Aug. 1, 2022 - RawHoggin MMOC

• Brush: Zenith B37
• Razor: Gem MMOC Gen 2
• Blade: Personna PTFE (1)

• Lather: Strike Gold Shave - Kennedy

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

• Post Shave: Zingari - Unscented - Balm

RawHoggin

GemsOfWisdom

Wow I can’t believe the turn out for AA this year. I don’t remember it being this popular last year. On top of that, it seems like every other person is RawHoggin it. I’m curious to see how many people actually stick with it. Either way it looks like u/EldrormR and u/Semaj300 are going to have their work cut out for them.

I owned a couple boars before this one (Omega 100098 & Zenith New Titanio) but they just didn’t do it for me. Don’t get me wrong, the little Zenith is a good little brush, I actually have been using it a good amount up until now, it just seems to really lack the density I’m wanting. After these two brushes I kinda wrote boars off as not my style, but then I saw this challenge and decided I’d give another boar a chance, just so I can get that flair. I find it absolutely hilarious. Now on to the shave.

Upon unboxing this B37, I was very surprised by the lack of stench. I was dreading the wretched smell that I have been reading about all day. So I drop my brush into a bowl to get a good pre shave soap, and begin to set up for my shave. I’ve been reading all day about people not loading enough soap and getting a sub par lather. So I scooped a silly amount of soap and got prepared to lather. I pulled my brush out of its soaking bowl, and to my surprise, still no funk. I thought I must have been lucky after all the stories of no stink until the water touch the brush. So I loaded up, and began face lathering. No joke guys, I immediately knew I had a fantastic brush. Was it a little scritchy? Of course, it’s a brand new brush. But still, this chubby knot felt great on the face. I can’t wait to see what this brush evolves into in the coming month.

As far as the shave? It was just alright. The new GEM blade was a little rough and bit me a few times, but it’ll smooth out and be just fine.

Aug. 2, 2022 - RawHoggin MMOC

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

• Lather: Strike Gold Shave - Kennedy

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

• Post Shave: Zingari - Unscented - Balm

RawHoggin

GemsOfWisdom

Shave #2 with the MMOC went a little better than yesterday. You would think I’d be better with this razor than what I am. However, I’ve only used this razor about 10 times since last AA 😬. I almost just kept chuggin with that blade because the last shave I had with it went great. I’ll get there when this blade simmers down a little bit, and I get back in the swing with the razor.

The brush felt great again. I keep reading about people struggling getting a good lather, but I’m getting fantastic lathers. I hope this brush doesn’t get too soft and floppy, because I’m loving how it feels right now. I might have to pick up one of them copper scrubby’s in a few months and test that out. The boar funk was almost nonexistent, I only caught a whiff of it here and there. It’s gonna be a great month.

Aug. 3, 2022 - RawHoggin MMOC

• Brush: Zenith B37
• Razor: GEM MMOC Gen 2
• Blade: GEM PTFE (3)

• Lather: Strike Gold Shave - Kennedy

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

• Post Shave: Zingari - Unscented - Balm

RawHoggin

GemsOfWisdom

The brush performed great yet again. As good as it is performing now, I’m excited to see how good it’s gonna be once broken in. Oddly though, I think the stink was a little worse today. Maybe it was just in my head. I imagine I won’t be smelling the stink for a couple more shaves max.

This blade is still feeling rough as a corn cob. Hopefully it’ll get broken in and I don’t have a dud of a blade. I don’t remember it being this rough.

Aug. 4, 2022 - RawHoggin & Taming the MMOC

• Brush: Zenith B37
• Razor: GEM MMOC Gen 2
• Blade: PTFE (4)

• Lather: Strike Gold Shave - Kennedy

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

• Post Shave: Zingari - Unscented - Balm

RawHoggin

GemsOfWisdom

This brush is still doing great. It uses up a ton of soap and feels great, but I can tell there are still 4-5 stubborn bristles that don’t want to break in. I’m still scooping an absurd amount of soap, and nearly finishing the whole bowl in one go. Even after it’s broken in, I expect it to still eat the lather considering it’s a chubby 28mm. Which I’m fine with.

The MMOC felt smoother today. I flipped the blade, but I think the two are unrelated.

