walden
@walden@sub.wetshaving.social
- Comment on Monday SOTD Thread, July 28th, 2025 (#776) 5 hours ago:
July 28th, 2025
- Brush: Zenith - 508A XL/Bristle (B35) (MOAR BOAR) 31mm Boar
- Razor: Joseph Rogers & Sons Near Wedge (1)
- Lather: London Razors, Summer Break Soaps - Mountain Laurel - Soap
- Post Shave: London Razors - Mountain Laurel - Aftershave
- Fragrance: House of Mammoth - Santa Noir - EdP
I rubbed this razor on my 10k today, but totally forgot to strop it. Either way, great shave. I like this razor a lot.
I’ve heard people mention some razors have softer metal, and I think this is one of them. It only lasted 10 shaves from my initial honing, and it has a softer “feel” to it. The softer feel could also just be the wedge shape?
This soap is getting close to the finish line. One or two more shaves and it’ll be done.
- Comment on Sunday SOTD Thread, July 27th, 2025 (#775) 1 day ago:
July 27th, 2025
- Brush: Wolf Whiskers - “Gianmaria” w/Maggard 26mm Synthetic
- Razor: Koraat 15/16 Full Hollow - Sub Exclusive ‘Moarteen’ (1)
- Lather: London Razors, Summer Break Soaps - Mountain Laurel - Soap
- Post Shave: Chatillon Lux - Delor de Treget - Aftershave
- Fragrance: Maher Olfactive - Madame Chouteau - EdP
I rubbed the Koraat on my 10k today, gave it some stropping, and went to town. I didn’t do a whole lot of packing peanut testing, but the little bit I did seemed like a “pass”. The heel did need slightly more attention than the rest of the razor. I used electrical tape so I didn’t have to set a new bezel. The shave was certainly an improvement, especially considering how little work I put into it.
I do plan on sending this to @gcgallant@sub.wetshaving.social eventually and half of me wanted to see a before/after from “factory” edge to whatever he decides to put on it. The other half of me wondered what I could accomplish myself with the current angles, and I was able to satisfy that curiosity.
I finished off this tiny sample of Madame Chouteau that @shavinginct sent to me a long time ago. I got an email that the 2025 version is now available. It’s such an interesting scent, but it’s just barely outside of my wheelhouse so I won’t be grabbing it.
- Comment on Saturday SOTD Thread, July 26th, 2025 (#774) 2 days ago:
July 26th, 2025
- Brush: Wolf Whiskers - “Gianmaria” w/Maggard 26mm Synthetic
- Razor: Koraat 15/16 Full Hollow - Sub Exclusive ‘Moarteen’ (18)
- Lather: London Razors, Summer Break Soaps - Mountain Laurel - Soap
- Post Shave: Brut - Brut - Splash On
- Fragrance: GLHF Workshop - Atriox - EdP
Decent straight razor shave. Felt sharp on certain passes, and not as sharp on other passes. I think what I’ll do (for science) is tape the spine (as Ulrik reportedly does) and rub this on my 10k synthetic to experience that. Depending on the results I’ll shave with it for a while longer, or send it off for a new edge!
- Comment on Free Talk Friday - July 25th, 2025 3 days ago:
I just published a new version of the SDS template. The changes are subtle, but nice.
There’s now a field for ‘Kill Date’, and the life of that product is calculated.
There’s a possible fix for some Reddit formatting problems that I’ve seen. Reddit seems to strip some whitespace, so I’ve added more in the form of a ‘<br>’ and a ‘<p>’. We’ll see if it works.
I added a Post-shave kill counter to the dashboard.
I moved the logout button to the bottom of the screen so it’s cleaner, especially on mobile.
- Comment on Sunday SOTD Thread, July 20th, 2025 (#768) 3 days ago:
We fly to Zurich and Geneva, which is twice as many airports as I initially thought!
