BossHoggins10
@BossHoggins10@sub.wetshaving.social
- Comment on Wednesday SOTD Thread, July 9th, 2025 (#757) 1 hour ago:
July 9th, 2025
- Brush: Rad Dinosaur Creations - Copper Inferno w/ Trotter T1 Badger
- Razor: Chiseled Face - Legacy Brass
- Blade: Gillette Silver Blue
- Lather: Woolly Wash Soapery - Night at the Pub - Soap
- Post Shave: Catie’s Bubbles - Reflection - Aftershave
Software was so good yesterday, I had to run it back today.
- Comment on Tuesday SOTD Thread, July 8th, 2025 (#756) 1 day ago:
July 8th, 2025
- Brush: AP Shave Co. - Black Butterscotch w/ AP Pure Bliss Synthetic
- Razor: Merkur - 34C
- Blade: Gillette Silver Blue
- Lather: Woolly Wash Soapery - Night at the Pub - Soap
- Post Shave: Catie’s Bubbles - Reflection - Aftershave
I really like this base. This might be the first ever gourmand I’ve ever actually enjoyed.
- Comment on Monday SOTD Thread, July 7th, 2025 (#755) 2 days ago:
July 7th, 2025: Monday Mike’s
- Brush: Omega - Bambino Boar
- Razor: Merkur - 34C
- Blade: Gillette Silver Blue
- Lather: Mike’s Natural Soaps - Vetiver (Stick) - Soap
- Post Shave: Catie’s Bubbles - Top of the World - Aftershave
Started out with my Schick Injector, but it felt incredibly tuggy. Went with the 34C because it already had a blade in it. First use with a shave stick and it went pretty well. Monday is for Mike’s!
- Comment on Sunday SOTD Thread, July 6th, 2025 (#754) 2 days ago:
July 6th, 2025
- Brush: Omega - 10077 Boar
- Razor: Merkur - 34C
- Blade: Gillette Silver Blue
- Lather: Catie’s Bubbles - Tonsorial Parlour - Soap
- Post Shave: Catie’s Bubbles - Tonsorial Parlour - Aftershave
Really enjoy this scent
- Comment on Saturday SOTD Thread, July 5th, 2025 (#753) 3 days ago:
July 5th, 2025
- Brush: Chisel & Hound - Cherry w/ v25 Fanchurian Badger
- Razor: Henson - AL13++
- Blade: Gillette Silver Blue
- Lather: Catie’s Bubbles - Menage a Lavande - Soap
- Post Shave: Zingari Man - Sego Unscented - Balm
Feeling under the weather today in spite of not engaging in festivities yesterday.
- Comment on Friday SOTD Thread, July 4th, 2025 (#752) 5 days ago:
July 4th, 2025
- Brush: Omega - 10077 Boar
- Razor: Henson - AL13++
- Blade: Gillette Silver Blue
- Lather: Catie’s Bubbles - Menage a Lavande - Soap
- Post Shave: Catie’s Bubbles - Florentine Fern - Aftershave
Thanks to u/socialkittielynx for the MaL smush. This is my first ever 100% lavender scent from an artisan and I really enjoyed it. Lavender is a note is in a ridiculous amount of fragrances, but I have never been able to pick it out. This soap has a softer presentation, but to me there is just a very subtle sharpness that is incredible, it is hard for me to describe. The smush is big enough to get another 2 shaves, so I look forward to using it again these next few days.
- Comment on Thursday SOTD Thread, July 3rd, 2025 (#751) 5 days ago:
July 3rd, 2025
- Brush: Rad Dinosaur Creations - Emerald Peak TnS v9 Tip Badger
- Razor: Yates Precision Manufacturing - Merica
- Blade: Gillette Silver Blue
- Lather: Spearhead Shaving Company - Seaforth! Sea Spice Lime - Soap
- Post Shave: Zingari Man - The Navigator - Recovery Splash
- Fragrance: Spearhead Shaving Company - Seaforth! Sea Spice Lime - EdT
Going to the pool today. Plus LG just ended I don’t care for themes right now.
- Comment on Wednesday SOTD Thread, July 2nd, 2025 (#750) 1 week ago:
July 2nd, 2025
- Brush: Omega - 10077 Boar
- Razor: Yates Precision Manufacturing - Merica
- Blade: Gillette Silver Blue
- Lather: Moon Soaps - Union - Soap
- Post Shave: House of Mammoth - Alive - Aftershave
Used Union today for a buddy shave with u/whosgotthepudding This is a seriously good barbershop scent. Still getting used to building the lather, but great shave today nonetheless.