Aug. 5, 2022 - RawHoggin & Taming the MMOC

• Brush: Zenith B37
• Razor: GEM MMOC Gen 2
• Blade: GEM PTFE (5)

• Lather: Strike Gold Shave - Kennedy

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

• Post Shave: Zingari - Unscented - Balm

RawHoggin

GemsOfWisdom

This is only my 3rd boar brush, but my go to break in strategy for the first two was hand lather several times and towel strop. I read about people letting their brush soak in a bowl of water in the refrigerator. Is this a troll or do people actually do that? Maybe I’m the crazy one 🤷🏻‍♂️. Anyway, I was a little concerned about doing this challenge and taking the brush straight to my face. I was worried that it was gonna be rough, and smell horrible. Turns out it felt great on the face and only had a little bit of a smell. I honestly think this is the best way to break in a boar.

The MMOC felt great today. I’m getting the technique back from last year, and the blade is chilling out as well.

It seems like I’ve read several people talking about getting fatigued already. I’m in it for the long haul boys, I’m just getting settled in. I got a great brush, good razor, and I haven’t wrote much about it but I’m using an excellent soap. I’ll do a write up on it soon.

Aug. 6, 2022 - RawHoggin & Taming the MMOC

• Brush: Zenith B37
• Razor: Gem MMOC Gen 2
• Blade: Gem PTFE (6)

• Lather: Strike Gold Shave - Kennedy

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

• Post Shave: Zingari - Unscented - Balm

RawHoggin

GemsOfWisdom

I’m feeling like doodoo today, but I powered through and got my shave in. Little by little this shave is getting better. I don’t feel anymore of those stubborn stiff bristles. I can tell it’s going to gradually get softer and feel even better than it does now. I’m looking forward to it.

The MMOC is feeling great. Between my technique getting better and the blade chilling out a little, it gave a fantastic shave. Monotony doesn’t really bother me, as long as I’m using decent products. So I’m not worried a bit about getting tired out on this gear.

The only thing I’m getting tired of is taking a picture everyday. As you can tell, I’m complete garbage at being a photographer. Gimme some tips on how to be less trash.

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. 8, 2022 - RawHoggin & Taming the MMOC

• Brush: Zenith B37
• Razor: GEM MMOC Gen 2
• Blade: Gem PTFE (8)

• Lather: Strike Gold Shave - Kennedy

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

• Post Shave: Zingari - Unscented - Balm

RawHoggin

GemsOfWisdom

I have a habit of doing a quick few towel strops at the end of my shave, just to help dry the brush (idk if this actually does anything but it’s a habit). Luckily I’ve avoided that so far this month. There’s been several times that I’ve almost done it out of habit, but stopped myself so I don’t catch that DQ… Speaking of, do we have a count of the people left standing after 1 week?

The MMOC is still feeling good. Somehow I keep ending up with a weeper, but it’s still a good shave.

I blind bought Strike Gold Shave - Kennedy because I saw a bunch of good reviews on the scent, and because it is a less popular company and I thought it’d be cool to try them out. Well I scent ended up being a bust for me. I have no clue how to describe this scent. All I know is I think about root beer when I smell it. So I used it once right after I got it, and once for second chance Day during the LG. So when I was deciding what to use for AA, I made my decision based on what soap I wanted to kill, or at least put a big dent in and Kennedy seemed like a good candidate. This soap came in 5 ounces, so I knew I wouldn’t kill it within the month. However, I knew I was RawHoggin a greedy, soap thirsty 28mm chubby boar. As I’ve mentioned several times this month, I have been loading this soap like an absolute mad man. Not only to use up this soap, but also because it’s necessary to get a good lather with this thirsty boar.

So what have I discovered using this soap after using it for a week? It’s a fantastic base. It makes a great lather that is super easy to whip up. Some bases are finicky with how much water is needed when. Not this one. Add some water and get that drippy lather. It’s one of the easiest bases I’ve ever worked with. If you see a soap that looks interesting from Strike Gold Shave, pull the trigger, it’s great. So no, I don’t really care for the scent. But the performance is great.

