u/Environmental-Gap380's SOTDs for challenge 'GEMsOfWisdom 2022'

Aug. 1st, 2022 - What have I got myself into now?

• Prep: Warm water

• Brush: Zenith Copper B36 Boar “Copper Scrubby”

• Razor: GEM MMOC

• Blade: Personna GEM PTFE (1)

• Lather: House of Mammoth - Alive

• Post Shave: House of Mammoth - Alive Splash

• Post Shave:: House of Mammoth - Alive Balm

#GEMsOfWisdom

#RawHoggin

#MammothMafia

So I unwrapped my new Zenith brush. While I was getting ready, soaked it in warm water about 5 minutes or so. The copper handle got warmer from that soak. No surprise as copper is a great conductor of heat. I put a generous smear of Alive in an IKEA plastic kids bowl, and loaded the brush just until the soap was picked up. On my wet face, started to build a lather. Calling this brush scrubby is no joke. Had to add water a few times, but built up a decent lather. I put a new blade in the MMOC for the month. Oh did I forget new blades bite. Pretty strong feedback on the shave. Lathered on the face again, but had more trouble getting enough soap out of the brush. I squeezed out more lather out of the bristles a few times. Second pass felt ok, but after I rinsed off, about 4 weepers on my cheeks. The splash was a bit stingy, so decided to go double on the post shave and applied balm.

I really like the scent of Alive, but when I smell it in the jar, I get more apple and floral. Lathered, I noticed the muskier, moss, and woody scent. The splash and balm was similar for me. Skin feels nice after applying them. I think I was getting a bit complacent with the MMOC, and got a lesson today in making sure to pay attention to my technique. After rinsing off the razor and blade, flipped the blade over. I’m going to use GEM side on odd days, and stainless on even. Going to see if that helps keep wear even and maybe have the edge last longer. Probably not much difference, but maybe I’ll see shave 31 being as good as shave 5 or 6.

For the brush, here it is before, and this is the brush after day 1.

Hope I remember all the tags:

u/JoboozeRum u/EldrormR u/Semaj3000

August 2nd, 2022 - Will it break in, or break me?

• Prep: warm water

• Brush: Zenith B36 “Copper Scrubby!”

• Razor: GEM Micromatic Open Comb Gen 2

• Blade: Personna GEM PTFE (2)

• Lather: House of Mammoth - Alive

• Post Shave: House of Mammoth - Alive Splash

• Post Shave: House of Mammoth - Alive Balm

#GEMsOfWisdom

#MammothMafia

#RawHoggin

For todays shave no surprise, same as yesterday. I loaded about 25% more soap in the brush this time. For now, that was the right amount to load for 2 passes. Not used to face lathering, and having trouble getting the hydration right. I’ve been dipping the brush in the water it soaked in and trying to get more water worked into my face. I think I was better on pass 2 with that. Definitely slicker on the second pass. The brush is showing some wear already, but still it earns its scrubby name. Here’s a pic of it from the side. It looks about the same as yesterday. Tomorrow will see if any hairs are splitting. I think I saw 1 that split maybe 1mm of the tip.

The set for this month is still a very refreshing Alive. Once again, opening the tub I can get the fruit and floral notes, but once I get the lather wet, the “greenery” elements and musk come out to play. For the MMOC (today I’m naming it Bitey), day two and still a bit harsh, especially the neck. Got a nick and some weepers on the neck. From my first shaves after I got it, I remember it taking a few shaves for the blade to smooth out. I hope that is the case again. The previous blade was in the teens for shaves, and was a lot kinder to my face (unlike teenagers who can be a bit snotty). Maybe I should have held onto that one and see if I could get to 40+ shaves. No weepers on the face today, but the splash let me know the blade was rough there too. The balm definitely helped to sooth the sting. After seeing pictures of the MMOC instructions saying to hold it flat to the face, I did alter my angle. That seemed better on the face, but felt like it tugged on the neck. Probably need to get my skin tighter on the neck.

Got to say, I really like the Alive scent. I was torn between it, Sonder, or Hygge. In the end Alive won by a nose. I write this, I’m starting to get the apple scent more. Maybe the balm is helping that. Trying to think of what will go good with Alive after AA. It might be a good compliment to Rope Swing, perhaps Bell Ringer, or maybe Sonder might play well with it.

A bit of a rough start, but I think things will settle in soon.

August 3rd, 2022 - How I learned to Stop Worrying and Love the MMOC

• Prep: Warm water and extra patience

• Brush: Zenith B36 “Copper Scrubby!”

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

• Blade: Personna GEM PTFE (tre)

• Lather: House of Mammoth - Alive

• Post Shave: House of Mammoth - Alive Splash

• Post Shave: House of Mammoth - Alive Balm

#MammothMafia

#RawHoggin Post Shave Side and Above

#GEMsOfWisdom

Day three and the relief has started. The blade is biting less, and I went with as close to no pressure I could. I did make a teensy mistake and started a pass a little bit outside the lather. That fraction of an inch too high gave me my only weeper today. Still a little irritation, but getting less stingy today. I’ll take the lesson and consider it good progress. I think I know why some people push to 50+ shaves on a GEM. It will take a long time before the irritation of a dulling blade equals that of a brand new blade.

The brush is still quite the scrubber. I may be pushing it, as I try to get it to splay at least for part of each pass. The chunky handle doesn’t fit well in any brush holder I have. I came up to shave tonight, and the brush had fallen out into the sink. I still want it to dry upside down, so trying to place it better. I can see a few hairs beginning to split. Thousands left to go and I’ll have a soft brush.

