Friday, March 1, 2024

• Prep: hot shower
• Brush: Yaqi 24mm Naples Tuxedo Knot
• Razor: Gillette Aristocrat (1948-50)
• Blade: Durablade Sharp Hi Chromium (2)
• Lather: Chiseled Face - Midnight Stag - Shaving Soap
• Post Shave: Chiseled Face - Midnight Stag - Aftershave Balm

Since I don’t use the Stag all that often it always feels like a treat whenever I do. Good way to celebrate the weekend.

Mar 1, 2024 - MM24 1st Match-Up: B+M vs. CGC

• Brush: Brochas El Druida/House of Mammoth Tobacconist Chisel & Hound v8 Fanchurian
• Razor: EldrormR Industries MM24 #MMarch24
• Blade: Personna GEM PTFE [1]
• Lather: Chicago Grooming Co./House of Mammoth - Armonía - Soap (Darkwing)
• Post Shave: House of Mammoth - Shire 2 - Splash
• Post Shave: Chicago Grooming Co. - Golden Balm - Balm
• Fragrance: House of Mammoth - Shire 2 - Eau de Parfum

Keeping with my usual #FougereFriday theme, I had plenty of great fougère choices from B+M. However, one fougère scent from CGC stood out as a clear contender.

While Armonía is officially a scent by Ben of HoM, Darkwing is criminally underrated. Vida of CGC quietly produces some amazing soap bases, and her partnership with Ben has proved that as well.

B+M, with their large scent catalog and history of great soap bases—culminating in Omnibus, will likely take the win today, but I’m rooting for the underdog.

Rating: 4.5/5

LET’S GO!

• Brush: Dogclaration LG 2022 Mystery Brush (B16)
• Razor: EldrormR Industries - GEM Division: MM24
• Blade: Personna #GEM PTFE
• Lather: Barrister and Mann — Roam
• Aftershave: Stirling Soap Co — Varen
• Fragrance: House of Mammoth — Shire 2

I’ve been looking forward to u/ShavingInCT’s March Madness and u/Enndeegee’s and u/tsrblke’s side challenges over on the sub!

I’m not confident at all in the bets I submitted to Enndeegee, I have a feeling that quite a few underdogs will get boosted. For instance, by bet today is on Chicago Grooming winning.

Excellent shave today with Soft Hearts Roam, and I stumbled upon a nice scent progression. interestingly, they also have decreasing initial intensity and Roam starts out dominating (unsurprisingly). Already now as I write this up, Varen starts to peak through the fading soap scent. I’m looking forward to Shire taking the lead in a half an hour.

Papa Eld’s MM24 was efficient and pleasant as always and the mystery B16’s pillowy pampering hit the spot.

#MMarch24

SOTD 01.03.2024

• Prep: warm water
• Razor: Wilkinson Sword Classic
• Blade: Rapira Platinum Lux
• Brush: AP Shave Co. Snakeskin w/ 26 mm Flattop/Fan hybrid
• Lather: Moon Soaps - Union
• Post Shave: Isana toner; Phytorelax Headshave ASB
• Fragrance: Tom Ford Ombre Leather EdP

Birthday head shave. I actually post this on the second of March in my time zone, but on the first I turned 30 years old.

When I was younger, I always thought that by 30 I’d have everything in order: successful job, a own house, a wife, maybe kids or at least plans to get one. Instead I celebrated my 30th birthday with Tom, my classmate from nursing school who accompanies me during an internship because I am currently still in a retraining to become a registered nurse as I realized by 2020 that being an occupational therapist isn’t my ‘real’ thing. We did a small celebration in our little room at the rehabilitation centre in Bad Liebenstein where we’re currently working and sleeping. I swerved. I realised that I was on a wrong path and that something else is my true passion that I’d have never thought of if it wasn’t for the Covid pandemic forcing me into that job. Still no house of my own. Still no wife, not even a girlfriend. But I still have something worthwhile: friends. So many people wrote to me today, it was overwhelming to see what a positive impact I have on others.

Oh, the shave itself was rushed. Just one pass before my late shift at my station. Moon’s Union is a small diameter tub so it fit nicely into my backpack as I wanted to have at least one luxurious shave for my special day… But this being a barbershop soap fits. A clean cut, a fresh start, a new decade of my life. Time to rock my thirties!

March 1, 2024 - A Samurai Shave

• Brush: Zenith r/Wetshaving 31mm x 57mm Moar Boar

• Razor: Iwasaki 13/16" Full Hollow Square Point Tamahagane

• Lather: Chicago Grooming - AG 1889 - Soap

• Toner: Thayers - Lavender - Toner

• Aftershave: Chicago Grooming - AG 1889 - Aftershave

2 passes. Face lather. Excellent shave.

For my first shave of March Madness, I’m supporting the underdog. Though seeded 16, I think that Vida of Chicago Grooming Co. demonstrates the depth of great talent that we consumers of shaving products have available to us. I enjoyed my first shave with this r/Wetshaving exclusive. The scent off of the tub when I first opened it was strong in lavender but after lathering it and using it the overall blend came through.

I’ve had this Iwasaki razor since the fall of 2023. I finally decided to stop admiring it, put an edge on it, and use it. Today’s shave was a test shave. The razor passed with flying colors. Ultra close and comfortable. I could not be happier with it as a shaver.

The steel on this razor (Tamahagane) was revered by samurai sword makers. If you’re interested in it, here is a video that describes it.

If you’re interested, I made a video of honing this razor on a Japanese natural sharpening stone. The video will be viewable late in the evening USA EST.

March 1, 2024

• Brush: Dogwood Handcrafts “Santa Noir” w/Maggard 28mm SHD Badger
• Razor: EldrormR Industries MM24
• Blade: Personna GEM PTFE (1)
• Lather: Barrister & Mann - Cologne Russe - Soap
• Post Shave: Barrister & Mann - Reserve Fern - Aftershave
• Post Shave: Nivea Sensitive Balm (#MMarch24)

Very nice shave. The fresh blade was a dream compared to yesterday’s which was on its 12th sortie.