Aug 31, 2022 - AA: MA-RH-MM - Almond Leather - Day 31

• Prep: Warm Water Wash
• Prep: Klar - Activated Charcoal - Face Soap
• Brush: Zenith Cobalt Blue 28mm Boar Knot (505BC SE)
• Razor: GEM Open Comb Micromatic (2nd Gen.)
• Blade: Personna GEM PTFE (31)
• Lather: House of Mammoth - Almond Leather - Soap
• Post Shave: House of Mammoth - Almond Leather - Aftershave
• Fragrance: Declaration Grooming - Chaotic Neutral - Eau de Parfum

It's the last day of AA! First, I want to say thank you to all the judges who hosted side challenges and side side challenges for AA. It has made a month of monotony bearable, and forced me to really go outside my comfort zone this month.

I've used boars a hand full of times, and this is the first full break-in of a boar knot for me. Admittedly, I didn't understand the appeal of boar knots until this month, and now I truly appreciate their unique feel.

The same is true with the MMOC, which I've used a few times with varied success, but this month has allowed me to take a razor that I was intimidated by and really get to know how capable it can be with the right techniques. It will be interesting to see the new techniques used with a fresh blade.

I honestly didn't think I'd make it past 12 shaves with one blade, but I did it and it has really paid off. It was around shave 17 that the blade finally leveled off for me.

Using Tusk has made lathering all month a breeze, except for the first week when the brush was still changing constantly. That said, I've come to really be able to dial in the base to get some beautiful lather.

I was concerned before I started that I'd begin to hate whichever scent I used, but I think the complete opposite happened with Almond Leather. Even though I had a stint mid-month where I went nose blind to the scent, I've gone from really liking this scent to loving the simplicity and nuance of this elegant scent.

My goal at the beginning of the month was to end with consistently close shaves and no irritation. For the most part, I came very close to that goal. I can get good shaves with zero irritation, or great shaves with occasionally minor irritation. Now that I'm comfortable with the MMOC, I can continue honing my technique over time.

#GEMsOfWisdom, thanks to u/EldrormR and u/Semaj3000
#RawHoggin, thanks to u/EldrormR
#MammothMafia, thanks to u/JoboozeRum #sidetracked, thanks to u/Teufelskraft

I'd finally like to thank u/djundjila for setting up the djudge portal, making all the challenges possible.

Rating: 4/5

August 31, 2022

• Brush: Zenith 506U XSE
• Razor: GEM MMOC Gen 2
• Blade: GEM SS PTFE (65)
• Lather: Stirling Soap Co. - Sheep
• Post Shave: Lucky Tiger
• Post Shave: Olay Complete
• Post Shave: Chatillon Lux - unscented skin salve

And so August closes. What I learned this month is that I much prefer the Gen 2 MMOC over the Gen 1. I learned that Zenith unbleached knots break in just as fast as the bleached knots…at least mine did. I also learned that I really, really like the mutton tallow base from Stirling. And ai took a GEM blade farther than I ever have. Now it’s back to trying to decide what stuff to use.

#GEMsOfWisdom

Austere August Day 31

Brush: Rubberset 400-3 w/ Unbleached Zenith 24mm knot set to a 56mm loft 31st use

Razor: Gem MMOC, gen 2

Blade: PTFE (31)

Lather: NO Monoi de Tahiti

Post: NO Monoi de Tahiti Splash

Last day! The sweet sweet scent of my other soaps and the wonderful, dare I say, orgasmic (u/djundjila's bot can find my quotes from last year on this) sensation of a fresh blade is within my grasp!

This brush has been an amazing adventure throughout this month. The break in was thoroughly documented and really goes to show you that if you are patient and willing to put in the work, boar knots are so good. My hope with the challenge was to really push shavers to realize that boar brushes are worth respect and not just to be seen as cheap and scratchy knots.

I'm please with all the participants who choose to take this journey with me and hope you all enjoyed what your brushes became over the month. Reading your SOTDs and seeing the gradual change in opinion from "what the hell did I sign up for" or "why did I agree to do this" to "this is becoming my favorite brush" has been refreshing and really the reinforced why I wanted to run this challenge.

Sadly, there were a few who didn't make it to the end. A special shout out to u/USS-SpongeBob with the fastest AA Challenge disqualification in history. One single pass was all it took for him to throw in the towel.

Those that do finish today still within the challenge rules have earned their place in the great Halls of Boarhalla and will be forever honored with the Raw Hoggin flair. Wear your flair with pride as the struggle was real and all consuming. Be proud of your accomplishment and enjoy your now wonderfully broken in new brush.

RawHoggin

GemsOfWisdom

Aug. 31, 2022 - Austere August 31- Hallefreakinglujah

• Prep: Cool shower
• Brush: Semogue 610 Boar
• Razor: MMOC Gen 2
• Blade: GEM PTFE (31)

• Lather: Noble Otter - Firefighter - Soap

• Post Shave: Stirling Soap Co. - Lime - Aftershave

• Post Shave: Zingari Man Cooling Recovery Splash

#GEMsofWisdom Holy shit...it's finally done and over with. The last shave of AA has been accomplished. In honor of this blade going 31 mostly good days, I did a three pass shave (which is a rarity for me) and once it was done, I gently removed the blade and placed it lovingly into the Peanut Can Retirement Home for Dead Blades. Things I have learned this month- 1) I will never say that I hate open comb razors again. There is at least one open comb razor that I really, really like. 2) It has been an interesting experience to take a blade to 31 shaves. It wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it would be and I have had good to fantastic shaves. But it could also be the luck of the draw blade-wise. 3) The Ring of Death has appeared in this tub of Firefighter. I'm not sad about this. 31 days of using this soap and I'm pretty sure I'm not going to use this soap again. If someone wants to provide a retirement home for this tub, let's talk since there's at least another 31 shaves in this tub.

#RawHoggin This brush might be the tiniest of my den but damn it is a workhorse. It's got plenty of backbone. it's got splay-ability. It paints well. This thing is a damn champ and I will absolutely only break in future brushes by using them straightaway. However, face lathering sucks. The End. I can't wait to have my bowl back.

#Sidetracked Damn, I'm almost at a loss for words as to how to describe my end of AA feelings- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4DrjwpI7PPc - I could almost cry tears of joy- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G3iVEb8ujQk - but that might be a little weird. Jumping for joy might be a little strange as well- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XhzpxjuwZy0 . I feel like there's an epic musical ending to this month, but honestly, all that I'm left with is this gem from the one, the only...Barry Manilow- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C47GV5xFkTg . So u/Teufelskraft thanks for adding this 'challenge' to AA. Thanks to everyone that chose to add their musical inspirations.

On to September 1 and completely different shaves! Have a great day all!

Aug. 31, 2022

• Prep: Exercise and shower
• Brush: Semogue 1438
• Razor: GEM MMOC
• Blade: GEM blue star (31)

• Lather: Noble Otter - Thé Noir et Vanille - Soap

• Post Shave: Noble Otter - Thé Noir et Vanille - Aftershave

Shave today was very poor. This blade is long over the point of normal retirement and is on the edge of very painful at times. Very excited to have a comfortable shave tomorrow. Brush is still working good and has become a nice brush although the handle cracked at some point and the red paint is bubbled for some reason it can sit around for future shaves. #RawHoggin #GEMsOfWisdom

https://i.imgur.com/dJ0D8qT.jpg

Aug. 31, 2022 - Austere August Day 31

• Prep: House of Mammoth Almond Leather Bath Soap
• Brush: Dogwood Handcrafts Mire 26mm Zenith Unbleached Boar
• Razor: GEM Micromatic Open Comb Gen 1
• Blade: GEM PTFE (31)

• Lather: House of Mammoth - Sonder - Soap

• Post Shave: House of Mammoth - Sonder - Aftershave

🐗Raw Hoggin' Progress🤮:
•Unused
•Shave 1 through 7
•Shave 8
•Shave 9
•Shave 10
•Shave 11
•Shave 12
•Shave 13
•Shave 14
•Shave 15
•Shave 16
•Shave 17
•Shave 18
•Shave 19
•Shave 20 •Shave 21
•Shave 22
•Shave 23
•Shave 24
•Shave 25
•Shave 26
•Shave 27
•Shave 28
•Shave 29
•Shave 30
•Shave 31

Thoughts for the day:
OK. I think I've done what I set out to do. I should have leveled up my MMOC flair, nabbed that neat Raw Hoggin' flair, and qualified for the mystery Mammoth flair after my second successful Mammoth Month run. Not too shabby, eh? Idk what to do with 3 flairs, but I guess now I'll find out.