- Comment on Free Talk Friday - July 25th, 2025 3 days ago:
- Comment on Friday SOTD Thread, July 25th, 2025 (#773) 3 days ago:
July 25th, 2025
- Brush: Wolf Whiskers - “Gianmaria” w/Maggard 26mm Synthetic
- Razor: Koraat 15/16 Full Hollow - Sub Exclusive ‘Moarteen’ (17)
- Lather: London Razors, Summer Break Soaps - Mountain Laurel - Soap
- Post Shave: Chicago Grooming Co. - Frankie & Myrna - Aftershave
- Fragrance: Auntie Anne’s Preztels 🥨 - Knead - EdP
Not as tuggy as last time, so I’m not in a hurry to send it off to @gcgallant which is good news. My last shave was probably a problem with technique, lather, or probably both. Speaking of Auntie Anne’s, I was at the Mall of America last week and went looking for one. I think I was on the wrong floor, but I did find a Wetzel’s Pretzels and it was just as delicious.
- Comment on Wednesday SOTD Thread, July 23rd, 2025 (#771) 4 days ago:
Thanks!
- Comment on Thursday SOTD Thread, July 24th, 2025 (#772) 4 days ago:
July 24th, 2025
- Brush: Stirling Soap Co. 24mm Synthetic
- Razor: Gillette Atra - Handle
- Blade: Personna Twin Pivot Plus (Atra) Cart (2)
- Lather: London Razors, Summer Break Soaps - Mountain Laurel - Soap
- Post Shave: Old Spice - Original - Aftershave
On a quick work trip, so a cartridge it is. Great, easy lather.
- Comment on Wednesday SOTD Thread, July 23rd, 2025 (#771) 4 days ago:
That works, too, but I’m more jesting about shaving and being smooth… like a swimmer.
- Comment on Wednesday SOTD Thread, July 23rd, 2025 (#771) 4 days ago:
Thank you. Mountain Laurel might be my next tub kill. Great scent and even better soap base.
- Comment on Wednesday SOTD Thread, July 23rd, 2025 (#771) 4 days ago:
Gotta stay aero for the bike ride.
- Comment on Wednesday SOTD Thread, July 23rd, 2025 (#771) 4 days ago:
Thanks!
- Comment on Wednesday SOTD Thread, July 23rd, 2025 (#771) 5 days ago:
July 23rd, 2025: Shave
- Brush: Wolf Whiskers - “Gianmaria” w/Maggard 26mm Synthetic
- Razor: Gillette Super Adjustable
- Blade: Bolzano Superinox (German) (1)
- Lather: London Razors, Summer Break Soaps - Mountain Laurel - Soap
- Post Shave: London Razors - Mountain Laurel - Aftershave
- Post Shave: Dove - Men+Care Ultra-Hydra - Cream
- Fragrance: G. Bellini - Homme
Today is my birthday, so I used my birth-quarter razor. It’s not my favorite razor, but it’ll do. Setting #3 works well for me, but since I use it so infrequently I figured I’d try setting 9 on the last pass. I don’t think it adds any efficiency, but I did get a couple of very minor weepers, so it adds to blade feel. I already knew, but aggressive razors are not for me (straight razors seem to be an exception to this rule).
- Comment on Sunday SOTD Thread, July 20th, 2025 (#768) 5 days ago:
We’ll fly standby so it somewhat depends which flight has seats. I’m partial to Belgium, but I’ll have to take a look and see where we operate to these days. I’ve always wanted to go to Switzerland, but last we looked (a long time ago) it was a pricey place to visit.
- Comment on Tuesday SOTD Thread, July 22nd, 2025 (#770) 5 days ago:
I may do that after giving it another couple of shaves…
- Comment on Tuesday SOTD Thread, July 22nd, 2025 (#770) 6 days ago:
July 22nd, 2025: Moarteen
- Brush: Ever-Ready - 400 w/Motherload 30mm Synthetic
- Razor: Koraat 15/16 Full Hollow - Sub Exclusive ‘Moarteen’ (16)
- Lather: Fanzine Saponifications - Test… Test… 123 - Soap
- Post Shave: Pinaud - Clubman Special Reserve - Aftershave
- Post Shave: Dove - Men+Care Ultra-Hydra - Cream
- Fragrance: Cross/Cut - Warm Woods - EdC
The razor felt tuggy for the first time that I remember. By the 3rd pass, though, things felt great. It’s possible that my lather wasn’t hydrating the whiskers properly. This is the first batch of Fanzine test soap, and I adore it, but it has a wide range of water options. By the 3rd pass I think I had it dialed in a bit better for this type of shaving.
The results are excellent. Very close, and despite the tugging I didn’t get any irritation.
