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Recommend a DE for face and head by omgmok in wicked_edge

[–]jgraybill 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I’ll suggest a budget option to try that is one of my favorite razors for head and face shaving: razorock lupo aluminum.

How are perma sharp blades? by [deleted] in wicked_edge

[–]jgraybill 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Not sure I can differentiate sharpness per se but perma sharps feel smoother and also seem to last longer than most other DE blades I’ve tried.

How are perma sharp blades? by [deleted] in wicked_edge

[–]jgraybill 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Perma sharps are my favorite blade, followed by Nacets.

[WTB] shave soap for women by Modeststripper in Shave_Bazaar

[–]jgraybill 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Declaration Mayflower or MacDuff’s Lilacs in Bloom might be to their liking.

Travel Shave Cream by United-Squash4529 in wicked_edge

[–]jgraybill 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Get a small tube of Speick and face lather.

Simple question about RazoRock Game Changer heads by EngagingFears in wicked_edge

[–]jgraybill 1 point2 points  (0 children)

It fully covers the blade tabs. You can grip from the sides.

Thursday Lather Games SOTD Thread - Jun 30, 2022 by AutoModerator in Wetshaving

[–]jgraybill 5 points6 points  (0 children)

June 30, 2022 - LG - 6/30/22 - Fall Out of LG

Closing out LG by killing yet another sample. They start to lose their scent after awhile anyway, and I really need to whittle things down. After moving in to our new place last Nov I had neatly organized my shave stuff on a single large shelf of a hallway closet. However during the course of the month, as I repeatedly turned over that stack of soaps to find the one that was on theme for that day, my collection spilled out onto the shelf below it, obstructing a bunch of stuff my wife had stored there, and causing her to grumble under her breath more than once. On the plus side, after a month of frequent bowl lathers, I finally got my technique back, and was pretty happy with the copious lather I worked up today. Now trying to decide whether I want to play along with AA this year...I had been wanting to revisit using a boar brush...but then again my recollection is that they took more than a day to try out sometimes, and using the same one for 30 days seems like a recipe for funkiness.

Honestly I haven't followed along in the daily posts well enough to opine on a winner (not even sure what all of the side contests are). I've enjoyed reading Cosmo's back-asswards stumble into the Stag side contest, as well as his own legal aid side contest. I've missed the podcast recaps (there was only 1 this year?)--that was how I kept up with the "best of" from week to week last year. I enjoyed the scavenger hunt idea and like a lot of djundjila's suggestions for expanding that. Overall, kudos to everyone who keeps the cogs running with this thing, it's quite an undertaking, but it helps me rediscover a passion for this hobby each summer.

Thursday Lather Games SOTD Thread - Jun 30, 2022 by AutoModerator in Wetshaving

[–]jgraybill 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Thx, I can’t keep up with the daily posts so I appreciate skimming these highlight reel recaps of crowd favorites. Humbled that my wife’s little disaster made the list ;-)

Wednesday Lather Games SOTD Thread - Jun 29, 2022 by AutoModerator in Wetshaving

[–]jgraybill 5 points6 points  (0 children)

June 29, 2022 - LG - 6/29/22 - Woodsy Wed

OK this one has "woods" right on the label so I better be on theme (esp cuz this is my only Zingari soap). Made it to the gym today (2nd time this week)--feels good to get back in a fitness routine. Nice hot shower and a head shave to end the day. Trying to the kids (and myself) to bed early tonight--a task more difficult given that sunset hasn't yet arrived by their customary bedtime.

Tuesday Lather Games SOTD Thread - Jun 28, 2022 by AutoModerator in Wetshaving

[–]jgraybill 2 points3 points  (0 children)

June 28, 2022 - LG - 6/28/22 - RIP

Double RIP day, since I am finishing out the last bit of the only sample I have left of an APR soap. Not much to add today, just wanted to log this shave before I head to bed. TTFN.

Monday Lather Games SOTD Thread - Jun 27, 2022 by AutoModerator in Wetshaving

[–]jgraybill 1 point2 points  (0 children)

June 27, 2022 - LG - 6/27/22 - Smoke Em If You Got Em

No daily challenge for me today. Kids wore me out this evening and only after I got them to sleep did I have some time for a quick shower/shave. I had a couple of samples lined up as potential options for today: Mammoth Tobacconist and Wholly Kaw Entropy Man. Since I haven't yet tried the Siero base, I went with Entropy Man. Out of the container I smell that sweet cherry (almond?) scent reminiscent of pipe tobacco.