I am still liking the Alive. Still getting the clearest scent of the musk and greenery elements, but if I get a good whiff, can make out some of the floral/fruit notes. As it mellows post shave I get periodic points where I catch a fresh smell of it. I like that I don’t feel like I am filling the house with my smell.

Decided to let Youtube pick some music for my shave. Started with Hole “Doll Parts” and “Violet”, then got Fleetwood Mac “Tusk”, and perhaps true synergy with the shave, as I was applying the aftershaves, The Breeders “Last Splash” played.

August 4th, 2022 - Taming the Beast

• Prep: Warm water and extra patience

• Brush: Zenith B36 “Copper Scrubby!”

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

• Blade: Personna GEM PTFE (quattro)

• Lather: House of Mammoth - Alive

• Post Shave: House of Mammoth - Alive Splash

• Post Shave: House of Mammoth - Alive Balm

#MammothMafia

#RawHoggin Are those split ends I see? Pre shave and Post Shave Soggy Hog

#GEMsOfWisdom

While the hog is not tamed yet, the GEM has started to settle down. I went with as light a grip as I could and still hold onto the blade. Followed the GEM instructions to hold the cap to the face, and had a smoother shave tonight. No blood for the MMOC tonight! Post shave the splash was just tingly and not stingy. 2 passes and a slight touch up on the sideburn area gave my smoothest shave this month. Not bbs, but it is a decent shave.

I used a slightly less amount of soap loading tonight, and didn’t shake out as much water. Finally got a nicely hydrated lather. Great slickness and had a bit left over after my passes. Might scoop a little less tomorrow. I am still forcing the brush to splay on my face. Just painting the brush on the face wasn’t making much lather. I was just dripping wet soap down my front. I am not a fan of face lathering. I bet the brush already could whip up a heck of a lather in the bowl without too much work. Hopefully mushing up my face with the brush will accelerate the break in period. So far what I like most is the handle I chose. I love how warm the handle gets after a 5 minute soak in the cup of hot water.

With the blade finally starting to smooth out, it is looking like there is a good chance the blade will cruise along to 31 shaves. Still will keep flipping it. Odd days get the GEM side of the blade up.

August 5th, 2022 - 1 step forward, then 2 steps back

• Prep: Warm water and extra patience

• Brush: Zenith B36 “Copper Scrubby!”

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

• Blade: Personna GEM PTFE (cinque)

• Lather: House of Mammoth - Alive

• Post Shave: House of Mammoth - Alive Splash

• Post Shave: House of Mammoth - Alive Balm

#MammothMafia

#RawHoggin Day 5 Before and After

#GEMsOfWisdom

I made a bit of an oopsy today. I flipped the blade and marked it. When I marked it, didn’t notice that I knocked blade on top of the little hooks that hold the edge to the comb. Basically gave the razor another 1mm of gap. Noticed pretty quickly as the feel was much rougher and the feedback was loud. Fixed it and the rest of the shave was better.

Still I am not enjoying face lathering the hog. Was a bit wet today, still trying to find the right amount to shake out after the 5ish minute soak. Lather was ok, just a bit wetter than yesterday. Not much sting from the splash, just the area on the first pass before I fixed the blade. I still enjoy the scent, but as usual the fruit/floral notes are not as apparent as the woody/musky/mossy ones. My wife says it smells fruity and piney.

After a long week, did get finished early (2PM). Going to run a couple errands before I pick up my daughter from summer camp. She is going to be exhausted. Today the camp had a field trip to a big outdoor pool/small water park in town.

August 6th, 2022 - Raw Hoggin’ the Mammoth GEM

• Prep: Warm water and extra patience

• Brush: Zenith B36 “Copper Scrubby!”

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

• Blade: Personna GEM PTFE (sei)

• Lather: House of Mammoth - Alive

• Post Shave: House of Mammoth - Alive Splash

• Post Shave: House of Mammoth - Alive Balm

#MammothMafia

#RawHoggin

#GEMsOfWisdom

Day 6 Raw Hog Before and After

I really slept in today. Briefly woke up around 8ish, but went back to sleep and finally got up a bit before noon. Lazy day today, just some straightening up of the house. I think I am going to finally finish clearing out some junk from my home office/guest bedroom. It has become the place where clutter gets dumped.

Shaved earlier than normal today. Usually, I shave in the evening after work or after dinner. One advantage to having mostly white facial hair , I don’t get a 5 O’Clock shadow, so I look less scruffy with a day’s growth. Also, sometimes kids ask me if I’m Santa Claus 🎅. Shaving in the evening really frees up some time in the morning when I am getting ready for that long commute downstairs to my home office. Traffic can be pretty rough if the cats think they are underfed and want more food (they aren’t though, usually there is plenty left in their bowls.)

For todays shave, I might be a bit stingy with the soap, but looking at the tub, if I keep loading trying to get InstaYoutube levels of lather, the tub won’t make it to the 31st. I took a small scoop today and really tried to work it up on my face. I did reach a decent amount of well hydrated, but not runny, lather for the first pass. Second pass, not so much. I tried to squeeze out enough, but ended up loading about a pea sized bit of soap to get enough for a pass.

The GEM today really is starting to perform well. The feedback is smoothing out and second pass is feeling quite good. I think the blade has finished with the rough start, and now I hope it will last for the rest of the month or more. One thing I realized, when I mark the blade, I’ve been using a brown Sharpie. Those marks make it look like the blade is rusting in a pattern of dots below the spine.

