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

Aug 1, 2022 - AA: MA-RH-MM - Almond Leather - Day 1

• Prep: Warm Water Wash
• Prep: Klar - Activated Charcoal - Face Soap
• Brush: Zenith Cobalt Blue 28mm Boar Knot (505BC SE)
• Razor: GEM Open Comb Micromatic (2nd Gen.)
• Blade: Personna GEM PTFE (1)
• Lather: House of Mammoth - Almond Leather - Soap
• Post Shave: House of Mammoth - Almond Leather - Aftershave

Introduction

This is my first time participating in Austere August. I skipped last year because, being new to wetshaving, there were so many scents that I still wanted to try and AA seemed counter to that—at the time. Looking back, I really should have committed to some form of AA to improve my overall shaving techniques. This year I'm going all in, and trying out a few of the side challenges:

• Second Annual International MMOC Appreciation Austere August Challenge #GEMsOfWisdom (Tagging u/EldrormR and u/Semaj3000)

• Raw Hoggin' Austere August Challange #RawHoggin (Tagging EldrormR)

• Austere August Mammoth Month #MammothMafia (Tagging u/JoboozeRum)

I knew that today's shave was going to be challenging: using a razor for which my technique is still problematic, a fresh GEM blade, and a brand new boar brush was just the start. Of course, challenges are just opportunities for growth.

Scent Selection

Actually, the hardest part of this whole shave was selecting the software I wanted to use all month. I had initially wanted to try the Stag challenge, but getting a hold of the required Stag EdP is difficult in Europe. Next on the list was to use my B+M 42 set. Since my wife is not a fan of 42, it would have been like my own personal Stag challenge with a scent that is the polar opposite of Stag. However, the lure of Mammoth Month was just too great.

Which Mammoth soap to use out of so many great scents available? I had initially considered killing my tub of Mood Indigo, but my concern was that there may not be enough to last all month, especially while using such a large, hungry boar brush. My family put their vote in for Almond Leather, and I had just purchased a new tub on sale at the Shave Supply. In the end though, I'd like to say that I used reason and wise discernment to select the perfect scent for this month's shaves, but as I was still indecisive even this morning, I put four HoM scents and 42 into a random number generator and Almond Leather was the winner.

RawHoggin' Brush

To prepare for all the ~~challenges~~ opportunities I was going to have with this shave, I put off shaving for two days. The new Zenith boar brush was relatively soft, but still had scritch and lots of backbone. Honestly, it felt great lathering over two days growth. Tomorrow may be a different story, but the first lather is done. Today's lather was adequate, but far from what I know Tusk can provide. Since I'm still gauging the soap to water ratio needed for this brush, I did end up going back for more soap on the second pass.

MMOC Appreciation

The MMOC was practically buzzing this morning with feedback from the extra growth. The first pass was effortless and offered zero resistance. I probably could have stopped there, but I knew I needed to get at least two passes in. My biggest problem with the MMOC is that I can either have a decent shave or a close shave with irritation and possibly some nicks. I ended up with the latter. I really only have the issues around certain parts of my neck. I think that I will need to really stretch the skin in those areas to get the best outcome, so that's what I'll focus on this week.

Summary

Despite all my troubles with selecting a scent, after using Almond Leather this morning it was clear this was the correct choice for this AA. The orange, almond, and leather notes are blended together so well that this classy scent fits easily with any season or any occasion. I can already see this brush is going to be a wonderful addition once it's fully broken in. My goal for the MMOC is to get consistently near-BBS shaves without any irritation.

Getting Sidetracked

Finally, for the "Let's get sidetracked AA Side-side Challenge," I'd like to call out the song Lucky by Radiohead. I heard this song one night in 1999 while heading back to my dorm room at college, and even though it might seem inconsequential, something about hearing that song at that moment has stuck with me ever since then. #sidetracked (Tagging u/Teufelskraft)

Rating: 3/5

Aug 2, 2022 - AA: MA-RH-MM - Almond Leather - Day 2

• Prep: Warm Water Wash
• Prep: Klar - Activated Charcoal - Face Soap
• Brush: Zenith Cobalt Blue 28mm Boar Knot (505BC SE)
• Razor: GEM Open Comb Micromatic (2nd Gen.)
• Blade: Personna GEM PTFE (2)
• Lather: House of Mammoth - Almond Leather - Soap
• Post Shave: House of Mammoth - Almond Leather - Aftershave

The lathering process went about as expected. I managed to load a little longer this morning, and I had just enough for all three passes. The knot is already showing some signs of break in, so that's encouraging. The scritch was not as welcomed this morning with having just shaved yesterday, but it was not unbearable. I did finally end up modifying the face lathering process this morning, using far less circular scrubbing and more paint strokes to get the lather where I wanted it, especially for subsequent passes. It took a little longer, but the final lather results were better than yesterday.

