Finding Serenity in RawHogginy on the road to the GEMtury Pt. 7

• Prep: Klar Activated Charcoal facial soap
• Brush: Rubberset 400-3 with unbleached 26 mm Zenith knot set at 56 mm loft (7)
• Razor: GEM - Micromatic (open comb, first generation)
• Blade: Personna - GEM PTFE (76)
• 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

I overslept, so only a quick writeup before taking Djunior to the aquarium.

#GEMsOfWisdom: SSL, MMOC still fantastic, blade still useable #RawHoggin: this brush is excellent, still clinging on to and releasing faint whiffs of a pig's arsehole. Great stuff. Enjoy your Sunday!

Austere August Day 7

Brush: Rubberset 400-3 w/ Unbleached Zenith 24mm knot set to a 56mm loft 7th use

Razor: Gem MMOC, gen 2

Blade: PTFE (7)

Lather: NO Monoi de Tahiti

Post: NO Monoi de Tahiti Splash

Good but quick 3 pass shave before the kids wake up. I'm liking this scent more and more as the month goes on. We'll see how I feel in about 3 weeks.

RawHoggin

GemsOfWisdom

August 7, 2022

• Brush: Zenith 506U XSE
• Razor: GEM MMOC Gen 2
• Blade: GEM SS PTFE (41)
• Lather: Stirling Soap Co. - Sheep
• Post Shave: Lucky Tiger
• Post Shave: Olay Complete
• Post Shave: Chatillon Lux - unscented skin salve

Cruising right along. All the things are working well together.

#GEMsOfWisdom

August 7, 2022 - Austere August Ultra-Nightmare Mode

Brush pics for RawHoggin challenge

• Brush: Zenith B10
• Razor: Gem MMOC Gen 2 Ex-Watson
• Blade: Personna PTFE (7)
• Lather: Wholly Kaw - Washington's Blend - Soap
• Post Shave: Stirling Soap Co. - Executive Man - Balm

This shave was a bit weak, lather-wise, on the second pass. I think I just need to load more soap. It’ll break in at some point and I hopefully won’t have to load as much. I’m just thankful that it is soft and not stinky in the meantime.

GEM’s doing great.

#RawHoggin

#GEMsOfWisdom

Aug. 7, 2022 - AA Day 7

• Prep: Shower
• Brush: Semogue 1305
• Razor: GEM Open Comb Micromatic
• Blade: Personna GEM PTFE (7)

• Lather: Chiseled Face - Midnight Stag - Soap

• Post Shave: Chiseled Face - Midnight Stag - Aftershave

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

SubstantialStag

GEMSofWisdom

I had another amazing shave this morning but not an autopilot shave by any means. After reading u/imblasted’s post from yesterday I thought about angles.

I offered my thoughts on increasing the blade angle to the shave plane from this to this, which is what I am doing, having adapted my learning from the few uses of my new shavette.

I was deliberate in trying both angles this morning and found that keeping the angle more flat led me to applying more pressure as I sought to maintain the angle. This would lead to irritation, obviously. I see how it could also lead to tugging. Increasing the blade angle made for a lighter touch, leaving the weight of the razor to do its work.

This said and rereading the post again today, how much can blade angle make up for a seemingly bad blade?

Spraying it on

Edit: links to angle images

August 7, 2022: SCUBA Sunday Stag

• Prep: warm splash of water
• Brush: Yaqi Sagrada Familia Tuxedo 24 mm
• Razor: GEM OCMM (gen 2)
• Blade: GEM Stainless (8)

• Lather: Chiseled Face - Midnight Stag - Soap

• Post Shave: Chiseled Face - Midnight Stag - Aftershave

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

Pool day for the SCUBA class, next week is quarry diving.

Have a splash of a day!

Day 7 spritz

. #GEMsOfWisdom

Aug. 7, 2022

• Brush: Grey Chubby - Zenith B37
• Razor: Micromatic Open Comb
• Blade: GEM - PTFE Coated Stainless Steel (7)

• Lather: House of Mammoth - Z - Soap

• Post Shave: House of Mammoth - Z - Aftershave

Every day I think I'm going to put something interesting in the photo, if not to make it interesting then at least make them in some way distinguishable in the otherwise invariant day-to-day. Today all I could muster up was a new angle. Maybe at some point I'll do the ol' bedsheet-light-diffuser thing.

But not for at least a couple days, I think, because this damn malady seems to be getting creative. For the past it was just a cough; you know, the kind that makes it feel like a torrent of dry sand is ripping through your trachea each time? Hell, I can handle that. But now nose stuff has been introduced, which is the worst.

But not as bad as the atrocious insult to shaving that is face-lathering, made worse by the unnecessary repeated pressure around my schnoz.

Don't worry, I'm probably out of ways to say that face-lathering sucks, so I probably won't keep it up for longer than another day or two. Saying it sucks, that is; I've committed to continue this horrid act of injustice for the duration of the month...