- Comment on Tuesday SOTD Thread, July 1st, 2025 (#749) 1 week ago:
July 1st, 2025
- Brush: Rubberset - 400 w/ Maggard SHD Badger
- Razor: Chiseled Face - Legacy Ti
- Blade: Gillette Silver Blue
- Lather: Catie’s Bubbles - Le Piment de la Vie - Soap
- Post Shave: Catie’s Bubbles - Top of the World - Aftershave
using a left over smush I had in my bowl from LG, thanks u/snoo-ting
- Comment on Monday SOTD Thread, June 30th, 2025 (#748) 1 week ago:
- Brush: Rad Dinosaur Creations - Copper Inferno w/ Trotter T1 Badger
- Razor: Chiseled Face - Legacy Ti
- Blade: Gillette Silver Blue
- Lather: Catie’s Bubbles - V - Soap
- Post Shave: Catie’s Bubbles - V - Aftershave
- Fragrance: Catie’s Bubbles - V - EdP
Daily Theme: I have to give a shout to out u/brokenjaw622 for giving me some C Bubs soap to try out. I will not lie, I did not understand V at first. Here is a picture of the samples and my favorites in descending order from left to right. Obviously, since then this list has changed a lot since I have used most of them. I am almost certain that most of the heavy vetiver scents turned me off because they reminded me a little bit of maple nut candies. I have finally broken that mental connection and can finally enjoy Haitian Vetiver the way u/C_Bubbles intended. Some of my favorite scents end up being ones I dislike at first because they challenge my expectations and preferences in fragrances. V really opened up my nose and mind to what fragrances can be and anybody who have really gotten familiar with V know it is arguably thee best scent from a wetshaving artisan. It is one of those scents that is very complex, but it is not mud and I notice new scent notes every time I use it. This morning I kept smelling the sweet fennel. I also had a preconception of fragrances that have a lot of scent notes are a little pretentious, but V taught me that complex fragrances with a ton of scent notes can be approachable and appreciated despite how much is going on. Bubs really knows how to blend a fragrance and I really believe this would be my desert island fragrance
Daily Challenge: I used my V aftershave splash and fragrance today in addition to the soap. Please read above. As far as hardware goes, I have to say this handle from u/Priusaurus is my favorite of the four I own from him. I love the shape because it is rather simple and the grooves on the bottom add some tasteful texture to the handle. I remember when Prius stated that he was experimenting with handles and that there was one out in the wild. I hit him up and asked when they were gonna be available. He was very cool about letting me know that he was still working on getting a first batch curated and that he was still learning (this is substantiated by a lack of beard). I’ve since then purchased a handful of them and I am always happy to support somebody who is really involved in the community as a hobbyist as well. I got connected to Trotter Handcrafts and he gave me an incredible deal on this T1 knot and it is one of my favorite SHD badger knots. The Legacy razor has easily become my favorite razor because it reminds me a lot of a Gillette Tech, but much higher quality and slightly more aggressive. It gives me a close and easy shave every single time I use it and I have nicked myself with it maybe once. GSB’s just because it is super sharp, smooth, and I never get duds.
To whoever wins the Games overall and the various side quests, I really appreciate everybody who participates, either as a competitor, djudge, or sponsor. There is hands down no other community I have ever seen or even heard of that is as cool as the people who participate in this forum. Whether you’re new or old, people get into this hobby to save money (laughable) and almost always end up staying because of the sense of community, belonging, and engagement with other hobbyists and even artisans. People lose thrill, and they still end up participating and having conversations just because the people here are so awesome. While Lather Games can end up being exhausting throughout the month, the Games are something that is really unique and special, and something I am happy to be apart of for the second time. This competition is extremely silly, but that is the beauty of it. People organize, djudge, and participate because it brings people together for smiles, laughs, and even tears. There is not one other internet group that I would identify with other than you weirdos. Here is to LG 2025 in the books!
$discord
- Comment on Sunday SOTD Thread, June 29th, 2025 (#747) 1 week ago:
June 29th, 2025: A Toast to the Lather Games
- Brush: Omega - Bambino Boar
- Razor: Chiseled Face - Legacy Ti
- Blade: Gillette Silver Blue
- Lather: Catie’s Bubbles - Sunday Brunch - Soap
- Post Shave: Catie’s Bubbles - 322 - Aftershave
- Fragrance: Catie’s Bubbles - Crangère - EdP
Daily Theme Justification: Sunday brunch is inspired by a Mimosa, a drink combination of orange juice and champagne.
Daily Theme: Sunday Brunch is one of those scents that is probably considered to be a gourmand, but a gourmand I can actually like. There’s no cake, candy, or other desserts that I typically associate with gourmands. Nothing to report other than this is a really great scent and soap. 322 as a relevant post shave because I am under the impression that the black currant is supposed to represent a very faint wine note. Sunday Brunch = booze, and 322 = booze (sort of). Edit: keep forgetting the damn smush providers, thank you u/brokenjaw622 for the smushes and opening me up to the u/C_Bubbles rabbit hole.
Daily Challenge: I have to be 100 emoji with you all. I have been very poor about keeping up with posts. For overall LG winner there are a few contenders that I could see any of them winning. Those are u/bmac92 u/hugbckt u/tsrblke in no particular order. For ROTY, I would think some contenders would be u/snoo-ting u/Lathered_Yeti u/josiguuh u/Low_Key1782 in no particular order. I was a rookie last year and it is fun to see and read what the first timers come up. I particularly liked u/snoo-ting posts because they are short and sweet and I always enjoyed reading his self care write ups. Some of them were simple reminders to myself that taking care of ourselves is a lot more simple than we think
My favorite post of all was u/bmac92 and his car wash shave. I was up ridicously late that night for WCW and watching himself blast his face with a foam cannon made me laugh my ass, but also slightly concerned for his well being. I really loved u/Priusaurus shitposting all month too despite not being a djudge. I felt like this LG had much less shenanigans then last year, but a lot more people brought consistently good write ups that made for really good content.