I angled the MMOC cutting edge slightly steeper, and it helped reduce some of the drag. I took the passes slower with a focus on light pressure and stretching the skin. After three passes, I had a moderately close shave with zero nicks. It was a definite improvement over yesterday, but I could tell there were a few areas where it was still irritated. I didn't realize how extensive the irritation was until after I applied the aftershave. The burn was proof that I'm still a long way from my goal. Luckily it's only the second day.

Tomorrow I'll focus on the movements of the passes (especially around trouble spots), maybe adjust back to a slightly shallower angle, and start setting an expectation that I may have some visible stubble left over afterwards–for now at least. Not shaving as close should help reduce irritation and let my skin recover a little.

#GEMsOfWisdom #RawHoggin #MammothMafia

Rating: 3/5

Aug 3, 2022 - AA: MA-RH-MM - Almond Leather - Day 3

• Prep: Warm Water Wash
• Prep: Klar - Activated Charcoal - Face Soap
• Brush: Zenith Cobalt Blue 28mm Boar Knot (505BC SE)
• Razor: GEM Open Comb Micromatic (2nd Gen.)
• Blade: Personna GEM PTFE (3)
• Lather: House of Mammoth - Almond Leather - Soap
• Post Shave: House of Mammoth - Almond Leather - Aftershave

The brush is starting to splay a little easier and feels a touch softer. It was also shedding more during this shave. Hopefully, it's getting some of the courser hairs out.

I guess since the brush is changing daily, gauging the correct load times and brush wetness is still kind of a moving target. This mornings lather was on the thin side, and I had to visit the tub again for the second pass.

The MMOC will bite you if you're not paying attention. Overall, today's shave went well. I think a little less irritation, but the shave was also not as close. So, when I was quickly trying to perform some clean-up of certain areas, I ended up nicking myself because I wasn't taking in to account the entire cutting edge in relation to the curves on my neck. It was a quick, careless mistake that I'll be more careful with in the future.

#GEMsOfWisdom #RawHoggin #MammothMafia

Rating: 3/5

Aug 4, 2022 - AA: MA-RH-MM - Almond Leather - Day 4

• Prep: Warm Water Wash
• Prep: Klar - Activated Charcoal - Face Soap
• Brush: Zenith Cobalt Blue 28mm Boar Knot (505BC SE)
• Razor: GEM Open Comb Micromatic (2nd Gen.)
• Blade: Personna GEM PTFE (4)
• Lather: House of Mammoth - Almond Leather - Soap
• Post Shave: House of Mammoth - Almond Leather - Aftershave

Great shave this morning!

#RawHoggin
Four days in, the brush feels like something I would use on a regular basis. I'm hoping it will still get softer with more use, but it worked up a really fine lather this morning without feeling too scritchy. I'm still working on loading the correct amount of soap without needing to go back to the tub, but incremental progress is still progress.

#GEMsOfWisdom
The shave with the MMOC just clicked: the angle felt right, the pressure was mostly correct, and the strokes used during each pass are getting more efficient. I would say it was a near BBS shave with some minor irritation around the neck that I've come to expect. However, at least the irritation was not visibly red even though it could still be felt. I'll continue working on the correct pressure in the trouble areas, and try to keep this level of efficiency consistent.

#MammothMafia
Almond Leather is still making these shaves incredibly enjoyable. We'll see if that holds true towards the end of the month.

#sidetracked u/Teufelskraft
The Mountain Goats released the song This Year in 2005, and it has since become a sort of personal anthem for when life starts to get rough. The Mountain Goats have many great songs across an impressive discography, and they put on great live shows with such incredible energy.

An added bonus, the song Love, Love, Love from the same album, The Sunset Tree, is wonderfully haunting.

Rating: 3.5/5

Aug 5, 2022 - AA: MA-RH-MM - Almond Leather - Day 5

• Prep: Warm Water Wash
• Prep: Klar - Activated Charcoal - Face Soap
• Brush: Zenith Cobalt Blue 28mm Boar Knot (505BC SE)
• Razor: GEM Open Comb Micromatic (2nd Gen.)
• Blade: Personna GEM PTFE (5)
• Lather: House of Mammoth - Almond Leather - Soap
• Post Shave: House of Mammoth - Almond Leather - Aftershave

An acceptable shave with very minimal sting from the splash. This may be the sweet spot for right now. I think the blade may also be smoothing out, but I don't know if that's good or bad this early on.

