u/Teufelskraft's SOTDs for challenge 'SubstantialStag 2022'

Austere August D6: Bloody Saturday Night Stag

• Prep: cold water
• Brush: Tadé NOS vintage boar 22 mm
• Razor: KAI Captain Standard CAP-J7 kamisori shavette
• Blade: Feather Professional AC
• Lather: Chiseled Face - Midnight Stag - shaving soap
• Post-Shave: Chiseled Face - Midnight Stag - Aftershave
• additional care: Osma alum; Chiseled Face - Midnight Stag - ASB
• Fragrance: Southern Witchcrafts - Valley of Ashes - EDP

A rushed shave yet again, worst of all I almost forgot to post it here due to having a little text messenger conversation with two of my colleagues. I informed EldrormR, but forgot to tell u/Marquis90 and u/SirKravsALot that I'll post late AF. Nevertheless, AA tags: #SubstantialStag #RawHoggin

So why the rush yesterday and today? Me and my favourite young colleague talked to one of the higher-ups yesterday. Lo and behold, our arguments and rhetoric skills got us what we wanted - we'll both change wards in September! To top a great day off, Bayern Munich won their debut game against Frankfurt with a dominant 6:1. I partied a bit on my own, consuming a few shots... Perhaps a few too many. No hangover today, but a bit of sleepiness.

Weekends are usually crammed with (grocery) shopping trips, visiting my parents, walking the dogs. Normally, I'd just not shave today but it's AA and I'm too loyal to the Stag.

Unfortunately, here comes my bad decision: taking the guarded KAI out to experience an AC blade without training wheels: Feather Professional. Black box, rumoured to be one of the more aggressive AC blades. To my surprise, the shave was extremely pleasant at first. I was even feeling like I got a bit more proficient with the shavette, so I went a little bit faster. Too fast on the jawline. It bit me right there: small cut right above the right jaw. After applying a good amount of alum and witch hazel, I did a very careful second pass followed by a full alum block rub (ouch), then the splash (slightly less ouch) and finally the balm (ah, sweet relief). So yeah, lesson learned: don't get too cocky with open blades.

Edit: like a dork, I forgot my Post Shave boar brush picture again... complete with my glasses.

Song of today is EyeHateGod - Sabbath Jam . I was talking to a sidetracked challenge participant about doom metal and that I don't like it as much as I used to... But then, I remembered Sludge. What is Sludge? It's kinda like taking old school doom metal and mixing it with vile Hardcore Punk and elements of other extreme metal styles. EHG is one of the rougher acts: provocative band name, aggressive screamed vocals, lots of guitar feedback, distortion and crushing riffs. This is actually a tribute song to Black Sabbath - quite fitting, considering I wanted to originally share something from Black Sabbath or Saint Vitus! I think I'll go with something more relaxed and electronic tomorrow.

Austere August D1: Boars, horses and stags

• Prep: cold water
• Brush: Tadé NOS vintage boar, 22 mm knot
• Razor: KAI Captain Standard CAP-J7 kamisori shavette
• Blade: KAI Captain Titan Mild Protouch MG
• Lather: Chiseled Face - Midnight Stag - shaving soap
• Post-Shave: Chiseled Face - Midnight Stag - Aftershave
• additional care: Chiseled Face - Midnight Stag - ASB
• Fragrance: Southern Witchcrafts - Valley of Ashes - EDP

And so it begins, my friends. Austere August is upon us!

Challenge tags: * HeadlessHorsemen for Horseman Captain and Commander u/Marquis90
* #RawHoggin for u/EldrormR, plus album link for unboxing my NOS Tadé boar, measuring it up and after first shave pic * #SubstantialStag for SirKravsALot (hope he'll allow us europeasants without the Stag EdP, I want some donations to wildlife funds in my name!)

The Tadé feels like you're wielding a door knob, it is fitted with a small knot (22 mm at best) with a normal/medium loft and already had a very sour and spicy vintage smell to it when I unboxed it. After soaking it for five minutes, only a bit of boar funk came out. This could be gross if my soap of choice wasn't the mighty Stag.

It totally covers up any boar smell, or any other scent for that matter. The soap lathered up great and I quickly got a very shiny, slick lather on my face. The KAI shavette was very mild today, I hope I'll become more proficient with using it after this month. Already switched hands a bit more than usual, except for the moustache - I still don't trust my left hand when it comes to contours.

Two pass face shave, DFS. Some weepers and minor irritation due to being a bit hurried.

Sidetracked

I'll give y'all an example for my #sidetracked challenge.
Here's my song of choice: Motörhead - I am the Sword. This song fits both my SOTD picture with the giant Snaggletooth flag as a background, as well as the challenges I've chosen to participate in. If Stag doesn't make you think of Rock'n'Roll, there's something wrong with you! Plus, Snaggletooth is a war pig - what better fit for Raw Hoggin' it?! Finally, the Headless Horsemen wield swords. Did I feel like a badass Hessian swordsman today with my kamisori shavette? Hell yeah!

So yeah, I wish you all good fun and great shaves during this month. Death or Glory!

Austere August D2: Keep on Hoggin' the Stag

• Prep: Alterra cleaning foam, cold water
• Brush: Tadé NOS vintage boar 22 mm
• Razor: KAI Captain Standard CAP-J7 kamisori shavette
• Blade: KAI Captain Titan Mild Protouch MG
• Lather: Chiseled Face - Midnight Stag - shaving soap
• Post-Shave: Chiseled Face - Midnight Stag - Aftershave
• additional care: Osma alum block; Chiseled Face - Midnight Stag - ASB
• Fragrance: Southern Witchcrafts - Valley of Ashes - EDP

AA tags: #SubstantialStag #RawHoggin

Second day of AA and unfortunately a bit more blood lost: had a good amount of weepers on my neck and jawline after the second pass, ATG. Might be needed to just do two WTG passes tomorrow. No one said it'd be easy, but this shavette is comfortable with the guarded AC blades. I'm curious how Feather Proguard would fare with it however, so I'll order some tonight.

As per Raw Hoggin' rules, here is the Tadé before today's shave and here after scrubbing my face with Stag. I feel like it's already fluffing up a tiny bit, but I still mostly have to use paintbrush motions for face lathering. Splaying forcefully hurts. The doorknob handle is surprisingly great to hold.

Today I want to tell you all why I decided against my original plan to use an MMOC/OCMM for the whole month and went with the Headless Horsemen Challenge instead: And no, it's not just that my buddy u/Marquis90 hosts it this year. In fact, the KAI shavette was a piece of retail therapy for me. I got it pretty soon after the breakup with my ex-girlfriend who I still see every day due to working at the same place.

Well, some people say that every breakup holds the possibility to focus more on yourself, to appreciate you for what you are and to pamper yourself a bit. I was always curious about AC shavettes, and when this one was on discount for only 99€, I just had to get it. Pretty soon I also added a RazoRock Hawk V2, so I also had a safety razor that takes said AC blades. I fully admit, I used the Hawk much more than the Captain. I'm just used to safety razors more. But I see this August as a great opportunity to learn and focus on the most important things in life. The CAP-J7 is a wonderful razor, I just need to get my technique right in order to obtain awesome shaves. And this is what AA is perfect for: I love my MMOC and find the use of Single Edge GEM razors pretty intuitive. There'd be little challenge to use it everyday (except the awful nightmare mode for blades, that's just not my thing). But this tool? It is a challenge, even with guarded blades. But I'm eager to learn something new!