- Comment on Saturday SOTD Thread, June 28th, 2025 (#746) 1 week ago:
June 28th, 2025: It’s Alive!
- Brush: Unbranded - Marble w/ Maggard G5C Synthetic
- Razor: Chiseled Face - Legacy Ti
- Blade: Gillette Silver Blue
- Lather: Holy Hoggins - Revelations
- Post Shave: Chiseled Face - Midnight Stag - Aftershave
Daily Theme: My shave for today was slightly uninspired, but thought this would be funny to do. I combined all of the The Four Horsemen soaps from Barrister and Mann: War, Death, Famine, and Plague. It smelled about as good as it could considering all of them are pretty non-approachable. FWIW, I got more of a reaction out of the Miss with Stag than I did with my brew. I thought it was gonna be a lot more nasty than it was, but it was all just mud and the shave was great. EDIT: totally forgot to mention thanks to u/whosgotthepudding for hooking me up with the Four Horsemen, you da man!
Daily Challenge: I got a 10/12 (83%) for today’s challenge. I really thought I could get all of them, but I got stumbled up on two of them. That was a fun challenge.
- Comment on Friday SOTD Thread, June 27th, 2025 (#745) 1 week ago:
June 27th, 2025: Frigid Friday
- Prep: Proraso - Eucalyptus Oil & Menthol Pre Shave Cream
- Brush: Rad Dinosaur Creations - Cavern Dream w/ AP Pure Bliss Synthetic
- Razor: Chiseled Face - Legacy Ti
- Blade: Gillette Silver Blue
- Lather: Oleo Soapworks - Polar - Soap
- Post Shave: Barrister & Mann - Terror - Aftershave
- Post Shave: Nivea - Sensitive Cooling Balm - Balm
- Post Shave: House of Mammoth - Permafrost
- Fragrance: Catie’s Bubbles - Crangère - EdP
Daily Theme Justification: While menthol is not explicitly stated in the ingredient list of this particular tub, the label says “MENTHOLATED”. If that is still not satisfactory, LOOK AT THE SOAP FOR CHRIST’S SAKE, also the brush after a swipe or two. Yes, that is pure menthol crystals awaiting to be lathered.
Daily Theme: It has been hot as balls out for pretty much every region in the US this last week or two, so Frigid Friday was needed. I opted for some high quality bottled Hy-Vee Spring Water that had been in the fridge all day, but chilled in the freezer for about 30 minutes prior to shaving. However, it has been really hot. So why not add some ice to the equation for a full ice water shave. I poured the water directly into the ice, and something unexpectedly pleasant occurred, the water turned into slush immediately after pouring. Perfect! I really need to cool down after this hot week. Just as a safe measure, I squirted two pumps of Permafrost into my ice water.
To get my shave started, I rinsed my face and got it nice, cold, and wet, before applying a mix of Proraso Pre Shave and some Permafrost. Wow! This is really cool and refreshing. I rubbed that in for about a minute and let it sit before building my lather. Since I needed serious cooling I opted to pre-chill my razor before the shave and between passes. I swirled and swirled before I was met with a pretty meh lather, but alas Permafrost is here. I added two additional pumps of it to my brush before hitting my face to lather. Holy shit, this is cold, but just what I needed.
I lather and perform my first pass, and then rinse with my ice water. Oh. My. God. This is for real cold, but it is what I asked for. I lather up for a second pass and by this point, time, space, and any sense of self has diminished and I have merged metaphysically with the cold. Eyes watering, can’t think straight, where did I put the fucking razor? Oh yeah, I forgot it is hidden underneath the ice water. I rinse again with the ice water and do some touch up passes and at this point, I hit the singularity…
…cold…
I rinse one last time and this shocked me back to life and I dried my face off. It was like I’d been waterboarded in the Arctic and resuscitated, reminding myself of what I’d just done to myself. “No, please let me perish, I cannot bear another second of this”, I plead to myself. In a futile attempt to merge with the cold beyond this realm to escape, I applied Terror with more…fucking…Permafrost. “I am still here… Please… let me go.” How about some Nivea Cooling Balm with more death sauce (Permafrost). At this point, I am shivering inches from death, awaiting for it to take me. However, I hear something. “Finish the Lather Games, there are only a few more days left”. I remember that it is Frigid Friday and I needed to shave. Anyways, it has been hot as balls out for pretty much every region in the US this last week or two…
Daily Challenge: I used spring water bottled by Hy-Vee. Not sure what impact it had on my shave, but I used it. Please see my above post for proof and what this water did to me.
- Comment on Free Talk Friday - June 27th, 2025 1 week ago:
Has any of the euro guys received their Irving Park Smushes?