#GEMsOfWisdom #RawHoggin #MammothMafia

Break-in Progress

#sidetracked
Are you driving around the city late at night and need the perfect soundtrack to accompany your drive? Look no further than the album Mezzanine by the trip hop group Massive Attack. Even from the opening track Angel, you know it's going to be an alluring ride.

Rating: 3.5/5

Aug 6, 2022 - AA: MA-RH-MM - Almond Leather - Day 6 (or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Boar)

• Prep: Warm Water Wash
• Prep: Klar - Activated Charcoal - Face Soap
• Brush: Zenith Cobalt Blue 28mm Boar Knot (505BC SE)
• Razor: GEM Open Comb Micromatic (2nd Gen.)
• Blade: Personna GEM PTFE (6)
• Lather: House of Mammoth - Almond Leather - Soap
• Post Shave: House of Mammoth - Almond Leather - Aftershave

Today's shave was close with very minor irritation. It ended with a nick right above the adam's apple—a not-so-gentle reminder to slow down and be a little less careless.

The lather this morning was excellent, even if it took a little longer to get it right. I am really embracing this boar break-in experience.

#GEMsOfWisdom #RawHoggin #MammothMafia

#sidetracked
Would anyone say that Tom Waits has a voice of an angel? Probably not, unless maybe a world weary war angel. His growling, downtrodden voice juxtaposed with the sweet lyrics of Picture in a Frame gives the whole song a different feeling.

Rating: 3.5/5

Aug 7, 2022 - AA: MA-RH-MM - Almond Leather - Day 7

• Prep: Warm Water Wash
• Prep: Klar - Activated Charcoal - Face Soap
• Brush: Zenith Cobalt Blue 28mm Boar Knot (505BC SE)
• Razor: GEM Open Comb Micromatic (2nd Gen.)
• Blade: Personna GEM PTFE (7)
• Lather: House of Mammoth - Almond Leather - Soap
• Post Shave: House of Mammoth - Almond Leather - Aftershave

I got a late start today, and I honestly kind of phoned the shave in. The lather was good, but not excellent. The shave was along the same lines. It was two passes, no cuts or irritation, but there were still some spots that could have been cleaned up better. It was good enough for today.

I'm finding the new angle for the MMOC to be much better than just keeping the cap flat against the skin. Using this angle, I have much better control of the pressure and glide.

I'm a little worried about the blade. It seemed to be tugging a little on the second pass. Hopefully it will hold up.

#GEMsOfWisdom #RawHoggin #MammothMafia

Rating: 3/5

Aug 8, 2022 - AA: MA-RH-MM - Almond Leather - Day 8

• Prep: Warm Water Wash
• Prep: Klar - Activated Charcoal - Face Soap
• Brush: Zenith Cobalt Blue 28mm Boar Knot (505BC SE)
• Razor: GEM Open Comb Micromatic (2nd Gen.)
• Blade: Personna GEM PTFE (8)
• Lather: House of Mammoth - Almond Leather - Soap
• Post Shave: House of Mammoth - Almond Leather - Aftershave

Today's shave did not go as expected. The lather started out well, the first pass seemed good, but during applying the lather for the second pass, I could tell something was wrong. I'm not sure if I was just overconfident during the initial pass, but I could feel my skin was pretty raw upon building up the lather for the second pass. Even though the boar is softer now, it's still not soft enough to prevent additional brush burn.

My concern now is that the blade may also be dulling a lot faster than I would have liked due to poor technique. I had some tugging yesterday and today. I may try palm stropping the blade to see if that helps at all for tomorrow.

#GEMsOfWisdom #RawHoggin #MammothMafia

Brush Break-in Progress

#sidetracked
Tame Impala's It Feels Like We Only Go Backwards came to mind today based on the poor shave.

Rating: 3/5

Aug 9, 2022 - AA: MA-RH-MM - Almond Leather - Day 9

• Prep: Warm Water Wash
• Prep: Klar - Activated Charcoal - Face Soap
• Brush: Zenith Cobalt Blue 28mm Boar Knot (505BC SE)
• Razor: GEM Open Comb Micromatic (2nd Gen.)
• Blade: Personna GEM PTFE (9)
• Lather: House of Mammoth - Almond Leather - Soap
• Post Shave: House of Mammoth - Almond Leather - Aftershave

Last week I was starting to get decent shaves, and this week everything seems to be on the decline. u/brienc23 offered some helpful advice yesterday. When things are not going as expected, it's time to get back to basics.

