOTD was djudged by u/djundjila for GEMsOfWisdom 2022

    This SOTD was djudged by u/EldrormR for RawHoggin' 2022

  7. u/OnionMiasma posted on 2022-08-07 21:48:42-07:00 (Pacific Standard Time). Reddit Comment

    Aug. 7, 2022 - AA Day 7

    AA Day 7

    Shaving right under the wire - didn't get a chance to get my supplies out until 11:30 local time.

    Brush Notes: I don't notice any piggy stink anymore - it just smells like the beautiful scent of Sea Spice Lime. The brush is no longer causing irritation, but really can't be described anywhere near soft.

    Soap Notes: Soap usage has definitely plummeted. In the last 3 days I've used 5 grams of soap. I'm no longer worried about running out.

    This SOTD is part of the challenge
    1. GEMsOfWisdom 2022
    2. RawHoggin' 2022

    sotd.djudgement_invitations: [<DjudgementInvitation 2736>, <DjudgementInvitation 465>]

    This SOTD was djudged by u/djundjila for RawHoggin' 2022

    This SOTD was djudged by u/Semaj3000 for GEMsOfWisdom 2022

  8. u/OnionMiasma posted on 2022-08-08 15:08:39-07:00 (Pacific Standard Time). Reddit Comment

    Aug. 8, 2022 - AA Day 8

    Taking a cue from /u/J33pguy13 and /u/Imblasted, I stacked up my SOTD shot, though I've a fraction of their stacking talent.

    I feel like I'm in the sweet spot of the month. The brush has softened up nicely and is no longer scratching the shit out of my face, and the blade is still sharp enough to do a good job. As we go through the month the brush will get better and better, and the razor will get worse and worse.

    Today's shave, a two-passer, resulted in a SAS. Still some stubble on my neck, I find it harder to get a really close shave with the MMOC than my DE razors. I need to focus on that.

    Only used 1g of soap again. The extreme usage has settled down.

    This SOTD is part of the challenge
    1. GEMsOfWisdom 2022
    2. RawHoggin' 2022

    sotd.djudgement_invitations: [<DjudgementInvitation 499>, <DjudgementInvitation 2789>]

    This SOTD was djudged by u/EldrormR for GEMsOfWisdom 2022

    This SOTD was djudged by u/Semaj3000 for RawHoggin' 2022

  9. u/OnionMiasma posted on 2022-08-09 19:54:32-07:00 (Pacific Standard Time). Reddit Comment

    Aug. 9, 2022 - AA Day 9

    I really got to take my time with today's shave, which has not been the case of late. This extra time resulted in probably my best shave of the month on 3 passes.

    Brush status: I'm not going to lie- I still prefer my synthetic. But the boar is getting softer by the day, and no longer actively hurts me. It continues to open up - top view. It's also stopped being such a soap hog. The last several days have weighed in at 1g. Oddly enough, tonight's shave came in a 3g, but I assume that is a rounding error, since my scale only measures to the nearest gram. Smell is gone. It just smells like SSL.

    Software - still fantastic. It's interesting with the scents on these, I feel like the toner is distinctly more lime-forward than the soap or EDT. I'm finding myself wishing for some more variety, but that will have to wait until September 1.

    Razor - if it weren't for the challenge, I would not choose the MMOC as my AA razor. It's not my favorite, and in particular I struggle with it on my neck. But, I don't notice any tugging at all after 9 shaves, and I do seem to be getting better.

    So, in summary, the hardware I'm using isn't what I like the best or what gives me the best shave, but by using equipment I'm less familiar with and forcing myself to be consistent day in and day out, I think I'm ultimately becoming a better shaver.

    This SOTD is part of the challenge
    1. GEMsOfWisdom 2022
    2. RawHoggin' 2022

    sotd.djudgement_invitations: [<DjudgementInvitation 587>, <DjudgementInvitation 2820>]

    This SOTD was djudged by u/EldrormR for GEMsOfWisdom 2022

    This SOTD was djudged by u/EldrormR for RawHoggin' 2022

  10. u/OnionMiasma posted on 2022-08-11 10:03:23-07:00 (Pacific Standard Time). Reddit Comment

    Aug. 10, 2022 - AA Day 10 - The brush begins to show some stress

    Whelp, my plan to use as cheap of a brush as I could make has some cracks showing.