- Comment on Thursday SOTD Thread, June 26th, 2025 (#744) 1 week ago:
June 26th, 2025: The Spice is Right
- Brush: Omega - Bambino Boar
- Razor: Chiseled Face - Legacy Ti
- Blade: Gillette Silver Blue
- Lather: Catie’s Bubbles - Le Piment de la Vie - Soap
- Post Shave: Spearhead Shaving Company - Seaforth! Sea Spice Lime - Aftershave
Daily Theme Justification: “Le Piment de la Vie” or “The Spice of Life” is a very complexly fragranced shaving soap. It is sweet and spicy and earthy and just all around amazing. -Le Piment de la Vie
Daily Theme: Thank you today for our friend u/snoo-ting providing the smush. CB lather is great as usual and as a new scent to me, I thought this was a great scent. To me there was a touch of familiarity to it that I can’t quite identify. The sweetness mixed in with the spiciness is blended very well and it was very enjoyable to use. I would consider getting a full tub, but I need to finish this smush before I decide that because it is huge. As a relevant post shave, I went for Sea Spice Lime to take the spice in a different direction with with more aquatic and green qualities. Two different takes on spice that have cemented their place in wetshaving!
Daily Challenge: I’ve been on a Grateful Dead kick lately and I actually listened to this song a few times over this morning. It is Brown-Eyed Women live at Barton Hall at Cornell University. It has has the perfect mix of complex, yet relaxing and energetic, reminiscent of Le Piment de la Vie, balanced perfectly. It really is just a great performance all around.
- Comment on Wednesday SOTD Thread, June 25th, 2025 (#743) 2 weeks ago:
June 25th, 2025: Christmas in June
- Brush: Omega - Bambino Boar
- Razor: Chiseled Face - Legacy Ti
- Blade: Gillette Silver Blue
- Lather: Southern Witchcrafts - Desairology - Soap
- Post Shave: Mäurer & Wirtz - Tabac - Aftershave
Daily Theme: Thank you to u/Gaidin23 for this soap today. It was an entirely full sample of Desairology, and folks, this was given to me after SW closed up shop. I’d been interested in this scent when I got first into wetshaving and barbershop scents shortly after, but never followed through with picking it up. I am glad to have tried a sample of it because while it is an interesting take on a barbershop, I don’t know if a full tub would have my name on it. It has the usual SW flair on it and I smell something dark and animalic in it, which is not necessarily a bad thing. I pair Tabac as a relevant post shave because it too has an animalic funk, but is balanced out by the soapy like Stank we all know and love.
Daily Challenge: Honestly, this might not be too out there, but Glace Herbe in the Premium Base would honestly be really cool. The Haitian Vetiver has the perfect blend of being simple, yet fairly complex as a standalone scent. Grassy, earthy, tinge of smokiness, and sweetness mixed in menthol would be a soap that I could use year around with no complaints at all. Another one would be CF Trade Winds in Prem base and hoping it would not give me frag burn because that is one of my favorite scents ever.
- Comment on Tuesday SOTD Thread, June 24th, 2025 (#742) 2 weeks ago:
June 24th, 2025: All About That Base
- Brush: Omega - 10077 Boar
- Razor: Chiseled Face - Legacy Ti
- Blade: Gillette Silver Blue
- Lather: Catie’s Bubbles - Le Nude - Soap
- Post Shave: Zingari Man - Sego Unscented - Balm
Daily Theme Justification: “Our luxury shaving soap with no added fragrance or essential oils for those with sensitivities or so there is a blank canvas to build your own scent for the day.” - Le Nude ad copy
Daily Theme: This was my first time (at least to my memory) using an unscented soap. At first I really thought unscented soaps were a waste of time. After hearing people that still want to shave if they’re sick, can’t use fragrances due to medical issues, or just wanting to wear a fragrance with no other scent interaction, I finally understood the point behind it. Not much to speak of on this shave other than the Lux base is a great affordable base and finishing it with Sego Unscented makes this my first truly unscented shave. I could see myself using this soap more just to take breaks from others, or to really focus on splash or fragrance scent.
Daily Challenge: I really don’t think I have been around long enough to have seen bases come and gone and get really familiar with them. However, I would think I have to say the tallow Tabac base is surely missed. I know it is possible to get great lathers from the new vegan formula, but from my limited experience, the tallow puck did lather much easier and the quality was excellent. Thankfully, I have a barely touched puck that I can reminisce with. As for current favorite bases, it is hands down Catie’s Bubbles Premium Base. It is incredibly easy to work with and it a privilege to use it when I do. It is the base that I own the most tubs of.
- Comment on Monday SOTD Thread, June 23rd, 2025 (#741) 2 weeks ago:
June 23rd, 2025: Information Overload
- Brush: Omega - Bambino Boar
- Razor: Yates Precision Manufacturing - Merica
- Blade: Gillette Silver Blue
- Lather: Wholly Kaw - Twice as Spice - Soap
- Post Shave: Old Spice - Original - Aftershave
- Fragrance: Old Spice - Classic - EdC
Daily Theme Justification: Wholly Kaw Twice as Spice - Notes: Orange, Cinnamon, Tonka Bean, Vanilla, Lemon, Carnation, Cedar, Ambergris, Clove, Jasmine, Frankincense, Nag Champa, Clary Sage, which is 13 total.