That being said, the #sidetracked-song I want to share with y'all today is Melvins - Honey Bucket. Heavy riffing, aggressive vocals, perfect for getting stuff done. Would make a great entrance song for a fighter. I really appreciate each and everyone who participates in my challenge and shares a song. Thanks for the great variety, folks!

Edited: formatting/tag issues.

Austere August D3: Stag on Deck

• Prep: Alterra cleaning foam, cold water
• Brush: Tadé NOS vintage boar 22 mm
• Razor: KAI Captain Standard CAP-J7 kamisori shavette
• Blade: KAI Captain Titan Mild Protouch MG
• Lather: Chiseled Face - Midnight Stag - shaving soap
• Post-Shave: Chiseled Face - Midnight Stag - Aftershave
• additional care: Osma alum block; Chiseled Face - Midnight Stag - ASB
• Fragrance: Southern Witchcrafts - Valley of Ashes - EDP

AA tags: #SubstantialStag #RawHoggin

Fresh Protouch MG in the KAI today and just two WTG passes. Almost blood free, if I hadn't tried to go XTG near the soul patch... There must be some tiny, unnoticeable skin bumps there and it was good for a big weeper. That thing was oozing, so I had to get the alum again.

Otherwise, comfortable shave. My left hand is getting good enough at the flat cheek but still has trouble on my neck. I'll get 28 days of more practice, so no complaints. My Tadé is splitting a bit more every day , which is really interesting to behold and feel. I should have a dedicated, fluffy Stag boar by September.

3 sprays of VoA EDP by accident today. This is potent, my colleagues will probably hate me. But who cares?

Austere August D4: all stagged up plus headshave gear

• Prep: Alterra cleaning foam, cold water
• Brush: Tadé NOS vintage boar 22 mm
• Razor: KAI Captain Standard CAP-J7 kamisori shavette
• Blade: KAI Captain Titan Mild Protouch MG
• Lather: Chiseled Face - Midnight Stag - shaving soap
• Post-Shave: Chiseled Face - Midnight Stag - Aftershave
• additional care: Chiseled Face - Midnight Stag - ASB
• Fragrance: Southern Witchcrafts - Valley of Ashes - EDP

AA tags: #SubstantialStag #RawHoggin

Day 4. Still going strong on the Stag. On today's SOTD photo, you'll also see my head shaving gear for AA: Kent Infinity Silvertex brush and MMOC. I think it'd be against the rules of Raw Hoggin' to use the same brush on my head because then it would break in faster, and I won't mind the tiny Kent smelling of Stag - to keep with the true Austerity theme, I'll only use Stag this month.

Supposedly it's the hottest day of the week today, topping out somewhere between 37° to 40°C in my region of Germany. One of my favourite colleagues has called in sick due to mental stress. I myself will see if I can force my change of departments (or wards, in this case) so it'll still happen this month. Work is a shit show atm, tons of internal conflicts and stress. Nevertheless, I soldier on - the glorious Stag giving me the strength and fortitude I need!

While the headshave was only a quick one pass WTG affair, I took two passes plus clean-up on my face with the Captain. I found that for shaving my neck, holding it at the end of the handle like a pencil for shadowing works great. This way, I don't exert too much pressure. CFG base treats me really well so far, could be one of my favourites - fast to lather, slick, good enough skincare.

For today, my song choice is Kerosene by Big Black. I read their genre could be classified as "Noise Rock" and that's kinda awesome sounding. Also a perfect fit for times when you're on your own and simply want to tear down the whole place because you're so fed up with everyone and everything. Sigh. I hope better times are coming soon for me. I still like to read all your sidetracked challenge posts, even if I can't listen to all songs in full length or comment on them. But you folks are doing great, I really enjoy this!

Edit: forgot to post a pic of the Tadé boar after today's use!

Austere August D5: Rushed Stag

• Prep: cold water
• Brush: Tadé NOS vintage boar 22 mm
• Razor: KAI Captain Standard CAP-J7 kamisori shavette
• Blade: KAI Captain Titan Mild Protouch MG
• Lather: Chiseled Face - Midnight Stag - shaving soap
• Post-Shave: Chiseled Face - Midnight Stag - Aftershave
• additional care: Osma alum block; Chiseled Face - Midnight Stag - ASB
• Fragrance: Southern Witchcrafts - Valley of Ashes - EDP

AA tags: #SubstantialStag #RawHoggin

Rushed shave today, had already put the brush in my soaking mug before remembering I had to take a SOTD photo. Here's one of the brush after it was used today. It's splitting more and finally starts to get comfortable. However, Stag mixed with pig stink is a quite interesting combo...

Due to the rushed shave, I caught some weepers and minor irritation on my neck. But, as a future Stagolyte and Headless Horseman, I consider this to be my rites of passage.

Happy Friday to you all, unfortunately no time to share a song today. See ya!

Austere August D7: Actual Midnight Stag since Dave built a fan

• Prep: cold water splash
• Brush: Tadé NOS vintage boar 22 mm
• Razor: Kai Captain Standard CAP-J7 kamisori shavette
• Blade: Kai Captain Titan Mild Protouch MG
• Lather: Chiseled Face - Midnight Stag - shaving soap
• Post-Shave: Chiseled Face - Midnight Stag - Aftershave
• additional care: Osma alum; Chiseled Face - Midnight Stag - ASB
• Fragrance: Southern Witchcrafts - Valley of Ashes - EDP

It's actually a few minutes past midnight as I'm writing this. I'm more into Austere August as a personal challenge, so I'm ok with not winning any brush, gift card or what have you. I have too much shaving soft- and hardware anyway and need my money for a big green hulk boar soon. Nevertheless, AA tags: #SubstantialStag #RawHoggin

Reason why I'm so late? I got up freaking late due to staying up until 3 AM. Then I had a pretty busy day at my parents' place (did some creative crafting project in honour of Midnight Stag with my mother - stay tuned, this will be featured here soon and it's glorious!) and as I came home, I thought it'd be good to assemble my new trash can as well as the new tabletop fan. The trash can was done in a matter of seconds: put this thing into that, click. Put that unto this, click, you're done. Simple shit. But then came the fan.

I don't know who thought it was a good idea to construct a fan in a way that the assembly needs two tiny screws. Huge hands for tiny screws are a big source of frustration, I can tell ya! I actually lost count how many times the tiny screw or the nut fell down on my carpet and I had to frantically search for them. It was like one of those hidden camera gags and by the time I was almost done, there was a boiling rage inside me, ready to cause structural damage to the cursed fan. However, somehow I managed to finally get everything into one piece and now the fan is running. It's a nice source of cool air so far (ACs aren't common in Germany).

The shave was uneventful with my training wheels Protouch MG again - two WTG passes, had to be a bit careful around yesterday's cut, but it's already beginning to heal.

My Tadé boar is still NOS in terms of the acronym standing for Now Only Stag. It is splitting nicely and splaying it doesn't hurt that much anymore.

Today I also got my first stank reaction out of someone: unfortunately, my poor mom who went for a hug. Now, despite not shaving until late at night, I already put a spray of VoA on my lower sternum. That's right were my mother's face meets me in a hug. I told her about AA and what I'll be using, but she didn't expect it to be so strong - it's rare that a smell actually makes her cough, but VoA achieved just that. "David, please tell me there's at least some kind of prize in it for you if you complete this" was one of the funniest reactions I got so far. Unfortunately, I couldn't bring myself to tell her that there weren't any prizes for me.