The Mammoth set is going strong. I wonder which ingredients in the splash are settling at the bottom of the bottle. Got to remember, give it a good shake first. Today, I think my familiarity with the scent has finally let me get the fruit and floral notes up front. I really like this set, and will want to replace it when it is gone, but I need to kill 2-3 tubs before I buy another. Also, I would want a full set of Hygge sometime, but after the order for the 31mm sub exclusive boar brush, the den is closed for new software and hardware.

Happy Saturday everyone.

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.

August 8th, 2022 - Wisdom of Hoggin Raw Mammoth GEMs

• Prep: Warm water

• Brush: Zenith B36 “Copper Scrubby!”

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

• Blade: Personna GEM PTFE (otto)

• Lather: House of Mammoth - Alive

• Post Shave: House of Mammoth - Alive Splash

• Post Shave: House of Mammoth - Alive Balm

#MammothMafia

#RawHoggin

#GEMsOfWisdom

Hog before and After Shave 8

After 8 shaves, the GEM is now going pretty well. I didn’t have any irritation today even with a third pass atg. The brush is getting easier to splay, but damn if it isn’t a hungry and thirsty beast. I added a bit more soap to load today. When I started lathering up, I got that yogurt consistency. I added water splashing it on my face and dipping the brush in the mug. Finally ended up with a good lather. First two passes went by without issue, so added a third to my face, but not the neck. I got very close to bbs. The aftershave splash was not stingy, and applied the balm for a bit of moisturizing.

Overall, best shave so far this month. I hope they all go this well.

August 9th, 2022 - Seeking the GEMs of Wisdom from Raw Hoggin Mammoths

• Prep: Warm water

• Brush: Zenith B36 “Copper Scrubby!”

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

• Blade: Personna GEM PTFE (nove)

• Lather: House of Mammoth - Alive

• Post Shave: House of Mammoth - Alive Splash

• Post Shave: House of Mammoth - Alive Balm

#MammothMafia

#RawHoggin

#GEMsOfWisdom

Before the shave and After the Shave

Didn’t mention it yesterday, but got out my Barrister and Man 42 Towel as a new backdrop for some pictures. I like the contrast of the blue background. I’ve been checking up on the verdigris developing at the base of the knot. I don’t think the blue/green has leeched up the knot any further, perhaps 1mm total. I do not think it is a problem, just noticing how quickly it showed up there. Maybe it will get more verdigris at the top of the handle transitioning to an old penny brown on the rest. That’s one of the fun things about every day items made from copper. They will keep changing as they age. I have a couple flashlights and a fountain pen made from copper. They are getting areas of that old penny patina, but not going to the blue/green.

Shaving today around my lunch break. Actually kind of working at the time as I have a forecast model running that takes around 2 hours to finish. Today I got my best lather yet. I load from a bowl after scooping a dollop of soap from the tub. I decided yesterday to not rinse out the soap the brush didn’t load. That loaded up pretty quick once the wet brush hit the bowl. The knot is getting easier to splay as well. Overall, I was satisfied with the lather, but have not been won over to face lathering full time. The GEM blade has been very consistent the last few days. Two passes and a little touch up completed the shave. I had no irritation again today. I just need to keep from relaxing and getting careless, or the MMOC will get its blood.

August 10th, 2022 Mammoth Raw Hoggin MMOC

• Prep: Warm water

• Brush: Zenith B36 “Copper Scrubby!”

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

• Blade: Personna GEM PTFE (dieci)

• Lather: House of Mammoth - Alive

• Post Shave: House of Mammoth - Alive Splash

• Post Shave: House of Mammoth - Alive Balm

#MammothMafia

#RawHoggin

#GEMsOfWisdom

Before the shave and After

Shaved a bit earlier today, but took a while before I could write it all up. One benefit to Austere August, you can just copy yesterday’s post and edit it. No worrying anout the format. I am on the iPad app, and the having to jump back and forth for the symbols is a bit annoying.

Lathering is starting to get a little easier. I am seeing more split ends forming, and it is not hard to get the brush to splay. Still it’s a scrubby little knot. The GEM was about the same as yesterday, moderate feedback, but no tugging or chatter. I had no irritation again, and I gave myself an extra shake or so of the splash. Almost 1/3 through, I know the blade should last for at least another handful of shaves, but will try and get it to the full month.

I have tomorrow off, so will have time for a shave in the morning. Taking my wife to an appointment, and in the evening we are taking my daughter to a sing along performance of “Encanto” at Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts. It will be our first time going to this venue even though we have lived in the area for a while.

August 11th, 2022 - Mammoth Hoggin Raw GEMs of Wisdom

• Prep: Warm water

• Brush: Zenith B36 “Copper Scrubby!”

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

• Blade: Personna GEM PTFE (undieci)

• Lather: House of Mammoth - Alive

• Post Shave: House of Mammoth - Alive Splash

• Post Shave: House of Mammoth - Alive Balm

#MammothMafia

#RawHoggin

#GEMsOfWisdom

Before and After

The hog is getting easier to splay and is loading up lather quicker today. Took about 15 seconds of swirling the brush to pick up the lather I smeared in the bowl. First pass lather was about the best I’ve made this month. Second pass wasn’t as billowy, but was very slick.