I really focused on the lather today, slowly adding water, building it up, and getting it to the desired level of slickness and protectiveness. It took much, much longer, but it paid off. Then I focused my attention on the razor: keeping the angle where it's most efficient, using very light pressure, and approaching each pass with the appropriate strokes. I'm still struggling with some tugging from the blade around certain spots.

After two passes, I could tell that was all my skin would allow this morning. It wasn't as irritated as yesterday, so I wasn't going to push it with a third pass or even a clean-up pass. Not a great shave, but it was close enough to look acceptable. I'm hoping that the blade will smooth back out soon.

#GEMsOfWisdom #RawHoggin #MammothMafia

Rating: 3/5

Aug 10, 2022 - AA: MA-RH-MM - Almond Leather - Day 10

• Prep: Warm Water Wash
• Prep: Klar - Activated Charcoal - Face Soap
• Brush: Zenith Cobalt Blue 28mm Boar Knot (505BC SE)
• Razor: GEM Open Comb Micromatic (2nd Gen.)
• Blade: Personna GEM PTFE (10)
• Lather: House of Mammoth - Almond Leather - Soap
• Post Shave: House of Mammoth - Almond Leather - Aftershave

It was a better shave today. The brush is really feeling more comfortable, and it can put together a really great lather when I get all the variables right.

One thing that I noticed this morning is that I seem to have become nose blind to the scent. I didn't realize it the last few shaves, but I haven't really been getting a scent from it. I focused more on it today and the scent is still there, but I'm just not registering it like I used to.

Save for a small weeper on the side of my neck where a little raised bump had formed, the rest of the shave with the MMOC went well. It was close enough after two passes that I didn't push it, and I only had very minor irritation.

#GEMsOfWisdom #RawHoggin #MammothMafia

Rating: 3.5/5

Aug 11, 2022 - AA: MA-RH-MM - Almond Leather - Day 11

• Prep: Warm Water Wash
• Prep: Klar - Activated Charcoal - Face Soap
• Brush: Zenith Cobalt Blue 28mm Boar Knot (505BC SE)
• Razor: GEM Open Comb Micromatic (2nd Gen.)
• Blade: Personna GEM PTFE (11)
• Lather: House of Mammoth - Almond Leather - Soap
• Post Shave: House of Mammoth - Almond Leather - Aftershave
• Fragrance: Tom Ford - Ombré Leather - Eau de Parfum

Still hanging in there with this blade. Hopefully it still has enough life in it to make it to the end of the month because these past few shaves have been neither close nor comfortable.

#GEMsOfWisdom #RawHoggin #MammothMafia

Rating: 2.5/5

Aug 12, 2022 - AA: MA-RH-MM - Almond Leather - Day 12

• Prep: Warm Water Wash
• Prep: Klar - Activated Charcoal - Face Soap
• Brush: Zenith Cobalt Blue 28mm Boar Knot (505BC SE)
• Razor: GEM Open Comb Micromatic (2nd Gen.)
• Blade: Personna GEM PTFE (12)
• Lather: House of Mammoth - Almond Leather - Soap
• Post Shave: House of Mammoth - Almond Leather - Aftershave
• Fragrance: Declaration Grooming/House of Mammoth - Cerberus - Eau de Parfum

A beautiful lather from the boar today. 45 seconds to 1 minute load times have been working well.

If I "ride the cap" on this razor I can at least get through a pass without tugging. Applying some pressure to the top of the cap while the edge maintains a light pressure for the cut is the only way I'm getting by on this blade. It's doesn't seem ideal, but it mostly gets the job done. If I adjust the angle any closer to the edge to get the more efficient cut, I get tugging and irritation, regardless of the pressure I use.

#GEMsOfWisdom #RawHoggin #MammothMafia

Rating: 3/5

Aug 13, 2022 - AA: MA-RH-MM - Almond Leather - Day 13

• Prep: Warm Water Wash
• Prep: Klar - Activated Charcoal - Face Soap
• Brush: Zenith Cobalt Blue 28mm Boar Knot (505BC SE)
• Razor: GEM Open Comb Micromatic (2nd Gen.)
• Blade: Personna GEM PTFE (13)
• Lather: House of Mammoth - Almond Leather - Soap
• Post Shave: House of Mammoth - Almond Leather - Aftershave

Only 18 more days to go. This blade has me a little worried, but we'll see if it smooths out at all. According to my records, 13 uses is the most I've taken any blade before. The last one being a Perma-Sharp.