Sidetracked
I promised something relaxing and electronic, so here comes a synthwave gem in the form of HOME - Head First! The only real way to dive into anything that fascinates you on a deep level. There are no lyrics - synthwave is largely instrumental. I like the lead melody here, also this is way faster and more energy driven than the most popular song of HOME, Resonance. To me, I prefer this here. Perfect for nighttime cruising or, in my case, nighttime shaving.

Austere August D9: StagStacked

• Prep: Klar activated charcoal soap, cold water
• Brush: Tadé NOS vintage boar 22 mm
• Razor: Kai Captain Standard CAP-J7 kamisori shavette
• Blade: Kai Captain Titan Mild Protouch MG
• Lather: Chiseled Face - Midnight Stag - shaving soap
• Post-Shave: Chiseled Face - Midnight Stag - Aftershave
• additional care: Chiseled Face - Midnight Stag - ASB
• Fragrance: Southern Witchcrafts - Valley of Ashes - EDP

Didn't have time for a photo yesterday, so I wanted to redeem myself with a Stag-Stack today. I was quite happy with my composition. AA tags: #SubstantialStag #RawHoggin

Day 9 of the Tadé boar brush and it's really getting better every use now. When dry, the feel is not yet comparable to my Zenith New Titanio (my most broken in boar), but it is already more comfortable than other boars I have. There are still some bristles being shed, but it's no big deal. Somehow, it's easier to use this exclusively so far than I'd have imagined. I guess I have too many synthetic brushes and will need to do some den thinning soon...

Stag and VoA is a great combo. There, I said it - I'm happier that I have chosen the powerful guidance of the mighty Stag than using one of my Mammoth soaps or even no scents at all! I'm feeling bold and confident and don't give a damn if someone likes my scent or not. There's something great about changing back into my daywear shirt after my shift and being embraced by the warm notes of those two ultra-raw scents. Plus, I am now slowly becoming a pro at lathering CFG soaps. Despite the low price, this base is damn good!

Sidetracked
Today I want to share something with you folks that should please synthfans, metalheads and retro-nerds alike: I hope y'all remember DOOM. Yes, the video game. A brutal ego-shooter were you're facing off against the spawn of hell, summoned on Mars. You're a badass space marine with a huge arsenal of weapons - including one who's acronym is seriously Big F##king Gun 9000... I love the retro soundtrack, even though Mick Gordon has done something great for the new games. Without further ado, here's Master Boot Record - DOOM. This synth project has covered tons of video game themes - the one for Castlevania and Megaman are worth a listen too! But this one for the first two DOOM games uses a lot of SFX from the game. I love the usage of the chainsaw as a guitar riff, or the chain gun sounds as drums. Simply great. MBR just delivers a great retro feel.

Austere August D10: it is Wednesday, my Stags...

• Prep: cold water splash
• Brush: Tadé NOS vintage boar 22 mm
• Razor: Kai Captain Standard CAP-J7 kamisori shavette
• Blade: Kai Captain Titan Mild Protouch MG
• Lather: Chiseled Face - Midnight Stag - shaving soap
• Post-Shave: Chiseled Face - Midnight Stag - Aftershave
• additional care: Osma alum block; Chiseled Face - Midnight Stag - ASB
• Fragrance: Southern Witchcrafts - Valley of Ashes - EDP

Almost forgot to post. Bloody hell!
AA tags: #SubstantialStag #RawHoggin

Today was only my second head shave of August too - electric trimmer in the shower before, later it was the tiny Kent brush and an MMOC. Feels great to be all shiny up top again! But this is about my face shave, so:

The tenth day with Tadé was actually getting pleasant. I have the great feeling that this brush could be a real awesome boar by the end of the month. It's really nice to hold, tub loading with it is second nature and it begins to look better everyday. Here's a closeup of the bristles! - It's looking more fluffy now after ten days of continuous use and I'll be curious how it'll feel on my head come September.

Still needed alum, but just because I was overzealous with trying to get a close shave. I am however getting more comfortable with the Captain; after 21 more shaves, I hope that I finally have mastered using my left hand more.

Sidetracked
For today, I'll go with a Eurodance song by one of my 90s idols: Scatman John - (I'm a) Scatman! Perhaps this sticks out from my usual metal/rock/synthwave and ambient tracks, but this is literally my childhood. However, I learnt to appreciate the song on a deeper level once I grew older. During my childhood, it was a usual Party anthem due to the energetic beat and funny sounding vocals. But the message of the song is very serious: Scatman John stutters, but he's using his singing technique to his advantage and even encourages others: "if a Scatman can do it, so can you!" - having a father who stutters heavily and me myself being prone to it under extreme stress, this is great to hear. I kinda wish I already understood english better when I was just 10 years old instead of having to wait ten more years to finally get the message of that song. It's pure motivation. Don't let small imperfections stop you; you can be so much more. John was a great fellow and together with Tom Selleck (and a few others) a good reason why I'm so fond of moustaches. RIP Scatman John - I still love to listen to this song as it still speaks to me. The beat is happy and upbeat, but the serious message is finally getting through. Thanks for listening to my TED talk.

Austere August D11: late shave after a stressful day

• Prep: cold water splash
• Brush: Tadé NOS vintage boar 22 mm
• Razor: Kai Captain Standard CAP-J7 kamisori shavette
• Blade: Kai Captain Titan Mild Protouch MG
• Lather: Chiseled Face - Midnight Stag - shaving soap
• Post-Shave: Chiseled Face - Midnight Stag - Aftershave
• additional care: Chiseled Face - Midnight Stag - ASB
• Fragrance: Southern Witchcrafts - Valley of Ashes - EDP

While the last few shaves were only posted late, this one today was actually a SOTN. Had a very stressful day and just needed to relax a bit with my shave...

On a positive note, it was mostly positive stress. Got my plan for nursing school and aw... I'll only see my new ward in October. All of September is filled with school. Nevertheless, progress is progress! I also got my new smart watch and smart scale yesterday and set up the watch today - it's actually more comfortable than I'd have thought and I'll even try sleeping while wearing it.

Two pass WTG shave. Nothing fancy, just a comfortable shave without going for ultra close and smooth results.

The Tadé boar on day eleven felt pretty soft this time around and it's now like a good companion. I'll have fun using it for the whole remaining month. Granted, it'll forever be baptized in Stag - but isn't that awesome in its own regard? Speaking of Stag: the scent is like an old friend now too. Hello Stagness my ol' friend, I've come to shave with you again... Or something along those lines.

Sidetracked
Today's track is quite interesting. I'm not big on watching Tv series, or streaming for that matter. I'm one of the few people below 40 without a Netflix subscription. But I often enjoy watching little snippets of scenes. One series I probably should watch is Invincible - not only for the memes it has spawned or the over the top violence and gore, or the fact that it's adult animation that finally isn't comedy. No, it also seems to have great sound design and soundtracks. Case in point: when Omni Man, one of the main characters, follows invading aliens back to their planet just to annihilate them all - they play the song Tom Tom by Holy Fuck. It takes big balls to call your band Holy Fuck as radio stations will flat out refuse to play your material. Marketing is probably also problematic. But the tension, the precision and underlying rage is just such a perfect fit with this scene. I was seriously happy when I finally found out how the song is called! As a bonus, here is said scene (NSFW) - such a perfect fit when you're feeling like you're fed up with someone's crap and just want to destroy everything that's against you.