The GEM is staying in the zone with about the same amount of feedback and no irritation. It has been about a week since I got a nick or weeper. I might have gone a bit too light on the pass, not as close of a shave today.

Not doing the sidetracked challenge, but in honor of the Tusk base, today I played Fleetwood Mac’s “Tusk”. Not going to watch the Kevin Smith film “Tusk”. Don’t want to watch a crazy man try to surgical change someone into a walrus.

Edited to put in the link to the SOTD picture.

August 12th, 2022 - Searching for Mammoth Raw GEMs of Hoggin Wisdom

• Prep: Warm water

• Brush: Zenith B36 “Copper Scrubby!”

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

• Blade: Personna GEM PTFE (dodici)

• Lather: House of Mammoth - Alive

• Post Shave: House of Mammoth - Alive Splash

• Post Shave: House of Mammoth - Alive Balm

#MammothMafia

#RawHoggin

#GEMsOfWisdom

Before the Shave and After the Shave

Early afternoon shave was in the cards for me today. After taking my daughter to the “Encanto” Sing Along last night, I was quite worn out. I did not want to get out of bed. Work was meh, but I got a small task done at least, and answered some questions on a project. Work allows “Summer Friday Hours”. I don’t clock in as I am salaried, but basically on Fridays, management clears out at 1PM on Fridays. They aren’t supposed schedule meetings after 1 either. Although I took off yesterday, earlier this week I was busy and put extra time into work, so at 1PM I got anal glaucoma and couldn’t see my ass working anymore today. I’ll be busy next Mon-Wed, but that is future me’s problem.

For todays shave, I flipped the blade once more. Not sure if it helps, but one benefit is I am cleaning out under the blade every day. Lather and whiskers like to get trapped under the blade. About a 3-4 minute soak for the hog, and loaded up about an almond sized scoop from the IKEA kids plastic bowl I’m using this month. Face lathering is getting easier now that the brush splays without a lot of effort. The pictures don’t capture it well, but lots of split ends going now. Some bristles even split into 3 or 4 tips.

The GEM today gave me a scare. On one of the loose areas on my neck, it started to grab. It didn’t do much with the light grip, it kept from digging in and I backed off and stretched my neck a bit more. No blood was shed, and the splash didn’t burn. Actually, got a good bit of cooling from the splash today. The menthol is still feeling cool on my neck. The scent still is a refreshing clean scent to me. Not getting tired of on its own, but while I miss having a variety, I don’t miss trying to decide what to go with each day. It is nice to just know this is the set and no decision is required.

For an anti-sidetracked idea, last night during the “Encanto” performance, it occurred to me that there are songs you can’t play as your shaving soundtrack. Dos Oruguitas is one for me. If you’ve seen the movie, it is a punch right in the feels. No I didn’t try and play it today. I have heard it many times and watched the movie with my daughter quite a few times as well. That song gets me every time.

August 13th, 2022 - Searching for the GEM of Raw Mammoth Hoggin Wisdom

• Prep: Warm water

• Brush: Zenith B36 “Copper Scrubby!”

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

• Blade: Personna GEM PTFE (dodici)

• Lather: House of Mammoth - Alive

• Post Shave: House of Mammoth - Alive Splash

• Post Shave: House of Mammoth - Alive Balm

#MammothMafia

#RawHoggin

#GEMsOfWisdom

Before Shave 13 and After

Shave thirteen and you think I would have learned to accept the shave and not go for touch ups. Nope, felt like my right cheek wasn’t as close as the left side, so wiped some of the residual lather out of my goatee onto the cheek, and a few quick little stroke across the grain. That was enough to give me a bit of burn from the splash. I don’t think the blade necessarily caused the regular passes to not shave well. The left side is as close as I get with a 2 pass shave. Nope, got a little sloppy with the razor and opened the door to irritation. Guess lucky I didn’t get any nicks or weepers, so still blood free since week 1.

The hog is really getting easier to splay. I built up a pretty decent lather after loading the scoop of soap I smeared in the bowl. I did need a bit of water splashed onto my face to get it better hydrated. For pass two, I wet my face again, then smeared the leftover lather allover my face before building more with the brush. Worked out well lather wise for both passes.

The House of Mammoth Alive set is still going great for me. I think today I got some of the fruit notes from it, and a strong whiff of the laundry musk. I remember as a kid when we’d visit my Great Aunt at her cabin outside Crested Butte, Colorado. She didn’t have a drier at the cabin, so laundry was dried on a line outside the cabin. It always had an amazing smell of clean, sunshine, and the woods. Not an exact match, but it gets my mind going in that direction. Before my shave this afternoon, mowed, trimmed, and edged my yard. It’s not a large lot, but pretty warm outside for the 30-40 minutes it took to get it done and cleaned up. The menthol in the splash was quite welcome today, and it has my face and neck very cool. Might not be great in January here, but perfect for August.

Sunday, Austere August 14th, 2022

• Prep: Warm water

• Brush: Zenith B36 “Copper Scrubby!”

• Razor: GEM MMOC Gen 2

• Blade: Personna GEM PTFE (14)

• Lather: House of Mammoth - Alive

• Post Shave: House of Mammoth - Alive Splash

• Post Shave: House of Mammoth - Alive Balm

#MammothMafia

#RawHoggin

#GEMsOfWisdom

Before Shave 14 and After

Shave 14 and it is still going strong. Better shave than yesterday with most lather built so far. Had enough for an extra pass if I wanted.