Aug. 9, 2022 - RawHoggin & Taming the MMOC

• Brush: Zenith B37
• Razor: Gem MMOC Gen 2
• Blade: GEM PTFE (9)

• Lather: Strike Gold Shave - Kennedy

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

• Post Shave: Zingari - Unscented - Balm

RawHoggin

GemsOfWisdom

Another day of posting low quality pics, RawHoggin, and whispering sweet nothin’s to my MMOC. The B37 is still has a big appetite, but a little less than the beginning. I started looking at my tub today, and good grief it’s only day 9 and I have put a huge dent in this soap. I suspect that it will survive AA but it’s going to be hurting. Considering this is a 28mm chubby knot, will it always eat this much soap, or will it level out soon?

The Gem continues to be smooth sailing. I have a few ingrowns on my neck that needs to be addressed. And a nick on my left cheek that I keep aggravating. Other than that it’s been great.

Aug. 10, 2022 - RawHoggin & Taming the MMOC

• Brush: Zenith B37
• Razor: Gem MMOC Gen 2
• Blade: Gem PTFE (10)

• Lather: Strike Gold Shave - Kennedy

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

• Post Shave: Zingari - Unscented - Balm

RawHoggin

GemsOfWisdom

This brush is still doing great and hoggin soap, which is alright. Strike Gold Shave is a great base, but it wouldn’t hurt my feelings if I killed it by the end of the month. If I had a SGS scent I enjoyed I would gladly keep one in my den.

The blade is still feeling good and smooth, but I can tell that it is not quite as efficient as previous shaves. Even if I wasn’t in AA, I would continue to use this blade.

Aug. 11, 2022 - RawHoggin & Taming the MMOC

• Brush: Zenith B37
• Razor: Gem MMOC Gen 2
• Blade: Gem PTFE (11)

• Lather: Strike Gold Shave - Kennedy

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

• Post Shave: Zingari - Unscented - Balm

RawHoggin

GemsOfWisdom

Excellent shave today. Probably the best of the month. No smooth as a baby’s bottom with no fuss from the razor. And the brush is still doing great of course. Might have ate a little less soap today, but got a great lather.

Aug. 11, 2022 - RawHoggin & Taming the MMOC

• Brush: Zenith B37
• Razor: Gem MMOC Gen 2
• Blade: Gem PTFE (12)

• Lather: Strike Gold Shave - Kennedy

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

• Post Shave: Zingari - Unscented - Balm

RawHoggin

GemsOfWisdom

Decided to change up my routine and start shaving in the morning again. Since I got married in March Ive been a evening shaver. I decided I’d go back to mornings so I can have more time in the evenings.

Anyways, this brush continues to be great. Seems like it has ate a little less soap the past couple days. Which might be a good thing because I looked at the level of soap left and I was amazed at how much I have burned through. I don’t think I’ll kill it this month, but it’s gonna be close.

The Gem is still having peak performance. Last year my blade started to go down hill around the 18th, so maybe I still have a weeks worth of great shaves to come.

Aug. 13, 2022 - RawHoggin & Taming the MMOC

• Brush: Zenith B37
• Razor: Gem MMOC Gen 2
• Blade: Gem PTFE (13)

• Lather: Strike Gold Shave - Kennedy

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

• Post Shave: Zingari - Unscented - Balm

RawHoggin

GemsOfWisdom

I’m getting a little concerned about the amount of soap this brush is hoggin. We’re not even halfway through the month and I’ve definitely used more than half this soap. The hog is slowing down, but still eating a healthy amount. Maybe it’ll slow down enough to make it through the month. Judges, is it required to use the same soap all month to complete the challenge? If not I am going to continue to plow through this soap and move on to the next soap on the kill list.

The MMOC continues to be smooth shavin. I read someone’s GemofWisdom that they have been gripping the razor right under the head. I tried it out and it worked pretty good. I might use this strat more as the month progresses, because why not?

Aug. 14, 2022 - RawHoggin & Taming the MMOC

• Brush: Zenith B37
• Razor: Gem MMOC
• Blade: Gem PTFE (14)

• Lather: Strike Gold Shave - Kennedy

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

• Post Shave: Zingari - Unscented - Balm

RawHoggin

GemsOfWisdom

Just now getting around to posting this morning’s shave. It’s been a super busy day. Went to church this morning, came home for just long enough to get a short nap, then back to church. It was great.