Edit: forgot the AA tags: #SubstantialStag #RawHoggin

AA D12: Two Minutes to Midnight Stag SOTN

• Prep: cold water splash
• Brush: Tadé NOS vintage boar 22 mm
• Razor: Kai Captain Standard CAP-J7 kamisori shavette
• Blade: Kai Captain Titan Mild Protouch MG
• Lather: Chiseled Face - Midnight Stag - shaving soap
• Post-Shave: Chiseled Face - Midnight Stag - Aftershave
• additional care: Osma alum; Chiseled Face - Midnight Stag - ASB
• Fragrance: Southern Witchcrafts - Valley of Ashes - EDP

AA tags: #SubstantialStag #RawHoggin

This shave was actually started two minutes before midnight. I felt pretty beat up after yet another stressful day, but I don't want to quit AA. I don't want to disappoint my fellow horsemen nor Stagolytes and neither u/EldrormR who said he enjoyed reading and seeing my NOS vintage boar break-in. Cheers to all of you - I won't break down!!!

Quick and easy two pass WTG shave. Just nice and easy to wind down and relax. Since my SOTN picture contains all items after they've been used (so a wet brush), here's a close-up of the dry brush! You see that? Nicely splitting hairs, the knot slowly fluffing up even more. It's still loosing bristles, but not too many at once. I think I had about 3 today.

Sidetracked
Now, a lot of stress lately is of a more positive nature due to my retraining starting soon. I want to share a song that really helps me to embrace something new; be it single life after a breakup, be it a change of jobs or departments/wards or simply a new step in my life: KANO - Another Life . Italo Disco, so a fancy dolce vita version of synthpop. Many of you might remember the very bright music video. I love how the singer puts so much energy in his performance though - something sung with passion is just so great. Tomorrow, I will tell you more, uncover my new Stag shrine and do a celebratory shave with my Stag setup. Stay tuned!

AA D13: Celebratory Stag

• Prep: cold water splash
• Brush: Tadé NOS vintage boar 22 mm
• Razor: KAI Captain Standard CAP-J7 kamisori shavette
• Blade: KAI Captain Titan Mild Protouch MG
• Lather: Chiseled Face - Midnight Stag - shaving soap
• Post-Shave: Chiseled Face - Midnight Stag - Aftershave
• additional care: Chiseled Face - Midnight Stag - ASB
• Fragrance: Southern Witchcrafts - Valley of Ashes - EDP

AA tags: #SubstantialStag #RawHoggin

Another late shave - had a little celebration with my parents at their place. Still wanted to do my Celebration Stag SOTN today! Behold the awesome mini-shrine for Midnight Stag: I actually did this mostly myself, but with the help of my mother and her art and crafts supplies. I can't compete with the mirror polished poster shrine of CosmoBarber, but this is good enough for my small apartment!

What is there to celebrate? As I'll start my retraining in September, I signed the apprenticeship contract yesterday. I actually expected a small cut in pay compared to my current OT salary - but nope, I'll get the same amount as now, € for €! I'm so grateful for this awesome opportunity to finally become a nursing specialist at no additional expense. Now I'm really motivated to give it my all and do as best as I can!

Two pass shave, mostly WTG and some XTG. The Tadé has now 13 uses under its belt and starts to behave great. I got my best Midnight Stag lather today so far, the scratchiness is now almost gone and splaying got easier. A few tiny blood spots as I was a bit tipsy during the shave, but nothing can stop me this August! Stag aftershave closed them up good.

Sidetracked
Today's song is So Electric by Lifelike. Another nice synthwave song, actually one of the first songs from that genre I heard back when I discovered it... That's why it's also always associated with positive memories for me. The other thing is that it's quite fitting for my current feeling: I feel energized, want to give my best. Also, the sample "That's the way we spell success!" from a Pat Benatar song couldn't be better for me ATM. I've had to overcome a few obstacles and still need to get a lot of things done and jump over some hurdles in my way, but now I am in the driver seat. The road is mapped out. I just need to stick to my plan and it will be a road to success. Sorry if this got a bit too personal and kitschy, but I love reading some of your more intimate sidetracked-stories and was motivated to share one of my own.

AA D14: Second Sunday Stag Stress

• Prep: cold water
• Brush: Tadé NOS vintage boar 22 mm
• Razor: KAI Captain Standard CAP-J7 kamisori shavette
• Blade: KAI Captain Titan Mild Protouch MG
• Lather: Chiseled Face - Midnight Stag - shaving soap
• Post-Shave: Chiseled Face - Midnight Stag - Aftershave
• additional care: Chiseled Face - Midnight Stag - ASB
• Fragrance: Southern Witchcrafts - Valley of Ashes - EDP

Quickest shavette shave of my life. Two passes WTG with some XTG sprinkled in. I love how I'm getting really comfortable with the shavette to shape up my moustache. Definitely one of the greatest tools for that!

Since my SOTD photo misses the already soaking brush, I took a few additional brush pictures:
dry boar from the front
dry from above
wet brush close-up
It has definitely lost the remaining boar stink but is firmly coated in Midnight Stag. But it is reaching good territory. Let's use the remaining days of August to get it to awesome. Also, are gel-tipped boars a thing? The last picture of my wet brush makes me inclined to say that it looks similar.

Sidetracked
New Oder - Love Vigilantes
I feel like this song has lost a lot of the late Joy Division/early New Order roughness, but that makes it better for a relaxed listen. The subject matter is still dark - Vietnam War, an ambiguous story if the storyteller is actually still alive and it was just a mistake or if he's a ghost. But it sounds way too happy for that. Nevertheless, New Order are great musicians and their instrumental prowess shows here again. The guitar solo close to the end is simply great.

Edit: like a absolute idiot, I forgot the AA tags: #SubstantialStag #RawHoggin despite saying that I'll always remember them. How can I be so damn stupid?!

AA D15: Halfway there, or Midway Stag

• Prep: cold water
• Brush: Tadé NOS vintage boar 22 mm
• Razor: KAI Captain Standard CAP-J7 kamisori shavette
• Blade: KAI Captain Titan Mild Protouch MG
• Lather: Chiseled Face - Midnight Stag - shaving soap
• Post-Shave: Chiseled Face - Midnight Stag - Aftershave
• additional care: Chiseled Face - Midnight Stag - ASB
• Fragrance: Southern Witchcrafts - Valley of Ashes - EDP

AA tags: #SubstantialStag #RawHoggin

Anyone else getting some different notes from their AA setup from time to time? Today, I got very sweet notes: more of bourbon in Midnight Stag and more bergamot in VoA. Could be my nose being weird, or it's just a quirk of using this for 15 days straight now...

Anyway, relaxing Monday SOTN. Two passes, now with more XTG on the cheeks. I'm getting confident with the Captain, even with a fresh Protouch MG. I've discovered that if I hold it like a Eagle Claw grip sometimes, it gives me great results.

Here's my wet boar after 15 days. It became a really nice brush so far. Lathering with it is a breeze now and that shows the good quality. I'm happy that I've chosen it for this journey: it's odd, but lovable. How can one not like vintage stuff?!

Sidetracked
Going for something different from metal or synthwave again, today my choice of song is Bloodhound Gang - Fire Water Burn, NSFW . BHG became really popular over here in Germany, due to not many people understanding the lyrics and just enjoying the good tunes. I suppose they didn't get much airplay in GB or the US. Nevertheless, they are a band I enjoy since my early teens and even until today I love their lyrics. They don't take themselves too seriously while still making good music. Fire, Water, Burn is also a good farewell song for my old ward. I'm officially out of fucks to give what happens there after the last day of August. I'll do my work as best as I can while I'm still there, but one can only spend so much energy on things that won't change for the better. So, in the immortal words of BHG: "Burn MFer, burn!"