Daily Theme: I got this soap from u/Cowzilla3 about a year and half ago through a Spice Off PIF. I have try and salvage an Old Spice shave since I went nautically themed on “Where Did All the Rum Go?” day. Everybody here is far too relaxed for having been put a list, we should all be panicking. (Cowzilla take me off, I am one of the good guys.) Anyway, a true nice and spicy software day. I haven’t smelled this soap in quite a long time and it is much better than I remember. The downsides of having a noob nose.
Daily Challenge: Instead of going for true aggressiveness (like a Blackbird OC) in a one pass shave, I opted for mild and efficient. The Merica fits that bill perfectly. A touch of blade feel, but not too much razor. It did just fine with one pass and fulfilled today’s challenge perfectly.
- Comment on Sunday SOTD Thread, June 22nd, 2025 (#740) 2 weeks ago:
- Brush: Omega - Bambino Boar
- Razor: Chiseled Face - Legacy Ti
- Blade: Gillette Silver Blue
- Lather: Catie’s Bubbles - Glace Herbe - Soap
- Post Shave: Catie’s Bubbles - V - Aftershave
- Fragrance: Catie’s Bubbles - V - EdP
Daily Theme Justification: I will defer to C Bubs himself on his thoughts about Glace Herbe being a two note soap, which includes Haitian Vetiver and menthol.
Daily Theme: Originally I was going to use Fanzine Saponifications Bubblegum and Rose. However, it feels like a million degrees in the midwest and I had just got done with yard work. As soon as I got done shaving, I saw u/TheStallionPartThree tag me for the rap battle and I will address that momentarily. Glace Herbe cooled me down and gave me that nice earthy, grassy, and nutty smell of Haitian Vetiver. I really enjoyed this soap that I got from u/BrokenJaw622, now I need to find a set of it. V splash and frag to follow up to follow the Vetiver train. You have that nice Vetiver base with V with a lot of top end complexity that really captivates me. It is probably my favorite fragrance to date.
Daily Challenge: u/TheStallionPartThree mentioned me earlier and this’ll be challenge entry and reply for a call out.
The man with a plan who cooks for Fanzine
He’s down with the brown which we call Ween
Could’ve lathered up some bubblegum and Rose
Instead Glace Herbe left me all froze
The Stallion whips up the Candi
His releases are sure to be dandy
Whether its Part one, two, or three
He made sure the Roses are Free!
$discord
- Comment on Saturday SOTD Thread, June 21st, 2025 (#739) 2 weeks ago:
June 21st, 2025: K.I.S.S.
- Brush: Rubberset - 400 w/ Maggard SHD Badger $DOORKNOB
- Razor: Equate - 2 Blade Disposable Cartridge $RAINBOW
- Lather: Catie’s Bubbles - Literal Lilac - Cream
- Post Shave: Catie’s Bubbles - Literal Lilac - Aftershave
Daily Theme: Today is keeping it simple. Lilac is the only note in my software today.
Daily Challenge: I really thought I was gonna do better than this today, but that is what I get for using a brush and base I am not very familiar with, a seemingly eternal two minutes and 46 seconds. I will say I got an incredible lather and was very pleased with the result. It made this cartridge feel decent, but I did get some redness and more pronounced splash feedback.
- Comment on Friday SOTD Thread, June 20th, 2025 (#738) 2 weeks ago:
June 20th, 2025: The Clash
- Brush: Rad Dinosaur Creations - Emerald Peak TnS v9 Tip Badger
- Razor: Schick - Injector
- Blade: Schick Yellow
- Lather: Catie’s Bubbles - 322 - Soap
- Post Shave: Spearhead Shaving Company - Seaforth! Sea Spice Lime - Aftershave
- Fragrance: Brut - Classic - Splash On
Daily Theme: 322 is a dark, dank, and even in soap form lingers on the skin, at least I get faint whiffs of it in the hour or two after shaving. Notes of Hatian Vetiver, Patchouli, Oakmoss, and and black currant, it does not exactly inspire images and feelings of zest and life, which is where Sea Spice Lime comes in. Following 322 up with Sea Spice Lime was like slamming and locking up the brakes to make a U-turn. While I can’t pick out each note specifically in this, the lime, sea spray, and pink pepper are the key notes that I notice and are a stark contrast to 322. It goes straight from walking out a underground cellar to strolling on the boardwalk with waves on the horizon, the olfactory experience matches this imagery. I finished my shave off with Brut Classic. It is green like SSL, but to me it is not in the same category. The anise hits hard up front and the woodiness sneaks in, a nice green fougere. Some notes are shared between these scents, and everybody’s experience of these scents will be different, but to my nose these do not go together well. Each successor steals the show.
Daily Challenge: Here is my entry for today’s challenge. I was really racking my brain on figuring something out for today, but I think it is a tasteful photo given my gear and available photo backdrops. The different shades of green are enough to stand on there own, but remain coordinated. The knot, SSL label, and Schick all have that creamy sail/ivory color and lends well to the leaves and stones. Don’t forget the black caps. I think this is a nice photo.
