The Twenty-Eighth Day Of Weckoning is upon us

• Brush: Rubberset 400-3 with a 26 mm unbleached Zenith boar knot at 56 mm loft
• Razor: Weck Sextoblade Med Prep
• Blade: Kismet Rostfrei, Polymer beschichtet (34)
• Lather: Barrister and Mann – Oceana
• Post Shave: Ralon – Original
• Fragrance: Stirling Soap Co. – Island Man

The final Austere August Monday is here, time for a few early Weckonclusions:

1. Djudging by the number of complaints, the Weckoning was a much more difficult challenge than the MMOC challenges of years prior. Many got comfortable with the Weck format, but by far not all.
2. The Weck is scary: 19 would-be Weckonistas started the challenge, and a quarter of them immediately gave up after one day. Only 2 more gave up since, with a round dozen still in the running. I feel a weirdly misplaced sense of pride for those 12 to stuck to it. (Granted, with @Old_Hiker@sub.wetshaving.social, @gcgallant@sub.wetshaving.social, @EldrormR@sub.wetshaving.social and @myself, at least one third were Weckerans already).
3. I made a good choice with my software: I'm still enjoying that whiff of Oceana, Ralon, and Island Man every morning.
4. The speed Wecking trend that briefly flared up has died down again without any injuries (at least publicly), for which I am very grateful.

Three passes, good shave, this week can start.

#Monthofweckoning

August 28, 2023

• Preshave: Proraso Green Preshave
• Brush: Zenith 506U XS Horse 🐎
• Razor: Greencult GC 2.0 II
• Blade: Astra Superior Platinum (27)
• Lather: Abbate y La Mantia Marduk
• Post Shave: Mennen Le Grand Large
• Post Shave: Nivea After Shave Balm

The blade is still going strong, and I'm wondering if I should push it further than 30 uses. I had thought that horse brushes do not break in, but it seems to me that the zenith brush is fanning out more than at the beginning of the month. I must have used it around 50 times by now.

Have a good night!

August 28, 2023

• Brush: Muninn Woodworks w/AP Shave Co 24mm Titanium Synthetic
• Razor: Weck Sextoblade (Straight Shave 309)
• Blade: Kismet (28)
• Lather: Saponificio Varesino - 70th Anniversary - Soap
• Post Shave: Saponificio Varesino - 70th Anniversary - Aftershave
• Post Shave: Thayers - Cucumber - Toner
• Fragrance: Saponificio Varesino - 70th Anniversary - Eau de Parfum
   

3 passes. Face lather. Excellent shave.

Kismet Blade - Losing My Edge
#Monthofweckoning
August Photos

Not a lot to say today. I added a microscope image of the center of the blade. You compare this to the last one I made which was after 12 shaves.

• Prep: Splash of Cool Water
• Razor: Timeless - Stainless Steel .68 - Open Comb
• Blade: Gillette - Nacet (Marathon) (526)
• Lather: Chiseled Face - Midnight Stag (White Label)
• Brush: Zenith - r/wetshaving MOAR BOAR B35/508A XL (51 uses)
• Post Shave: Chiseled Face - Midnight Stag (White Label)
• Fragrance: Chiseled Face - Midnight Stag

Austere August: Day: 28
MRTNG's Ultra Nightmare Mode
Midnight Stag Challenge

Gear Pic :: Video

䷀ General Notes

After trying some variations on the Slurry method over the last few days, I go back to old faithful, original Slurry, and was rewarded with that next-level luxury slickness again.

䷀ Razor and Blade Notes

(Timeless - Stainless Steel .68 - Open Comb ::: Gillette - Nacet - M ‹526 uses›)

Same: First pass has some tugginess to it. But no irritation that lasts longer than a little tuggy stroke. Latter passes feel fine and give a reasonably close shave. 3 pretty quick passes.

Razor and Blade Performance/Comfort Rating: 2 out of 5 (Okay)

䷀ Soap Notes

(Chiseled Face - Midnight Stag - White Label)

I just love all the aspects of this scent!

Scent Strength: 6/10, nicely present during shaving.

Lather... Slurry lather. 10 swirls.

With needing to take longer load times when on a drier soap (because I tested leaving the cap off), I wondered if the slurry lather would be a good approach to smaller load times, even if your tub was almost empty.

It worked great.

Was a superb slurry lather today, and was back to the old super-top-notch kind of slickness.

I did not have to load as much as I did.

Hydration: Perfect (for me)

• 3 sec load with a Very Wet brush
• = 6 passes of lather

Bowl: No Bowl

䷀ Brush Notes

(Zenith - r/wetshaving MOAR BOAR B35/508A XL ‹51 uses›)

Same: Comfortable soft tips that do flex some, but that are supported by a base with strong backbone. As with all young boars, I look forward to the tips splitting with more uses and getting softer with use.

During the Shave Feel:
  Cheeks: Felt blade but comfortable
  Neck: Felt blade but comfortable
After the Shave Closeness:
  Cheeks: Close Shave
  Neck: Several hairs are showing some tip length (still a pretty good shave)

Ending of Blades Ledger - entry form and the data spreadsheet