Monday, November 4, 2024: Autumn Ash 2021-2024

• Preshave: Proraso Green Preshave
• Brush: Semogue Owner’s Club Boar 🐗 ‘Taj’
• Razor: Koraat 14.2 Straight Razor
• Lather: Southern Witchcraft Autumn Ash
• Postshave: Naissance 702 Witch Hazel
• Postshave: Epsilon Blue Mediterranean
• Postshave: Nivea After Shave Balm

Autumn Ash is no more, and I will be able to rediversify my shaving activities. This shave was a blast from the past, not only lather-wise; I also managed to cut my nostril (hadn’t had that in a long time!). The Koraat is slightly smoother than yesterday, still lacks in smoothness. I hope it will smooth out.

Have a good evening!

~Shared via emacs & sotd.el~

04.11.2024 - MMMMFF Tobacco

• Brush: vintage yellow bakelite handle w/ 21 mm AP Shave SynBad knot
• Razor: GEM Micromatic Bullet Tip/Flying Wing (gold)
• Blade: GEM PTFE
• Lather: House of Mammoth - Tobacconist
• Post-Shave: HAGS Barberwood AS toner; Alterra men natural ASB

1 pass face shave to get back into the swing of things while still giving my face a bit rest after yesterday’s rough shave. Comfortable shave but not close at all.

Oh look, Dave has done the MMMMFF thing despite his aversion to themed shaves! Yeah, sometimes a little nostalgia is all it takes to get me going. Tobacconist was great as always, the Flying Wing is perhaps the GEM razor with the best handle in terms of ergonomics for me and it’s a pretty mild but efficient shaver.

I realized today that I totally lack any balms or toners with tobacco… I should change that. Weird justification for impulse buying? Maybe. It’ll suffice though. 🤔

November 4, 2024

• Brush: AP Shave Co. - 24mm 2Bed Synthetic
• Razor: Chiseled Face - Legacy Raw Titanium (#69)
• Blade: Personna Lab Blue (3)
• Lather: Speick - Cream
• Post Shave: Aqua Velva - Musk - After Shave Cologne
• Post Shave: allMan - Refined - Balm

Luxury shave, as they call it.

If Speick was ubiquitous where I lived (like, available at the drug store), I wonder if I would take it for granted. I find it to be a really excellent, nice smelling shave product that I really enjoy using.

November 4, 2024

• Brush: AP Shave Co Black 26mm G5A

• Blade Holder: Gillette Tech English Flat Bottom

• Blade: Astra Superior Platinum (1)

• Lather: Southern Witchcrafts - Autumn Ash - Soap

• Aftershave: Noble Otter - Cerberus - Aftershave

2 passes. Bowl lather. Excellent shave.

— Travel shave. Tis the season for Autumn Ash. It must be used. And, as we all know, Cerberus matches zero or more soap scents.

November 4, 2024

• Brush: Zenith - B21 boar
• Razor: Rockwell - 6C (R3 plate)
• Blade: Astra - Superior Platinum (1)
• Lather: Barrister and Mann - Latha Taiga
• Post: Barrister and Mann - Latha Taiga AS splash
• Post: Stirling - Glacial Unscented AS balm
• Frag: Stirling - Arkada EdT

Balsam, pine, and cedar. A lovely shave all around.

The splash has a bit of sweetness to it that surprised me, but I found it quite enjoyable.

Off to face the election week. Try to stay positive y’all.

November 4, 2024

• Brush: AP Shave Co. - 24mm 2Bed Synthetic
• Razor: Chiseled Face - Legacy Raw Titanium (#69)
• Blade: Personna Lab Blue (2)
• Lather: Stirling Soap Co. - Scots Pine Sheep - Soap
• Post Shave: Old Spice - Hawkridge - Aftershave
• Post Shave: allMan - Refined - Balm

Great soap, of course, but the Scots Pine scent doesn’t inspire much thrill in me. It’d be good for someone who plans on using the same soap every day and doesn’t want to think about it.