The MMOC did just fine, again. I flipped my blade at the mid point for the lulz, but in case I wasn't explicitly clear, it did nothing and was not done with the intent of it doing anything. That's what lulz are. I didn't palm strop this year and saw no real discernable difference. Save your efforts unless you're banking on the placebo effect.

The most memorable thing this month was definitely the smell of rotting asshole, which again, I must thank u/djundjila for. I was planning to use my bleached knot this month, but his powers of persuasion were just too great. Thankfully that is over and now I have a beautiful stank-free knot to show for it. This time, the juice was worth the squeeze. Thank you for putting on this awesome challenge, u/EldrormR!!

Soap consumption wise, this 26mm Zenith used the same amount as I did last year scooping a gram a day and using a 26mm Maggard B&W knot, so this definitely challenged both my conception that scooping conserves soap, and that boars must kill all soaps. This was the set I picked up for participating in Mammoth Month last year, and it looks like it has another year in the tank.

Oh, and shout out to u/Joboozerum and the Mammoth Mafia crew for having such a high success rate this year (well, we still have todays numbers, but otherwise...), and for holding fast in spite of the trolls downvoting everyone. Y'all the real MVPs. Perseverance is generally rewarded... 😉

Total 🦣 Consumption: 30g (74g start, 44g finish)

Total number of times I beat u/Semaj3000 at his own challenge: 2

Mandatory Taggage:

#GemsOfWisdom

#RawHoggin

#MammothMafia

u/ChrisdaBombz, it all fit! If I didn't jack up the first album it would have been glorious... 😅

Edit: fixed Shave 20 broken link. Imgur still sucks.

Aug. 31, 2022 - RawHoggin & Taming the MMOC

• Brush: Zenith B37
• Razor: Gem MMOC
• Blade: Gem PTFE (31)

• Lather: Strike Gold Shave - Kennedy

• Post Shave: Stirling Soap Co. - Stirling Blu - Aftershave

• Post Shave: Zingari - Unscented - Balm

RawHoggin

GemsOfWisdom

That’s all she wrote boys. It got a little rough there on the last few days but overall it was a pretty good month. I killed a soap I’m not too fond of (I loaded 4 days worth of soap over the past two days but that’s beside the point). I now have a nice boar that is broke-in. And I allllllllmost killed this splash and balm, they’re both in their last leg.

Around day 15-20 I figured it was completely broke in. However, today I noticed that it was noticeably softer than before. How much softer will this little piggy get? I can’t imagine it’ll be much more. Regardless, I ended up with a very nice brush. I’m going to do some testing in Sample September to see how it stacks up with my nice badger and synthetic.

As far as the Gem? Ehh, overall it was good, I’m just not a believer in pushing a blade past it’s limit. I think that it’s counter intuitive to what AA is about. AA is about getting dialed in with equipment, and I don’t see how using a dull useless blade helps improve technique with a razor. Just my two cents and Gem of Wisdom.

Aug. 31, 2022 - The end of austerity

• Prep: Hot shower
• Brush: Omega Pro 48 Boar brush 28mm
• Razor: GEM MMOC
• Blade: GEM PTFE (31)
• Lather: House of Mammoth - Hygge - Soap
• Post Shave: House of Mammoth - Hygge - Aftershave

Well that was fun. Despite DQing myself from raw hoggin, I now have a nicely broken in boar brush, a clean shave and my face only hurts a little bit. Hygge was great with each use, but will be put away now for a while. I proved to myself that I could shave everyday with a MMOC and 1 GEM blade. Great. Don’t ever have to do that again!

Most importantly I just did my annual donation to the Canadian Centre to End Human Trafficking. This is a great cause and I challenge other Canadian shavers to do the same. Any amount helps.

Today is also back to school day for my 16 year old. Best day ever (for me). And HoM Voices should arrive today too. Talk about a hopeful Wednesday! I hope your last day of August is just great. Congrats to all those who challenged themselves this past month.

Bring on sample September.

#GEMsOfWisdom

#MammothMafia

August 31, 2022 - Austere August Ultra-Nightmare Mode

Brush pics for RawHoggin challenge

• Brush: Zenith B10
• Razor: Gem MMOC Gen 2 Ex-Watson
• Blade: Personna PTFE (31)
• Lather: Wholly Kaw - Washington's Blend - Soap
• Post Shave: Stirling Soap Co. - Executive Man - Balm’

The last shave of the month was a good one. I’ve toyed with the idea of keeping the blade around for next year, but I don’t think I will.

The Micromatic was a great razor to do this month with. Mine wasn’t to harsh to use daily, and the blade has held up super well, with only a few shaves that were less than perfectly comfortable (and those earlier in the month).

The brush has been very nice, as well. It started off okay, and got to be great by (at the latest) shave 15. I’ll be using synthetics for a while just for a change, but I’ve been very happy with it, for sure.

#RawHoggin

#GEMsOfWisdom

August 31 2022

• Brush: Zenith B28
• Razor: GEM MMOC (Gen 1)
• Blade: GEM PTFE (34)
• Lather: House of Mammoth - Mood Indigo
• Post Shave: House of Mammoth - Mood Indigo splash
• Post Shave: House of Mammoth - Mood Indigo balm
• Fragrance: House of Mammoth - Mood Indigo

Well, we did it. Austere August is a wrap. I learned a lot about the MMOC last Austere August but I don't really think I picked up much new wisdom this time, despite using the Gen 1 this year vs a Gen 2 last year. The Gen 1 has a bit more of a bite when the blade is new than the Gen 2, but once it gets smoothed out they are basically the same. Once you master this razor it really is a perfectly fine daily driver. Congratulations to everyone finishing their first MMOC Month, and a nod of distinguished respect to everyone completing their second.

Mood Indigo Month was both a success and a failure. I did use up a decent amount of my puck and balm, but the soap is either losing scent strength as it gets towards the bottom or I'm just not noticing it as much. I do love doing Mammoth Month but I definitely get less excited to use these products once Austere August is over, which is a shame because of how amazing they are. My tub of Tobacconist from last AA is still around and I can't imagine having the motivation to put another 30 shaves or so on this tub of Mood Indigo to finish it off any time soon. I could probably use this tub again next year.

For u/Teufelskraft's #sidetracked, let's close on with some funk! Turn up the bass and enjoy the jam.

Earth, Wind & Fire - Africano/Power (Live)

#MammothMafia

#GEMSofWisdom

Aug. 31, 2022

• Prep: Shower
• Brush: AP Shave Co 24MM SYNBAD
• Razor: GEM - Micromatic Open Comb
• Blade: GEM - PTFE (30)

• Lather: Wholly Kaw - Bare Siero - Soap

• Post Shave: Thayers - Unscented - Toner

2 pass shave with a 30 second load. After 2 years of AA with this soap (plus 10-15 other shaves in the year) there seems to be about a months worth left. This soap/base is probably my favorite, but I might switch to the regular base just because of cost. I plan on killing this tub at the end of the year, and I purchased a couple soaps from Summer Break Soaps. This razor has become my favorite to use over the past year, since the efficiency just works with my skin. The blade seemed to dull down more than I remembered from last year. The last 5-8 shaves left my face with unnoticeable stubble.