- Comment on Wednesday SOTD Thread, June 18th, 2025 (#736) 2 weeks ago:
- Brush: AP Shave Co. - Black Butterscotch w/ AP Pure Bliss Synthetic
- Razor: Schick - Injector
- Blade: Schick Yellow
- Lather: Declaration Grooming - Convergence - Soap
- Post Shave: Catie’s Bubbles - Top of the World - Aftershave
- Fragrance: Brut - Classic - Splash On
Daily Theme: According to Harvard Medicine, “the ability of odors to bring to mind past experiences has intriguing scientific and therapeutic implications”. A Harvard neurobiology professor reports that our sense of smell is intricately intertwined with our cognitive, memory, and emotional cents. Okay, what does this have to do with the theme? The first time I ever smelt Convergence, I was immediately brought back to my childhood elementary library. Why? I have no clue. It brings to mind the charging boxes of the old clamshell MacBook laptops we used. Speaking for myself because I know not everybody is fortunate of this, but I had an incredible childhood. Playing outside for recess with my friends, had no responsibilities, very little expectations, and experienced freedom like not every child gets to. I was free to be myself, have fun, and be a kid. As we all know, that illusion wears off eventually and we learn the ways of the world. It is so strange how a random soap sample conjured up these old feelings of freedom and wonder that I used to experience on a daily basis. I used Top of the World because it reminds me of going to Colorado as a graduation gift/family vacation after high school. Seeing and hiking mountains for the first time was a true eye opener and the freedom I felt when I got to hike mountain sides and seeing the vast views is certainly inspiring.
Daily Challenge: What do mirrors do? They reflect light. No mirror day ≈ no light day? Well, the logic isn’t there, but that’s what I did. I took my shower and then turned off all my bathroom lights, and did my best to cover all the door gaps letting it any bit of sunlight. I dug through my smush dopp bag and smelled each container until I found it. Luckily, it a Maggard sample and the shape of their containers are distinguishable and only picked through 4 or 5. Then I had to feel for the brush I was gonna use. Then the splash, by smelling nearly every C-Bubs splash I have because I went through 5 or 6 of them. I sat down in my old man shower chair and did everything my feel and memory. Surely the lather was bad because it felt weird on my face and felt a lot of the blade and tugging with an injector. After a few passes, I rinsed off and took my initial unflattering SOTD picture and then the original. Then as I was putting my Brut on, I accidentally knocked it into my sink feeling for it, but thankfully it was plastic and I don’t think I lost much. Lather Games is doing a number on me and I think I am losing the plot.
Notes: I do not have a shower mirror and the pics were taken after the shave.
$discord
- Comment on Wednesday SOTD Thread, June 18th, 2025 (#736) 3 weeks ago:
**June 18th, 2025: Canned Shave Goop featuring a Canadian pharmacy’s intercom music playlist
- Brush: Chisel & Hound - Cherry w/ v25 Fanchurian Badger
- Razor: Merkur - 34C
- Blade: Gillette Silver Blue
- Lather: Barbasol - Extra Moisturizing Shaving Cream
- Post Shave: Catie’s Bubbles - Tonsorial Parlour - Aftershave
- Fragrance: Catie’s Bubbles - Crangère - EdP
Daily Theme Justification: Barbasol is canned goop.
Daily Theme: Well well well… canned goop day. Goop maybe the catalyst why we have fallen into this
hobbytype of shaving. It is cheap, accessible, and gets the job done, sort of. You can certainly shave with this stuff, but a brush and soap will always be better. How about using a brush with goop? Nope. I did that today and it still sucked. While this Extra Moisturizing formula of Barbasol is better than Original, it still leaves room to be improved. The slickness is just not there and can prove a chore to add just the perfect amount of water to get it just right. Lack of slickness brings about unnecessary tugging and dragging, keeping the razor and blade from doing its job. I would consider using this on vacation, but there are just too many wet shaving travel options out there that are much better.Daily Challenge: ¡ʞɔɐʇs sᴉɥʇ ɹoɟ slǝqɐl ǝɥʇ ʇɐ ǝsolɔ ʞool oʇ ǝɹns ǝʞɐW ¡ƃuᴉʞɔɐʇs ʎddɐH ˙ʞɔɐq ʎɯ uᴉ uᴉɐɹʇs ǝlɔsnɯ ɐ ɥʇᴉʍ dǝǝlsɐ ɟlɐɥ ƃuᴉǝq ǝlᴉɥʍ op plnoɔ I ʇsǝq ǝɥʇ sᴉ sᴉɥ┴
- Comment on Tuesday SOTD Thread, June 17th, 2025 (#735) 3 weeks ago:
June 17th, 2025: Don’t have a Cow, Man!
- Brush: Chisel & Hound - Cherry w/ v25 Fanchurian Badger and Omega - 10077 Boar
- Razor: Blackland - Blackbird and Van Der Hagen - Traditional Safety Razor
- Blade: Gillette Silver Blue
- Lather: Catie’s Bubbles - Azure - Soap
- Post Shave: Catie’s Bubbles - 322 - Aftershave
Daily Theme Justification: I ASKED THE SPONSOR AND ARTISAN HIMSELF IF PREMIUM BASE IS VEGAN AND HE SAID YES.
Daily Theme: This has been said before and I will say it again. If you have not tried u/C_Bubbles Premium Base, you need to. It really does go to show that tallow is not the defining factor in making a great soap. There are shitty vegan and shitty tallow soaps. There are great vegan and great tallow bases. Please do not fall prey to the idea that vegan automatically means a lesser product.