Brush is continuing to get more split ends and will splay fairly easy now. When splayed I found it was making the most lather. MMOC and the Personna GEM blade worked well today. I don’t think the blade has noticeably dulled over the last few shaves. Makes me think it should have a decent shot at lasting the month.

Going to be a pretty chill day today, run a couple errands and a few chores, but lots of time to lounge around today. I might smoke a chuck roast on the grill today. Not going for pulled beef bbq, but long enough to get some smoke flavor, and will need to slice it. I think an hour or so on smoke, then wrap it up to finish.

Austere August 2022 day 15- Mammoth Raw Hoggin GEMs

• Prep: Warm water

• Brush: Zenith B36 “Copper Scrubby!”

• Razor: GEM MMOC Gen 2

• Blade: Personna GEM PTFE (15)

• Lather: House of Mammoth - Alive

• Post Shave: House of Mammoth - Alive Splash

• Post Shave: House of Mammoth - Alive Balm

#MammothMafia

#RawHoggin

#GEMsOfWisdom

Before Shave 15 and After

Took a work break to get in my shave today. Noticing that the hog has started to have the bristles splaying more in one direction that others. I think it is my right handed heavy use and tendency to swirl clockwise. So I tried to mix it up in my lathering today. Not sure it will do much, but this whole month is kind of an experiment.

Built good lather and had a very trouble free shave today. Trying to see if I can pick out more scents. Off the tub is when I seem to be able to get the apple scent. Once I lather up and shave, the musky and greenery type scents dominate.

Hopefully, when I head back in a few minutes, the job I’m running will have completed without any errors. I have to get some things finished before my boss comes back from vacation later this week.

August 16, 2022 - Seeking GEMs of Wisdom in the Mammoth Raw Hoggin Mafia

• Prep: Warm water

• Brush: Zenith B36 “Copper Scrubby!”

• Razor: GEM MMOC Gen 2

• Blade: Personna GEM PTFE (16)

• Lather: House of Mammoth - Alive

• Post Shave: House of Mammoth - Alive Splash

• Post Shave: House of Mammoth - Alive Balm

#MammothMafia

#RawHoggin

#GEMsOfWisdom

Before shave 16 and After the shave

Striking new territory for me with every new shave on this blade. My first GEM blade made it to 12 or so before I swapped in the new blade for AA. Shave was good today, nothing remarkable, no irritation and still blood free now about 11 days I think. Probably giving a touch more feedback, but I don’t feel any tugging or like the blade can’t make it easily through my stubble. Pretty good shave overall, and got it a little smoother than yesterday.

The hog is starting to produce lather easier. I really noticed a difference in the last two shaves. When I get the knot splayed, it starts piling up lather at the edge of the splayed tips. If I don’t splay the brush, and just scrub my face with the brush, maybe get just 1/3-1/2 the lather build up. In today’s before pic, can make out some of the split ends.

The Mammoth set is still treating me well. Soap is plenty slick, the splash is quite cooling, and the balm soothes any roughness from the shave. I haven’t gotten sick of the scent, and actually still like it a lot. One thing that helps is I boxed up the soaps and splashes I’m not using. Out of sight, out of mind.

August 17th, 2022 - Austere Raw Mammoth GEMs Hoggin of Mafia Wisdom

• Prep: Warm water

• Brush: Zenith B36 “Copper Scrubby!”

• Razor: GEM MMOC Gen 2

• Blade: Personna GEM PTFE (17)

• Lather: House of Mammoth - Alive

• Post Shave: House of Mammoth - Alive Splash

• Post Shave: House of Mammoth - Alive Balm

#MammothMafia

#RawHoggin

#GEMsOfWisdom

Before shave 17 and After

Well boss is back so I took a lunch break shave. It was between meetings, but not a lot of time to get much work done. Brush is getting easier to splay, and I’m noticing it is slowly adding more split ends. Hopefully in the next 14 shaves will get to where the majority of ends split and get a well cushioned little scrubber. It is getting easier to build lather on my face. I added about a blueberry sized scoop of lather to the bowl. I got enough to do a 3 pass+ shave (although stopped after 2 passes).

The GEM had no noticeable change in the last couple shaves. Today I got about as smooth a shave as I could from two passes and a bit of buffing. Very close to a bbs shave. I’d say best shave this month 4 1/2 out of 5.

The reason for the great shave, besides the GEM blade and razor, or even the Zenith B36, is squarely on the excellent foundation this Tusk base provides. I am getting great slickness from the lather, and residual slickness is good enough for a pass if I want. I still added more lather for the second pass, but for a little buffing it was great without adding more. The scent is still enjoyable. I will appreciate the variety, but I could use this set until it runs out if I didn’t have lots of good things to sample in September. I wonder if I should have gone with Sonder or Hygge, but I think I picked the right one for me. Great scent, some menthol in the splash gives a nice cool aftershave feel, and the balm makes a nice finishing touch.

August 18th, 2022 - Mammoth Raw Wisdom of GEMs Hoggin Mafia

• Prep: Warm water

• Brush: Zenith B36 “Copper Scrubby!”

• Razor: GEM MMOC Gen 2

• Blade: Personna GEM PTFE (18)

• Lather: House of Mammoth - Alive

• Post Shave: House of Mammoth - Alive Splash

• Post Shave: House of Mammoth - Alive Balm

#MammothMafia

#RawHoggin

#GEMsOfWisdom

Side view before shave, Top view, and After the shave

The hog is getting easier to splay, but sometimes I notice a part tries to tuck under instead of splay out. The brush definitely builds more lather when splayed.