#GEMsOfWisdom #RawHoggin #MammothMafia

#sidetracked
As far as music videos go, UNKLE (with Thom Yorke) - Rabbit in Your Headlights is an interesting use of the medium to tell a sort of short story through film that would be difficult to do otherwise.

Rating: 3/5

Aug 14, 2022 - AA: MA-RH-MM - Almond Leather - Day 14

• Prep: Warm Water Wash
• Prep: Klar - Activated Charcoal - Face Soap
• Brush: Zenith Cobalt Blue 28mm Boar Knot (505BC SE)
• Razor: GEM Open Comb Micromatic (2nd Gen.)
• Blade: Personna GEM PTFE (14)
• Lather: House of Mammoth - Almond Leather - Soap
• Post Shave: House of Mammoth - Almond Leather - Aftershave

This shave was much better. I think something finally clicked with the MMOC during yesterday's shave, and I carried it over into today's shave. Riding the cap with the right amount of pressure is allowing me to get through passes relatively quickly with no tugging and very little irritation.

Early uses of the blade would not allow me to ride the cap this way because it would bite too quickly. At the time, I had to angle closer to the edge while using very little pressure. Now that the blade is smoothing out, this method seems to work better. I'm still not getting as close a shave as I would like, but that's okay for now.

#GEMsOfWisdom #RawHoggin #MammothMafia

#sidetracked
How Soon is Now? by The Smiths is a song that doesn't fit with the rest of their catalog and yet is instantly recognizable.

Rating: 3.5/5

Aug 15, 2022 - AA: MA-RH-MM - Almond Leather - Day 15

• Prep: Warm Water Wash
• Prep: Klar - Activated Charcoal - Face Soap
• Brush: Zenith Cobalt Blue 28mm Boar Knot (505BC SE)
• Razor: GEM Open Comb Micromatic (2nd Gen.)
• Blade: Personna GEM PTFE (15)
• Lather: House of Mammoth - Almond Leather - Soap
• Post Shave: House of Mammoth - Almond Leather - Aftershave
• Fragrance: House of Mammoth - Tobacconist - Eau de Parfum

It was a better, closer shave today. Got a little too overzealous and had some irritation on the neck, but that's been par for the course this month.

This brush has really won me over. A 45 second load time is consistently yielding really impressive lather for three passes.

Almond Leather is still going strong and the full scent has returned for me after going a little nose blind to it for a while.

#GEMsOfWisdom #RawHoggin #MammothMafia

Rating: 3.5/5

Aug 16, 2022 - AA: MA-RH-MM - Almond Leather - Day 16

• Prep: Warm Water Wash
• Prep: Klar - Activated Charcoal - Face Soap
• Brush: Zenith Cobalt Blue 28mm Boar Knot (505BC SE)
• Razor: GEM Open Comb Micromatic (2nd Gen.)
• Blade: Personna GEM PTFE (16)
• Lather: House of Mammoth - Almond Leather - Soap
• Post Shave: House of Mammoth - Almond Leather - Aftershave
• Fragrance: Barrister and Mann - 42 - Eau de Toilette

This brush has really come into its own. It is producing some crazy good lather. Great shaves with the MMOC are still eluding me, but I think I'm getting closer to finding methods that work.

I started using a buffing technique on some of the trouble spots, to ensure I really dial in the lightest touch. I can't say that I've eliminated the irritation, but it does seem a little better.

#GEMsOfWisdom #RawHoggin #MammothMafia

Rating: 3.5/5

Aug 17, 2022 - AA: MA-RH-MM - Almond Leather - Day 17

• Prep: Warm Water Wash
• Prep: Klar - Activated Charcoal - Face Soap
• Brush: Zenith Cobalt Blue 28mm Boar Knot (505BC SE)
• Razor: GEM Open Comb Micromatic (2nd Gen.)
• Blade: Personna GEM PTFE (17)
• Lather: House of Mammoth - Almond Leather - Soap
• Post Shave: House of Mammoth - Almond Leather - Aftershave

Today's shave went much better. The buffing technique, especially on the third pass, has allowed me to get a much closer shave with almost no irritation. I'm going to keep working on using this technique to get around the tugging and biting I was experiencing before.