    Or, well, at least my handle does. The knot still feels safe in the handle, but there are four cracks similar to this around the top of the handle.

    2 g of soap usage today on a good 3 pass shave. The only thing I regret so far is that Spearhead doesn't have an alcohol-based splash for SSL. I don't get the feeling that the toner does much for me. But it smells great.

    This SOTD is part of the challenge
    1. GEMsOfWisdom 2022
    2. RawHoggin' 2022

    sotd.djudgement_invitations: [<DjudgementInvitation 672>, <DjudgementInvitation 2858>]

    This SOTD was djudged by u/EldrormR for GEMsOfWisdom 2022

    This SOTD was djudged by u/Semaj3000 for RawHoggin' 2022

  11. u/OnionMiasma posted on 2022-08-11 21:18:31-07:00 (Pacific Standard Time). Reddit Comment

    Aug. 11, 2022 - AA Day 11

    A really good late night shave tonight.

    I did some den cleaning earlier. All my other soaps are staring jealously at the star of the month in my SOTD pic.

    2g of soap used on a 2.5 pass shave.

    Brush feeling great. Still holding but broken.

    This SOTD is part of the challenge
    1. GEMsOfWisdom 2022
    2. RawHoggin' 2022

    sotd.djudgement_invitations: [<DjudgementInvitation 721>, <DjudgementInvitation 2903>]

    This SOTD was djudged by u/EldrormR for GEMsOfWisdom 2022

    This SOTD was djudged by u/EldrormR for RawHoggin' 2022

  12. u/OnionMiasma posted on 2022-08-12 11:56:48-07:00 (Pacific Standard Time). Reddit Comment

    Aug. 12, 2022 - AA Day 12

    AA Day 12

    I'm running out of things to say.

    GEM is good, not tugging yet, haven't needed to strop it on my arm yet.

    Brush is now soft and splays easily. After all this is done I'll need to get a proper handle to keep it in permanently.

    SSL is still great. I was getting a ring of death in my tin I'm using for AA, so I replenished it, creating a ring of death in my tub. As a result, I'll probably need to place a Maggard order.

    Another great shave. I didn't spend as much focus on it as last night, but still good. The MMOC is becoming automatic, which is neat.

    This SOTD is part of the challenge
    1. GEMsOfWisdom 2022
    2. RawHoggin' 2022

    sotd.djudgement_invitations: [<DjudgementInvitation 792>, <DjudgementInvitation 2961>]

    This SOTD was djudged by u/djundjila for GEMsOfWisdom 2022

    This SOTD was djudged by u/djundjila for RawHoggin' 2022

  13. u/OnionMiasma posted on 2022-08-13 17:49:36-07:00 (Pacific Standard Time). Reddit Comment

    Aug. 13, 2022 - AA Day 13

    Another day, another great shave.

    This SOTD is part of the challenge
    1. GEMsOfWisdom 2022
    2. RawHoggin' 2022

    sotd.djudgement_invitations: [<DjudgementInvitation 860>, <DjudgementInvitation 2992>]

    This SOTD was djudged by u/Semaj3000 for GEMsOfWisdom 2022

    This SOTD was djudged by u/djundjila for RawHoggin' 2022

  14. u/OnionMiasma posted on 2022-08-14 12:17:52-07:00 (Pacific Standard Time). Reddit Comment

    Aug. 14, 2022 - AA Day 13

    Day 13 complete.

    This is the first time that I've had any dragging from the razor. It was on the first pass, whereas passes 2 and 3 were fine, so I'm going to blame my lather for now.

    My brush is falling apart. I think it's a race to the end of the month to see if the brush makes it in tact before AA ends. The knot still seems strongly attached. I'm hopeful it will finish the month, but I do have travel coming up, so it's possible that TSA completely screws it up.

    Another 2g soap day. I did place an order for another tub of SSL just in case; regardless, my tub will be almost gone at the end of the month and I want this as a permanent part of my den.

    Happy Sunday everyone.