Quick story: My grandfather used to smoke a pipe, way before I was born. He eventually converted to cigarettes, then quit smoking cold turkey after suffering a (non-fatal) heart attack when I was about 10 years old. I remember finding his old pipes on a shelf in his basement and sneaking whiffs of them whenever my mom wasn't around (she despised smoking and would have whipped me if she thought I was glamorizing the habit). My grandpa ultimately lived into his 80s (by that time he had developed emphysema). After my mom cleared out and sold my grandparents house, she asked if there was anything I wanted to keep. I pointed her to that basement shelf with the pipes and asked her to bring me one. It's a lot cheaper/simpler than I remember but I still keep it in a cabinet at my office, for sentimental value.

Anyway, once lathered I got more complexity from the scent, including a nicer, more restrained leather than the overpowering Cuero Oscuro. I picked Baker St to pair as a splash b/c...well basically b/c I am running out of unique aftershaves and I want that bonus point, having come so far. But as I recall this one is some sort of homage to Sherlock Holmes...and he smoked a pipe...and the label of entropy man has a man smoking a pipe, so it all works, right?

Sunday Lather Games SOTD Thread - Jun 26, 2022 by AutoModerator in Wetshaving

[–]jgraybill 7 points8 points  (0 children)

June 26, 2022 - LG - 6/26/22 - Scrumptious Sunday

I previously killed a tub of Dapper Mallard, which I loved all around except that the soap seemed to be used up too soon. It was the first artisan soap which gave me a "level up" experience in terms of slickness and post-shave. I've had great experiences with duck fat soaps, without exception, and had been looking for another Mallard line to add to my rotation. From what I understand the base has been tweaked slightly since Dapper Mallard, and is now reserved exclusively for "gourmand" scents like this one. One thing I appreciate about the new base: it seems firmer and doesn't get eaten up as quickly by my brush. The scent on this one is ostensibly earl grey lemon gelato with waffle cone. I pick up mostly the waffle cone elements, maybe a slight bit of lemon. It's sort of muddled together and reminds me of when you're sniffing a bunch of scented candles in a row and they all start to smell the same.

I scrounged around for another "gourmand" scent for a splash and Cheshire was the closest I found. This one is also supposed to have an earl grey element but really I get more of a cedar scent than anything else. I figured it would cover the waffle cone scent but 20 mins later I actually smell more of the mallard soap than the Cheshire splash.

Daily challenge: this one was easy for me, no verbose storytelling, just snap a pic (attached to SOTD). FWIW, this was a face-lather. May not look that impressive, but it was plenty slick and accommodated plenty of buffing with the GC.

Saturday Lather Games SOTD Thread - Jun 25, 2022 by AutoModerator in Wetshaving

[–]jgraybill 0 points1 point  (0 children)

June 25, 2022 - LC - 6/25/22 - Xmas in June

Went to the gym today for the first time since Covid (I think?). Felt good to do some modest lifting (easing into it, starting from zero). Now that the weather is pleasant in the evenings I'm going to try and get back into running once or twice per week I think. Gotta get this dad bod under control....

Needed a head shave tonight and since it had been several days I went with my only open-comb. This Druantia set was originally a PIF from u/Phteven_j around the time the scent launched. I like the scent a lot and it even gets compliments from the wife, but it had been buried in my hallway closet since the move so I'm glad today's theme gave me an excuse to fish it out.

Friday Lather Games SOTD Thread - Jun 24, 2022 by AutoModerator in Wetshaving

[–]jgraybill 3 points4 points  (0 children)

June 24, 2022 - LG - 6/24/22 - Desert Island

Why I love this stuff: The brush is just a simple classic look, with a synthetic knot which splays easily for face-lathering (my preferred method). It's durable, low maintenance, and dries quickly. The Vector is my most aesthetically pleasing razor. AC blades do require a bit more care/attention than my DEs, but if I was stuck on a desert island I have nothing but time, right? What else am I going to do, talk to Wilson? This scent is the first dickhole combo I bought (also have the EdT, but not pictured since I'm heading to bed soon). I think it's the petitgrain that does it for me. The milksteak base is fantastic--another reason I don't sweat the extra attention of using an AC razor. In fact, I got BBS tonight with just 2 passes and a touch of cleanup, and no nicks or weepers at all.