- Comment on Sunday SOTD Thread, July 20th, 2025 (#768) 1 week ago:
Sounds like a really interesting trip. I’m hoping to drag the family to Europe in October. We haven’t been since before the pandemic.
- Comment on Monday SOTD Thread, July 21st, 2025 (#769) 1 week ago:
You just have to make sure to put in checked luggage because of the Bullet Tip moniker 🤣 (not withstanding the safety razor aspect of things).
- Comment on Monday SOTD Thread, July 21st, 2025 (#769) 1 week ago:
July 21st, 2025
- Brush: Stirling Soap Co. 24mm Synthetic
- Razor: Micromatic Flying Wing
- Blade: Personna GEM PTFE (9)
- Lather: Stirling Soap Co. - I, Rich Moose - Soap
- Post Shave: Stirling Soap Co. - I, Rich Moose - Aftershave
I finally gained access to my password manager using a combination of a VPN into my house, opening up Proxmox in a browser, and using a Remote Desktop to access it from a browser that is already authenticated. I was able to disable 2FA from the settings there, allowing me access from my new phone.
I was able to sort of remember my shaves since last Wednesday so I put them in the database. Feels good to be logged in and caught up.
We travel home today so this is the end of the tour for the greatest travel razor ever! Any Micromatic is excellent because you can turn the blade around so it’s safe to pack in a suitcase without slicing any probing fingers at the airport. It also keeps it safe from kids between shaves.
- Comment on Sunday SOTD Thread, July 20th, 2025 (#768) 1 week ago:
July 20th, 2025
- Brush: Stirling Soap Co. 24mm Synthetic
- Razor: Micromatic Flying Wing
- Blade: Personna GEM PTFE (8)
- Lather: Stirling Soap Co. - I, Rich Moose - Soap
- Post Shave: Stirling Soap Co. - I, Rich Moose - Aftershave
- Comment on Saturday SOTD Thread, July 19th, 2025 (#767) 1 week ago:
July 19th, 2025
- Brush: Stirling Soap Co. 24mm Synthetic
- Razor: Micromatic Flying Wing
- Blade: Personna GEM PTFE (7)
- Lather: Stirling Soap Co. - Friends to the End - Soap
- Post Shave: Stirling Soap Co. - I, Rich Moose - Aftershave
- Comment on Friday SOTD Thread, July 18th, 2025 (#766) 1 week ago:
July 18th, 2025
- Brush: Stirling Soap Co. 24mm Synthetic
- Razor: Micromatic Flying Wing
- Blade: Personna GEM PTFE (6)
- Lather: Stirling Soap Co. - I, Rich Moose - Soap
- Post Shave: Stirling Soap Co. - I, Rich Moose - Aftershave
- Comment on Thursday SOTD Thread, July 17th, 2025 (#765) 1 week ago:
July 17th, 2025
- Brush: Stirling Soap Co. 24mm Synthetic
- Razor: Micromatic Flying Wing
- Blade: Personna GEM PTFE (5)
- Lather: Stirling Soap Co. - Friends to the End - Soap
- Post Shave: Stirling Soap Co. - I, Rich Moose - Aftershave
My first go with Friends to the End! I bought this in the same order as I, Rich Moose because 1) dogs, and 2) @djundjila@sub.wetshaving.social really likes it. My opinion? I love it! A while ago InternalInfernal sent me a bunch of different pipe tobaccos and I discovered Perique. This soap has that rich, delicious perique aroma which I love. I have to look up the scent notes because I’m really curious what might give it that character.
- Comment on Wednesday SOTD Thread, July 16th, 2025 (#764) 1 week ago:
July 16th, 2025
- Brush: Stirling Soap Co. 24mm Synthetic
- Razor: Micromatic Flying Wing
- Blade: Personna GEM PTFE (4)
- Lather: Chicago Grooming Co. - Irving Park - Soap
- Post Shave: Stirling Soap Co. - I, Rich Moose - Aftershave
Posting retroactively since I lost access to all of my online accounts on this day.
Irving Park is a lightly scented dupe, and I really like it. I’ve used one other Rive Gauche dupe before which was scented stronger, and from my memory it was quite different. I’ve never smelt YSLRG in real life so I’m not sure which one is more accurate, but the CGC version is “classier” than the other one I’ve tried. Both are really good though, and I’m sure I’d enjoy any other dupe of this scent, too.