    This SOTD is part of the challenge
    1. GEMsOfWisdom 2022
    2. RawHoggin' 2022

    sotd.djudgement_invitations: [<DjudgementInvitation 926>, <DjudgementInvitation 3043>]

    This SOTD was djudged by u/djundjila for GEMsOfWisdom 2022

    This SOTD was djudged by u/EldrormR for RawHoggin' 2022

  15. u/OnionMiasma posted on 2022-08-15 21:12:47-07:00 (Pacific Standard Time). Reddit Comment

    Aug. 15, 2022 - AA Day 15

    Half way there!

    This is the first day I can say I really lusted after another soap. I went to find my Semicolon tub, and I really wanted to use something else instead.

    Nevertheless, I resisted.

    Only two passes tonight, because I want really feeling it. Also I lost another chunk of brush handle.

    Only 1g of soap used today. Brush is downright soft- way softer than my existing boar with probably 60 shaves on it.

    This SOTD is part of the challenge
    1. GEMsOfWisdom 2022
    2. RawHoggin' 2022

    sotd.djudgement_invitations: [<DjudgementInvitation 1001>, <DjudgementInvitation 3067>]

    This SOTD was djudged by u/djundjila for GEMsOfWisdom 2022

    This SOTD was djudged by u/EldrormR for RawHoggin' 2022

  16. u/OnionMiasma posted on 2022-08-16 19:35:58-07:00 (Pacific Standard Time). Reddit Comment

    Aug. 16, 2022 - AA Day 16

    Another great shave. Final shave at home this week, tomorrow I pack up and head to Atlanta for work. Checking my bag so I can take my GEM.

    Note the brush carnage, which continues.

    Suggestions on a handle to put this knot in? I really like it and want to keep it after August, but my handle is dreadful.

    This SOTD is part of the challenge
    1. GEMsOfWisdom 2022
    2. RawHoggin' 2022

    sotd.djudgement_invitations: [<DjudgementInvitation 1047>, <DjudgementInvitation 3109>]

    This SOTD was djudged by u/Semaj3000 for GEMsOfWisdom 2022

    This SOTD was djudged by u/EldrormR for RawHoggin' 2022

  17. u/OnionMiasma posted on 2022-08-17 22:00:58-07:00 (Pacific Standard Time). Reddit Comment

    Aug. 17, 2022 - AA Day 17

    Day 17. Traveling. Everything is fine

    This SOTD is part of the challenge
    1. GEMsOfWisdom 2022
    2. RawHoggin' 2022

    sotd.djudgement_invitations: [<DjudgementInvitation 1109>, <DjudgementInvitation 3137>]

    This SOTD was djudged by u/EldrormR for GEMsOfWisdom 2022

    This SOTD was djudged by u/djundjila for RawHoggin' 2022

  18. u/OnionMiasma posted on 2022-08-18 21:22:18-07:00 (Pacific Standard Time). Reddit Comment

    Aug. 18, 2022 - AA Day 18

    Second day shaving while traveling. I shaved in the morning but just now remembered to post.

    No problems with the shave yet.

    This SOTD is part of the challenge
    1. GEMsOfWisdom 2022
    2. RawHoggin' 2022

    sotd.djudgement_invitations: [<DjudgementInvitation 1209>, <DjudgementInvitation 3186>]

    This SOTD was djudged by u/EldrormR for GEMsOfWisdom 2022

    This SOTD was djudged by u/EldrormR for RawHoggin' 2022

  19. u/OnionMiasma posted on 2022-08-19 19:51:50-07:00 (Pacific Standard Time). Reddit Comment

    Aug. 19, 2022 - AA Day 19

    2 pass shave after packing up to go home.

    I'm kinda done with this Austere August thing. Definitely excited to use some other stuff.

    This SOTD is part of the challenge
    1. GEMsOfWisdom 2022
    2. RawHoggin' 2022

    sotd.djudgement_invitations: [<DjudgementInvitation 1464>, <DjudgementInvitation 3227>]

    This SOTD was djudged by u/EldrormR for GEMsOfWisdom 2022

    This SOTD was djudged by u/Semaj3000 for RawHoggin' 2022

  20. u/OnionMiasma posted on 2022-08-20 03:33:31-07:00 (Pacific Standard Time). Reddit Comment

    Aug. 20, 2022 - AA Day 20

    Had some extra time before my 5:00 Uber to the airport, so I got in a relaxing shave first.

