Tuesday SOTD Thread, August 5th, 2025 (#784)

2025-08-05

Razor: MERX & Co. Solingen-Wald Gamerx
Lather: just warm water :)
Post Shave: Kruidvat Aftershave Balm Sensitive

Still struggling with my edge a bit but I found out 2 layers of tape is best. 0 and 1 didn't hold the edge at all and 3 layers seemed to much, didn't take one to begin with. Progression is 8k > 1.5 micron strop > 0.6 micron strop. And yes I just soften my face with warm water and go, for various reasons. I just slap some on there with a washing cloth on each part before I shave there.

Decent shave, not much irritation at all today. I went against the grain immediately on the neck, felt good. Somehow that saves me irritation because I take less passes in total (I think). Went against/across the grain on the chin immediately as an experiment. Totally doable but I made a small error and cut myself. Skill issue. Looks like it would hurt but it doesn't.

Hello and welcome! I don’t think I’ve seen you around here before.
Why do you not use soap when you shave, if you don’t mind my asking?
- Thank you. I am new indeed. As for the soap:
  I just randomly started trying to use the razor. I didn't buy all the things at once but slowly added things to make it work. Soap just wasn't in line yet. I used to try to shave of an 3k edge on a razor with bad geometry honed on non-flat stones with no strop. It's a miracle it even kind of worked. So things like a diamond plate, a 8k stone and a strop were of higher priority to me.
  I have a lot of lines to get straight, like my sideburns and my beard so I need to see what I'm doing.
  It costs money and my shaving budged is getting a bit low so I need to pick my poison.
  I'm a minimalist in the weirdest ways sometimes.
  I had a lot of trouble with my edge, so I honed a lot and tried a lot of edges. Just water gives the most direct feedback of the edge on the skin. If it's fine with water it will be fine with any soap or oil.
  If my fundamentals (edge and technique) are solid I might add things like shaving soap or oil in the future.
  It's quick. I watched a bunch of shaving videos and the lathering up part often takes up more than half of video.
  I don't think I will post often here as I only have one razor, no soaps and two basic aftershaves. So it's not exactly the most exciting SOTD 😅

August 5th, 2025

Brush: Stirling Soap Co. 24mm Synthetic
Razor: Micromatic Open Comb
Blade: Personna GEM PTFE (4)
Lather: House of Mammoth - Mood Indigo - Soap
Post Shave: RazoRock - Puros - Aftershave

MMOC++

I've been using this soap for the past 3 or 4 days even though I'm not doing Austere August. I'm visiting family and this is all I brought.

I think Mood Indigo is in Ben’s “greatest hits” album.
- It started smelling even better when he announced it was being discontinued!

August 5th, 2025: AA Day 5

Brush: Proraso - Professional Boar
Razor: Weck - Sextoblade Med Prep
Blade: Fromm Hair Shaper
Lather: Mike's Natural Soaps - Vetiver - Soap
Post Shave: Catie's Bubbles - 322 - Aftershave

I would be lying if I said I was enjoying this Weck. It certainly works, but the novelty is already wearing off. I'm hoping a in a few more days the blade will start smoothing out. $Rawhoggin $monthofmikes $headless $discord

Sounds like it might be a long month for you
- Yeah we will see how long it lasts

Aug 5, 2025 - Tea Tuesday: Jasmine

Brush: Rad Dinosaur Creations Atlas II 26mm Raptor Synthentic Knot
Razor: Aylsworth Razors Drakkant Ti
Blade: Gillette Platinum [5]
Lather: Noble Otter - 茉莉綠茶 (Jasmine Green Tea) - Soap
Post Shave: Noble Otter - Hamami - Splash
Fragrance: Imaginary Authors - The Soft Lawn - Eau de Parfum

August 5, 2025

Brush: Zenith B44 28mm Boar
Razor: Koraat 14 "Moarteen" 15/16" Full Hollow
Lather: Stirling Soap Co. - I, Rich Moose (Mutton -r/Wetshaving) - Soap
Toner: Thayers - Cucumber - Toner
Aftershave: Stirling Soap Co. - I, Rich Moose - Aftershave
Fragrance: Mäurer & Wirtz - Sir Irisch Moos - Eau de Cologne

3 passes. Face lather. Excellent shave.

I'm enjoying doing 3-pass shaves every day. It's early, but so far, I can't detect a difference in the edge from lack of stropping it. I'll make a microscope image in a couple of days to get an update on its condition.

$RawHoggin
$ShepherdsofStirling
$headless
$discord

The Nones of August (where nothing ever happens)

Brush: Yaqi Rock
Lather: TGS Ambre Fougère
Razor: E. Jagger 89
Blade: Astra Green (old)

A decent shave. I dropped the blade into the sink at the beginning, but consequences are not the same with an Astra blade or with a River Razor kamisori. I guess I could throw it away if it's warped.

And it turns out that using a very soft brush and bowl lathering keeps the frag burn in check. Obvious in hindsight, but I wouldn't have thunk before. I added too much water to the soap though - which killed the slickness.

Have a good night!

Day 5/31 of Riding through Serenity in Austerity

Brush: Zenith - 506 N XS (extra soft horse)
Razor: Zwilling J. A. Henckels Friodur 50 (7/8", hollow ground, stainless steel, masonic deco)
Lather: Barrister and Mann – Roam
Post Shave: Barrister and Mann – Roam Two
Fragrance: Barrister and Mann – Roam Two

August 5th, 2025: MMOCMQ Day 5

Brush: AP Shave Co. "Amber Smoke" - Silksmoke 26mm Synthetic
Razor: GEM Micromatic Open Comb
Blade: Accuforge GEM Microcoat (5)
Lather: Mike's Natural Soaps - Orange, Cedarwood, & Black Pepper - Soap
Post Shave: Stirling - Arance Mandarini - Aftershave
Post Shave: Stirling - Glacial Unscented - Balm

XTG, ATG, super close shave.

$discord

BIG $monthofmikes

Walking the righteous path to MMOC mastery ⚔️

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Fallen

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