As far as the shave, it’s going great as well. 3 pass BBS no irritation. This brush is treating me great, but it’s eating soap at a scary rate. I don’t know if this soap will make it to the end. I might have to start under loading if I want to push it to the end. This is a 28mm brush, I can’t imagine how much soap the 31mm sub brush is going to eat 😳. I might have to use one of my 3oz Stirling Black Friday soaps to break it in, just to see how fast I can kill it.

The Gem is crushing it. To me, this is the best stretch of shave this razor gives. We’re on easy mode right now boys.

Aug. 14, 2022 - RawHoggin & Taming the MMOC

• Brush: Zenith B37
• Razor: Gem MMOC
• Blade: Gem PTFE (15)

• Lather: Strike Gold Shave - Kennedy

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

• Post Shave: Zingari - Unscented - Balm

RawHoggin

GemsOfWisdom

After my concerns of not having enough soap to make it through the end of the month, I decided to load less soap today. I got a good lather, it just wasn’t as luxurious as previous shaves.

The Gem is still smooth sailing. Maybe it’ll stay this way through the rest of the month.

Aug. 16, 2022 - RawHoggin & Taming the MMOC

• Brush: Zenith B37
• Razor: Gem MMOC
• Blade: Gem PTFE (16)

• Lather: Strike Gold Shave - Kennedy

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

• Post Shave: Zingari - Unscented - Balm

RawHoggin

GemsOfWisdom

I’ve switched back over to being a morning shaver and I prefer it much more to the evening shave. I feel like I have more time to get work done around the house in the evenings, even though shaving takes 20 minutes.

I’ve gotten to the point where there’s not much to say about this brush anymore. I’d say it’s broken in and any improvements made will be negligible. The past couple of days I’ve loaded lighter. I’m getting a serviceable lather, but not quite as good as when I was loading heavy.

This Gem blade is still in its prime. Much more enjoyable than the first handful of shaves. My gem of wisdom today would be: if you’re using a gem for the first time, don’t make your final judgment until you’ve gotten at Lear 5-10 shaves on a blade.

Aug. 17, 2022 - RawHoggin & Taming the MMOC

• Brush: Zenith B37
• Razor: Gem MMOC
• Blade: Gem PTFE (17)

• Lather: Strike Gold Shave - Kennedy

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

• Post Shave: Zingari - Unscented - Balm

RawHoggin

GemsOfWisdom

I’m quite enjoying this Zenith. It’s starting to get pretty soft, yet has a pretty stiff backbone. And I respect a stiff backbone.

This blade is feeling great. It still feels very smooth and is still efficient. I picked a really great setup. This has been a good AA.

Aug. 18, 2022 - RawHoggin & Taming the MMOC

• Brush: Zenith B37
• Razor: Gem MMOC
• Blade: Gem PTFE (18)

• Lather: Strike Gold Shave - Kennedy

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

• Post Shave: Zingari - Unscented - Balm

RawHoggin

GemsOfWisdom

Day 18 Raw-diggity-Hoggin this brush. Honestly I can’t tell a difference in this brush for the past week. Is it broken in? I guess so. Is it still necessary to soak the brush for a few minutes before the shave, once it is broken in? That’s really the only part that is getting old for me. I’m just used to getting my synths good and wet under the water, then going to town.

This Gem is still feeling perfect. From what I remember, it is going much better this year. Last year I palm stropped the blade, and flipped the blade every shave. This year I flipped the blade once, but other than that I only open it up to let it air dry. This is not a very scientific experiment. But it seems to me palm stropping and flipping doesn’t really help 🤷🏻‍♂️.

bush pic

Aug. 19, 2022 - RawHoggin & Taming the MMOC

• Brush: Zenith B37
• Razor: Gem MMOC
• Blade: Gem PTFE (19)

• Lather: Strike Gold Shave - Kennedy

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

• Post Shave: Zingari - Unscented - Balm

RawHoggin

GemsOfWisdom

It’s finally Friday, I’m free again.

I’m in the situation where I’ll easily kill this soap by months end. But I’m also trying to stretch it out so I don’t run out and get DQ’d from Taming the MMOC. My conservative loading technique lead me to a runny lather this morning. Still got a nice shave though. This brush is still a treat to use, it has very good backbone.