GEMsOfWisdom

unscented

Aug. 31, 2022 - Austere August Ultra Nightmare RawHoggin Stagpocalypse

• Prep: Midnight Stag liquid soap and bar soap
• Brush: Semogue 1250
• Razor: GEM MMOC
• Blade: GEM PTFE (31)

• Lather: Chiseled Face - Midnight Stag - Soap

• Post Shave: Chiseled Face - Midnight Stag - Aftershave

• Post Shave: Chiseled Face - Midnight Stag - Balm

• Fragrance: Chiseled Face - Midnight Stag - Eau de Parfum

This is it. We did it again. This has been the toughest AA for me outside of shaving itself, so it was really nice to have the ritual and stability to help keep me a bit centered. I may have made sure I finished off a few things with this last shave: the liquid soap, bath soap, and beard oil are all officially empty. If I decide to do this again next year, I’ll need to start with brand new stuff. I debated on using an obscene amount of EdP today, but I’m driving my mom and grandmother to a follow up ortho visit 45 minutes away this morning and didn’t want to choke them out. I mean, 12 sprays seemed like a good way to finish strong anyway. After the trials and tribulations (and terrible decisions on my part), it’s been a great month and I’m glad I participated again. There is no one around us untouched by the Stag and that is as it should be.

SubstantialStag

GEMsOfWisdom

~~#RawHoggin~~

Aug. 31, 2022

• Brush: Grey Chubby - Zenith B37
• Razor: Micromatic Open Comb
• Blade: GEM - PTFE Coated Stainless Steel (31)

• Lather: House of Mammoth - Z - Soap

• Post Shave: House of Mammoth - Z - Aftershave

Well, we've come a long way since the first day. Time to change our blades and bring out our bowls!

I decided to try to flatten out the soap to get a gauge of how much I used, which is kind of tricky to do when it's all concave, the outer edges not having changed much (also, I didn't weigh it like some of you have). Looks like it was about half. I wasn't using as much per shave early in the month, I'm sure, during which time I was still getting a handle on the face-lather.

I gotta run to report for jury duty, at a time that is earlier than expected. I get to leave earlier than I do for work to probably just sit around the courthouse all day until I leave to go home later than I do for work. It won't even take me longer to get there.

By the way, I'm not calling jurty duty "sitting around the courthouse"; rather, that's literally what's likely to happen, based on my previous experiences. There's also a chance I might get to sit around a courtroom for awhile. Then, there's a chance I might then wind up in a lineup for a jury. And then—and only then—might I end up actually serving on a trial. Which I guess might also be considered to be more sitting around, albeit with the demand for active attention after I've been staring at walls for who-knows-how-long.

Should I be selected, perhaps I'll need to return tomorrow, provided the trial doesn't happen to conclude the same day. In either case, tomorrow's shave is planned, and it's probably the last time I'll plan a shave until June.

Oh, and after a month of practicing, improving, and exploring the face-lathering method, I have come to the following conclusion:

Face-lathering blows.

#GEMsOfWisdom
#RawHoggin
#unscented
#MammothMafia

August 31st, 2022 - Mammoth Month of Raw Hoggin GEMs of Wisdom

• Prep: Warm water

• Brush: Zenith B36 “Copper Scrubby!”

• Razor: GEM MMOC Gen 2

• Blade: Personna GEM PTFE (31 and done)

• Lather: House of Mammoth - Alive

• Post Shave: House of Mammoth - Alive Splash

• Post Shave: House of Mammoth - Alive Balm

#MammothMafia

#RawHoggin

#GEMsOfWisdom

Brush before and after

Last day of Austerity in August, and I made it through with the same set every day. The blade was definitely past its prime. Here is a picture of it front and back. Not as good showing the blade as u/gcgallant has done with the microscope, but you can see the damage the stops do to the edge, plus I can make out a few spots that look worn or nicked. The brown Sharpie I used to keep count looks like dried spots of blood I sacrificed to the gods of shaving.

Today, I pushed myself to go for a baby butt smooth shave, or get as close as I could. I never get to bbs on my neck, but did 3 passes on it for a dfs finish. As close as I have ever gotten to bbs on the neck without weepers, nicks, or burn. On my face, I went with 4 passes: wtg, xtg, xtg (other way), and atg. Hit those wiskers from 4 sides and give the stubble a more rounded tip like the top of a fence post that got chamfered on all sides. I also did a bit of touching up and buffing. Result was close, but not quite as smooth as I have ever gotten. It was still not completely smooth around the sideburns. No weepers or nicks today, so really, the first week was roughest in that regard. I don’t have a lot if redness, so managed to avoid razor burn.

For the brush, not certain if it is fully broken in or not. A good amount of split ends are there, and it has been able to splay since week 2. The handle is really starting to go crazy with patina. I have shades of old penny, red, blue, purple, and spots of shiny copper. I tried to get pictures of it, but it doesn’t come across well in the pics.

Mammoth month had truly been a pleasure. The I still love the scent, and maybe appreciate it more as I have used it. I don’t have a highly trained nose, but I get hints of the different fragrances each time. Mainly I get a clean and green vibe from it. The soap performs excellently even if I don’t have the hydration dialed in correctly. I’d say over hydrated performs better than under. The splash gives that aftershave sting, but the ws-23 cools it down and lingers for a couple hours post shave. Today, I gave myself an extra splash, and it was very more stingy than any time since week 1. The balm I gave an extra half pump too today. It smooths out the skin, but doesn’t feel greasy after it is rubbed into the skin.

Overall, though I miss the variety, it was nice to wake up knowing what I would be doing each day with no decisions to be made. The MMOC can be a challenge at times, but it comes down to technique. I think as the blade broke in, it showed me just where I was doing things in a non-optimal manner. The blade had a very wide sweet spot once over the first few shaves, and about half the shaves this month were problem free. It is a beast of a razor, but I’d say can be tamed somewhat, unlike a cheap tto I have. As I gained experience, I realized that tto was never going to be chatter free, and best to not use it anymore. I think that is a great aspect of these challenges. Often we get excited and buy more razors, soaps, etc., to the point we don’t build a great familiarity with them. Stepping back and exploring a fixed set for 31 shaves gave me the chance to really learn my MMOC, what angles feel better on my face or neck. Really started to dial it in this month. I’m still going to use most of my razors, but the MMOC has earned a spot in the rotation. My GEM Junior wants a turn sometime, but tomorrow, the GC .68 comes back to the den. Once I lift my no new equipment or soaps restriction, I may get a Gen 1 MMOC to see the difference a couple bumps (or lack of) in the base can make.

Cheers to everyone who made it through their challenges.

A Mammoth Micromatic Raw Hoggin’ August

Final Shave of August 2022

Brush Progress

• Brush: Zenith B26 #RawHoggin
• Razor: GEM MMOC #GEMsOfWisdom
• Blade: GEM (31)
• Lather: House if Mammoth - Hygge in Tusk
• Post Shave: Hygge Splash & Balm
• Fragrance: Hygge EDP #MammothMafia

Made it through, it wasn’t really an ultra nightmare 🤷🏾‍♂️ 

Day 1 Prep Video

RawHoggin Unboxing Pics

MammothMafia

Aug. 31, 2022 - The Last Hurrah - Austere August Day 31

• Brush: RazoRock 506CK / 26mm boar
• Razor: GEM OCMM (Gen 1)
• Blade: GEM PTFE (31)
• Lather: Chiseled Face - Midnight Stag - Soap
• Post Shave: Chiseled Face - Midnight Stag - Aftershave
• Post Shave: Zingari - Rescue Potion - Serum
• Fragrance: Chiseled Face - Midnight Stag - Eau de Parfum

Well here we are. Finally at the end of the AA road. It feels good to be done and I don't think I'll ever be doing this again. I have far too many other soaps and hardware that need to be used which I'm sure is the case with all of us. Looking back I'm glad that I powered through and completed all of the challenges I set out to do though. It's been a tough and eye opening experience. One of the best take-aways is my changed opinion of Chiseled Face soaps. I was never really impressed with the base until I started getting these stellar lathers with my new fully broken in boar brush. They are like a match made in heaven. I'm curious to see if I can replicate them with my badger brushes. It won't be with the Stag though because that's getting put away for a while lol. I'm happy to join the ranks of the Knights however!