AA D16: for the Stag, it was just another Tuesday.

• Prep: cold water
• Brush: Tadé NOS vintage boar 22 mm
• Razor: KAI Captain Standard CAP-J7 kamisori shavette
• Blade: KAI Captain Titan Mild Protouch MG
• Lather: Chiseled Face - Midnight Stag - shaving soap
• Post-Shave: Chiseled Face - Midnight Stag - Aftershave
• additional care: Chiseled Face - Midnight Stag - ASB
• Fragrance: Southern Witchcrafts - Valley of Ashes - EDP

AA tags: #SubstantialStag #RawHoggin

Yet another lame two pass night shave, you might think. What can I say? Life's very busy ATM but I'm still committed to my Stag setup 100%. I already did my MMOC headshave earlier today because my dad picked me up for work - my car is at the workshop currently, the brakes on the right side have deteriorated massively to the point that continued driving would be unsafe. 600€ of repairs according to my mechanic, but at least I can fetch it tomorrow already. Also need to visit my future nursing school for giving them a few important documents.

While others would put on a fancy cologne for such an occasion, I plan to use 3 sprays of my VoA EDP just to assert dominance. I really love the scent of Stag and VoA combined - gives me a much needed confidence boost every day!

The Tadé continues to be going well. Today I really took an effort to splay it more while face lathering - btw, to all those who say face lathering sucks because it's so unreliable and hurts your poor little skin: suck it up, buttercup. While others have ultra precision loading, GUTL, SCUTTLE or TRUTL, my method is simply FTSAJPIOYF for: Fuck that shit and just put it on your face! Bonus boar pics: side profile ; top gel tipped boar hair.

Sidetracked
Rhino Bucket - Going down tonight

This is music very fitting for my daily scent as well as my current car situation: Rhino Bucket play straightforward classic hard rock, the kind of rock that's blasted loudly in a gritty mechanic's garage with titty calendars decorating every single wall. They're a bit akin to more popular bands like AC/DC, but still original enough for me. Found this song on a sampler CD that came with a Classic Rock magazine and it's one of those random discoveries I really treasure. Much like every ping I get for my sidetracked challenge: you folks are awesome and I feel very proud that you seem to enjoy this little addition to break up the Austere August monotony!

AA D17: Wednesday Late Night Stag

• Prep: cold water
• Brush: Tadé NOS vintage boar 22 mm
• Razor: KAI Captain Standard CAP-J7 kamisori shavette
• Blade: KAI Captain Titan Mild Protouch MG
• Lather: Chiseled Face - Midnight Stag - shaving soap
• Post-Shave: Chiseled Face - Midnight Stag - Aftershave
• additional care: Chiseled Face -Midnight Stag - ASB
• Fragrance: Southern Witchcrafts - Valley of Ashes - EDP

After picking up my repaired car, went to my future nursing school today doused in VoA. I didn't need to assert dominance there though - they were really kind and welcoming, despite me smelling like a road worker. Much things have changed for the better there since my OT apprenticeship. I think I'll enjoy studying there.

Another two pass shave at night. This time, more confidence with the shavette and again a really great lather from the mighty Stag. The brush might be the best thing after August is wrapped up: it continues to amaze me with its nice performance. Here's another side profile and yet another wet top shot. If I actually remember, I will post some pics of the dry brush tomorrow - it's looking nice and fluffy by now 😌

Sidetracked
I have my car back, so the logical consequence for today's soundtrack is Lazerhawk - Pedal to the Metal. Lazerhawk was one of the first synthwave artists I ever heard and immediately made me like the genre. High BPM energetic tracks that are perfect for long drives, cleaning the house or short workouts. Pedal to the Metal is pretty sparse when it comes to the lyrics, but the melodies are simply great - especially the lead synth starting around 3:25. With such songs I feel like I'm on the road to success and just hit top speed!

EDIT: yet again I forgot the AA tags: #SubstantialStag #RawHoggin
God damnit...

AA D18: Busy AF day with actual Midnight Stag again

• Prep: cold water on face and brush
• Brush: Tadé NOS vintage boar 22 mm
• Razor: KAI Captain Standard CAP-J7 kamisori shavette
• Blade: KAI Captain Titan Mild Protouch MG
• Lather: Chiseled Face - Midnight Stag - shaving soap
• Post-Shave: Chiseled Face - Midnight Stag - Aftershave
• additional care: Chiseled Face - Midnight Stag - ASB
• Fragrance: Southern Witchcrafts - Valley of Ashes - EDP
• AA TAGS: #SubstantialStag #RawHoggin

Forgot that I still had to shave for AA until it was Midnight. Freaking speedy shave - I actually tried something with the Tadé that I normally only do with my synthetic brushes; means no prep soaking, just putting heaps of water on it right before loading from the tub. You know what? It worked! Shows that it's firmly in the good territory now. Here it is up close after surviving this abuse. Here's a even closer look at the bristles! Can any boar nerds confirm that it's actually pretty nice by now? I never ever would've thought it'd be usable like this before day 25, at least...

Why was today so busy again? Well, doctors appointment - had to get a medical certificate that I can work in the field of nursing for my nursing school. They also tried hard to get some blood from me and only succeeded in the third attempt. I also got one of the important tetanus vax shots I was missing, the other hepatitis A one will be done in two weeks... And that was just before another stressful shift at the dementia ward. Needless to say, I'm spent. Sorry if I don't comment or even read any of your sidetracked posts today. I need to relax.

Sidetracked
But I'll only leave after sharing at least a little track: Eagle Eyed Tiger - I live here now. This track has a special connection with me: I often listened to it during the time when the nursing home I still work at had its first bad Covid outbreak. I heard it while I was working in nursing for the first time as an OT. The uplifting melody gave me some hope in dire situations and hard, gut-wrenching times when lots of residents died. It made me push through. Damnit, now I'm all teary eyed from just sharing a story of my personal life connected to a pretty chill synthwave song. What a wuss I am.

AA D19: Friday Stag Shack

• Prep: cold water
• Brush: Tadé NOS vintage boar 22 mm
• Razor: KAI Captain Standard CAP-J7 kamisori shavette
• Blade: KAI Captain Titan Mild Protouch MG
• Lather: Chiseled Face - Midnight Stag - shaving soap
• Post-Shave: Chiseled Face - Midnight Stag - Aftershave
• additional care: Chiseled Face - Midnight Stag - ASB
• Fragrance: Southern Witchcrafts - Valley of Ashes - EDP
• AA tags: #SubstantialStag #RawHoggin

It was shortly before midnight on a yet again busy Friday for me. Time for yet another Stag Shave, amirite?

Two insights so far for me:
1. Prep is massively overrated as long as you're familiar with your gear. I usually do a cold water splash on my face for the last few days, that's it. Still, good shaves. CFG base is good enough that it doesn't need any pre-shave prep at all. 2. While the boar is certainly tge hardware star, the aftershave splash might take the software crown: I like the burn combined with menthol and asthaxantin, something rarely found in aftershaves. The balm sadly has Dimethicone, but the splash? A friggin' great AS, especially since the mighty Stag scent lingers on my hands even after I put disinfectant on them. Awesome!

Tadé boar pics: side profile shot ; post use top closeup. After 19 days, it's a very nicely feeling brush that I haven't gotten tired of so far! In fact, I might add more boars to my collection now.