#GEMSofWisdom
#RawHoggin
#unscented
#MammothMafia

Aug. 7, 2022

• Prep: Shower
• Brush: AP Shave Co 24MM SYNBAD
• Razor: GEM - Micromatic Open Comb
• Blade: GEM - PTFE (7)

• Lather: Wholly Kaw - Bare Siero - Soap

• Post Shave: Thayers - Unscented - Toner

2 pass shave with a 30 second load. Bowl lathered today, but I just can't deal with the extra equipment and extra clean up. Also makes me feel like I'm wasting my soap/lather. Browsing the weekly photos submission, and thought it would be cool if the various side contests all could get on the banner some point this month.

GEMsOfWisdom

unscented

Aug. 7, 2022 - Austere August 7

• Prep: Cool shower
• Brush: Semogue 610 Boar
• Razor: MMOC Gen 2
• Blade: GEM PTFE (7)

• Lather: Noble Otter - Firefighter - Soap

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

• Post Shave: Zingari Man Cooling Recovery Splash

#GEMsofWisdom Using this razor for 7 days straight, I can firmly say this razor gives me the closest shaves of any razor I have in my den. This razor keeps my face bbs for a damn long time for sure. Another day of WTG/XTG/Clean up and then figuring out which body part to strop the blade on. I'm still not a fan of this soap scent and hoping that I pretty much destroy this tub so I can bin it come September 1. (note to judges- the bowl in the SOTD picture was not used for lathering. Solely for soaking the brush and dipping the tips. Come 9/1, it will return to its original purpose).

#RawHoggin The tips are continuing to split and the brush seems to be working toward the 'Semogue Splay". I'm liking this little brush. It's small but effective

#Sidetracked The Sheila Divine are one of my favorite bands out of Boston. In 1999, they released The New Parade which contained the minor alternative rock radio hit "Hum". As good as "Hum" is, it's the next song on that album that always hit me with all the feels. This song has a slow build which adds to the emotional depth for me. Aaron Perrino is a great vocalist and every time I've seen this song live (which is quite a bit), he pretty much nails it for me. u/Teufelskraft and the gang, I leave you with something a bit different (from my musical den) this morning. Enjoy- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UdUKhKUnAf4

Have a great day all!

Aug 7, 2022 - AA: MA-RH-MM - Almond Leather - Day 7

• 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 (7)
• Lather: House of Mammoth - Almond Leather - Soap
• Post Shave: House of Mammoth - Almond Leather - Aftershave

I got a late start today, and I honestly kind of phoned the shave in. The lather was good, but not excellent. The shave was along the same lines. It was two passes, no cuts or irritation, but there were still some spots that could have been cleaned up better. It was good enough for today.

I'm finding the new angle for the MMOC to be much better than just keeping the cap flat against the skin. Using this angle, I have much better control of the pressure and glide.

I'm a little worried about the blade. It seemed to be tugging a little on the second pass. Hopefully it will hold up.

#GEMsOfWisdom #RawHoggin #MammothMafia

Rating: 3/5

A Mammoth Micromatic Raw Hoggin’ August

Brush Progress

• Brush: Zenith B26 #RawHoggin
• Razor: GEM MMOC #GEMsOfWisdom
• Blade: GEM (7)
• Lather: House if Mammoth - Hygge in Tusk
• Post Shave: Hygge Splash & Balm
• Fragrance: Hygge EDP #MammothMafia

The blade is definitely loosing some power and in the early stages of tuggy. Gosh only a week in too. I had to do some extra work in clean up, but I can’t complain about the result.

I loaded really heavy on the brush and got a YouTube worthy, yuge lather today, so the brush is doing it’s job! Still scrubby and I can feel the tips more than I’d like. But I guess the benefit of this is it picks up a bunch of lather from the puck. With a softer soap base like Tusk, it really isn’t necessary, but with those hard milled pucks of days past (pre de provence, lookin at you), this might be the ideal brush.

I must mention I’ve been absolutely loving the post shave routine with matching splash and balm. They offer slightly different aspects of the Hygge scent, but the wonderful effects of these ingredients on skin is splendid.

Day 1 Prep Video

RawHoggin Unboxing Pics

MammothMafia

Aug. 7, 2022

• Prep: Exercise and shower
• Brush: Semogue 1438
• Razor: GEM MMOC
• Blade: GEM blue star (7)

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

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

Good shave today. Brush is comfortable. I feel like I have a pretty good amount of control with the MMOC now and the blade is still working well. #RawHoggin #GEMsOfWisdom

https://i.imgur.com/R5rAPp3.jpg

August 7 2022

• Brush: Zenith B28
• Razor: GEM MMOC (Gen 1)
• Blade: GEM PTFE (10)
• Lather: House of Mammoth - Mood Indigo
• Post Shave: House of Mammoth - Mood Indigo splash
• Post Shave: House of Mammoth - Mood Indigo balm
• Fragrance: Barrister and Mann - Seville

I had a fun time seeing Phish on the beach in Atlantic City last night, there’s something to be said for being old enough to know when to leave before the encore to be able to get out of the parking garage without an hour’s wait. Great music and great people-watching as always. The shave this morning was pleasant, even the Gen 1 MMOC can be an autopilot razor once you’re familiar enough with it.