The GEM showed hints of decline today. First pass felt a bit rough with a bit harsher feedback. Second pass settled down, and overall it was still a good shave.

The splash was a bit stingier tonight. Definitely welcomed the menthol and the balm to finish tonight.

Got good news today for my wife. Her long Covid symptoms have improved, and she is going to start back to work part time on September 1st, and then gradually add more hours every couple weeks until back to full time. Still waiting on her benefits from Aflac, but her HR rep says we have addressed their questions about the claim. Just hope it comes in before we need to hit what’s left of our savings.

August 19, 2022 - Seeking the GEMs of Wisdom through Raw Hoggin Mammoth

• Prep: Warm water

• Brush: Zenith B36 “Copper Scrubby!”

• Razor: GEM MMOC Gen 2

• Blade: Personna GEM PTFE (19)

• Lather: House of Mammoth - Alive

• Post Shave: House of Mammoth - Alive Splash

• Post Shave: House of Mammoth - Alive Balm

#MammothMafia

#RawHoggin

#GEMsOfWisdom

Before shave 19, lather after the first pass, and after the shave

Summer Friday hours are almost over. 😢 I finished up today a bit after 1PM. Plenty of time for an early afternoon shave.

Brush keeps getting easier to lather. I added a picture of the brush after building up for the first pass. Plenty was left in the brush for the second pass.

The GEM might be out of the smooth zone. Feedback on second pass was much worse than yesterday. I felt some irritation on my cheeks, and the aftershave splash had a bit more burn to it. I probably could have added more water on my face building the lather in the first pass. I didn’t have the best residual slickness after the first pass, but second pass was good. Maybe it was the lather and not the blade. I hope that is the case. I want to make it to the end on this blade. Starting a new blade would not be any better right away; actually it would probably be worse than today for the first few shaves.

Have a good weekend everyone!

August 20th, 2022 - Is it September yet?

• Prep: Warm water

• Brush: Zenith B36 “Copper Scrubby!”

• Razor: GEM MMOC Gen 2

• Blade: Personna GEM PTFE (19)

• Lather: House of Mammoth - Alive

• Post Shave: House of Mammoth - Alive Splash

• Post Shave: House of Mammoth - Alive Balm

#MammothMafia

#RawHoggin

#GEMsOfWisdom

Before shave 20 and After 20

20 shaves in so far. I can not fathom how u/djundjila has reached 89. I paid ~$0.23US per blade. I don’t think I will get past 31 on my blade, but at under $0.01 per shave for blades, heck of a deal, and cheaper than my 7 O’Clock Yellow which I get about $0.015 per shave. With that math, I should get more GEM razors right (like the Micromatic Bullet Tip I keep seeing on eBay)? To go with my several year supply of soap (yes, I have a problem). Alas, I told my wife I would refrain from buying new razors or other shaving things until maybe Xmas or possibly next spring. Except for the group 31mm boar brush. I told her I committed to that before my spending freeze. She did buy me some more Thayers because she had a $5 off offer from Target, but that was her choice.

Ok enough math and budget talk and on to todays shave. The blade is definitely on the downward slope now. It had a nice peak zone of about 10 shaves after the breaking in of the blade. Yesterday, I had irritation on my sideburn area. Today, first pass felt very tuggy. The blade is losing its glide. Mindful of the irritation, I kept pressure as light as I could, and no buffing or touch ups. I tried to follow the instructions to keep the cap to my face, but little bit angled up felt less tuggy. Feedback is getting crunchier, especially under my chin. End shave was ok, but I’d rate it a 3 out of 5.

The hog is really starting to get there at least. I can get a good splay on my face, and it pumps out a good lather. The handle patina has really started to darken this last week. The most is closest to the knot. I can find areas that are a dark bronze with red and purple accents. The copper handle is going to look great in another few months as the shiny copper areas start to develop. Lots of tips still left to split to get all the way broken in, but even with the firm backbone, it isn’t too rough.

The other good part of the shave is the set from House of Mammoth. I was worried I might get more irritation and redness on my face today, but the splash didn’t burn too much, and the menthol is feeling great right now. The balm works very well and doesn’t leave behind a greasy feeling. I think I am about 1/3 through the soap. Overall, the set is the highlight of the shave.

August 21st, 2022 - 3 weeks down, 10 days to go

• Prep: Warm water

• Brush: Zenith B36 “Copper Scrubby!”

• Razor: GEM MMOC Gen 2

• Blade: Personna GEM PTFE (21)

• Lather: House of Mammoth - Alive

• Post Shave: House of Mammoth - Alive Splash

• Post Shave: House of Mammoth - Alive Balm

#MammothMafia

#RawHoggin

#GEMsOfWisdom

Before shave 21 Top View and Side Views

After shave Top View

Tried getting a picture to show the patina development on the handle. I took the shot with the bathroom light off (too much glare), so just light from the window. It needed a bit of editing as it looked under exposed. I picked the side of the brush showing the most darkening.

For the shave, first pass very crunchy feedback again and still feeling tuggy. Second pass felt a little better. No real irritation today, splash didn’t burn, just the light freezing feeling of the menthol.

Have a nice Sunday everyone. Taking my daughter to a movie today. Popcorn for lunch.

August 22nd, 2022 - GEMs of Hoggin Mammoth Raw Wisdom

• Prep: Warm water

• Brush: Zenith B36 “Copper Scrubby!”