#GEMsOfWisdom #RawHoggin #MammothMafia

Rating: 4/5

Aug 18, 2022 - AA: MA-RH-MM - Almond Leather - Day 18

• Prep: Warm Water Wash
• Prep: Klar - Activated Charcoal - Face Soap
• Brush: Zenith Cobalt Blue 28mm Boar Knot (505BC SE)
• Razor: GEM Open Comb Micromatic (2nd Gen.)
• Blade: Personna GEM PTFE (18)
• Lather: House of Mammoth - Almond Leather - Soap
• Post Shave: House of Mammoth - Almond Leather - Aftershave

Excellent lather for two passes from a 15 second load. I probably would have had enough for another pass, but I had lather flying off the brush this morning.

On the second pass I used mostly buffing, XTG and ATG, to get a near BBS finish. No bites from the blade and no sting from the AS.

Not the ideal shave in terms of time, but it produced great results.

#GEMsOfWisdom #RawHoggin #MammothMafia

Rating: 4/5

Aug 19, 2022 - AA: MA-RH-MM - Almond Leather - Day 19

• Prep: Warm Water Wash
• Prep: Klar - Activated Charcoal - Face Soap
• Brush: Zenith Cobalt Blue 28mm Boar Knot (505BC SE)
• Razor: GEM Open Comb Micromatic (2nd Gen.)
• Blade: Personna GEM PTFE (19)
• Lather: House of Mammoth - Almond Leather - Soap
• Post Shave: House of Mammoth - Almond Leather - Aftershave

Great, near-BBS shave today. The blade has smoothed out nicely, yet I still managed to nick myself. The buffing technique has been countering the ATG tugging and irritation I was experiencing. Hopefully, I can keep this going for 12 more days. I've had several new scents arrive, and I've been itching to try them.

#GEMsOfWisdom #RawHoggin #MammothMafia

Rating: 4/5

Aug 20, 2022 - AA: MA-RH-MM - Almond Leather - Day 20

• Prep: Warm Water Wash
• Prep: Klar - Activated Charcoal - Face Soap
• Brush: Zenith Cobalt Blue 28mm Boar Knot (505BC SE)
• Razor: GEM Open Comb Micromatic (2nd Gen.)
• Blade: Personna GEM PTFE (20)
• Lather: House of Mammoth - Almond Leather - Soap
• Post Shave: House of Mammoth - Almond Leather - Aftershave

Quick shave for today, and I almost forgot to post it.

#GEMsOfWisdom #RawHoggin #MammothMafia

Rating: 3.5/5

Aug 21, 2022 - AA: MA-RH-MM - Almond Leather - Day 21

• Prep: Warm Water Wash
• Prep: Klar - Activated Charcoal - Face Soap
• Brush: Zenith Cobalt Blue 28mm Boar Knot (505BC SE)
• Razor: GEM Open Comb Micromatic (2nd Gen.)
• Blade: Personna GEM PTFE (21)
• Lather: House of Mammoth - Almond Leather - Soap
• Post Shave: House of Mammoth - Almond Leather - Aftershave
• Fragrance: Armaf - Tres Nuit - Eau de Toilette

The shave was close and comfortable. The lather could have been better, but it was still slick so no issues.

#GEMsOfWisdom #RawHoggin #MammothMafia

Rating: 4/5

Aug 22, 2022 - AA: MA-RH-MM - Almond Leather - Day 22

• Prep: Warm Water Wash
• Prep: Klar - Activated Charcoal - Face Soap
• Brush: Zenith Cobalt Blue 28mm Boar Knot (505BC SE)
• Razor: GEM Open Comb Micromatic (2nd Gen.)
• Blade: Personna GEM PTFE (22)
• Lather: House of Mammoth - Almond Leather - Soap
• Post Shave: House of Mammoth - Almond Leather - Aftershave
• Fragrance: Southern Witchcrafts - Fougere Nemeta - Eau de Parfum

Today's shave was BBS close and felt great, with the exception of a small cluster of weepers I managed to give myself around an area of my neck. The blade has smoothed out to a point that I wasn't as careful with it, but this was a reminder to stay focused.

#GEMsOfWisdom #RawHoggin #MammothMafia

Rating: 3.5/5

Aug 23, 2022 - AA: MA-RH-MM - Almond Leather - Day 23

• Prep: Warm Water Wash
• Prep: Klar - Activated Charcoal - Face Soap
• Brush: Zenith Cobalt Blue 28mm Boar Knot (505BC SE)
• Razor: GEM Open Comb Micromatic (2nd Gen.)
• Blade: Personna GEM PTFE (23)
• Lather: House of Mammoth - Almond Leather - Soap
• Post Shave: House of Mammoth - Almond Leather - Aftershave

While I had a great shave with no issues, the blade is noticeably rough. Here's hoping it will stand up to another 8 days.