    Everything working well, much better than the rushed shave last night.

    One interesting thing to note, the SSL seems to attract bees. I've never had a problem before, but I was stung 4 tubes yesterday while on a boat or at the pool. They left everyone else alone, and were just swarming me.

    This SOTD is part of the challenge
    1. GEMsOfWisdom 2022
    2. RawHoggin' 2022

    sotd.djudgement_invitations: [<DjudgementInvitation 1546>, <DjudgementInvitation 3292>]

    This SOTD was djudged by u/Semaj3000 for GEMsOfWisdom 2022

    This SOTD was djudged by u/Semaj3000 for RawHoggin' 2022

  21. u/OnionMiasma posted on 2022-08-21 21:57:38-07:00 (Pacific Standard Time). Reddit Comment

    Aug. 21, 2022 - AA Day 21

    You know, for all the talk of palm stropping and the difficulty of getting a blade to last 30 days, I just don't see it. Day 21 was significantly better than day 1. I don't really notice drag from the razor, and the brush is light years better.

    Perhaps I've just really dialed in my MMOC technique. I mean, I'm not even using PTFE blades.

    Another good 2 passer.

    This SOTD is part of the challenge
    1. GEMsOfWisdom 2022
    2. RawHoggin' 2022

    sotd.djudgement_invitations: [<DjudgementInvitation 1607>, <DjudgementInvitation 3295>]

    This SOTD was djudged by u/Semaj3000 for GEMsOfWisdom 2022

    This SOTD was djudged by u/Semaj3000 for RawHoggin' 2022

  22. u/OnionMiasma posted on 2022-08-22 22:21:35-07:00 (Pacific Standard Time). Reddit Comment

    Aug. 22, 2022 - AA Day 22

    Another great 3 pass shave. Brush knot is great. Handle is garbage.

    MMOC is great, blade still sharp.

    No bees here to speak of, so SSL is great. My new tub came in, which is awesome because I suspect my current tub will get me to maybe September 5.

    This SOTD is part of the challenge
    1. GEMsOfWisdom 2022
    2. RawHoggin' 2022

    sotd.djudgement_invitations: [<DjudgementInvitation 1675>, <DjudgementInvitation 3334>]

    This SOTD was djudged by u/Semaj3000 for GEMsOfWisdom 2022

    This SOTD was djudged by u/djundjila for RawHoggin' 2022

  23. u/OnionMiasma posted on 2022-08-23 20:42:12-07:00 (Pacific Standard Time). Reddit Comment

    Aug. 23, 2022 - AA Day 23

    Another great two pass shave.

    At this point it's a race. Which will come first, August 31, or my brush handle falling apart causing the knot to fall into the sink while shaving.

    I would put money on the brush catastrophe happening first, but I'm going to try to get it to the finish line.

    This SOTD is part of the challenge
    1. GEMsOfWisdom 2022
    2. RawHoggin' 2022

    sotd.djudgement_invitations: [<DjudgementInvitation 1737>, <DjudgementInvitation 3372>]

    This SOTD was djudged by u/EldrormR for GEMsOfWisdom 2022

    This SOTD was djudged by u/Semaj3000 for RawHoggin' 2022

  24. u/OnionMiasma posted on 2022-08-24 21:54:07-07:00 (Pacific Standard Time). Reddit Comment

    Aug. 24, 2022 - AA Day 24

    Another day, another limey 2 passer.

    Lost another chunk of handle. I don't see this making it 8 more shaves.

    This SOTD is part of the challenge
    1. GEMsOfWisdom 2022
    2. RawHoggin' 2022

    sotd.djudgement_invitations: [<DjudgementInvitation 1821>, <DjudgementInvitation 3406>]

    This SOTD was djudged by u/djundjila for GEMsOfWisdom 2022

    This SOTD was djudged by u/Semaj3000 for RawHoggin' 2022

  25. u/OnionMiasma posted on 2022-08-25 22:06:17-07:00 (Pacific Standard Time). Reddit Comment

    Aug. 25, 2022 - AA Day 25

    Razor and blade are fine. I feel like as long as I use quality soaps and work up a good lather, I could probably get 25 more shaves out of this blade.