Sidetracked
Venom - Don't burn the Witch

You folks probably know by now that I simply love Motörhead. But there's actually another pretty influential band from GB that I adore: Venom. The founding fathers of black metal. They themselves sound a bit more like thrash metal or NWOBHM, but the newer albums definitely have some black and death metal elements. I was a bit torn between choosing Don't Burn the Witch or Witching Hour. So I'll simply include the latter as a bonus track! What's not to like about Venom? Ok, they might not be your cup of tea if you're a conservative christian... But is it really good to listen to a bald guy raving about Midnight Stag then either? Venom are simply great pioneers of extreme metal. They invented playing with downtuned guitars. They coined the term for a whole subgenre. They're fucking awesome. Ok, granted - the original members are estranged beyond repair, but Cronos still carries the torch.

AA D20: Drying rack Stag

• Prep: cold water
• Brush: Tadé NOS vintage boar 22 mm
• Razor: KAI Captain Standard CAP-J7 kamisori shavette
• Blade: KAI Captain Titan Mild Protouch MG
• Lather: Chiseled Face - Midnight Stag - shaving soap
• Post-Shave: Chiseled Face - Midnight Stag - Aftershave
• additional care: Chiseled Face - Midnight Stag - ASB
• Fragrance: Southern Witchcrafts - Valley of Ashes - EDP
• AA tags: #SubstantialStag #RawHoggin

Quick shave after a pretty exhausting day. During my late shift at the nursing home, we actually had a fire alarm. One of the residents in the lowest floor smoked in their room, forgot to put out the cigarette right and left it on a chair. Needless to say, that thing caught fire and due to the smoke, the whole room is ruined now. My colleague had to help the police and firefighters, so I was left pretty much alone on the ward with the task of getting everyone in bed. Ugh. It could've been such a nice and relaxed weekend shift, but no...

I'm just glad that loading and lathering with the boar - seen here drying after its 20th use - and shaving with the shavette are pretty much on autopilot now. I already did a Stag headshave before my shift with a disposable razor, but I really had to pay more attention there not to cut anything than here. With guarded blades, this shavette is basically foolproof.

However, just done the bare minimum two passes. I'm sure that I'm a bit burnt out from all the wetshaving contests even though I don't like to admit that.

Sidetracked
Eyedress - Jealous (slowed|Reverb|Bass boosted) - Now, I know this track has become somewhat of a meme song. In fact, I first heard it in a Patrick Bateman meme template and thought: "wow, has goth rock really crossed over to the mainstream?!" Well, of course it hasn't. If you listen to the original it sounds a bit like angsty teen indie rock. But this version, with added bass and reverb and slowed down a bit? Perfection. The dark nature of the lyrics seems to be much more impactful if presented by a more mature sounding singer. In fact, I vastly prefer this edit here. If any sidetracked-participants know of music that actually sounds like this without added effects, please let me know!?

AA D21: No pictures from here on out

• Prep: cold water
• Brush: Tadé NOS vintage boar 22 mm
• Razor: KAI Captain Standard CAP-J7 kamisori shavette
• Blade: KAI Captain Titan Mild Protouch MG
• Lather: Chiseled Face - Midnight Stag - shaving soap
• Post-Shave: Chiseled Face - Midnight Stag - Aftershave
• additional care: Chiseled Face - Midnight Stag - ASB
• Fragrance: Southern Witchcrafts - Valley of Ashes - EDP
• AA tags: #SubstantialStag #RawHoggin

No SOTD pictures from here on. There's only so much I can do in my little apartment with Midnight Stag. My self-made shrine wasn't well received either, so... I'll just gonna continue share pictures of the boar like this too and that's it. I'm officially exhausted.

Today was yet another day were I normally would've thrown the towel and just would've skipped shaving. But somehow, I feel like it is my duty to continue so shortly before we reach the finish line, despite probably being disqualified everywhere anway.

No sidetracked today since I can't even think of a proper song. I'm so glad to have one day off tomorrow, you wouldn't believe it.

AA D22: Day off and still a night shave

• Prep: cold water splash
• Brush: Tadé NOS vintage boar 22 mm
• Razor: KAI Captain Standard CAP-J7 kamisori shavette
• Blade: KAI Captain Titan Mild Protouch MG
• Lather: Chiseled Face - Midnight Stag - shaving soap
• Post-Shave: Chiseled Face - Midnight Stag - Aftershave
• additional care: Chiseled Face - Midnight Stag - ASB
• Fragrance: Southern Witchcrafts - Valley of Ashes - EDP
• AA tags: #SubstantialStag #RawHoggin

Yet another night shave. Today wasn't as busy, but I rather spent my time on other things. Like getting a proper wetshaving starter kit for my colleague M. sorted out! Was stoked to hear that he's actually really interested in wetshaving, but didn't know were to start. Already sent him some tutorial videos.

Not much to say anyway; I get reasonably good shaves out of my Captain, and found some interesting ways to hold it that give me the feeling of having more control. Still, not getting any more proficient with the left hand.

The Tadé boar has turned out to be an awesome brush. The bristles are now nicely soft enough to easily splay and swirl it when face lathering.

Sidetracked
Eurythmics - Here comes the rain again

One of the songs I loved as a child and still love now. This randomly started playing on Underground 80s just yet and immediately I'm taken back to pleasant (childhood) memories. Sometimes feeling the right amount of nostalgia is just what you need. Also, I credit Annie Lennox as the reason that I'm having a soft spot in my cold heart for shorthaired women. Her voice is worth more than the looks though - what a great singer! One comment says that her voice transcends time - I'm bound to agree, as this is one of those 80s classics you'll still often hear played in modern radio.

AA Day 23: Tuesday Stag Blues

• Prep: CeraVe hydrating oil cleanser, cold water
• Brush: Tadé NOS vintage boar 22 mm
• Razor: KAI Captain Standard CAP-J7 kamisori shavette
• Blade: KAI Captain Titan Mild Protouch MG
• Lather: Chiseled Face - Midnight Stag - shaving soap
• Post-Shave: Chiseled Face - Midnight Stag - Aftershave
• additional care: Osma alum block; Chiseled Face - Midnight Stag - ASB
• Fragrance: Southern Witchcrafts - Valley of Ashes - EDP
• AA tags: #SubstantialStag #RawHoggin

A stressful day yet again. Turns out my mom actually got Covid - at least the second rapid test I gave her in case her cold symptoms worsen seems to be positive now. Weird, as of Sunday she still tested negative on the first one I conducted with her. Bummer if she actually got it - means no visits for a few days.

What better thing to distract me from my troubles than a Stag night shave? Right, nothing. The boar brush with its well developed split hairs is now simply easy to use. Took my time to lather with it until it was nice and slick.

Unfortunately two weepers since I actually used my left hand more. Osma alum to the rescue!

Sidetracked
Skullflower - Solar Anus

Despite the funny song name, Skullflower is heavy music: a mix of drone doom and noise played with traditional rock instruments. I like the mental image this song creates for me: a lone man wandering through the desert in blazing hot temperatures. He walks slowly, stumbling a bit and has trouble keeping himself upright due to the exhaustion. Nevertheless, in his eyes you can see the fierce determination. He goes slowly, but won't give up. A perfect metaphor for how I'll push through the last few days of AA.

AA D24: stagged up on a Wednesday Night

• Prep: Alterra cleaning foam and cold water
• Brush: Tadé NOS vintage boar 22 mm
• Razor: KAI Captain Standard CAP-J7 kamisori shavette
• Blade: KAI Captain Titan Mild Protouch MG
• Lather: Chiseled Face - Midnight Stag - shaving soap
• Post-Shave: Chiseled Face - Midnight Stag - Aftershave
• additional care: Chiseled Face - Midnight Stag - ASB
• Fragrance: Southern Witchcrafts - Valley of Ashes - EDP
• AA tags: #SubstantialStag #RawHoggin

Another late AF shave. Might as well continue my streak; there's nothing wrong with shaving at night...