#RawHoggin

Before I decided to partake in this challenge I was not a fan of boar brushes at all. There were various reasons for this which I won't get into for the sake of brevity, but overall I just never had great experiences with them or the patience to fully break one in. This month has changed all of that and has opened my eyes to the reality that boar brushes can be great lathering tools if you can stick with them until they get good. This is an awesome brush now and I'm thinking of pulling the knot and putting it into a new handle I just picked up.

#GEMsofWisdom

The same goes for this razor. The only other time I had used it was a few times back in probably 2016 (?). It was a harsh and unforgiving experience and I hated the thing. I think most of the 180 degree change in my opinion can be attributed to the fact that I'm just a lot better at shaving now than I was back then. It's moderately aggressive and very efficient, but it never felt harsh to me this time around. I can confidently say that I've mastered the OCMM (yeah, I said it) and I can shave with it on autopilot with no nicks, cuts, weepers, or nary a hint of irritation. Hell, the alum doesn't even sting anymore. I can't even say that about my favorite and well used DE, the 0.84 Game Changer.

Brush Day 31

The last Stag sprays for a loooooong time

August 31, 2022: Thank you for being a Stag

• Prep: warm splash of water
• Brush: Yaqi Sagrada Familia Tuxedo 24 mm
• Razor: GEM OCMM (gen 2)
• Blade: GEM Stainless (32)

• Lather: Chiseled Face - Midnight Stag - Soap

• Post Shave: Chiseled Face - Midnight Stag - Aftershave

• Fragrance: Chiseled Face - Midnight Stag - Eau de Parfum

Congratulations to all the citizens of Stag! 2023 we can do the whole year, right?

Thank you to everyone who participated in the SubstantialStag challenge, I'll be making a post regarding the winner and the donation amount in the next few days.

Day 31, 5 spritzes

. #GEMsOfWisdom

August 31, 2022

• Brush: Zenith B15 (506 U/L) 27.5mm Boar
• Razor: GEM MMOC Gold Gen2
• Blade: Personna Gem PTFE (31)
• Lather: Chiseled Face - Midnight Stag - Soap
• Post Shave: Thayers - Lemon - Toner
• Post Shave: Chiseled Face - Midnight Stag - Aftershave
• Fragrance: Chiseled Face - Midnight Stag - Eau de Parfum  

2 passes. Face lather. Good shave.

• Challenges: #GEMsOfWisdom #RawHoggin #SubstantialStag
• Brush Top (before use) - Brush History
• Fragrance Video
• Blade Edge (before use) - Edge Histiory
• Blade Orientation (black dots - odd days, red dots - even days)
• SOTD Album

Fun month! Thanks to those of you who are running the challenges. This adds a lot.

Ok, let's summarize the month:

• MMOC - wonderful. Born in the early 1930's, it's holding up better than I am ( and believe it or not, I was born after the GEM MMOC).
• Midnight Stag Trifecta - wonderful. Enjoyed it all month.
• Zenith boar brush - Awesome. What a surprise! Yeah, you boar aficionados knew this would happen.
• One GEM blade all month - worked out much better than I thought it would. Kudos to those who take it further and to u/djundjila and u/Eructate who achieved GEMtury status this month. I won't be joining your club.
• Microscope photos - not particularly dramatic. Today's is an area of the edge that is particularly bad, but much of the edge looks pretty good. This was fun for me, boring for you.

And ... we're out.

Finding Serenity in RawHogginy on the road to the GEMtury Pt. 31

• Prep: Klar Activated Charcoal facial soap
• Brush: Rubberset 400-3 with unbleached 26 mm Zenith knot set at 56 mm loft (31)
• Razor: GEM - Micromatic (open comb, first generation)
• Blade: Personna - GEM PTFE (🥳💯🍾)
• Soaking Mug: Seaforth! - Scotch Heather - shaving mug
• Bath Soap: Spearhead Shaving Company - Seaforth! Sea Spice Lime - bath soap
• Lather: Spearhead Shaving Company - Seaforth! Sea Ice Lime - Soap
• Post Shave: Spearhead Shaving Company - Seaforth! Sea Spice Lime - Aftershave
• Fragrance: Spearhead Shaving Company - Seaforth! Sea Spice Lime - Eau de Toilette

#GEMsOfWisdom #RawHoggin

Austere Hogust 2022 is in the books and my choices have treated me well. The Blade That Won't Die® is still chugging along, my unbleached Rubberset has turned out to be one of my best brushes, and Sea (Sp)Ice Lime still smells great to me.

This year, there has been an inflation of side and side side challenges, and it's been fun to track them (and and participate in djudging some of them) on the Djudge Portal .

The djudging of the fellow GEMnasts and RawHoggineers will still take a little bit.

Pinging u/sgrdddy for one new entry in his hall of century blades!

Aug. 31, 2022 - Austere August - Raw Hoggin' MMOC Ultra Nightmare Mode Finale - A review in Austerity

• Prep: Hot Shower
• Brush: Zenith Boar - B37 - Gray Chubby #RawHoggin
• Razor: GEM MMOC Gen2 #GEMsOfWisdom
• Blade: GEM (31)
• Lather: Stirling Soap Co. - Margaritas in the Arctic - Soap
• Post Shave: Stirling Soap Co. - Glacial Margaritas in the Arctic - Aftershave

Day 31 - Today's shave was an excellent 3 pass shave to complete AA. What a month it has been! A huge thank you to /u/wallygator88 /u/Enndeegee u/Semaj3000 and the rest of the organizers for putting all of this together. As a first time GEM and (good) boar user, this month was eye opening. Today's shave reflected all the new skills learned and equipment broken in and tested that resulted in a great shave. I am a boar convert and the GEM is now one of my favorites.

Since I went into these challenges with many questions, I figured I'd take the time to document some stuff here for future shavers to learn from.

Background

Going into AA, I was a relatively novice wetshaver. I've been shaving with a DE for about a year, but didn't get into proper wetshaving until about the beginning of this year. While I've always fancied my face as being a bit sensitive, I think wetshaving may have taught me that it might not be as sensitive as I always thought.

Leading up to AA, my standard and favorite setup was my Rockwell 6S (on plate 4) with a Simpson Trafalgar T3 brush, bowl loading, face lathering and 2 pass shaving. I really wasn't looking for a more "aggressive" razor or a different brush although the recent addition of a C&H fanturian badger brush did have me reaching for the T3 less and less. Other razors that agreed with my face prior to AA were my Merkur 34C and Gillette Fatboy (on setting 5).

With the announcement of the rawhoggin' challenge, I knew it was an opportunity to see if boars could be just as awesome as my fanturian and/or my T3. I noodled around with the idea of picking up a GEM and was intimidated with my limited experience and reputation the MMOC carries. I ended up making a game time decision, buying a GEM and using it for the first time August 1st.

Soap selection was another topic of concern. Since I usually scoop and load from a bowl, I didn't want to run out of soap before the end of the month. I heard that boars were notorious for eating soap and for a good part of August I was traveling outside of the country where restocking wouldn't be an option. I ended up going with a Stirling soap based on the recommendations from a few people here and also because I've had issues lathering Stirling in the past. This was a learning exercise after all!

The Brush: Probably my favorite part of this whole challenge was the brush. Anyone who wants to give a boar brush a try should definitely do it. This brush has become my absolute favorite. It's soft yet firm and delivers and exceptional scrub without the harshness of some other brushes. The dense knot whips up a great lather and takes very little time to feel amazing. Within the first week the brush was feeling amazing and by the middle of the month had no more hog stank and was incredibly soft.

Some quick highlights about the brush:

Day 5: Last day of significant brush hair loss

Day 7: Brush became noticeably soft

Day 13: Brush became noticeably easier to splay

Day 15: Hog smell was gone

Day 17: Brush was pillowy soft and super easy to splay

Brush Pictures:

Day 1 vs. Day 31 Pre-shave: Side Top

Day 1 vs. Day 31 Post-shave: Side Top

RawHoggin

The Razor My second favorite part of AA was getting to know the GEM MMOC gen2. I really had a preconceived notion that this razor was an antiquated, fossil that the masochists here on /r/wetshaving forced themselves to love. I mean how can a design that's almost a century old be that good? I dismissed the idea of trying it early on but my curiosity was piqued. I have to say, I am so happy I gave it a shot because the razor is AWESOME. Prior to using the GEM, the most "aggressive" razor I used was my rockwell on plate 6. Granted, it's a different type of razor, but I figured worst case I can baby myself through the month or just use something else. The razor was nothing like I expected. There is definitely a learning curve and the razor definitely doesn't tolerate bad form, but it's also more forgiving than some give it credit for.