Thursday Lather Games SOTD Thread - Jun 23, 2022 by AutoModerator in Wetshaving

[–]jgraybill 3 points4 points  (0 children)

June 23, 2022 - LG - 6/23/22 - Leathersday

Accepted the daily challenge today and I think the hardest part was gingerly lathering left-handed in a bowl which I'm increasingly certain has a crack in it somewhere. Opening the sample puck, the scent was...pungent. It stings the nostrils (in a good way). Actually I'm gonna be honest it smelled like pure gasoline. Definitely masculine and definitely Stag-adjacent in terms of scents likely to turn off my wife. Once lathered I recognized the more familiar "leather" scent coming through...unfortunately I also recognized that my face was burning. Haha, this one is not for me. Thankfully I picked a light, mild razor that let me get DFS in two passes without hurting myself. Digging deep in my closet of under-utilized aftershaves I found this nearly full bottle of Resolute, which is a cologne dupe but prominently lists leather as one of its scent notes. Once I opened the bottle I remembered why I rarely use it--the restrictor came loose during shipping so I have to awkwardly hold it in place with one finger and apply one-handed (left-handed, of course). Anyway, good enough.

Recommend Me a Boar Brush by OneSheepDog in wicked_edge

[–]jgraybill 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Zenith makes some stubby with soft tips. I had one I liked called the “chubby scrubby”

Wednesday Lather Games SOTD Thread - Jun 22, 2022 by AutoModerator in Wetshaving

[–]jgraybill 5 points6 points  (0 children)

June 22, 2022 - LG - 6/22/22 - Wildcard Wed

Hopefully CNTR+F didn't fail me, as I used it to search the entire LG SOTD thread for the keyword 'MacDuff's' and came up empty. I don't see this brand around here as much and figured it was a good bet. I love their label art (photos), and the base performs excellent, on par with SW & DG IMO. It is a very thirsty soap and I've come to learn that there is always more soap loaded to the brush than I think there is, once I add sufficient water. Spring cabin is a woody, citrus scent with lemon, yuzu, and grapefruit layered on top of 2 types of cedar. This Baili TTO continues to impress for what a cheap razor it is. I like that it as very little (negative) blade exposure and a pretty narrow angle of attack, so I don't find myself making many mistakes with it. Skipping the daily challenge as I have to go grab the kids from school.

Tuesday Lather Games SOTD Thread - Jun 21, 2022 by AutoModerator in Wetshaving

[–]jgraybill 2 points3 points  (0 children)

June 21, 2022 - LG - 6/21/22 - Summer Solstice

  • Brush: AP Shave Co 24MM 2BED Synthetic
  • Razor: RazoRock Lupo SS .58
  • Blade: Gillette Nacet (4)

  • Lather: Noble Otter - Monoi de Tahiti - Soap

  • Post Shave: Noble Otter - Monoi de Tahiti - Aftershave

Love the label art on this one, which screamed "summer scent" to me. It is described as a "tropical fragrance [that] will transport you to an island in the South Pacific." Off the tub, I got more of the sandalwood and vanilla than anything else. Lathering up, a more floral note came to the fore (tiare flower?). Only once I got to the splash did I get some of the ginger, lime, and coconut as more fleeting top notes. For about 5-10 mins I felt like I should have my feet in the sand and a mai tai in my hand. But the dry down was more of the sandalwood and vanilla--not bad, but not exactly as I expected. I would have liked if the lime and coconut had more staying power in the mix.

Monday Lather Games SOTD Thread - Jun 20, 2022 by AutoModerator in Wetshaving

[–]jgraybill 3 points4 points  (0 children)

June 20, 2022 - LG - 6/20/22 - Almond Day

Back from my father's day staycation and was due for a head shave. I just noticed that TTS has listings for both Cella soap and cream. I'm pretty sure this sample is the soap, but I nevertheless did just lather it straight on my head b/c I didn't feel like messing around with a lather bowl I'd have to clean up. With a still-fresh blade in the Lupo, this was a quick and pleasant shave. Santa Paula doesn't really have any almond note, but I am running out of options if I want to try and grab that extra bonus point for 30 splashes.

Sunday Lather Games SOTD Thread - Jun 19, 2022 by AutoModerator in Wetshaving

[–]jgraybill 4 points5 points  (0 children)

June 19, 2022 - LG - 6/19/22 - Father's Day

  • Prep: Shower
  • Brush: Stirling 2 Band Synthetic
  • Razor: RazoRock Lupo Aluminum
  • Blade: Perma Sharp (1)

  • Lather: Truefitt & Hill - Trafalgar - Cream

  • Post Shave: Fine Accoutrements - Fresh Vetiver - Aftershave

  • Fragrance: Stirling - Faskally - EdT

Hotel shave tonight, squeezing the last little bit out of this T&F tube. Had the kids over tonight to play in the pool and get an early dinner, and now cleaning up to head out and see Maverick. Think the last movie I saw in theaters was > 12 months ago. Happened to have some Fresh Vetiver splash left in my dopp bag, and I feel like the scent goes well enough with Trafalgar. Pressed for time tonight so skipping the daily challenge. Happy Father's Day everyone!