Nov 4, 2024 - Mammoth Monday: Embrace

• Brush: Chisel & Hound The Diplomat 26mm v19 Fanchurian Badger Knot
• Razor: Mühle R41
• Blade: Gillette 7 O’Clock Super Stainless (Green) [28]
• Lather: House of Mammoth - Embrace - Soap
• Post Shave: House of Mammoth - Embrace - Splash
• Fragrance: House of Mammoth - Embrace - Eau de Parfum

Fake Yellow Leather Mon 04 Nov 2024

• Brush: Chisel and Hound – Ambrosia Maple with 26 mm synthetic Maggard knot
• Razor: GEM Micromatic Flying Wing (NOS, chrome plated)
• Blade: Personna GEM PTFE
• Lather: House of Mammoth – Almond Leather
• Post Shave: Declaration Grooming – Fake Yellow Light

These two scents work so well together, perfect for a second luxury MicroMatic Mammoth Monday shave. For a morning shave, I’d have added Gratiot League Square frag, but that would be a bit much right now. It’s a pity that Almond Leather was discontinued, but seeing how Ben really excels at creating new fragrances, this is easy to get over.

I’m really enjoying the return to GEM razors these days. Maybe I will do a complete GEM tour from 1912 to Contour II this month. Although that’s always a bit unsatisfying because it starts with a crescendo and ends with a whimper.

I also haven used this fluted C&H brush in a while. I’m considering pulling the knot and replacing it with a v25 Fanchurian. I just don’t enjoy this synth knot so much anymore, but I love this handle.

November 4, 2024 - Morado Monday

• Brush: AP Shave Co Summer 28mm G5C

• Blade Holder: Carbon Shaving Co. Cx-316L

• Blade: Gillette 7 O’Clock SharpEdge (Yellow) (6)

• Lather: Saponificio Varesino - Morado - Soap

• Aftershave: Saponificio Varesino - Morado - Aftershave

2 passes. Face lather. Excellent shave.

Morado, like all the SV soaps I have, has a wonderful, subtle fragrance that’s warmer and very suitable for fall and winter.

November 4, 2024 - At it Again

• Brush: Yaqi - Sagrada Familia 24mm synthetic
• Razor: Rockwell - 6C (R3 plate)
• Blade: Astra - Superior Platinum (2)
• Lather: Stirling - Oro Valley
• Post: Stirling - Oro Valley AS splash
• Post: Ginger’s Garden - Unscented AS balm + menthol
• Frag: Stirling - Oro Valley EdT

Such a great scent, I’m happy to now have this trifecta in my rotation.

I had a bit of burn during my first pass that went away for the second and third. I’m hoping my skin was just feeling sensitive and that it isn’t suddenly frag burn with this scent.

I also wonder whether this brush might be irritating my skin. I seem to remember I also had a bit of burning the last time I used it.

Luxurious (™️)

MMMMFF Mon 04 Nov 2024

• Brush: Chisel and Hound – Ambrosia Maple with 26 mm synthetic Maggard knot
• Razor: GEM Micromatic Flying Wing (NOS, chrome plated)
• Blade: Personna GEM PTFE
• Lather: House of Mammoth – Shire
• Post Shave: Summer Break Soaps – Valedictorian
• Fragrance: House of Mammoth – Shire 2

Feels good to do a MicroMatic Mammoth Monday Formation Flight again after a few months of exclusive open blade use.

The Flying Wing is such a nice razor to use. Efficient, decent blade feel but not in-your-face, pretty. The Shire + Valedictorian combination is a winner, but I’m thinking I should have tried using the Roam Two frag. Shire and Roam Two should work together well, I’m just not sure whether Shire can bridge the gap between Valedictorian (cleaner, fresher, less outdoorsy) and Roam Two (very outdoorsy, not fully dirty, but definitely not clean).

A Valedictorian (Bilbo’s living room) -> Shire (the adventure begins!) -> Roam Two (a few days in, torn clothes, muddy boots, but spirits still high) progression would likely work better, but the cooling agent in Shire is too jarring for me to enjoy it. Luckily there is a batch of uncool Shire splash in the works according to inside sources (i.e., straight from the mammoth’s mouth)!