#GEMsOfWisdom #RawHoggin #MammothMafia

Rating: 4/5

Aug 24, 2022 - AA: MA-RH-MM - Almond Leather - Day 24

• Prep: Warm Water Wash
• Prep: Klar - Activated Charcoal - Face Soap
• Brush: Zenith Cobalt Blue 28mm Boar Knot (505BC SE)
• Razor: GEM Open Comb Micromatic (2nd Gen.)
• Blade: Personna GEM PTFE (24)
• Lather: House of Mammoth - Almond Leather - Soap
• Post Shave: House of Mammoth - Almond Leather - Aftershave

Today's shave was excellent. The lather from this brush has far exceeded my expectations. I'm down to about a 30 second load time to get all the lather I need for three passes.

Despite the roughness of the blade, I'm getting the closest shaves I've ever gotten from a SE. The first WTG pass was good enough to call it a day. I kept a slight angle on the edge for the first two passes and rode the cap, with some buffing, for the final ATG pass. No irritation or cuts, so I call today a win.

#GEMsOfWisdom #RawHoggin #MammothMafia

Rating: 4.5/5

Aug 25, 2022 - AA: MA-RH-MM - Almond Leather - Day 25

• Prep: Warm Water Wash
• Prep: Klar - Activated Charcoal - Face Soap
• Brush: Zenith Cobalt Blue 28mm Boar Knot (505BC SE)
• Razor: GEM Open Comb Micromatic (2nd Gen.)
• Blade: Personna GEM PTFE (25)
• Lather: House of Mammoth - Almond Leather - Soap
• Post Shave: House of Mammoth - Almond Leather - Aftershave
• Fragrance: House of Mammoth - Alive - Eau de Parfum

The blade currently feels more like it's scraping hair off than cutting it, but who am I to complain about these results. BBS and no feedback from the AS.

#GEMsOfWisdom #RawHoggin #MammothMafia

Rating: 4.5/5

Aug 26, 2022 - AA: MA-RH-MM - Almond Leather - Day 26

• Prep: Warm Water Wash
• Prep: Klar - Activated Charcoal - Face Soap
• Brush: Zenith Cobalt Blue 28mm Boar Knot (505BC SE)
• Razor: GEM Open Comb Micromatic (2nd Gen.)
• Blade: Personna GEM PTFE (26)
• Lather: House of Mammoth - Almond Leather - Soap
• Post Shave: House of Mammoth - Almond Leather - Aftershave

Another good BBS shave. However, I went a little rogue with the buffing and had some irritation.

While I've grown to truly appreciate this entire setup, I am really, really looking forward to using some different stuff.

#GEMsOfWisdom #RawHoggin #MammothMafia

Rating: 4/5

Aug 27, 2022 - AA: MA-RH-MM - Almond Leather - Day 27

• Prep: Warm Water Wash
• Prep: Klar - Activated Charcoal - Face Soap
• Brush: Zenith Cobalt Blue 28mm Boar Knot (505BC SE)
• Razor: GEM Open Comb Micromatic (2nd Gen.)
• Blade: Personna GEM PTFE (27)
• Lather: House of Mammoth - Almond Leather - Soap
• Post Shave: House of Mammoth - Almond Leather - Aftershave

Instead of measuring load times for the soap, I'm getting to the point where I can tell by the look and texture of the proto-lather whether I'll have enough for the shave. I am still surprised by how soft this knot has become and how well it creates lather. This blade feels extremely rough, but somehow it's still performing at its best, giving efficiently close, albeit uncomfortable, shaves.

#GEMsOfWisdom #RawHoggin #MammothMafia

Rating: 4.5/5

Aug 28, 2022 - AA: MA-RH-MM - Almond Leather - Day 28

• Prep: Warm Water Wash
• Prep: Klar - Activated Charcoal - Face Soap
• Brush: Zenith Cobalt Blue 28mm Boar Knot (505BC SE)
• Razor: GEM Open Comb Micromatic (2nd Gen.)
• Blade: Personna GEM PTFE (28)
• Lather: House of Mammoth - Almond Leather - Soap
• Post Shave: House of Mammoth - Almond Leather - Aftershave

I flipped the blade over, and it didn't feel as rough for the shave today. A two-pass DFS.