#MammothMafia

#GEMSofWisdom

Aug. 7, 2022 - Austere August

• Prep: Cold water
• Brush: Ever-Ready 200 - Zenith 27mm unbleached boar knot
• Razor: GEM MICROMATIC OPEN COMB 2nd gen
• Blade: PERSONNA GEM (6)
• Lather: Declaration Grooming - Unscented - Soap
• Post Shave: Southern Witchcrafts - Incorporeal - Aftershave (Alcohol Free)

I'm having fun despite my complaints about pig stink, unscented monotony, and blade's expectations.

RawHoggin

The HOG has revealed himself as a lather monster, consuming soap and making tons of lather easily, faster than I expected. While fading the stench and losing fewer bristles that have begun to split.

PigEvolution 1 2

GEMsOfWisdom

The MMOC is a great machine, I've found it comfortable and efficient for shaving, equilibrated and manageable to use. I've shaved with a +/-30º angle and a lesser one when XTG on the neck, very close to the one that I use with straight razors, and I've encountered that it works seamlessly. With the help of u/gcgallant, I found a way to confront some pesky hairs under the nose.

The blade continues to perform like the first day with added smoothness. I've never used any DE blades passing the 7-8 shaves, and I had to dispose them after that because they were dull and started to tug. I'm curious to know how many good shaves can give.

.#sidetracked

u/Teufelskraft I hope you were able to have a quiet weekend and were able to enjoy listening to some music. Today the performers are All Them Witches playing Diamond, I love the atmospheric epicness of their music and the poetry of this song,

Hey, I'm a diamond I am spinning clay I am the wheel That turns the day

Bonus track... Blacksnake Blues

.#unscented

.#RawHoggin

.#GEMsOfWisdom

Aug. 7, 2022 - Seventh on Sunday

• Prep: Quick splash of water
• Brush: Copper Zenith B28
• Razor: GEM MMOC
• Blade: GEM PTFE (7)

• Lather: Spearhead Shaving Company - Seaforth! Sea Spice Lime - Soap

• Post Shave: Spearhead Shaving Company - Seaforth! Sea Spice Lime - Aftershave

#RawHoggin

Didn't lather up during the shower today so still working on the proper load and build times for that scenario. Ended up being a little thin on the third pass, but managed okay all the same. I didn't have quite as much extra lather than yesterday, so likely I just need to load a bit more.

#GEMsOfWisdom

Today was the first time I felt some tugging on the first WTG pass. Part of me is very worried about what that means for this blade for the rest of the month, but the slightly more experienced part of me who has been working on pushing my DE blades past double digits more knows that I can still get plenty of good shaves out of this, there will be better days ahead and I just need to keep working on the variables that are under my control, namely the lather and razor technique. I know that I still have a lot to learn about this razor, I am enjoying it so far. It seems very efficient in that I feel like I am getting closer shaves than my favored Karve CB using the same 2.5 pass approach.

Aug 07, 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 (7)

• Lather: House of Mammoth - Sonder

• Post Shave: House of Mammoth - Alive Balm

• Fragrance: House of Mammoth - Sonder EdP

Every day tags: #MammothMafia #GEMsofWisdom

August 7, 2022

• Brush: Zenith B15 (506 U/L) 27.5mm Boar
• Razor: GEM MMOC Gold Gen2
• Blade: Personna Gem PTFE (7)
• 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)

Great shaving experience today. I decided to YouTube lather today and really take my time. This made for a brush full of lather that could easily have provided 3 good passes of lather. And the lather today was pretty glorious; mostly because I was able to take the time to fully enjoy it. The character of the brush hasn't changed too much, though. It's only 7 days after all and I have no complaints, but the feel of the brush is yet to be transcendental.

Visiting Midnight Stag every day is like having morning coffee. I look forward to both.

Blade wear appears to be the same as yesterday and my shave today was, again, smooth and comfortable. I don't know, but I would expect to see the wear fall off in stages. For a few shaves, the stresses of shaving fatigue the edge, then at some point, there's edge failure, and this results in its new condition for the next few shaves.

You might be wondering about how I'm caring for the blade since I'm examining it everyday under a microscope. My approach is to handle the blade with extreme care. I want wear on it to only come from the shaving and from the razor. After every shave, I extract the blade gently from the razor, making sure to move it out from under the MMOC's stops before lifting it out. I don't want to catch it on the stops and bend the edge.

Then, I make sure it is rinsed thoroughly (I have yet to see lather on it), and I pat it dry on a microfiber towel which wicks away the moisture. After that, I place it in the cardboard holder that it came in. I've modified this with a piece of electrical tape to so I don't have to slide the blade into and out of the holder.

How about the brush you (didn't) ask? The brush gets a 5-10 minute soak in warm water while I shower, then is used to face lather. After the shave, I rinse the brush and gently press out water until I see no lather at the end or near the handle. Then I shake the brush dry and gently dab the ends against a microfiber towel. After that, I put the brush aside to dry. I don't want any towel stropping to affect the brush during this break in process. I want to see how far the break in process goes just through use.

Enjoy your Sunday!

August 7th, 2022 - Searching for GEMs of Mammoth Raw Hoggin Wisdom

• Prep: Warm water

• Brush: Zenith B36 “Copper Scrubby!”