• Razor: GEM MMOC Gen 2

• Blade: Personna GEM PTFE (22)

• Lather: House of Mammoth - Alive

• Post Shave: House of Mammoth - Alive Splash

• Post Shave: House of Mammoth - Alive Balm

#MammothMafia

#RawHoggin

#GEMsOfWisdom

Before Shave 22 and After

Shave today was actually a bit better than the prior 2. I think I got better hydration in the lather today. I face lathered, then wet my face again, and worked the lather up a second time. Much better first pass, and second pass was better too. I guess I need to pay better attention to getting the lather well hydrated. It might be a bit of my stubble softening from taking longer to build up to the first pass. Anyway, if I can repeat today a few times, the last 9 shaves are looking up. Shave was irritation free today, and still blood free since week 1.

Off to make breakfast dinner now. Have a good night everyone.

August 23rd, 2022 - Raw Hoggin Mammoth GEM Wisdom

• Prep: Warm water

• Brush: Zenith B36 “Copper Scrubby!”

• Razor: GEM MMOC Gen 2

• Blade: Personna GEM PTFE (23)

• Lather: House of Mammoth - Alive

• Post Shave: House of Mammoth - Alive Splash

• Post Shave: House of Mammoth - Alive Balm

#MammothMafia

#RawHoggin

#GEMsOfWisdom

Before numero 23 and After

Shave today was back to a bit tuggy. At least there was no blood, and it stayed irritation free. Second pass was not as tuggy, but still the feedback is getting crunchy again. 8 to go, still no clue how some people are able to go much beyond the 31 shaves on a blade. If I could have a blade stay like this one felt around shaves 6 through 15, then I’d keep it longer. Alas that hasn’t been the case for me, I doubt I will keep it past next Wednesday. Getting close to the point where breaking in a new blade will take longer than trying to last through the month.

August 24th, 2022 - Raw Hoggin Micromatic Mammoth

• Prep: Warm water

• Brush: Zenith B36 “Copper Scrubby!”

• Razor: GEM MMOC Gen 2

• Blade: Personna GEM PTFE (24)

• Lather: House of Mammoth - Alive

• Post Shave: House of Mammoth - Alive Splash

• Post Shave: House of Mammoth - Alive Balm

#MammothMafia

#RawHoggin

#GEMsOfWisdom

Before 24 and After

I keep trying different arrangements for the pics. Today went for getting Alive to be reflected by the hog handle. Other pics, probably should have put a towel down. The knot looks like it is trying to camouflage like a gillie suit.

Shave was about the same as before. Tuggier on the first pass, and just average onthe second. Whatever magic other people do to get to 50+ shaves on a blade, it is obviously not how I am shaving. At least there was no burning or blood again. I put an bit bigger a smoosh in the bowl to load, and got at least double the lather out of the brush. Not quite cover the whole body in shaving cream, but could have shaved my legs after if I were so inclined.

Very happy with the set I chose for the month. Wish I would have kept track of the weight, but maybe will hit the halfway mark by the end. The cooling of the ws-23 in the splash has been quite welcome all month.

Mammoth Raw Hoggin GEMs of August (day 25)

• Prep: Warm water

• Brush: Zenith B36 “Copper Scrubby!”

• Razor: GEM MMOC Gen 2

• Blade: Personna GEM PTFE (25)

• Lather: House of Mammoth - Alive

• Post Shave: House of Mammoth - Alive Splash

• Post Shave: House of Mammoth - Alive Balm

#MammothMafia

#RawHoggin

#GEMsOfWisdom

Before shave (oops got it wet) and After

Oops, forgot a dry picture of the brush. The second I got it wet, it hit me I hadn’t taken the picture. It was still damp from yesterday’s shave though.

It is my daughter’s first day of 3rd grade. She woke me up before heading to the bus. Tried to sleep a bit more, but ended up getting out of bed instead of hitting snooze until I absolutely have to get up.

Since I’m up and don’t have to rush, I can get in an early shave today. Start to shave and, whoa not as bad as yesterday. Oh yeah, I shaved after work, only 14 hours of stubble. Basically, an ok shave today, but if I shave after work tomorrow, the grabby blade will be back. Looking over the brush today and the darker patina near the knot is getting blue and maybe will go to verdigris soon. That surprised me today. I thought it would be a long time at the old penny stage of patina. I guess the extra water exposure and perhaps the soap are speeding up the process.

August 26th, 2022 - 🎵Oh, I, oh, I’m still Alive🎵

• Prep: Warm water

• Brush: Zenith B36 “Copper Scrubby!”

• Razor: GEM MMOC Gen 2

• Blade: Personna GEM PTFE (26)

• Lather: House of Mammoth - Alive

• Post Shave: House of Mammoth - Alive Splash

• Post Shave: House of Mammoth - Alive Balm

#MammothMafia

#RawHoggin

#GEMsOfWisdom

*Before the Shave

*After the Shave

*Side view before

For some reason, got a bit of Pearl Jam stuck in my head today. Not a problem, just looking at my set for AA kind of triggered it today. “Black” is among my favorites of theirs. Rick Beato did a “What Makes This Song Great” for it. I really like the song though for the lyrics. It is truly a great break up song.

The shave today started very rough. After an early shave yesterday, I had an afternoon one today, so about 30+ hours elapsed between shave. First pass very tuggy on the face, struggled on the neck too. Lather was good though, probably loaded too much soap, but I was able to get a well hydrated lather today. It really depends on how much water I shake out before loading. Second pass was better, it is the initial full stubble that is giving me problems in the first pass. Maybe I should just skip the first one and go straight to the second.