    Soap is good, though I yearn for something different.

    The brush though. While lathering up my second pass, the totally unthinkable but competely expected happened.

    I grabbed just the knot and finished my shave.

    After shaving, I headed to my work bench to glue it back together. I only need 6 more shaves. I'll give it 23 hours to cure and I'll try it tomorrow.

    This SOTD is part of the challenge
    1. GEMsOfWisdom 2022
    2. RawHoggin' 2022

    sotd.djudgement_invitations: [<DjudgementInvitation 1914>, <DjudgementInvitation 3442>]

    This SOTD was djudged by u/djundjila for GEMsOfWisdom 2022

    This SOTD was djudged by u/EldrormR for RawHoggin' 2022

  26. u/OnionMiasma posted on 2022-08-26 22:14:42-07:00 (Pacific Standard Time). Reddit Comment

    Aug. 26, 2022 - AA Day 26

    I had another run-in with bees today. I'm becoming convinced it's the SSL. Out of nowhere this honey bee was super aggressive and was repeatedly dive bombing my infant daughter and I as I went to buckle her in the car.

    Fortunately, we managed to get out unscathed.

    Another good 2 pass shave. I resurrected my brush by re-setting the knot in what remains of the handle. It only needs to make it 5 more shaves.

    This SOTD is part of the challenge
    1. GEMsOfWisdom 2022
    2. RawHoggin' 2022

    sotd.djudgement_invitations: [<DjudgementInvitation 3532>, <DjudgementInvitation 3609>]

    This SOTD was djudged by u/djundjila for GEMsOfWisdom 2022

    This SOTD was djudged by u/EldrormR for RawHoggin' 2022

  27. u/OnionMiasma posted on 2022-08-27 10:27:01-07:00 (Pacific Standard Time). Reddit Comment

    Aug. 27, 2022 - AA Day 27

    Another day, another great shave.

    Kids are watching Bluey, so I could take my time. I normally shave with a DE, and one-and-done my blades (mostly for safety reasons- I don't want to run the risk of one of my daughters "pretending" to shave) - so I'm amazed at how well this blade is doing at shave 27. And this isn't even a PTFE blade...

    Re-knotted brush is holding steady. Only 4 more shaves, and I can put this handle out of its misery.

    Trying to decide what is on deck for September 1.... I'm thinking Pomona...

    This SOTD is part of the challenge
    1. GEMsOfWisdom 2022
    2. RawHoggin' 2022

    sotd.djudgement_invitations: [<DjudgementInvitation 3674>, <DjudgementInvitation 3756>]

    This SOTD was djudged by u/Semaj3000 for GEMsOfWisdom 2022

    This SOTD was djudged by u/djundjila for RawHoggin' 2022

  28. u/OnionMiasma posted on 2022-08-28 09:57:11-07:00 (Pacific Standard Time). Reddit Comment

    Aug. 28, 2022 - AA Day 28

    A great 3 pass shave on a quiet Sunday afternoon.

    28 days in and this was probably the best shave so far. No tugging or dragging or discomfort, just a nice BBS.

    Excited to use other things, and throw away this shit brush handle. But everything else performed very well.

    This SOTD is part of the challenge
    1. GEMsOfWisdom 2022
    2. RawHoggin' 2022

    sotd.djudgement_invitations: [<DjudgementInvitation 3875>, <DjudgementInvitation 3802>]

    This SOTD was djudged by u/djundjila for RawHoggin' 2022

    This SOTD was djudged by u/Semaj3000 for GEMsOfWisdom 2022

  29. u/OnionMiasma posted on 2022-08-29 11:55:54-07:00 (Pacific Standard Time). Reddit Comment

    Aug. 29, 2022 - AA Day 29

    Spent a few extra minutes and had a really pleasant 3-pass today.

    Only two shaves left.