• Razor: GEM (is truly outrageous) MMOC Gen 2

• Blade: Personna GEM PTFE (sette)

• Lather: House of Mammoth - Alive

• Post Shave: House of Mammoth - Alive Splash

• Post Shave: House of Mammoth - Alive Balm

#MammothMafia

#RawHoggin

#GEMsOfWisdom

Raw Hog Before and Raw Hog after shave 7

Handle going green at the bristles

I may need to play around with my iPhone focus. It is hard to see the split ends that have started in the before picture. Yesterday noticed that at the handle where the bristles touch the copper, starting to get a layer of verdigris. Might be from chlorine chemicals in the tap water. The verdigris is starting to wick up the bristles. Will be interesting to see how it pans out over the month. Starting to get spots of darkening copper on the rest of the handle. That is probably a copper oxide forming there. Should start to develop into that old penny color in a few months. It has been 30+ years since I took chemistry, but looking up what is causing the color changes was interesting.

GEM of Wisdom gained today, light strokes, don’t ride the cap, but not to far from it. Angle seems to work best if the comb touches and the cap almost skims the surface. I bet if I measure the angle of the blade, it would be pretty close to 30 degrees. Feedback was decent, enough to hear the blade was cutting, but no chattering and not very loud. Blade is gliding pretty well. I could almost do my passes on the cheeks in longer strokes, but still keeping to short strokes and checking the angle. On the neck, the downward strokes need more care, but shaving up from the base is pretty smooth. The opposite to me with a de razor. I have modified my grip on the handle, trying to keep the pressure to just the weight of the razor. Result today, no irritation and the splash had almost no sting at all. Best shave of the month so far

Lathering the beast, still is a thirsty hog. I smeared an almond sized bit of soap in a bowl, and quickly loaded it. Took the brushto the face as soon as I could see most of the lather was in the brush. Not even a proto lather in the bowl. It took quite a bit of scrubbing and several splashes of water to start getting an ok lather on my face and neck. On the second pass, I had barely enough to get a layer of lather on the face.

For the soap, after shave splash, and balm, still enjoying them. Soap is very slick when hydrated and leaves a nice residual slickness on the skin. I could buff after every pass if I liked, but I refrained from that. Not going to chase bbs when I am keeping to two passes (wtg and xtg on face, but more like xtg and xtg on the neck). Scent is still quite enjoyable, but I think my wife liked it more when I changed up every day.

Going to be a pretty lazy Sunday. Some summer storm showers are supposed to ge rolling in soon. Going to do some more cleaning today, and maybe watch “Harley Quinn” on HBO Max. I don’t know why I waited this long to start, but now I have multiple seasons to binge. Might see if we can finish the puzzle we started on Friday. Working on puzzles is part of the recommended therapy for my wife’s neurological issues. She is finally showing improvement the last week. Maybe by September she can go back to work.

Aug 7, 2022 Trickhole Stag + MMOC + RawHog - Moving Edition

• Prep: Warm Shower
• Brush: Dogwood Unbleached Boar
• Razor: MMOC MM24
• Blade: GEM (8)
• Lather: Chiseled Face Grooming Midnight Stag
• Post Shave:Chiseled Face Grooming Midnight Stag Balm
• Fragrance: Chiseled Face Grooming Midnight Stag

Stagging it up

#GEMsOfWisdom

#RawHoggin

Cheers

Aug. 7, 2022 - Austere August Ultra Nightmare RawHoggin Stagpocalypse

• Prep: Midnight Stag liquid soap and bar soap
• Brush: Semogue 1250
• Razor: GEM MMOC
• Blade: GEM PTFE (7)

• 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

Nice and easy shave today. I’ve been good and awake since before 6 and my patient didn’t want to get out of bed until after 10, so I just took my sweet ass time and shaved smooth and slow. Only 1 spray today because I didn’t want to choke him out again but the video is unusable due to him talking and the possibility of a HIPAA violation. I can always add a spray or ten later if need be but I think I’ll give myself a pass for today. We literally just left Busch Stadium and I finally have a chance to post this because he’s been a bit needy today. I learned something though: suite seats are amazing and there’s nothing like it in the entire world. Period.

SubstantialStag

GEMsOfWisdom

RawHoggin

Aug. 7, 2022 - Sir Stacks-a-Lot

• Prep: Warm water wash
• Brush: Zenith B33 Copper Boar Brush
• Razor: GEM Micromatic Open Comb
• Blade: Persona GEM PTFE Coated (7)

• 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

u/Tonality stacking impression day. Thank you u/J33pGuy13 for the inspiration for today’s picture. Also, u/J33pGuy13 ‘s stacking game left a little to be desired, so here is how mine started. After taking the picture I realized that there was something missing and the hardware was feeling left out. So I added the brush and razor.

Today the brush wasn’t terrible. I still have some hope for it. The lather came out pretty good. The shave was better than yesterday. Maybe the blade is getting past the bad beginning or maybe the advise of u/Impressive_Donut114 helped, or some combo of the two. It was a smoother and there was less tugging. Still not as nice as my modern razors, but maybe by the end of the month I will have it figured out. The first pass was not very great, but the second pass was much better. Maybe I need to be doing a 3 pass shave every time with the MMOC. I will try it tomorrow.