The GEM blade was also impressive in its showing. Now I don't have very coarse or thick hair on my face, but this blade still has more life in it. I didn't palm strop (whatever that is), or flip the blade or anything and it still delivered a great shave. I'm not sure if the dulling of the blade was a factor, but after about a week, I felt very comfortable using the GEM and by day 12 felt like I was on autopilot for my standard 2 pass shaves. In fact, out of the 31 days in August, 27 of them went cut free. I managed to only cut or nick myself 4 out of the 31 days and one was from just plain carelessness. I still need to work on my ATG pass, but it's not something I do very often anyway, so for the purposes of my shaving routine, I definitely feel like I mastered the GEM.

Some quick highlights about the GEM:

Day 7: Felt completely comfortable using the razor

Day 12: Felt like the shave was on autopilot

Day 14: My first 3 pass shave

27 Days without cuts, nicks or irritation

4 Days where the GEM drew some blood

27 2-pass shaves

4 3-pass shaves*

*Note: I did not cut myself once during a 3 pass shave

Days since last blood: 14

Razor and blade picture on day 31

Blade picture on day 31

GEMsOfWisdom

The Soap and Aftershave I have to hand it to Stirling - they do make a wonderful, nurturing soap and phenomenal aftershave. While I have grown completely tired of the soap, it was enjoyable for most of the month. Even with the soap hunger of the mighty boar, the puck managed to make it through the month. Unfortunately, the thought of weighing the soap never occurred to me during the month, but it did seem like I was using significantly less soap towards the end of the month. I did manage to weigh the puck after today's shave and I'm left with 132.6g. The puck (according to u/OnionMiasma) is 83g, which means I have 49.6g (1.75oz) of soap remaining. That's a lot of soap used!

Some quick highlights about the soap and aftershave:

Day 16: First time I started seeing the bottom of the puck (beginning of ring of death)

Day 19: When I started to get tired of the scent

Day 1 vs Day 31 Puck Picture

Aug. 31, 2022 - That's a Wrap, Folks!

• Brush: Zenith B36 "Copper Scrubby!" 28x50mm Boar
• Razor: GEM Micromatic Open Comb
• Blade: GEM SS (31)
• Lather: Stirling Soap Co. - Lime - Soap
• Post Shave: Porter's Lotion, WSP - Neroli - Cooling Aftershave Balm
• Fragrance: Gallagher Fragrances - O'Vert
• Passes: WTG, XTG
• Coffee: Colombia, Bruselas, Huila - v: Caturra, Colombia - p: Washed, Sun-dried
• Music: John Moreland - In The Throes
• August 2022 SOTD Photo Album

#GEMsOfWisdom / #RawHoggin

We made it! Thirty-one shaves, using the same gear and software, and many of us exclusively face-lathered with a raw boar brush. And we posted about every shave along the way. Following June's Lather Games, I'm feeling pretty tapped, but it's important to finish strong.

First, some photos of the gear prior to this morning's shave:

• The knot, before this morning's shave, from the side.
• The knot, before this morning's shave, from above.

And some photos after the final shave of Austere August 2022:

• The soap after shaving.
• The knot after shaving, and blow-dried per the u/USS-SpongeBob method, from the side and the top.

I used a Zenith copper B36 Scrubby all month and it transformed over 31 shaves. The knot is looking very feathery, though there's still plenty of splitting to be done, and I plan to give it a few blow-dry cycles to accelerate any remaining break-in. The knot is terrific; I enjoy this brush's unique, robust backbone, though my usual Precision Loading™ approach won't take full advantage of it. Also, I'm very fond of the copper handle. The patina looks fantastic and the shape is super comfortable—it might just be my new favorite handle.

Last year's Austere August convinced me the MMOC is a really good razor. This year's Austere August didn't change my mind, but I managed to score a Peerless a few months back, and I'd reach for that Micromatic over the MMOC every time. It's just as efficient and well-designed, but it doesn't feel as harsh, and isn't as unforgiving to complacent shaving. I also prefer how Micromatic razors look in brass.

I didn't manage to kill any of this month's software, which is a bummer, because this Neroli balm is too strong for my tastes, I'd rather have Thayer's Cucumber around than this Porter's, and what is Austere August for if not emptying a tub of shave soap? Still, I put a dent in this tub of Lime. That's something I guess. As for the aftershave balm, I'm going to combine the remaining Neroli with some Glacial Lemon Chill and keep it in an old conditioner tub. My countertop would appreciate fewer bottles.

So what's next? I'm going to try to kill a backlog of samples all September, enjoy some mild razors, and try out Voices and Coffee & Contemplation. The variety is going to feel like sweet relief.

Date	Soap Before (g)	Soap After (g)	Usage (g)	Loading
8/1	235.5	232.5	3	◊
8/2	232.5	228.0	4.5	◊
8/3	228.0	227.0	1	◊
8/4	227.0	223.3	3.7	◊
8/5	223.3	220.3	3	40 seconds
8/6	220.3	218.8	1.5	30 seconds
8/7	218.8	217.9	0.9	40 swirls
8/8	217.9	216.5	1.4	40 swirls
8/9	216.5	215.9	0.6	40 swirls
8/10	215.9	215.6	0.3	50 swirls
8/11	215.6	213.9	1.7	60 swirls
8/12	214.7	213.0	1.7	60 swirls
8/13	213.0	211.5	1.5	60 swirls
8/14	211.5	210.5	1	60 swirls
8/15	210.5	209.0	1.5	60 swirls
8/16	209.0	207.2	1.8	60 swirls
8/17	207.2	205.9	1.3	\~62 swirls
8/18	205.9	204.4	1.5	60 swirls
8/19	204.4	203.3	1.1	60 swirls
8/20	203.3	202.8	0.5	70 swirls
8/21	202.8	202.0	0.8	60 swirls
8/22	202.0	200.5	1.5	60 swirls
8/23	200.5	199.2	1.3	60 swirls
8/24	199.2	197.9	1.3	65 swirls
8/25	197.9	196.3	1.6	80 swirls
8/26	196.3	194.4	1.9	80 swirls
8/27	194.4	192.9	1.5	80 swirls
8/28	192.9	191.9	1	80 swirls
8/29	191.9	191.0	0.9	80 swirls
8/30	191.0	189.4	1.6	80 swirls
8/31	189.4	◊	◊	80 swirls

⁂

#sidetracked u/Teufelskraft

My final #sidetracked selection is pretty self-explanatory; we should wrap up the month of song recommendations with a song about songwriting. John Moreland's 2019 album In The Throes introduced me to the Tulsa singer-songwriter's powerful chops, and the second track— "Nobody Gives a Damn About Songs Anymore"—was immediately one of my favorite songs of the year. It fits within a long tradition of songs about performing, touring, and being a professional musician, with a particular focus on the existential burden of skill, fame, and vocation. "Why’d I have to go and get blessed with a curse / I’m chasing death or glory, whichever comes first." Ultimately, Moreland reckons with the same question any musician with half a chance at fame does; when you write a song, do you write for you or do you write for them?

John Moreland - "Nobody Gives a Damn About Songs Anymore"

But Wait, There's More

I wanted to cover a long list of songs this month but couldn't figure out how to link them together or other songs felt more timely. Maybe I'll get to more of these next year. Anyway, here's some of the remaining list, presented in no particular order. I had planned to mention a few of these together (like "The Last Great Washington State" and "The Trapeze Swinger" as beautiful, super long songs) and I wrote most of an unfinished blurb for Kyle Craft.