I feel like a broken record, because all I keep saying is that this blade still feels great. I’m starting to suspect that I’m not going to get a tugging mess like I did last year.

Aug. 20, 2022 - RawHoggin & Taming the MMOC

• Brush: Zenith B37
• Razor: Gem MMOC
• Blade: Gem PTFE (20)

• Lather: Strike Gold Shave - Kennedy

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

• Post Shave: Zingari - Unscented - Balm

RawHoggin

GemsOfWisdom

Got to sleep in an extra hour today, which I guess was negated by the fact that I stayed up 2 hours later than normal. Oops.

This brush has turned into an excellent daily driver. All the tips have split and I no longer have the occasional scritchy bristle. I can foresee it getting regular use post-AA.

I think I have found a magic blade, there hasn’t been any noticeable deterioration since about 10 shaves. It’s still perfectly smooth and giving clean shaves. I might keep rocking it past AA. If it’s not broke, don’t fix it.

Aug. 21, 2022 - Raw Hoggin & Taming the MMOC

• Brush: Zenith B37
• Razor: Gem MMOC
• Blade: Gem PTFE (21)

• Lather: Strike Gold Shave - Kennedy

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

• Post Shave: Zingari - Unscented - Balm

RawHoggin

GemsOfWisdom

This Zenith keeps on getting better. I thought it had reached its potential already, but alas. I wonder how much more it will improve? Only time will tell.

This blade is still feeling great. I originally planned to keep going with it after AA, but I looked and it’s getting a rust spot on the bottom edge. Will it hurt me? I doubt it, but I’m gonna chunk it on 9-1 either way.

Aug. 22, 2022 - RawHoggin & Taming the MMOC

• Brush: Zenith B37
• Razor: Gem MMOC
• Blade: Gem PTFE (22)

• Lather: Strike Gold Shave - Kennedy

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

• Post Shave: Zingari - Unscented - Balm

RawHoggin

GemsOfWisdom

Super easy shave this morning. There wasn’t much stubble to mow through after yesterday afternoon’s 3 pass BBS shave. The brush isn’t eating nearly as much soap as before, I think it’s finally settled down for good. The Gem is still on easy mode. This blade has really treated me good.

Aug. 23, 2022 - RawHoggin & Taming the MMOC

• Brush: Zenith B37
• Razor: Gem MMOC
• Blade: Gem PTFE (23)

• Lather: Strike Gold Shave - Kennedy

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

• Post Shave: Zingari - Unscented - Balm

RawHoggin

GemsOfWisdom

Today was the first day I dreaded using this setup. Typically I look forward to shaving, but I was just meh about it this morning.

This is a good brush, but I’m just kinda tired of it. I’ll pick it back up after AA but I need a little break from it.

The blade wasn’t as smooth as it’s been. Still got a good shave, but I’m ready to get back to my GameChanger.

Aug. 24, 2022 - RawHoggin & Taming the MMOC

• Brush: Zenith B37
• Razor: Gem MMOC
• Blade: Gem PTFE (24)

• Lather: Strike Gold Shave - Kennedy

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

• Post Shave: Zingari - Unscented - Balm

RawHoggin

GemsOfWisdom

This brush has progressed nicely over the past 24 shaves. I’m curious to compare it to my Fanchurian and G5C knots. Will it win out? Ehhhhh idk about that. But it will definitely hold its own.

I was previously worried I was going to run out of soap before the months end. Now that the brush has settled down, I’m worried that I’m gonna have some left over. I’m trying to time it’s death perfectly so I don’t have to deal with it anymore. Strike Gold Shave has a great base, but this scent just doesn’t do it for me.

After yesterdays shave I thought that my blade was about to take a quick downhill turn. Today it felt much better though, I don’t think I’ll have much trouble out of it from the 7 remaining shaves.

Aug. 25, 2022 - RawHoggin & Taming the MMOC

• Brush: Zenith B37
• Razor: Gem MMOC
• Blade: Gem PTFE (25)

• Lather: Strike Gold Shave - Kennedy

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

• Post Shave: Zingari - Unscented - Balm

RawHoggin

GemsOfWisdom

The hog has evened out, I t’s a pleasure to use. My only regret is not getting the blue handle for this knot. I remember looking for it when buying this brush but I must have missed it because I went back and looked today. It was on the very last page so that is probably how I missed it. Oh well, it preforms the same so NBD.