Fú Dào is an excellent fragrance and value. The scent has a strong sillage and is long lasting.

Brush break-in album
#rawhoggin #mammothmafia #GEMSofWisdom

Aug. 7, 2022

• Brush: Zenith B36 "Copper Scrubby!" 28x50mm Boar
• Razor: GEM Micromatic Open Comb
• Blade: GEM (7)
• Lather: Stirling Soap Co. - Lime - Soap
• Post Shave: Porter's Lotion, WSP - Neroli - Cooling Aftershave Balm
• Fragrance: The Zoo - Rhubarb My Love
• Passes: WTG, XTG
• Coffee: Ethiopia, Sidama, Oromia - v: Ethiopia Heirloom - p: Natural
• Music: Black Sabbath - Sabotage

#GEMsOfWisdom / #RawHoggin

As promised, I'm still tinkering, and switched to loading for a certain number of swirls instead of seconds. I decided on 30 swirls, realized at about 15 that probably wouldn't be enough, and upped it on the fly to 40. Check out the results. This didn't take forever to hydrate, but it also didn't yield enough for a third pass (which I really don't need with the MMOC and a scrubby brush). And I used less than a gram of soap. I'll stick to counting swirls for the remainder of the month and try 40 swirls again tomorrow.

Also, I keep updating my photo album, but I should post a brush progress report. This knot is still burly, but feels less like a scouring pad and more like an exceptionally stiff shaving knot.

• After first shave
• Before today's shave
• After today's shave

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

⁂

#sidetracked u/Teufelskraft

I'd guess very few fans would choose 1975's Sabotage as their favorite Black Sabbath album. It falls right after their unassailable run of early '70s records, which started with the game-changing Black Sabbath and ended with Sabbath Bloody Sabbath. And even though it's hardly a fair comparison to pit any metal album against Paranoid or Master of Reality, that's unavoidable with Black Sabbath.

Nevertheless, it would be a shame to forget about Sabotage. You'd miss out on "Hole in the Sky" and "Symptom of the Universe," as well as my favorite, "The Writ." Black Sabbath recorded Sabotage after their meteoric rise to superstardom, in the midst of a nasty dispute with their record company, and you can hear that frustration throughout the album. Ozzy Osbourne wrote "The Writ" as that disgust, anger, and resentment boiled over. He was always capable of stealing the show with the right song—which made his '80s solo success a given—and he absolutely rages through all eight minutes of this painfully thorough airing of grievances. It's a tangled, multi-part endurance contest (with a bit of "Frankenstein" in there), Ozzy shrieking along a relatively simple guitar riff and steady, sedate tempo that's broken up by occasional proggy tangents to take a deep breath. The twinkling interlude is particularly unexpected. And then Sabbath gets right back into it, ready to tear somebody a new one.

YouTube: Black Sabbath - "The Writ"

Aug. 7, 2022 - Seventh day of austereness

• Prep: Hot shower
• Brush: Omega Pro 48 Boar brush 28mm
• Razor: GEM MMOC
• Blade: GEM PTFE (7)

• Lather: House of Mammoth - Hygge - Soap

• Post Shave: House of Mammoth - Hygge - Aftershave

Another great shave today. I should enjoy it as this blade will soon start to get difficult. Brush has less stink. And when properly splayed, it literally covers half of my face. Once broken in fully this will be a great brush, especially for head shaving.

Afternoon shaves ++

#GEMsOfWisdom

#MammothMafia

August 7th

• Brush: Zenith Boar - 505NK 27mm
• Razor: GEM - MMOC
• Blade: Gem PTFE (7)
• Lather - Chiseled Face - Midnight Stag Soap
• Post Shave: Chiseled Face - Midnight Stag Splash
• Fragrance: Chiseled Face - Midnight Stag Edp

#GEMsOfWisdom #RawHoggin #SubstantialStag

Edp video

Spent pretty much all day on the BBQ today so Stag has fitted in quite well and also kept the guests at a comfortable distance

20220807 - Dante's inferno day 7

Brush: Omega 011842

Razor: GEM Micromatic Open Comb

Blade: GEM PTFE

Lather: Stirling Soap Company - Sheep

Post: Stirling Soap Company - Coniferous toner

Post: DR Harris - Windsor aftershave milk

GEMSOFWISDOM

today felt better than the previous couple of shaves, maybe the blade is transcending?

More praise for the sheep base, amazing!

Also realised I didn't leave a philosophical quote yesterday.

Fire is the test of gold; adversity, of strong men. Seneca

Aug. 7, 2022 - AA 7

• Prep: Shower
• Brush: Semogue 1305 Pure Bristle 22mm
• Razor: GEM MMOC Gen 2
• Blade: GEM PTFE (13)

• Lather: House of Mammoth - Sonder - Soap

• Post Shave: House of Mammoth - Sonder - Balm

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

Progress break in album. SOTD in title.