• The Mountain Goats - "Palmcorder Yajna", "Ezekiel 1 and the Permanent Efficacy of Grace"
• Deer Tick - "Smith Hill"
• Kyle Craft - "Lady of the Ark"
• Duke Ellington - "Isfahan" (sorry u/VisceralWatch)
• Big Thief - The back to back combo of "Mary" and "Black Eyes"
• Scott Hutchison - Frightened Rabbit ("Head Rolls Off", "I Wish I Was Sober") and Owl John ("Los Angeles, Be Kind")
• Damien Jurado - "The Last Great Washington State"
• Iron & Wine - "The Trapeze Swinger"
• Wilco - "Summerteeth", "California Stars"
• Weyes Blood - "Seven Words"
• James - "Laid", "Ring the Bells"
• Chelsea Wolfe - "Feral Love", "After the Fall"
• Deep Dark Woods - "All the Money I Had is Gone", "18th of December"
• Pepper Rabbit - "Older Brother"
• Murder by Death - "I Came Around"
• Sunset Rubdown - "Shut Up I Am Dreaming of Places Where Lovers Have Wings"
• Nick Cave - "Palaces of Montezuma" Live at Alexandra Palace, 2020
• Bob Marley ("Mr. Brown"), Desmond Dekker ("Israelites"), and Gregory Isaacs ("Mr. Cop")
• Simple Minds - "Glittering Prize"
• Pulp - "Razzmatazz"
• Daniel Romano - "Old Fires Die", "A New Love (Can Be Found)"
• Agnes Obel - "Broken Sleep"
• Saint Saviour - "Reasons", "Let it Go", "Tightrope"
• The Rural Alberta Advantage - "Bad Luck Again"
• Shearwater - "Breaking the Yearlings", "Backchannels"
• Yeasayer - "O.N.E."
• Crypt Sermon - "Temple Doors"
• Dawnbringer - "V"
• Queens of the Stone Age - "I Sat by the Ocean"
• Kelley Polar - "Satellites"
• Elbow - "Leaders of the Free World"
• Primus (not sure what I'd cover here)
• Roy Orbison (same as above)
• Sisters of Mercy - "Temple of Love"
• Brian Eno and John Cale - "Spinning Away"
• Poni Hoax - "Antibodies"
• Witch - "Black Saint"
• Kate Bush - "This Woman's Work"

Check these out sometime.

August 31st

• Brush: Zenith Boar - 505NK 27mm
• Razor: GEM - MMOC
• Blade: Gem PTFE (31)
• Lather - Chiseled Face - Midnight Stag Soap
• Post Shave: Chiseled Face - Midnight Stag Splash
• Fragrance: Chiseled Face - Midnight Stag Edp

#GEMsOfWisdom #RawHoggin #SubstantialStag

Edp video

Finally all done and finished up with a 31 Spray Salute

Aug. 31, 2022 - It’s over!

• Prep: Warm water wash
• Brush: Zenith B33 Copper Boar Brush
• Razor: GEM MMOC GEN 2
• Blade: Persona GEM PTFE Coated (31)

• Lather: House of Mammoth - 福 (Fu Dao) - Soap

• Post Shave: House of Mammoth - 福 (Fu Dao) - Aftershave

• Post Shave: House of Mammoth - 福 (Fu Dao) - Balm

• Fragrance: House of Mammoth - 福 (Fu Dao) - Eau de Parfum

This blade is garbage! Actually I am going to hold onto it and try it in my MM24 when I get back home later next month.

The brush handle has started to actually get some neat patina. The knot is actually usable, not as easy as the badger brushes (I guess we will find out tomorrow!). The GEM razor is no longer in production for a reason.

House of Mammoth makes excellent software that I will continue to use. I have a second tub of Fú Dào and I just barely finished AA without having to break into it.

I am happy to be done with the torture of my skin with that stupid blade. I did get some weepers and knicks throughout the month, including today. I can count on one hand the number of times I had a great shave with this blade and razor. I should have probably given it up after the first week, but here we are. I had to see for myself if it was possible to get to 100 shaves on a single blade. It is not.

AA SOTD Pictures, Brush break-in album, brush break in album part 2 #rawhoggin #mammothmafia #GEMSofWisdom

Aug 31, 2021 – Austere August. Day 31.

• Prep: Hot Shower
• Brush: Zenith - B16 24mm Boar
• Razor: GEM Micromatic Open Comb Gen 2
• Blade: GEM PTFE (31)
• Lather: Stirling Soap Co. – Sheep
• Post Shave: Zingari Man – Unscented - Aftershave Balm
• Music: Jack's Mannequin - Swim

We did it. The final day of Austere August is upon us. This month dragged on for me and I'm so ready to use a different soap and splash. I've said before, I could use the MMOC daily and not mind it, and the Zenith is broken in and a brush I enjoy using... And using the same GEM blade all month hasn't been bad... But... Using unscented soap and aftershave every day has been a brutal, soul-crushing experience that I wouldn’t recommend anyone do. The silver lining is that me doing this all month means that u/rocketk455 will be donating an additional $10 to the JED Foundation. So while I would hesitate calling myself a hero for completing this torturous challenge, I wouldn’t stop anyone that bestowed that title upon me either.

Earlier in the month, I featured a song by Andrew McMahon for my #sidetracked music and today’s selection is from his band before he went off on his own, Jack's Mannequin. The song "Swim" is one he wrote about his own battle with cancer. I'm sure all of us have been impacted by cancer in some way, shape or form. Whether it be family member, friend, or yourself that got that awful diagnosis it fucking sucks. But my guy, Andrew, sings about how he had to keep going, no matter how difficult it may seem, and there are people who count on you to pull through. I'm comfortable enough with my masculinity to admit this song has brought me to tears on more than one occasion and I'm not the least bit ashamed of it. Knowing too many people who have lost their battle with cancer, this song hits me right in the heart and brings me right into thinking of those loved ones. So why include this song to close out Austere August? Because while Andrew wrote this song about his cancer treatment, the theme is to never give up. No matter what, no matter how hard it is, you've got to swim. And while I’m aware using the same shaving equipment for 31 days may NOT be on the same level as battling a cancer diagnosis, it can be a daunting task. And I think Austere August can be a difficult grind for a lot of us. Limiting this group to using the same equipment every day for a month is a tall order, but we did it. We did not give up. We swam.

Tags: #unscented #rawhoggin #GEMsOfWisdom

Aug. 31, 2022 - Austere August Day 31 - The End

• Prep: Hot Shower, Stirling Soap Facial Soap
• Brush: Zenith 508A SE 28mm
• Razor: GEM MMOC Gen 1
• Blade: GEM PTFE (31)

• Lather: House of Mammoth - Restore - Soap

• Post Shave: House of Mammoth - Restore - Balm

• Post Shave: Zingari - Unscented - Aftershave

• Fragrance: Tom Ford - Grey Vetiver

It comes to a close, finally. The long awaited end to this very long month. Am I glad that I did it? Not really. Did I have fun? Absolutely not. Will I be participating next year? As of today, no effing way.

This brush has become fantastic. Shaving 31 days with it has made it an amazing brush. The thing is, I have a brush with the same exact knot at the same loft that I will not be replacing. Therefore I have determined that this beautiful boar brush will become a side prize to the MammothMafia participants. I will touch on it more with a stand alone post, but if you have wanted to try a broken in boar and completed the AA challenge for Mammoth Mafia it can be yours. Although it may smell like Restore forever. u/EldrormR thanks for running the Raw Hoggin' challenge, it was an awesome one.

MMOC Gen 1 is below the Gen 2 in my opinion. I was happy I tried the Gen 1 so I had a nice comparison of the two, but I believe that the Gen 2 is superior in comfort while being the same in efficiency. The blade only had one day of tugging that I had to deal with, but my shaves towards the end were pretty sub-optimal and left me wanting. This isn't because of the razor though, more because of blade degradation.

Tusk base is one of the best available today. My face feels amazing, and my balm is never going to run out. That is usually the only good thing that ever comes out of AA. Yes I get bored with the scent but at least I don't have to use a crappy base... I was hoping to finish this tub, but alas I have failed. Now it is going to sit in my den for probably a long time before I decide it is time to use this scent again. A nice scent, I am just burned out on it.