Daily Challenge: There will be three parts to this challenge. If you are reading this, it is extremely likely you have a fair amount of different wetshaving gear and I want to explore if more money spent is better.
Inexpensive vs. Expensive Brushes: First up is the C&H badger brush versus the cheap Omega boar brush. I’ve always had sort of a love/hate with badger knots. A really good knot will be super plush and soft like this Fanchurian, but a lot of the times I have difficulty with lathering, as I did today. Load, load, load, and load some more, but right before you think you’re done, you’ll need to load some more. Once you do get the soap loaded, a lot of the times I experience lather that is good, but not as good as I know it can be. In comes the Omega boar brush. Yes, they are cheap, light, and can literally stink like a pig’s asshole. But I have never had issues with it picking up soap. Sure, they can eat lather when new, but that almost always subsides and the knot softens as well. This knot released the lather way better than the badger, which is normal in my experience. Which one is better? Neither, it is totally up to preference, but if I was forced to choose between these two, I’d honestly enjoy using the Omega more.
Inexpensive vs. Expensive Razors: This Van Der Hagen DE was my first safety razor and this Blackbird was one of my more recent razor purchases. One is chintzy, cheap, and mild. The other is precise, heirloom-esque, and aggressive. Two opposite sides of the razor spectrum. The VDH has hardly any blade feel, while the Blackbird is very blade forward and needs a careful touch. Again, which one is better? blah blah… preferences… blah blah. I enjoy milder razors more and I will move on from this section.
Light vs. Dark Software: Azure has been described as a “barbershop in the sky”. Airy, light, and somewhat reminiscent of the blue barbershop style scent. 322 has been described as a wine cellar with a bottle smashed in the corner. Both conceptually opposite and in literal terms. I just recently learned from the man himself that the specialty extract of labdanum in Azure smells resinous and has amber like qualities. The 322 scent smells very dark and dank with the slightest hint of fruitiness from the black currant. Applying the 322 splash grounds you into something darker after just having your head in the sky during the shave. The Yin and Yang of Catie’s Bubbles software.
- Comment on Monday SOTD Thread, June 16th, 2025 (#734) 3 weeks ago:
June 16th, 2025: Where’s the Beef?
- Brush: Rad Dinosaur Creations - Stars w/ AP G5C Synthetic
- Razor: Schick - Injector
- Blade: Schick Yellow
- Lather: Red House Farm - No Scrub - Soap
- Post Shave: Catie’s Bubbles - Tonsorial Parlour - Aftershave
Daily Theme Justification: No Scrub soap contains North American Black Bear tallow.
Daily Theme: Today’s theme was relatively easy for me. I have a few soaps that contain duck fat, but I realized I hadn’t used No Scrub yet during the Games. My lather sucked today, but 100% my fault due to today’s challenge.
Daily Challenge: I’m not sure if this is a new challenge, but man this was not that enjoyable. The splash was nice to start out with, but building a lather on a dry face proved to be really difficult. It doesn’t help that this soap can be difficult to load with a big brush. After two passes and a rinse, I was finished up. A very unsatisfying finish to a shave. I am looking forward to tomorrow for something a little bit more normal. Happy Monday!
- Comment on Sunday SOTD Thread, June 15th, 2025 (#733) 3 weeks ago:
June 15th, 2025: Father’s Day
- Prep: Proraso - Eucalyptus Oil & Menthol - Pre Shave Cream
- Brush: Omega - Bambino Boar $JETSETTER
- Razor: Merkur - 34C
- Blade: Gillette Silver Blue
- Lather: Mäurer & Wirtz - Tabac - Soap
- Post Shave: Mäurer & Wirtz - Tabac - Aftershave
- Post Shave: L’ Occitane Homme - L’Occitan After Shave Balm
- Fragrance: Brut - Classic - Splash On
Hardware Scavenger Hunt: I got this Bambino from my Proraso Travel Shave Kit. It is explicitly marketed as a travel sized version of the classic boar brush.
Daily Theme Justification: Tabac was first introduced in the early 1950’s. I was born in the 1990’s.
Daily Theme: What else is there to say about Tabac? It is stinky, it is good, and it heals the mind body and soul. I was lucky enough to find a tallow puck from our friend u/frankieivfingers and the lather was great today. All of my other gear was also consisted of brands that are older than me. Judges can look up the rest if there curious, but since it is just the lather that matters, that’s all ya get. Participants can’t be doing all the heavy lifting and work, right???
Daily Challenge: While I wasn’t able to dim lights and had no candle handy (nor safe space to put it in my bathroom FWIW), I made sure to put on some tunes (MGMT) and took my sweet ass time. After my shower, I started with a hot towel, which I never do, but it was nice to feel that for a few minutes. To balance that out, I used some Proraso Green Pre Shave and massaged it in for a good minute and let it sit while I was getting everything else ready. I used my Bambino on my Tabac puck and this was by far the best lather with Tabac I’d ever gotten. With hard pucks, using light pressure and just the tips (giggity) produced an excellent lather, thank you for the wisdom u/KerblimeySkal. The lather was damn near perfect for all passes and the Tabac splash was refreshing as well, dank yet clean. Finished with some balm that I also never use, but it has a nice calming scent to it. Brut Classic to finish it off. This Classic scent is seriously good and cheap and I would urge people to give it a try.