Probably my most irritation free post shave feelings, but not my closet shave of August. I loaded a shit ton of soap too, which I think helps make the brush feel a bit less intense. That, perhaps, plus the slightest break in. The knot was also soaked a tad longer as its was also my first post shower shave of Aug. seemingly a combo of factors helping me today. That said, between my technique and this blade, still a bit tuggy. #GEMsOfWisdom #RawHoggin #MammothMafia

Aug. 7, 2022 - Austere August - Raw Hoggin' MMOC Ultra Nightmare Mode

• Prep: Warm Shower
• Brush: Zenith Boar - B37 - Gray Chubby #RawHoggin
• Razor: GEM MMOC Gen2 #GEMsOfWisdom
• Blade: GEM (7)
• Lather: Stirling Soap Co. - Margaritas in the Arctic - Soap
• Post Shave: Stirling Soap Co. - Glacial Margaritas in the Arctic - Aftershave

Day 7 seems like it might be a turning point with the brush and the razor. Today I noticed how exceptionally soft the brush had gotten and how much I’m enjoying the feel of it against my face. It was also a somewhat routine feeling shave with the GEM that left my smooth, comfy and cut free.

The Brush: Picking up the brush today I noticed that the smell has really faded and the brush feels very soft. Upon lathering I found the scrubbiness to be be comfortable and overall feels good on my face. Splaying is still a bit tough but man handling this brush yields good results and the brush takes it well. I know we’re only 7 days into this thing but the break in process has been very enjoyable. It’s also really made me look forward to the next day.#RawHoggin

Brush Picture Pre-shave: Side Top

Brush Picture Post-shave: Side Top

The Razor I finally had what felt like a routine shave with the GEM. Today’s shave was pretty effortless and I got great results. I went 2 passes without damaging my face and felt confident throughout the whole shave. #GEMsOfWisdom

Days since last blood: 2

The Soap and Aftershave The soap continues to perform like a champ and I’m really appreciating the cooling with the hot and humid weather here in Turkey.

Day 7 Puck Picture

Aug. 7, 2022 - Austere August Day 7

• 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 (7)

• Lather: House of Mammoth - Sonder - Soap

• Post Shave: House of Mammoth - Sonder - Aftershave

🐗Raw Hoggin' Progress🤮:
•Unused
•Shave 1
•Shave 2
•Shave 3
•Shave 4
•Shave 5
•Shave 6
•Shave 7

Thoughts for the day:
Smell was manageable again. Woot. I'm loving how soft this thing is getting.

No issues wirh the shave. One week down.

Mandatory Taggage:

#GemsOfWisdom

#RawHoggin

#MammothMafia

Aug 07, 2022

• Brush: APShaveCo 24mm Tuxedo

• Razor: GEM MMOC - 1st Gen

• Blade: Personna GEM Stainless (7)

• Lather: Ariana and Evans - Peach & Cognac

• Post Shave: MacDuff’s Soap Co. - Viticulture - Splash

Shaved this morning, forgot to post. Had a nice shave on a lazy Sunday. Really starting to love this razor.

#GEMsOfWisdom

Aug. 7, 2022 - AA Day 07

• Prep: Warm shower
• Brush: AP400B XL Handle (AP ShaveCo) - 28mm Maggard Boar Knot
• Razor: GEM MMOC - Gen 1
• Blade: GEM PTFE (76)

• Lather: Chiseled Face - Midnight Stag - Soap

• Post Shave: Chiseled Face - Midnight Stag - Aftershave

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

Another great 3 pass shave today with no real change from yesterday.

Hope everyone is having a wonderful Sunday!

Stag Spray 7 #GEMSofWisdom #RawHoggin #SubstantialStag

August 7th, 2022

Prep: Warm water

Razor: Gem MMOC

Blade: Gem Blue Star (7)

Brush: Omega Model 13564 23mm boar

Soap: LA Shaving Soap Co. Black Void

Post: Noble Otter Bare

Comfort: 8/10

Smoothness: 8/10

10 second load.

2 pass shave XTG/ATG.

Homing in on face lathering, and going with more water than I thought. Improved lather from yesterday, however not bbs due to a bit of lazy technique. Still a serviceable shave, and no razor burn.

GEMsOfWisdom

unscented

RawHoggin

2022-08-07 - Austere August - Raw Hoggin' Mammoth MMOC

Prep: Warm Shower
Brush: Semogue Torga - C5
Razor: GEM MMOC version 2
Blade: GEM Stainless (7)
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/s7G7g15

Another great shave, everthing is working well.

#GEMsOfWisdom

#RawHoggin

#MammothMafia

Aug. 7, 2022 - Austere August Day 7

• Prep: Hot Shower, Stirling Soaps Activated Charcoal Facial
• Brush: Zenith 508A SE 28mm
• Razor: GEM MMOC Gen 1
• Blade: GEM PTFE (7)

• Lather: House of Mammoth - Restore - Soap

• Post Shave: House of Mammoth - Restore - Balm

• Post Shave: Zingari - Unscented - Aftershave

• Fragrance: Tom Ford - Grey Vetiver

Day 7, busy day with my daughter's birthday party. Good shave.