Thanks @BossHoggins10@sub.wetshaving.social !
- Comment on Free Talk Friday - July 18th, 2025 1 week ago:
I’ve had 5 days and counting of no account access (including 3 days of no phone or text ability).
I dropped my phone at the airport and the screen won’t turn on.
2FA is great, but it has meant being locked out of everything until I get home tomorrow.
Some apps on my new phone restored themselves from Google’s backup system, like Jerboa and Summit which is the only reason I can post here.
I finally gained access to my Google account because I changed the password 10 days ago and didn’t bother memorizing the new one 😀. Getting access back was a 4 day process.
I was hoping that regaining access to my email would mean regaining access to my self-hosted password manager, but it requires a 2FA code on new devices, and my 2FA app is on my broken phone 😩
Once I get home I can use my other devices to regain access to my password manager, so I’ve got that going for me.
Getting my Authenticator backup file off my old phone could be difficult without fixing the screen. It also might be relatively pointless since I only use it to access my password manager, which then serves as 2FA for everything else. So once I reset that, I can just set up a new code.
Overall it hasn’t been too bad being locked out of everything. We’ve been plenty busy visiting friends and family and it has been a great trip.
Lessons learned:
- Keep my Google password memorized, as it’s equally important to knowing my password manager pw and Google has a 48+ hour cool-off period to restore access.
- Backups of 2FA apps are only useful if they’re stored elsewhere.
- Modern security heavily revolves around having multiple devices, so if those other devices aren’t within reach they’re useless.
- Comment on Wednesday SOTD Thread, July 16th, 2025 (#764) 1 week ago:
I think the previous base was called ‘Canard’.
- Comment on Belkin Bricks Most Wemo Smart Home Devices, Again Demonstrating You Don’t Own What You Buy 1 week ago:
I have a crap ton of smart home stuff and zero of it relies on the cloud. It’s like anything else, you just have to be smart about what you buy, and the good stuff has a higher learning curve.
- Comment on Tuesday SOTD Thread, July 15th, 2025 (#763) 1 week ago:
July 15th, 2025: Moose
- Brush: Stirling Soap Co. 24mm Synthetic
- Razor: Micromatic Flying Wing
- Blade: Personna GEM PTFE (3)
- Lather: Stirling Soap Co. - I, Rich Moose - Soap
- Post Shave: Old Spice - Original - Aftershave
$discord
My first shave with I, Rich Moose was interesting. We have well water at our house, and it’s currently being treated with bleach. I’ve been showering at the local Rec Center yesterday and today, and figured it’d be a good idea to shave there as well.
I got my travel brush, a travel razor/blade, and Moose out of my backpack, slung a towel over my shoulder, and headed to the sinks. It’s the type of sink setup that you might see at an airport. A single “trough”, but a modern style with automatic spouts, automatic soap dispensers, and automatic hand dryers at each station. I hate this setup even for washing hands, but I was on a mission. There was just enough shelf space to hold things.
Lathering was effortless, and the fragrance of Moose was a delight. A half naked man walked behind me on the way to the shower, but paid me no mind. Pass number two started to get interesting. People started showing up to use the toilets and urinals (located behind me) and washing their hands at adjacent sink stations. While I appreciate good hygene, it was taking away from the relaxing vibe that I’ve come to expect while shaving.
I caught a glimpse in the mirror of what would ultimately bring my shave to a rather abrupt end. A large, bald, shirtless, 60ish year old man entered one of the stalls directly behind me. I don’t know what he had for lunch, but the sounds eminating from his stall make me think he should probably avoid it in the future. I pressed on, only having half of the second pass, and a 3rd pass to go.
With the 4 or 5 bathroom patrons slowly dissipating, I felt like a 3rd pass was easily in the cards. Then it hit me – the fresh, spicy, musky scent of I, Rich Moose started to blend with other smells that can hardly be described as “pleasant”. I quickly finished my second pass, rinsed most of the soap out of my brush, and retreated to the adjacent room as quickly as possible.
Even with only two passes, I got a very decent shave! I would definitely shave at the Rec Center again, but maybe I’ll wait for late evening when it’s not as busy and people have mostly finished their daily movements.
- Comment on BVWSC Reøinder: Wednesday the day 2 weeks ago:
Thanks for the reminder!