I will be posting a standalone for the MammothMafia and I have to double check the data to make sure I didn't screw up anywhere. Although there is only one giftcard prize for the participants, I went ahead and got a little something that all participants will be able to get. Credit to u/raymoonie for putting the graphic together for this sticker. Also shout out to u/InfernalInternal for helping me out with the MammothMafia challenge, you have been a valuable asset in this thing of ours. Ciao!

Mandatory Tagging for the last freaking time:

#GEMsOfWisdom

#Rawhoggin

#MammothMafia

Aug. 31, 2022 \~ Austere August \~ The End

• Prep: Cold water
• Brush: Ever-Ready 200 - Zenith 27mm unbleached boar knot
• Razor: GEM MICROMATIC OPEN COMB 2nd gen
• Blade: PERSONNA GEM SS PTFE(31)
• Lather: Declaration Grooming - Unscented - Soap
• Post Shave: Southern Witchcrafts - Incorporeal - Aftershave (Alcohol-Free)

Countdown ... 0

#unscented I beat you!

Interesting numbers on Soap & Aftershave uses:

...	Soap Used	AS Used
Max	11.65	8.75
Min	1.36	0.01
Median	2.87	2.81

Three days mindless wasting day 23 body shaving 10.57gr, day 30 attention seeking clown around (I learnt the lesson) and today shave I have used the rest of the soap showering (clever option). On day 13 I used 8.75gr of Aftershave that day I rushed through the save and probably applied several times the aftershave, on day 27 I forget to use aftershave who knows why, it could be because the dogs wanted to go for a walk.

Chart of Soap and aftershave uses, on the trendline soap has an ascendant tendency while aftershave has a horizontal line, it had a constant use. The remaining aftershave (and I will buy a replacement) will be used with soaps for which I don't have a non-alcoholic after.

#RawHoggin

The brush becomes totally unscented in the third week and reaches an acceptable smoothness throughout the second week. But there're still some bristles that need more time to finish breaking because when splaying the brush for face lathering they continue to prick a little.

31 days video of the hog front view and top view

PigEvolution 1 2

#GEMsOfWisdom

The MMOC has been revealed as an outstanding machine easy to use and effective, the PTFE blade is awesome I never thought using a blade past seven shaves, 31 is mindblowing. It began to be somewhat dull around the third week, but it continued to give irritation-free and smooth shaves with the help of some buffing.

#sidetracked u/Teufelskraft finishing with one of my favourite singers Mark Lanegan - Don't forget me bonus track Mark Lanegan - I Am The Wolf and Mark Lanegan & Maggie Björklund performing Alice in Chains' Nutshell

Aug. 31, 2022 - AA - Day 31

• Brush: Zenith Boar - Short & Scrubby
• Razor: GEM MMOC
• Blade: GEM Blade (31)
• Lather: Barrister and Mann - Ferox - Soap
• After Shave: Fine Accoutrements - L'Orange Noir - Aftershave
• Post Shave: Nivea - Sensitive Post Shave Balm - Aftershave

The brush has broken a bit and i think it can get better. If you have a good amount of soap it is creating a great lather. Thought i would have to change the blade mid way but this is a good and i'm going to keep using this blade. Today i found that the aftershave was based on Terre D'Hermes perfume from the Fine website. Aftershave and balm did the usual. Happy to have taken part.

Pics of brush after AA month. https://imgur.com/s0fwyiO https://imgur.com/NKRDI8i

Tags: #RawHoggin #GemsOfWisdom

2022-08-31 - Austere August - Raw Hoggin' Mammoth MMOC

Prep: Warm Shower

Brush: Semogue Torga - C5

Razor: GEM MMOC version 2

Blade: GEM Stainless (31)

Lather: House of Mammoth - Sonder - Soap

Post Shave: House of Mammoth - Sonder - Aftershave

Fragrance: Issey Miyake -L'eau d'Issey pour Homme

https://imgur.com/a/1FvYZZL - unbox, before 1st shave

https://imgur.com/a/B7T9tVA - after 31 days

31 shaves in the books. The GEM blade worked well but is starting to tug a bit after 31shaves. The brush broke in nicely and is sure to be a favorite going forward. A month of good shaves but I am looking forward to some variety.

#GEMsOfWisdom

#RawHoggin

#MammothMafia

August 31st, 2022

Prep: Warm water

Razor: Gem MMOC

Blade: Gem Blue Star (31)

Brush: Omega Model 13564 23mm boar

Soap: LA Shaving Soap Co. Black Void

Post: Noble Otter Bare

Comfort: 4/10

Smoothness: 4/10

5 second load.

2 pass shave XTG/ATG.

The final shave with this blade. Held up well but I believe a bit of rust preventative would have let it go much farther. The brush has gone frome wiry to wonderful. Handle shape for face lathering could be better, but that is a project for future me.

GEMsOfWisdom

unscented

RawHoggin

Aug 31, 2022 - Getting Sidetracked while searching for the Wisdom of a Mammoth

• Prep: Hot shower and CeraVe Hydrating Facial Cleanser

• Brush: Maggard Green Handle 2 Band Badger 24mm

• Razor: GEM - MMOC

• Blade: Personna GEM Stainless (31)

• Lather: House of Mammoth - Sonder

• Post Shave: House of Mammoth - Alive Balm

• Fragrance: House of Mammoth - Sonder EdP

Every day tags: #MammothMafia #GEMsofWisdom

Last shave of the month and I went out on a low note. I shaved at the end of today after a super long, exhausting day I rushed the shave and it wasn’t as nice as some of the others this month.

After a full month of use I have used a grand total of 1.8 oz of soap. At this rate a full tub of 4 oz would last me 68.888 uses which nicely rounds up to 69 uses! ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

I have been thoroughly impressed with the Mammoth balm that I bought for AA. It has a ton of uses in it as a months use is only barely below the top of the label.

Thanks to u/djundjila and his djudge-bots I can already tell that 20/29 people have already completed a Mammoth shave every day this month. Such a great turnout for such a great cause! As promised at the beginning of the month, I’ve made a donation to the both of the causes that HoM supports with every purchase. I am so blessed to be in a position to give some help to end Trafficking for good!

Aug. 31, 2022 - AA Day 31

• Prep: Hot Shower
• Brush: Zenith B34
• Razor: MMOC (Gen 2)
• Blade: GEM PTFE (31)

• Lather: House of Mammoth - Sonder - Soap

• Post Shave: House of Mammoth - Sonder - Aftershave

Today sucked.

Evening shave was nice, though.

The final shave in this month long journey was about as opposite as the first as it could get. The MMOC w/GEM was smooth and sweet - 0 bleeding, efficient shave, no irritation, overall a joy to use. The Zenith whipped up a great, thick, creamy lather; nothing like the early days of trying to get those bristles to cooperate. I've learned very well how to work with this soap and even when something starts too dry it's an easy fix at this point. Sonder - I'm not even remotely sick of this. The EDP is going on my Christmas list and if I don't get it there I'll be grabbing it on my own at some point. So good. As I sit here with my face cooling down I am sure I'm going to miss this daily/nightly ritual. So good. The mammoth looking through the glass is pretty cool, too.

Zenith Day 1 vs. Day 31 and again. Pretty crazy how far it's come. So effective, too.

Anyway. For my final Sonder thought of the day I thought I'd take you back to the beginning: "The realization that each random passerby is living a life as vivid and complex as your own." So, friends - remember that each person you interact with, walk by, pass on your bike or in your car, each fast food employee, server, banker, CEO, train conductor, and barista - they've all got a life that's as vivid as yours. Treat them accordingly.

With that, I'm out. It's been a great month. Even if I win nothing (and I expect that to be the case), it's been very therapeutic for me to write something each day, help me get outside myself a little bit. I should probably journal or something.

Thanks for a great month.