I'm currently on the second Protouch MG blade (apart from a bloody one-stop detour with a Feather Professional AC) which is kinda fascinating - it's still usable fine, so why not continue for a bit. Perhaps my technique got way better and they don't deteriorate as much anymore thanks to that. In fact, I'm a bit worried how my return to safety razors will turn out come September - might use my Hawk V2 a bit more at first.

Alas, for the headshaves I forfeited the goal of using a MMOC exclusively. I went with yellow plastic disposable razors instead - on one hand to use them up, on the other to just get done quickly. It will definitely get more use in Geartober, that's a given.

Tadé boar progress: side profile shot with my trusty shavette. I yet again forgot to take a dry pic for some "before and after" shots. Judging by the bristles, it's come a long way. These look like my Zenith New Titanio looks when wet, a very masterful boar brush with lots of uses under its belt. In fact, Raw Hoggin' made me appreciate the natural hair brushes again and I will continue to acquire more boar or horse brushes and also work my Extró 26 mm badger/boar mix brush into something usable going forward. Will I rawhog the sub exclusive behemoth boar? Big fat NOPE. But I think I will do less break-in than normal and just more hand lathering.

Sidetracked
Dan Terminus - Cherenkov Blue Overdriver

Much like Mr. Kent aka Perturbator who I featured earlier this month, Dan Terminus is a part of the french darksynth circle. DT tracks are all featuring more or less heavy distortion on the synths as well as great energetic melodies. They're somehow popular for AMVs and I once saw one of his tracks used with Fist of the Northstar... That was just perfect. They'd also make great gaming soundtracks and in fact have been used as such in the game NeuroVoider. So, dear sidetracked gang: enjoy some vibes for more energy!

AA D25: fed up stag

• Prep: cold water
• Brush: Tadé NOS vintage boar 22 mm
• Razor: KAI Captain Standard CAP-J7 kamisori shavette
• Blade: KAI Captain Titan Mild Protouch MG
• Lather: Chiseled Face - Midnight Stag - shaving soap
• Post-Shave: Chiseled Face - Midnight Stag - Aftershave
• additional care: Chiseled Face - Midnight Stag - ASB
• Fragrance: Southern Witchcrafts - Valley of Ashes - EDP
• AA tags: #RawHoggin #SubstantialStag

Ok, now I've shaved in almost all possible situations. While being a bit tipsy. While being a bit too drunk to shave normally. And now, while being half-asleep due to exhaustion. Normally, I'd have skipped all of those shaves, but the power of Stag compels me to shave this month.

Had a bit of a scare today: felt like I took a bit too much hairs away from my moustache at first. But then, I realized that you can't only shave but also trim with the shavette if you're careful enough. Then I realized that it was the side which is already fuller anyway, so I set took out my beard trimmer, did a bit of details and set it aside for tomorrow. Once I had a night of restful sleep, I'll need to trim the ol' upper lip curtain shorter and nicer. Unfortunately, due to my high biotin intake for skin issues all hair grows like crazy too and it has gotten too long too quickly.

Tadé boar progress pictures:
Dry brush in holder; dry bristles close up and finally the wet bristles after use. Well, let's just say that I'm quite pleased. The mighty Midnight Stag odour has beaten all pig stank since a good amount of time, but it also has made the bristles soft and supple for everyday use. Cool brush, it's finally in the hourglass shape that intrigued me at first.

Sidetracked
Normally it's a bad idea to do this while tired, but eff it, it's my goddamn challenge and I have zo be a good example I guess. So today, we have a cover song that I quite like: Celtic Frost - Mexican Radio

Ok, CF were already featured by me earlier this month. What can I say? I'm a simple dude and I like their music. This song here is way less serious than Circle of the Tyrants though. Something that can make me headbang to "I'm on a Mexican Radio!" is just great musicianship. Also, it features both of Tom G. Warriors' signature vocals: "Hey!" and "Ugh!". There's a forbidden drinking game were you drink a shot every time you hear an ugh in a Celtic Frost song. Forbidden, because you'd die from alcohol poisoning. Don't believe me? hear for yourself!

AA D26: Latest Shave ever

• Prep: CeraVe hydrating foaming oil cleanser, cold water
• Brush: Tadé NOS vintage boar 22 mm
• Razor: KAI Captain Standard CAP-J7 kamisori shavette
• Blade: KAI Captain Titan Mild Protouch MG
• Lather: Chiseled Face - Midnight Stag - shaving soap
• Post-Shave: Chiseled Face - Midnight Stag - Aftershave
• additional care: Chiseled Face - Midnight Stag - ASB
• Fragrance: Southern Witchcrafts - Valley of Ashes - EDP
• AA tags: #RawHoggin #SubstantialStag

My latest SOTD ever, but bear with me: my young colleague M. and me paid our favourite older colleague S. a visit. S. is over sixty, but gets along with us young whippersnappers extremely well. M. got drunk AF though, and since my dad was out of the question thanks to the Covid situation with my mom, I stayed sober and drove him back to his place. Fun times.

As soon as I got back home and slipped into something comfortable, I put my brush in the soaking mug and cleaned my face. New CeraVe oil cleanser is freaking awesome btw.

Mandatory mugshot of the Tadé boar. It'll be one of my nicest brushes after all this is wrapped up, sadly it'll be reserved for 2-3 soaps max due to the smell. But a good one nonetheless.

Sidetracked
Carpenter Brut - Beware the Beast

T'was my soundtrack for the drive to S. and back home today. Leather Teeth is a short and sweet synthwave album with lots of great rock elements. This song? A rare occurrence of synthwave with vocals and actual lyrics. It's overly dramatic and kitschy, but much like other things that are, it grows on you. At first, you smile a bit about it. Next time, you're screaming the lyrics along while driving on a lone road after midnight just to get home in time for a good shave to wind down. So, sidetracked crew: enjoy this kitschy banger and beware of the beasts inside your hearts!

AA D27: Saturday Stag Fever

• Prep: Alterra cleaning foam and cold water
• Brush: Tadé NOS vintage boar 22 mm
• Razor: KAI Captain Standard CAP-J7 kamisori shavette
• Blade: KAI Captain Titan Mild Protouch MG
• Lather: Chiseled Face - Midnight Stag - shaving soap
• Post-Shave: Chiseled Face - Midnight Stag - Aftershave
• additional care: Chiseled Face - Midnight Stag - ASB
• Fragrance: Southern Witchcrafts - Valley of Ashes - EDP
• AA tags: #RawHoggin #SubstantialStag

Somehow I didn't think I would stick with the late night shaves, but here we are yet again.

Last few days on my old ward before nursing school begins and I'm changing to my new ward. Needless to say, motivation isn't high but I power through. Same for Austere August: it might be the first time I took participation seriously, but I don't know if I would do it again. Despite the awesomeness of Midnight Stag, I'm craving something else. Kinda undecided what I'll use for the first day of September, as it'll also be my first day at nursing school and I want something special for the occasion.

Two pass autopilot shave. Here's my Tadé boar still going strong with its wet bristles. It's now really nice to splay while face lathering and feels nice and soft. A piece of wetshaving history in a new use.