Mandatory Tagging:

#GEMsOfWisdom

#Rawhoggin

#MammothMafia

Aug. 7, 2022 - RawHoggin & Taming the MMOC

• Brush: Zenith B37
• Razor: GEM MMOC Gen 2
• Blade: GEM PTFE (7)

• Lather: Strike Gold Shave - Kennedy

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

• Post Shave: Zingari - Unscented - Balm

Fantastic bbs shave to start off a fantastic day. Went church this morning, went and got sushi for lunch, then went back for more church. Great day

RawHoggin

GemsOfWisdom

The MMOC is feeling great. I forgot how nice of shave it gives. I could use this as a daily driver, no problem.

The chubby B37 is breaking in nicely. It’s already starting to get super soft. Im still scooping soap like a mad man to avoid getting a thin water downed lather. And today it seems like it just used a normal amount of soap because I have enough left over for tomorrows shave. Also, I’m not getting any boar funk. I almost kinda miss the strong backbone is had in the beginning. I think this means that I’m gonna have to invest in a copper scrubby one day.

Aug. 7, 2022 - AA - Day 7

• Prep: Hot shower
• Brush: Zenith Boar - Short & Scrubby
• Razor: GEM MMOC
• Blade: GEM Blade (7)
• Lather: Barrister and Mann - Ferox - Soap
• After: Fine Accoutrements - L'Orange Noir - Aftershave
• Post: Nivea - Sensitive Post Shave Balm - Aftershave

Mid afternoon shave again cos it was lazy Sunday. Long shower and then 2 pass face shave. Finished with aftershave and balm. Brush has splayed quite a bit but still eating lather.

Tags: #GemsOfWisdom #RawHoggin

August 7th, 2022: Stag Stack 2: Electric Boogaloo

• Prep: warm water

• Brush: Vintage Rubberset 400-3 with 24mm unbleached Zenith knot

• Razor: MMOC

• Blade: GEM PTFE (7)

• Lather: Chiseled Face - Midnight Stag - Soap

• Post-Shave: Chiseled Face - Midnight Stag - Aftershave

• Post-Shave: Chiseled Face - Natural - Balm

• Fragrance: Chiseled Face - Midnight Stag - EdP

2 passes today to appease the overlords. Too late but w/e.

Stag stack looking mint.

Stag sprays of the day!

#SubstantialStag

#GemsOfWisdom

#RawHoggin (new side challenge, [tag /u/semaj3000 everyday because he DQed me)

#UNCHALLENGE

Aug 7, 2021 – Austere August. Day 7.

• Prep: Hot Shower
• Brush: Zenith - B16 24mm Boar
• Razor: GEM Micromatic Open Comb Gen 2
• Blade: GEM PTFE (7)
• Lather: Stirling Soap Co. – Sheep
• Post Shave: Zingari Man – Unscented - Aftershave Balm
• Music: Meat Loaf - Paradise By The Dashboard Light

A week into AA and the MMOC has turned into a nice little shaving device for me. Shaving with it has become pretty natural to me and it’s been days since I got a nick or cut. I’ve been getting nice, close shaves with it and my muscle memory for angle and pressure have pretty much taken over. I didn’t have any irritation after today’s shave either. I’ve said it before, but I’ll say it again, I really expected it to take a lot longer to get used to shaving with this gentle giant. I remember it took me a few weeks to get used to shaving with a DE after making the switch to cartridges, and I assumed this would be similar, but everything was really, really good about today’s shave.

Me and this new boar brush are also getting along nicely, as well. I’m still going through a lot of soap, but the lather we’re making together is quite good. There’s still a faint Eau de Farm Animal lingering, but it gets less and less with each shave. Since this is my first time breaking in a boar brush, I’m not sure what it’s supposed to feel like when it breaks in, but I’m enjoying every step of the journey.

I think I’m actually shaving faster too. With no scents to savor in, and lathering on my face (instead of my usual method of bowl lathering in a scuttle), I’m just getting right down to business with each shave and the GEM blade quickly and easily slices my whiskers down. That being said, a big part of what I enjoy about wetshaving is the ritual and the scents. Lord knows I don’t do this for speed. So while shaving faster is nice, it comes at a big, unscented cost.

For today’s #sidetracked music selection, I’m picking Meat Loaf’s “Paradise By The Dashboard Light”. What an awesome song. Unlike my previous music selections, I don’t have any deep connection to this song and this song doesn’t unlock any special memories for me. It’s just an awesome song and is solid for it’s entire 8 and a half minutes. Meat Loaf was such an uniquely talented individual and while he certainly was far from perfect, it’s hard argue that the man had a lot of talent. RIP Mr. Loaf.

Hope everyone had a great weekend.

Tags: #unscented #rawhoggin #GEMsOfWisdom

Aug. 7, 2022 - AA Day 7

• Prep: Hot Shower
• Brush: Zenith B34
• Razor: MMOC (Gen 2)
• Blade: GEM PTFE (7)

• Lather: House of Mammoth - Sonder - Soap

• Post Shave: House of Mammoth - Sonder - Aftershave

Tonight's shave was downright pleasant. What a different a week and a few helpful friends/internet strangers can make. Maybe it's because I stacked my SOTD pic.