#mammothmafia

#RawHoggin

#GEMsOfWisdom

Aug. 31, 2022 - AA Day 31

• Prep: Warm shower
• Brush: AP400B XL Handle (AP ShaveCo) - 28mm Maggard Boar Knot
• Razor: GEM MMOC - Gen 1
• Blade: GEM PTFE (100)
• Lather: Chiseled Face - Midnight Stag - Soap
• Post Shave: Chiseled Face - Midnight Stag - Aftershave
• Fragrance: Chiseled Face - Midnight Stag - Eau de Parfum

Another August come and gone. Stag is so great and I never get tired of using it. The Raw Hoggin challenge was an absolute treat and I am super grateful for u/EldrormR for creating it. I have broken in a couple of boar brushes, but none like this. I really loved experiencing the full break in process and feeling the difference as the tips split and the knot started to open up. Thank you also to u/djundjila for inspiring me to push this blade to 100 uses! It was such a fun journey and one I can say that I will probably never do again. In all honesty, it was fine until about a week and a half ago. Even then the shave was never uncomfortable. Getting a close enough shave to be happy with was nearly impossible though.

Hope everyone had a wonderful Wednesday and last day of Austere August!

Stag Spray 31 #GEMSofWisdom #RawHoggin #SubstantialStag

Aug. 31, 2022 - AA Day 31

• Prep: Shower
• Brush: Semogue 1305
• Razor: GEM Open Comb Micromatic
• Blade: Personna GEM PTFE (31)

• Lather: Chiseled Face - Midnight Stag - Soap

• Post Shave: Chiseled Face - Midnight Stag - Aftershave

• Fragrance: Chiseled Face - Midnight Stag - Eau de Parfum

SubstantialStag

GEMSofWisdom

That’s it. That’s all she wrote. Today I mindfully adjusted the angle to see the effect of 31 uses. My problem last year was adhering too closely to keeping the blade parallel to my face. Today that got me some pronounced tugging. Last year I really like this razor. This year I love it enough to keep a GEM in the rotation at least once a week.

The Stag is almost dead and I did kill the bottle of aftershave. But I have a fresh set ready to go. I think I want to give Gearhead a try sometime.

Last sprays!

August gets really busy and I didn’t have nearly the time I wanted to read more posts and be interactive with my fellow MMOC Tamers. I’m looking forward to the fall and the Ohio Wet Shavers Meetup. Hope to meet some more of you in October. If you are close enough to visit Maggard’s, you’re close enough to come to the OWSM!

Happy shaving 🪒!

u/EldrormR I think there was a problem posting my yesterday’s shave but I tried to fix it this morning. I don’t know when you do your thing, but I hope I didn’t mess mine up. 🤞🏻

Aug. 31, 2022 - AA 31 (Finally!)

• Prep: Cold Water Splash
• Brush: Semogue 1305 Pure Bristle 22mm
• Razor: GEM MMOC
• Blade: GEM PTFE (37)

• Lather: House of Mammoth - Sonder - Soap

• Post Shave: House of Mammoth - Sonder - Balm

• Fragrance: Barrister and Mann - Seville - Eau de Toilette

Break in album with SOTD in title.

Wonderful last shave of AA. My quick take always.

Brush: 6, 15, and 27th shave seemed to be my “turning points” throughout the month in what seemed noticeably softer in the progression. It sure helps to have at least a few minute soak of the bristles too, otherwise there is def a bit more pokey scratchiness going on.

GEM: I got a lot better with the GEM. My biggest take away, even when you think the head (do you call it a top cap on an SE?) against the skin, give it a little more tilt for good measure. It’s a cool razor in design and looks, and shaves plenty well in open areas of the face and neck. That said, I do not think the head geometry of this razor suits itself well for areas like under the nose. Finding the right angle around the chin too felt like much more of a learning curve than when using a DE as well. As for the blade, I think I need to try a new on to compare. Considering my technique got better but I presume the blade it passed it’s prime, they sort of balanced each other out.

Soap/Balm: Sonder is amazing. Citrus, creamy, soft. No need to exude the mastery that is HoM and the tusk base and magic balm, we all know that here.

Frag Seville: Gods barbershop for a reason. It’s safe, but so good. I’ve used it for consecutive AAs now and probably used about half the bottle.

Lastly, #GEMsOfWisdom #RawHoggin #MammothMafia. Happy shaving everyone, you did it.

Aug. 31, 2022 - AA Day 31

• Brush: ShaveForge 28mm Boar, 3d Printed Handle #RawHoggin
• Razor: GEM Micromatic Open Comb #GEMsOfWisdom
• Blade: GEM Stainless (31)

• 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 - Eau de Toilette

We'll, that's a wrap. 31 roughly identical shaves. Probably 50/50 divided between two and three pass, with one five passer to finish the month.

That's right, tonight I did WTG, XTG, XTG, ATG, ATG to finish the month. Best shave I've had all month. In fact, I'm certain that day one was the worst.

In review -

Software

I'm sure there are few reading this who are a stranger to Sea Spice Lime, but if you are, you should immediately proceed to Spearheadshaving.com and buy yourself a tub. It's that good. Not only is the scent fantastic, but it is long lasting and brings all the bees to the yard.

The performances is top-notch too- I was recently having a conversation on the sub about another artisan, and the gent I was chatting with listed his top-tier artisans on base quality; I fully believe that Spearhead belongs with the big boys. The slickness and protection this provides is amazing.

I worried about getting sick of the scent, my wife and I were joking yesterday that it was just now starting to happen for both of us... On day 30. However, today I met up with my brother and his wife, and while we were doing the customary hugs, my SIL said, "you smell fantastic. Give your brother some tips." High praise indeed.

I was planning to PIF the soap that was left at the end of my journey, but... What's the point? This is all that's left after tonight's (admittedly ridiculous) shave from a tub that was 90+% full at the start. Luckily, I have a new tub waiting for me at home.

Razor

I was a little leery about using the MMOC for 31 straight days, but I shouldn't have been. It works really well for me, and the blade is still smooth as butter. There are other GEM razors that I prefer, but the MMOC is a worthy addition to my den. I only nicked myself thrice, and never after day 10.

My blade is still great. I heard /u/semaj3000 and /u/EldrormR lamenting the status of their blades on the podcast, but I've had none of those problems. I think this blade will get the nod for AA23. It very possibly has at least 31 more shaves in it.

Knot

There were some who questioned my choice of the Shave Forge knot, but I have zero complaints. The smell disappeared quickly, and now I'm left with a soft fluffy knot to be proud of. This is definitely going in the rotation, and I have a new respect for boar brushes. I'm typically a bowl latherer, and I don't see that changing, but when I'm in the mood to face lather, this will definitely get the call.

Handle

I thought 3D printing would get me a cheap handle and allow for a very cheap overall yet durable brush.

Nope. Not durable. Going in the trash in favor of a new handle from AP Shave.

Overall

I had a good time doing AA. I really got a chance to try a new brush and spend a lot of focus on my fundamentals. Having said that, I'm excited to try some new things.

Aug. 31, 2022

• Brush: Maggard 28mm Boar
• Razor: GEM MMOC
• Blade: Personna GEM PTFE (31)

• Lather: Chiseled Face - Midnight Stag - Soap

• Post Shave: Chiseled Face - Midnight Stag - Balm

• Fragrance: Chiseled Face - Midnight Stag - Eau de Parfum

Wooo. Time for Stag to go back in the vault. June and now August, feels like Stag has permeated my skin and now I am the Stag. Looking forward to fresh scents tomorrow.

Boar Break In Album

Stag Spray

#RawHoggin

#SubstantialStag

#GemsOfWisdom

#UNCHALLENGE

Aug 31, 2022 Trickhole Stag + MMOC + RawHog

• Prep: Warm Shower
• Brush: Dogwood Unbleached Boar
• Razor: MMOC MM24
• Blade: GEM (32)
• Lather: Chiseled Face Grooming Midnight Stag
• Post Shave:Chiseled Face Grooming Midnight Stag Balm
• Fragrance: Chiseled Face Grooming Midnight Stag

Stagging it up 5x

#GEMsOfWisdom

I missed shaving over the weekend, so it's going to be two extra days for me to make up.

Cheers