Sidetracked
SALEM - King Night

Witch House, a weird electronic niche-genre that disappeared back into the underground as fast as it once came into the spotlight. The heavy use of sampling might be partially to blame: in this song it's samples from Silent Night, Holy Night. However, Salem were one of the defining acts of the genre and I somehow still like this song. Gives me some weird kind of euphoria that's perfect for battling through awful days, but also good for when everything comes together nicely. I somehow adore the combination of chorus singers and heavy synths: something that hooks me regardless of genre, e.g. I really love dark ambient tracks with choirs layered in the mix. So, dear sidetracked crew: let us power through those last few days together!

AA D28: almost there Stag

• Prep: cold water
• Brush: Tadé NOS vintage boar 22 mm
• Razor: KAI Captain Standard CAP-J7 kamisori shavette
• Blade: KAI Captain Titan Mild Protouch MG
• Lather: Chiseled Face - Midnight Stag - shaving soap
• Post-Shave: Chiseled Face - Midnight Stag - Aftershave
• additional care: Chiseled Face - Midnight Stag - ASB
• Fragrance: Southern Witchcrafts - Valley of Ashes - EDP
• AA tags: #RawHoggin SubstantialStag

It's midnight, what a great time to shave! - said no one ever but me. Anyways, ok shave for the last few days. Lather was somehow a tad dry, despite loading like usual.

Tadé boar still going strong next to my kamisori shavette and the bristles are soft and evenly split now. Just a good feeling brush.

Sidetracked
Ok, by now most people have the feeling that I listen to just 3 different genres. To prove them that I can also broaden my musical scope, here's Fever the Ghost - Source with the perhaps best animated music video ever. I like the work of Felix Colgrave and his bizarre creatures, but this song is also quite intriguing. A very fitting song for a Sunday: some upbeat party melodies, but also a slight feeling of melancholy. Enjoy this tune and the accompanying video, sidetracked crew!

AA D29: Stagday is better than Monday

• Prep: cold water splash
• Brush: Tadé NOS vintage boar 22 mm
• Razor: KAI Captain Standard CAP-J7 kamisori shavette
• Blade: KAI Captain Titan Mild Protouch MG
• Lather: Chiseled Face - Midnight Stag - shaving soap
• Post-Shave: Chiseled Face - Midnight Stag - Aftershave
• additional care: Chiseled Face - Midnight Stag - ASB
• Fragrance: Southern Witchcrafts - Valley of Ashes - EDP
• AA tags: #SubstantialStag #RawHoggin

Bleh? Bleh. Somehow powering through it all. I think I'll go with either SSL or Oceana as my first post-AA shave. Either would be great for the start into something new!

Obligatory Tadé boar pic. It's such a great brush by now, but y'all heard this about a hundred times now and are sick and tired of it. Look at these damp, split bristles and form your own opinion.

Not much to say on the kamisori shavette front: I think my left hand barely improved, the only blades I've used are guarded ones soooo... Yeah safety?! I guess I should finally try the Feather Proguard, don't really worry about shelling out money for something if it works for me.

Sidetracked
High on Fire - The Black Plot [NSFW]

Animated video clip again? Check. Metal music? Check. Some of the craziest stuff you'll ever see? Probably. But in all seriousness, High on Fire are awesome. I wish I had seen them back when I had the chance very close to me; sadly I missed that concert. Nevertheless, let's enjoy this gem of a music video.

AA D30: Penultimate Stag

• Prep: cold water splash
• Brush: Tadé NOS vintage boar 22 mm
• Razor: KAI Captain Standard CAP-J7 kamisori shavette
• Blade: KAI Captain Titan Mild Protouch MG
• Lather: Chiseled Face - Midnight Stag - shaving soap
• Post-Shave: Chiseled Face - Midnight Stag - Aftershave
• additional care: Chiseled Face - Midnight Stag - ASB
• Fragrance: Southern Witchcrafts - Valley of Ashes - EDP
• AA tags: #RawHoggin #SubstantialStag

Almost missed to post! Had my final day on my old ward today. I don't miss a single thing but my older colleague S., who'll be all alone without me and M. now. I'm having ~~tomorrow~~ (wait, it's already today here!) off before nursing school starts on the first of September. So to say, it was also my last day as a nursing assistant. Crazy. But also cool AF. In other glad that it's finally over news, my mom has beaten Covid as her rapid test was finally negative today!

Mandatory Tadé boar shot for the penultimate day. What a month. This brush turned from stiff and stinky to supple and... even stinkier. Thanks Midnight Stag.

Had a bit more tugging and weepers than usual, so despite it being the penultimate day, I binned the blade after the shave. Maybe I should try one without a guard for the final shave of AA. But I also don't want to show up to nursing school with a nasty cut...

Sidetracked
Jauge - Gather

Another synthwave track. One of my personal "success songs". Every time something goes really well, I try to play this song. It's strange how music can give such joyful feelings to us - like straight up euphoria from certain tracks. Neon Knights from Black Sabbath was already shared by u/loudmusicboy and does the same for me. As does Don't stop believing by Journey. But I thought this was too generic and kitschy. This tune here? It's not too loaded with instruments, but it gives a nice progression of rhythms. It's somehow rewarding to finally hear this in my head. I'm now on a new path towards a different way of my life; wish me luck, sidetracked crew!

AA D31: Stagtastic! It's Over!

• Prep: Chiseled Face Midnight Stag bar soap and cold water
• Brush: Tadé NOS vintage boar 22 mm
• Razor: KAI Captain Standard CAP-J7 kamisori shavette
• Blade: KAI Captain Titan Mild Protouch MG
• Lather: Chiseled Face - Midnight Stag - shaving soap
• Post-Shave: Chiseled Face - Midnight Stag - Aftershave
• additional care: Chiseled Face - Midnight Stag - ASB
• Fragrance: Southern Witchcrafts - Valley of Ashes - EDP
• AA tags: #RawHoggin #SubstantialStag

It's over. We're done. Finally? Well, there's a good amount of take aways for me from seriously doing AA for the first time this year: mainly that natural hair brushes are quite awesome once they got a few uses under their belt. That I love CFGs soap base and alcohol aftershave formula. That Stag and VoA combined is really awful on extremely hot and humid days, especially if you're needing to be in close contact with some people. That trying to organise a side challenge on top of a very stressful work and private life is biting off more than you can chew at once. That I still suck with shavettes and only guarded AC blades save my clumsy ass from cutting myself to pieces.

No joke, I actually had a bit of fun during August too. But overall, I'm not sure if I don't fancy the idea of Februarity Austerity uttered by another member on here more next year.

My nerves are in high stress mode atm because I worry a lot about my first day of nursing school. It was good to just have a autopilot setup for the last day before. September 1st will be just a feel good shave with the new Protouch MG of today's shave. Oh, and the Midnight Stag bar soap from u/Marquis90 reached me just in time for today! Isn't that great? I'll continue using it for a bit.

Sidetracked
Bauhaus - Mask

I think it's about time I share a song by my favourite goth rock band. Mask isn't my favourite of them, but it got me through a very troublesome time in my life. I often listened to it when I felt very depressed and down. Especially the guitar part in the latter part if the song gets me. It's kinda like a relief after lots of suffering... Which fit my situation back then and also kinda could be said about Austere August. It's an interesting experience, but overall I prefer the Lather Games. Nevertheless: thanks everyone who organised a challenge. Thanks to all the sidetracked challenge participants, you're all awesome despite me being kind of lacking as a host. Special respect to those who posted a song or album every single day - you know who you are and you're all awesome. I cherish being part of this community.