#GEMsOfWisdom #RawHoggin #MammothMafia

Rating: 4.5/5

Aug 29, 2022 - AA: MA-RH-MM - Almond Leather - Day 29

• Prep: Warm Water Wash
• Prep: Klar - Activated Charcoal - Face Soap
• Brush: Zenith Cobalt Blue 28mm Boar Knot (505BC SE)
• Razor: GEM Open Comb Micromatic (2nd Gen.)
• Blade: Personna GEM PTFE (29)
• Lather: House of Mammoth - Almond Leather - Soap
• Post Shave: House of Mammoth - Almond Leather - Aftershave
• Fragrance: Southern Witchcrafts - Valley of Ashes - Eau de Parfum

It's hard to believe there are only two days left in AA. Flipping the blade yesterday has made the shaves much more bearable and efficient.

#GEMsOfWisdom #RawHoggin #MammothMafia

Rating: 4.5/5

Aug 30, 2022 - AA: MA-RH-MM - Almond Leather - Day 30

• Prep: Warm Water Wash
• Prep: Klar - Activated Charcoal - Face Soap
• Brush: Zenith Cobalt Blue 28mm Boar Knot (505BC SE)
• Razor: GEM Open Comb Micromatic (2nd Gen.)
• Blade: Personna GEM PTFE (30)
• Lather: House of Mammoth - Almond Leather - Soap
• Post Shave: House of Mammoth - Almond Leather - Aftershave
• Fragrance: Chatillon Lux - Confluence - Eau de Toilette

I'm glad there is only one more day left because this blade is feeling really rough again. It's still performing well, but I'm looking forward to using a fresh blade after tomorrow.

The boar knot just continues to improve. Enough lather for three passes with barely any load time. I'm not measuring it like I used to, but it couldn't have been more than 15 seconds. Two normal passes and a third ATG pass with mostly buffing produced a BBS shave.

This was my first use of the Confluence EdT sample, and while I would normally not be a huge fan of the individual scent notes as they are listed, this scent as a whole it's absolutely spectacular. I'm bummed that I put off trying this scent for so long.

#GEMsOfWisdom #RawHoggin #MammothMafia

Rating: 4.5/5

Aug 31, 2022 - AA: MA-RH-MM - Almond Leather - Day 31

• Prep: Warm Water Wash
• Prep: Klar - Activated Charcoal - Face Soap
• Brush: Zenith Cobalt Blue 28mm Boar Knot (505BC SE)
• Razor: GEM Open Comb Micromatic (2nd Gen.)
• Blade: Personna GEM PTFE (31)
• Lather: House of Mammoth - Almond Leather - Soap
• Post Shave: House of Mammoth - Almond Leather - Aftershave
• Fragrance: Declaration Grooming - Chaotic Neutral - Eau de Parfum

It's the last day of AA! First, I want to say thank you to all the judges who hosted side challenges and side side challenges for AA. It has made a month of monotony bearable, and forced me to really go outside my comfort zone this month.

I've used boars a hand full of times, and this is the first full break-in of a boar knot for me. Admittedly, I didn't understand the appeal of boar knots until this month, and now I truly appreciate their unique feel.

The same is true with the MMOC, which I've used a few times with varied success, but this month has allowed me to take a razor that I was intimidated by and really get to know how capable it can be with the right techniques. It will be interesting to see the new techniques used with a fresh blade.

I honestly didn't think I'd make it past 12 shaves with one blade, but I did it and it has really paid off. It was around shave 17 that the blade finally leveled off for me.

Using Tusk has made lathering all month a breeze, except for the first week when the brush was still changing constantly. That said, I've come to really be able to dial in the base to get some beautiful lather.

I was concerned before I started that I'd begin to hate whichever scent I used, but I think the complete opposite happened with Almond Leather. Even though I had a stint mid-month where I went nose blind to the scent, I've gone from really liking this scent to loving the simplicity and nuance of this elegant scent.

My goal at the beginning of the month was to end with consistently close shaves and no irritation. For the most part, I came very close to that goal. I can get good shaves with zero irritation, or great shaves with occasionally minor irritation. Now that I'm comfortable with the MMOC, I can continue honing my technique over time.

#GEMsOfWisdom, thanks to u/EldrormR and u/Semaj3000
#RawHoggin, thanks to u/EldrormR
#MammothMafia, thanks to u/JoboozeRum #sidetracked, thanks to u/Teufelskraft

I'd finally like to thank u/djundjila for setting up the djudge portal, making all the challenges possible.

Rating: 4/5