The brush handle patina is really difficult to get in the pics with my phone. Depending on the light, I get glimpses of purple, blue, and green iridescence. On the picture today can see it a little where the bathroom light is reflecting off the handle. I will probably leave the handle out to check on how the color is coming along, but I’ll mostly use other brushes next month.

August 27th, 2022 - Mammoth GEM Hog

• Prep: Warm water

• Brush: Zenith B36 “Copper Scrubby!”

• Razor: GEM MMOC Gen 2

• Blade: Personna GEM PTFE (27)

• 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

Happy Saturday and the end is in sight. The GEM is getting very tuggy, and first pass is loud. It is still cutting the hairs, but if it tugs a bit harder, it will start plucking them like an Epilady on the face. Am I getting any wiser? Obviously not, as the blade is telling me it is time to let go, but I am going to push on to hit 31. I tried palm stropping to see if I could get anything back, but I couldn’t tell. I didn’t feel a burr on the edge, and really at this point it needs honing to bring more sharpness. After the shave I saw my Game Changer taunting me, “Why torture your face? I’m much much smoother and have plenty of edge left on my blade.”

The shave was not very close, but touch ups or buffing is just going to lead to irritation, razor burn, and maybe blood. At least no blood shed in the last 3 weeks, but that is about the best I can say. I gave myself a few extra dashes of splash today. No real burning, just the normal stinging of the alcohol that quickly goes away. As always, the balm just feels nice.

Might be headed to the pool today. Haven’t gone swimming this summer, so better get a trip in before it closes for the season.

August 28th, 2022 - 28 Down 3 to Go

• Prep: Warm water

• Brush: Zenith B36 “Copper Scrubby!”

• Razor: GEM MMOC Gen 2

• Blade: Personna GEM PTFE (28)

• Lather: House of Mammoth - Alive

• Post Shave: House of Mammoth - Alive Splash

• Post Shave: House of Mammoth - Alive Balm

#MammothMafia

#RawHoggin

#GEMsOfWisdom

Before the Shave and After the Shave

Went swimming yesterday. Hadn’t gone all summer. Stayed in the water for over an hour trying to keep my daughter and two of our neighbor’s kids in line. Man, swimming just uses all your muscles. Didn’t help that the kids decided I was some kind of climbing wall.

Today, the blade is about the same as yesterday, just a tuggy, scratchy mess. I think I’ll make it through the 31st, but I should really have ditched this blade a week ago. At least I didn’t sacrifice any blood, but the splash is getting a bit stingy now.

August 29th, 2022 - If we did Austere August in February, we’d be finished.

• Prep: Warm water

• Brush: Zenith B36 “Copper Scrubby!”

• Razor: GEM MMOC Gen 2

• Blade: Personna GEM PTFE (29)

• Lather: House of Mammoth - Alive

• Post Shave: House of Mammoth - Alive Splash

• Post Shave: House of Mammoth - Alive Balm

#MammothMafia

#RawHoggin

#GEMsOfWisdom

Before and After

Meh, Monday, back to work, didn’t shave early today, and the moon shot got scrubbed. Shaving pretty late today. Had me worried since it is almost a day and a half since Sunday’s shave. Feedback is getting harsh, very loud. Still very tuggy at times, especially first pass.

For all the harshness, the splash didn’t sting much, no real irritation tonight. A little balm to make the skin feel nice. Overall, not the worst shave this month. Blood free for over 3 weeks now. I think I can make it for the last 2 days. Not the smoothest shave. To get there would need the other direction xtg, or an atg pass, but I am not doing 3 passes on this blade.

August 30th, 2022 - GEMs of Wisdom Raw Hoggin Mammoth Mafia

• Prep: Warm water

• Brush: Zenith B36 “Copper Scrubby!”

• Razor: GEM MMOC Gen 2

• Blade: Personna GEM PTFE (30)

• Lather: House of Mammoth - Alive

• Post Shave: House of Mammoth - Alive Splash

• Post Shave: House of Mammoth - Alive Balm

#MammothMafia

#RawHoggin

#GEMsOfWisdom

Before and After

Shaved a little earlier today. Brush was still damp from yesterday. I miss bowl lathering. Face lathering doesn’t do much for me.

MMOC has just stayed about the same roughness last 5 or so shaves. It still removes hair, but isn’t a smooth shave. Tomorrow, I will see if I can get a fine shave out of it, and try 3 passes, and possibly 4 or touch ups. I think the MMOC when the blade was at its best (probably shaves 8-15), was fantastic and I could have easily achieved a bbs shave if I wasn’t worried about making it over 30 days with the razor blade.

The House of Mammoth - Alive set has been wonderful this month. It is fresh, clean, and hints of green things growing outside. The hit the nail on the head with the description from the website:

“I made Alive as a way to work through my own process of emerging from the lockdown and pandemic disruptions, to find ways to be reborn, to reemerge celebrating the growth that often happens through death and dormancy.”

It has been many years since I had laundry that dried on a line outside. The floral and green notes combined with the laundry musk, remind me of summer vacations at my great aunt’s cabin. She had a clothesline outside amongst the aspens and pines. It was so nice to get my favorite t shirt and jeans freshly cleaned and smelling fantastic right off the line.

If I do this kind of challenge again, I’d be tempted to go with Alive again.

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.