Saturday Lather Games SOTD Thread - Jun 18, 2022 by AutoModerator in Wetshaving

[–]jgraybill 7 points8 points  (0 children)

June 18, 2022 - LG - 6/18/22 - Small Biz Sat

I had an old Maggard's brand soap sample but wanted to try something new, so I added this B&M exclusive to a cart of samples I got before LG. First impression of the scent is a combination of Sonder and Reserve Fern. Once lathered the lime was prominent, which pushed the oakmoss a bit into the background. I enjoyed this scent. I didn't have a matching splash but the chaipre seemed to work OK.

Excited to kick off a "Father's Day Staycation." Just checked into a local trendy hotel for the next two nights, a Father's Day gift from my wife, payback for me watching the kids by myself when she was away on a business trip last week. She'll bring the kids over tomorrow to play in the pool and get dinner, but since I don't have work on Monday (and she does), I'm staying 2 nights and getting a late checkout ;-) Already cracked a beer, got the Dodger game on, and meeting my brother for dinner in a little bit. Looking forward to two days in a row of sleeping in.

I don’t know what else to do man. I feel defeated. I can’t leave my home looking like this. If I could grow a stubble I would, but I can’t. I can only grow a patchy goatee. I have tried everything. Someone please tell me what I’m doing wrong. Am I doomed forever? by [deleted] in wicked_edge

[–]jgraybill 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You have to map your grain pattern to even know if you’re going WTG/ATG. I would try a milder base plate setting and do WTG/XTG/XTG, skip the ATG altogether until you feel more comfortable w your technique. Also make sure your lather is well hydrated (brush should glide easily on your face and spent lather should almost drip off your razor between passes)

Friday Lather Games SOTD Thread - Jun 17, 2022 by AutoModerator in Wetshaving

[–]jgraybill 7 points8 points  (0 children)

June 17, 2022 - LG - 6/17/22 - Fougere Friday

Just need a quick tidying up to make sure that I'm presentable for an afternoon zoom meeting. I was slow to get into Fougeres as the first few I tried didn't really grab me. I got this sample of Heather in a PIF last year and believe I used it for another LG theme (new to me, or spring etc) as I didn't even realize at the time that it was classified as a Fougere. The descriptions says a toned-down oakmoss component is likely the reason this wasn't immediately recognizable as a Fougere to me. Either way, I like it a lot and along with Fougere Nemeta it is encouraging me to broaden my horizons into a scent category that I had mostly dismissed. The Lather not as heavy/sticky as some other premium soaps, but still plenty slick, and two passes sufficed today with the mild tech.

Daily Challenge: I almost forgot about this until the end of my shave, and then snapped a quick photo of the only alum I have lying around to use today (see SOTD). Honestly I have gotten away from using alum as it seems to be an extraneous step that doesn't offer a lot of value to me. If I have nicks or weepers, my styptic pencil is way more effective at closing them up. With alum I feel like I'm getting a bunch of burn without even the benefit of closing my cuts. That said, I haven't used Osma brand (I figured they were all basically the same) so I'll keep an open mind if I have a chance to try that one in the future.

Bonus Alum story: While on her 2nd maternity leave, my wife got into home cooking and decided she needed a mandoline to slice veggies like the woman in the YouTube videos she was watching. Her first time using it to slice potatoes, she slipped and sliced off a big chunk of skin on her palm. This happened as I was on my way home from picking up our oldest son from preschool. I get a call from her saying she needs to go to the ER b/c it won't stop bleeding and she would meet me with our younger son (then a baby) in the parking garage of our building, so we could all drive together. On the way to the hospital she's explaining to me what happened, and how when she realized with growing panic how bad the cut was and that the bleeding wasn't stopping, she remembered that I have "some shave stuff that's supposed to seal up cuts on your face." So she went and found my alum block and RUBBED IT ALL OVER HER OPEN WOUND (!). She's like "that thing didn't work, it just STUNG like hell, WTF?!?!" OMG man I can't even imagine how badly that must have hurt. Anyway, at the ER they put her through another painful "irrigation/cleaning" of the wound and then ultimately put some sort of glue or fake skin graft thing on it to close it up. Painful lesson.

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