- Comment on Saturday SOTD Thread, June 14th, 2025 (#732) 3 weeks ago:
June 14th, 2025: Near Death Experience
- Brush: Pepto Bimsol Handle w/ Boti HMW Silk Badger $SILVERTIP $TOLL
- Razor: Weck Sextoblade - Med Prep $WECKONISTA
- Blade: Fromm - Hair Shaper
- Lather: Chicago Grooming - Irving Park
- Post Shave: Equate - 91% Isopropyl Alcohol
- Post Shave: Zingari Man - Unscented Sego Balm
- Fragrance: Noble Otter - Barrbarr - EdP
Hardware Scavenger Hunt: Just to appease the judges, here is a picture of my brush with the loft sitting precisely at 60mm.
Daily Theme: At first I thought I was going to have a difficult time deciphering which tub I was gonna use because I had been offloading some stuff I wasn’t using as much, so must of my tubs have fairly few shaves out of them. Thankfully, I sent out a load of smushes of this Irving Park tub, and I would estimate there’s probably one ounce left.
Daily Challenge: With it being World Blood Donor Day, I felt nauseous so of course I decided to down a whole bottle of Pepto Bismol pills. As I was staring blankly at the bottle questioning what I had I done, I figured this would actually make a good handle. I stuck one of my loose knots in, set it with silicone, and BOOM, new brush!! Keeping in theme with blood donating, I made sure to use my Med Prep Weck to ensure complete sterility. I hadn’t used any open blade for a hot minute now and I anticipated on this being a blood bath. However, it turned out to be an extremely smooth shave and only had ONE teeny tiny little weeper, but there was BLOOD! You can never be too careful though. I made sure to follow up my shave with some isopropyl alcohol and did not bother with a silly splash. Being clean with wounds is of utmost importance and it felt surprisingly nice. I had to finish off with something super sweet like Barrbarr to bring my sugars back up and on the mend!
- Comment on Friday SOTD Thread, June 13th, 2025 (#731) 3 weeks ago:
June 13th, 2025: Frugal Friday
- Brush: Omega - 10077 Boar
- Razor: Gillette - Tech $STAINLESSLESS
- Blade: Gillette Blue
- Lather: Van Der Hagen - Luxury Scented Shave Soap
- Post Shave: Mennen - Skin Bracer - Aftershave
- Fragrance: Old Spice - Classic - EdC
Daily Theme: I was originally going to use Proraso today, but found this puck of VDH soap for like $4 and that makes it cheaper. It actually lathered surprisingly well given the price. I need to give it another shot.
Daily Challenge: I used all my cheapest gear today of stuff I actually purchased and not just given to me. I used the loose Gillette Blue blade that came with this Tech. I don’t think the blade actually cut anything because it was extremely tuggy and then I never actually saw any stubble removed, nor does it feel like it. Can’t complain about the smells tho. The soap, Skin Bracer, and Old Spice are all classic scents that you can never go wrong with.
- Comment on Thursday SOTD Thread, June 12th, 2025 (#730) 3 weeks ago:
I’m always down for monkeying around on discord🐒
- Comment on Thursday SOTD Thread, June 12th, 2025 (#730) 3 weeks ago:
June 12th, 2025: Accountabilibuddies!
- Brush: Rad Dinosaur Creations - Cavern Dream w/ AP Pure Bliss Synthetic
- Razor: Chiseled Face - Legacy Ti
- Blade: Gillette Silver Blue
- Lather: Spearhead Shaving Company - Seaforth! Sea Spice Lime - Soap
- Post Shave: Spearhead Shaving Company - Seaforth! Sea Spice Lime - Aftershave
- Fragrance: Spearhead Shaving Company - Seaforth! Sea Spice Lime - EdT
Daily Theme: Originally, u/snoo-ting and I agreed to use our SSL sets today, but u/brokenjaw622 joined forces and so did u/djundjila and u/sahenders. Although BrokenJaw was originally supposed to use SSL with us, some djudges pushed his buttons and he has officially gone rogue. I used Catie’s Bubbles for Wildcard Wednesday and he’s since been holding my razor hostage, threatening to use it for devious acts!!! Somebody get control of this man!!!
Daily Challenge: I’m sure as soon as he saw the challenge yesterday, he probably knew it would be about him. After recently joining the discord last year, I was asking questions about brushes and u/KerblimeySkal gave me sage advice. I DM’ed asking more questions because I didn’t want to blow up the server and he was more than helpful offering me different options to help me with my brush and explained things in smooth brain level of understanding. To be honest, I don’t even know what the heck I was asking about and he can attest to my memory issues. Since then, we converse on a regular basis about nonsense, talk each other off ledges when we want to impulse purchase shaving gear, and talk some more nonsense. I consider him a very good friend of mine and that is something I cherish considerably of this hobby. Come for the shaving and stay for the company and the laughs. Thanks man for welcoming and answering a noob’s questions and being a friend.
$discord