Wow this blade went to crap fast. Yesterday it was a nice smooth blade, but today it was complete garbage, F tier. Maybe it goes back to a smooth blade before months end.

Aug. 26, 2022 - RawHoggin & Taming the MMOC

• Brush: Zenith B37
• Razor: Gem MMOC
• Blade: Gem PTFE (26)

• Lather: Strike Gold Shave - Kennedy

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

• Post Shave: Zingari - Unscented - Balm

RawHoggin

GemsOfWisdom

I can’t believe how bad this blade got so quickly. I tried giving the blade a few palm strops, but that didn’t seem to do anything at all. These next 5 shaves are going to be rough.

I think im going to be able to stretch this soap out 5 days exactly. The middle part on the bottom of the tub is exposed, but the ridges are deeper. I’m glad to get my 5th kill of the year. And with just a little effort I can easily get my 6th before the end of the year.

I don’t know if I will ever kill this splash. I’ve used it almost daily for what seems like a year and it’s still hanging on. I’ll be ready to get rid of it. The Zingari Man balm is almost dead too. I’ll definitely have to buy a replacement along with an unscented recovery splash. Zingari Man kills the post shave game.

Aug. 27, 2022 - RawHoggin & Taming the MMOC

• Brush: Zenith B37
• Razor: Gem MMOC
• Blade: Gem PTFE (27)

• Lather: Strike Gold Shave - Kennedy

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

• Post Shave: Zingari - Unscented - Balm

RawHoggin

GemsOfWisdom

Flipped my blade today just for kicks and giggles. Not sure if it was placebo effect, but it actually felt better than the past few shaves. This will probably be the last challenge I participate in that requires using the same blade all month. I like the idea of using the same gear all month, but I like to enjoy my shaves, and using an uncomfortable blade just ain’t it. With that being said, I’ve came this far so I’m gonna finish out the month.

The brush is broken in and feeling good.

Aug. 28, 2022 - RawHoggin & Taming the MMOC

• Brush: Zenith B37
• Razor: Gem MMOC
• Blade: Gem PTFE (28)

• Lather: Strike Gold Shave - Kennedy

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

• Post Shave: Zingari - Unscented - Balm

RawHoggin

GemsOfWisdom

The other side of this blade still felt better than the side I’ve been shaving on the rest of the month. Is there an explanation to this? Idk but I do know that there definitely is something to it. The difference is night and day.

Aug. 29, 2022 - RawHoggin & Taming the MMOC

• Brush: Zenith B37
• Razor: Gem MMOC
• Blade: Gem PTFE (29)

• Lather: Strike Gold Shave - Kennedy

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

• Post Shave: Zingari - Unscented - Balm

RawHoggin

GemsOfWisdom

Well boys, we’re in the home stretch. I was really hoping to kill this soap but idk if it’s going to happen. It has less than 5 shaves left so maybe I can go back to loading like a mad man and FINISH HIM.

I’ve actually quite enjoyed the brush this month. Call me crazy but I think I liked it better when it wasn’t broken in and a backbone of steel.

I am so ready to move on from this blade. Luckily flipping it the other day has some how smoothed things out a little bit, but it’s still not the best experience.

Aug. 30, 2022 - RawHoggin & Taming the MMOC

• Brush: Zenith B37
• Razor: Gem MMOC
• Blade: Gem PTFE (30)

• Lather: Strike Gold Shave - Kennedy

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

• Post Shave: Zingari - Unscented - Balm

Rawhoggin

GemsOfWisdom

This blade has caught a second wind, it went from feeling terrible to being decent. If it keeps it up tomorrow then we’ll end the month strong.

I got a little too conservative with my soap usage. I checked yesterday and I have just enough for 4 more shaves. So I had a decision to make. Use a normal amount of soap and finish it off next month, or scoop two days worth of soap and finish it now. Obviously I chose to finish it off over the next two days. So I scooped my two days worth, and used the Marco Method to completely eviscerated the large hunk of soap. In case you’re wondering, this 28mm chubby boar knot holds a ton of water, and creates a boat load of lather. It was phenomenal.

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.