    This SOTD is part of the challenge
    1. GEMsOfWisdom 2022
    2. RawHoggin' 2022

    sotd.djudgement_invitations: [<DjudgementInvitation 4015>, <DjudgementInvitation 3939>]

    This SOTD was djudged by u/EldrormR for RawHoggin' 2022

    This SOTD was djudged by u/EldrormR for GEMsOfWisdom 2022

  30. u/OnionMiasma posted on 2022-08-30 13:02:55-07:00 (Pacific Standard Time). Reddit Comment

    Aug. 30, 2022 - AA Day 30

    Penultimate day of AA. Another great 2 pass over lunch.

    Headed to family's house tonight, so I've already picked out my first 4 samples for September. We'll see what gets the nod for day one.

    This SOTD is part of the challenge
    1. GEMsOfWisdom 2022
    2. RawHoggin' 2022

    sotd.djudgement_invitations: [<DjudgementInvitation 4068>, <DjudgementInvitation 4145>]

    This SOTD was djudged by u/djundjila for GEMsOfWisdom 2022

    This SOTD was djudged by u/EldrormR for RawHoggin' 2022

  31. u/OnionMiasma posted on 2022-08-31 21:55:58-07:00 (Pacific Standard Time). Reddit Comment

    Aug. 31, 2022 - AA Day 31

    We'll, that's a wrap. 31 roughly identical shaves. Probably 50/50 divided between two and three pass, with one five passer to finish the month.

    That's right, tonight I did WTG, XTG, XTG, ATG, ATG to finish the month. Best shave I've had all month. In fact, I'm certain that day one was the worst.

    In review -

    Software

    I'm sure there are few reading this who are a stranger to Sea Spice Lime, but if you are, you should immediately proceed to Spearheadshaving.com and buy yourself a tub. It's that good. Not only is the scent fantastic, but it is long lasting and brings all the bees to the yard.

    The performances is top-notch too- I was recently having a conversation on the sub about another artisan, and the gent I was chatting with listed his top-tier artisans on base quality; I fully believe that Spearhead belongs with the big boys. The slickness and protection this provides is amazing.

    I worried about getting sick of the scent, my wife and I were joking yesterday that it was just now starting to happen for both of us... On day 30. However, today I met up with my brother and his wife, and while we were doing the customary hugs, my SIL said, "you smell fantastic. Give your brother some tips." High praise indeed.

    I was planning to PIF the soap that was left at the end of my journey, but... What's the point? This is all that's left after tonight's (admittedly ridiculous) shave from a tub that was 90+% full at the start. Luckily, I have a new tub waiting for me at home.

    Razor

    I was a little leery about using the MMOC for 31 straight days, but I shouldn't have been. It works really well for me, and the blade is still smooth as butter. There are other GEM razors that I prefer, but the MMOC is a worthy addition to my den. I only nicked myself thrice, and never after day 10.

    My blade is still great. I heard /u/semaj3000 and /u/EldrormR lamenting the status of their blades on the podcast, but I've had none of those problems. I think this blade will get the nod for AA23. It very possibly has at least 31 more shaves in it.

    Knot

    There were some who questioned my choice of the Shave Forge knot, but I have zero complaints. The smell disappeared quickly, and now I'm left with a soft fluffy knot to be proud of. This is definitely going in the rotation, and I have a new respect for boar brushes. I'm typically a bowl latherer, and I don't see that changing, but when I'm in the mood to face lather, this will definitely get the call.

    Handle

    I thought 3D printing would get me a cheap handle and allow for a very cheap overall yet durable brush.

    Nope. Not durable. Going in the trash in favor of a new handle from AP Shave.

    Overall

    I had a good time doing AA. I really got a chance to try a new brush and spend a lot of focus on my fundamentals. Having said that, I'm excited to try some new things.

    This SOTD is part of the challenge
    1. GEMsOfWisdom 2022
    2. RawHoggin' 2022

    sotd.djudgement_invitations: [<DjudgementInvitation 4177>, <DjudgementInvitation 4255>]

    This SOTD was djudged by u/EldrormR for GEMsOfWisdom 2022

    This SOTD was djudged by u/Semaj3000 for RawHoggin' 2022