MMOC was great. Just a 2 pass again tonight with some chin buffing and I only had one bleeding spot, but that's because I accidentally shaved off a stupid neck pimple that should already be gone anyway. Maybe it'll disappear quicker now, but I have my doubts. Otherwise - smooth sailing with the MMOC and the GEM blade is really gliding well - I've noticed that most of the tugginess of the first few shaves has totally disappeared; this could be because my technique has improved dramatically or, as others have suggested, I could be in the goldilocks zone of the GEM blade. I've now literally shaved with and MMOC and GEM 7 times ever, so I really don't know what to chalk it up to. I can say that I plan to keep the MMOC even after this is done and make it part of my rotation, and I'm intrigued at the idea of adding an open comb DE to the mix as well - the MMOC is my first experience with an open comb.

Zenith continues to perform beautifully. Loving this brush, it's amazing. Shed a few hairs tonight for the first time that I've noticed in the last few days, but no big deal. My Semogue Owner's Club has a hair in it that I think is set upside down and even after 30 or so shaves with it it is still very stratchy and pokey on my face - thankfully no such issues with the B34. I would highly recommend this boar to newbies and veterans alike.

Sonder - what is there left to say? It's excellent. I'm continuing to learn to dial in the soap to water ratio and each shave seems to be a little more perfect, although none of them have been bad (save for the first, which I underloaded while using a brand new brush).

Sonder thought for today: Even famous people are just like you and me, living vivid and complex lives. They're not all good people (like anyone), but many of them feel very fortunate for where they are, they deal with imposter syndrome, they feel inadequate and undeserving, they enjoy the money but are sad about the relationships it ruins, and, most of all, so many of them still feel totally empty inside. There's a notion that goes around that if we somehow make it big we'll feel fulfilled and financial freedom means feeling free and like we know what we're doing. Unforutately, that is almost universally not true. Rich and famous people just have bigger and more extravagant ways of trying to fill the hole inside and can spend more money chasing meaning. This came to light most recently for me in a podcast with one of my favorite comedians. My wife and I really enjoy John Crist and his brand of comedy, and he went on Bert Kreischer's podcast (he's also a hilarious human, btw). The whole thing is worth a listen, in my opinion, but it's particularly insightful when these two start talking about how empty they often feel and the addictions they've turned to to handle it. Here is the whole episode if you're interested. Even if you don't know either of these guys, I think you'll find it interesting. If you're concerned with language, it's quite NSFW in that regard, so - wear headphones or something. It's also long. Anyway. Sonder - everyone's life is vivid and complex and even our idols and entertainers and favorite public figures are just regular old humans like you and me. They've had disappointment and joy and failure and success and on and on. People. And so, when they behave like people, we should probably expect that.

I don't care if I win anything from this - doing these Sonder reflections every day/evening is so good for my soul. Helping me think through people and real world stuff, kind of like journaling and maybe a few others read it. Thanks to those who do - maybe you'll be encouraged or challenged by something along the way. Only 24 to go.

Have a good evening, y'all.

#mammothmafia

#RawHoggin

#GEMsOfWisdom

Aug. 7, 2022

• Brush: Maggard 28mm Boar
• Razor: GEM MMOC
• Blade: Personna GEM PTFE (7)

• Lather: Chiseled Face - Midnight Stag - Soap

• Post Shave: Chiseled Face - Midnight Stag - Balm

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

Last single EdP spray day! One pump Stag is no joke, from here we just get nose blind while everyone else around us suffers. What else is there to say about a shave that stays the same? I still love Stag so...

Boar Break In Album

Stag Spray

#RawHoggin

#SubstantialStag

#GemsOfWisdom

#UNCHALLENGE

Aug. 7, 2022

• Brush: RazoRock 506CK / 26mm boar
• Razor: GEM OCMM
• Blade: GEM PTFE (7)

• 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

Phew. Back home from the camping trip that almost killed my AA hopes and dreams. We were in an area that got zero Internet service so I had to go for a drive into town just to be able to post on Saturday! But alas I survived. I live to shave another (2) day(s). And that day was today.

#RawHoggin

Either this brush is starting to break in quickly or I've cracked some sort of code to get a dense shiny lather out of CFG without realizing it. My last three shaves really it has made great lathers. The stank is starting to dissipate as well. I'm thinking this will be well beyond broken in by the end of the month.

#GEMsofWisdom

This was an excellent shave with the OCMM. Probably the best yet. I forgot about how GEM blades in certain razors can hit their stride at around 7-10 uses and just deliver super smooth close and comfortable shaves for a while after that. I think I've hit that point for this blade.

Brush day 7

Stag spray

Aug. 7, 2022 - AA Day 7

• Brush: ShaveForge 28mm Boar, 3d Printed Handle #RawHoggin
• Razor: GEM Micromatic Open Comb #GEMsOfWisdom
• Blade: GEM Stainless (6)

• 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

AA Day 7

Shaving right under the wire - didn't get a chance to get my supplies out until 11:30 local time.

Brush Notes: I don't notice any piggy stink anymore - it just smells like the beautiful scent of Sea Spice Lime. The brush is no longer causing irritation, but really can't be described anywhere near soft.

Soap Notes: Soap usage has definitely plummeted. In the last 3 days I've used 5 grams of soap. I'm no longer worried about running out.

• Brush Comparison - Side
• Brush Comparison - Top