6 September 2025

• Pre-shave: Face wash w/ hot water
• Razor: Henson Mild (v1) with handle 1/4 opened
• Blade: Astra Greens (SP) (2nd use)
• Brush: Yaqi Tiberwolf Synthetic 26mm
• Soap: Lea Professional shaving cream (large tube)
• Post-shave: Alum, TFS witch hazel
• Passes: 1x WTG on the cheeks, 2 x WTG on the neck, 2x ATG on the cheeks
• Growth: 7 days (very thick & long stubble)
• Result: cheeks BBS, neck acceptable

Great shave. I used to think "residual slickness" was BS, but this shaving cream has TONS of residual slickness. Maybe I haven't hydrated my soaps enough, I don't know. But the LEA cream is great. I also thought I hated the Astra Greens, but apparently they work okay with a Henson. I tried them once with my Mühle R89 and nicked myself pretty badly like a year or two ago. This razor+blade+cream combo seems to be a keeper.

Enjoy your weekend everyone!

SOTD 2025-09-06

• Prep: Stirling Soap Co. - Haverford Pre-shave Oil
• Bowl: Captain's Choice - Obsidian Copper
• Brush: Semogue Owners Club - Cherry Wood Boar 24mm
• Razor: Yaqi - Slant 37
• Blade: Feather - New Hi-Stainless
• Lather: Noble Otter - Rawr
• Post Shave: Stirling Soap Co. - I, Rich Moose Aftershave
• Post Shave: Stirling Soap Co. - I. Rich Moose Balm
• Post Shave: Proraso - Polvere Post Rasatura
• Tags: $discord $SampleSeptember

This is both a sample kill and tub kill. It came as a special surprise from Maggard's sample packers. Every once in a while, if you get their empty soap tubs, one of these angels will leave a chunk.

Anyway, yesterday @walden gave me a NO tip which led to a very nice lather today. This last knob of soap had been in my drawer for awhile and felt dried out. I mashed it into my shave bowl and put in some warm water to bloom/rehydrate. I started Precision Loading after a shower and ended up putting only a small amount of water. I had enough lather for three passes and a couple of passes to clean up my neckline on the back of my head.

Have a great Saturday!

September 6th, 2025

• Brush: Grizzly Bay - Chisel & Hound v24 Fanchurian 28mm Badger
• Razor: J. Koester's Sons 11/16", full hollow, square point (2)
• Lather: Southern Witchcrafts - Gravefruit II - Soap
• Post Shave: Southern Witchcrafts - Gravefruit II - Aftershave
• Post Shave: Stirling - Glacial Unscented - Balm
• Fragrance: Spearhead Shaving Company - Seaforth! Leather - EdT

2.5 passes plus some clean up on my neck with a DE razor. I'm enjoying this smaller razor quite a bit, and the edge is feeling pretty comfortable.

I'm going to hold off on stropping until I notice a decline in performance. @gcgallant@sub.wetshaving.social and u/josiguuh piqued my interest with their lack of stropping over AA. I wonder if/when I'll be able to notice a difference.

Day 6/30 of Side-by-Side Straightember

• Brush: Zenith r/Wetshaving exclusive MOAR BOAR
• Razor: Böker – Abalone (6/8", full hollow, carbon steel, French point) UNKNOWN, BUT OTHER EDGE
• Lather: Stirling Soap Company – I, Rich Moose (sub-exclusive sheep tallow)
• Post Shave: Sir – Irisch Moos
• Fragrance: Sir – Irisch Moos

Complementing the experiment started with yesterday's double blind experiment, I used the other, but still unknown edge today. I'm now quite convinced that 1) I can tell the edges apart and 2) that yesterday's unknown edge was 1 mark. I'll repeat this twice more before checking which is which.

What's this about?

September 6th, 2025

• Brush: Chisel & Hound - Cherry w/ v25 Fanchurian Badger
• Razor: Yates Precision Manufacturing - Merica
• Blade: Gillette Silver Blue
• Lather: Catie's Bubbles - Top of the World - Soap
• Post Shave: Catie's Bubbles - Crangère - Aftershave