October 3, 2026
- Brush: Semogue Owners Club Cherry Wood 24mm Boar
- Razor: WoolfBlades 7/8 Quarter Hollow Jörmungandr Damascus
- Lather: Shannon's Soaps - Woody's Victories - 2024 Mid-Ohio Meetup Exclusive - Soap
- Post Shave: Spearhead Shaving Company - Seaforth! Buckeye - Aftershave
- Post Shave: Thayers - Cucumber - Toner
2 passes. Face lather. Excellent shave.
Today I tried out a new soap brand, Shannon's Soaps, and returned to my most-used hardware of the past 12 months.
I found the Shannon's Soaps tallow base to be quite workable. Easy to lather and very good slickness. The scent of Woody's Victories was on the mild side, but seemed to me to be an amber scent while using it. I later determined that it is. I found the scent to be pleasant but not distinctive. Of course, this was my first use, so my opinion could change with more familiarity. This soap was a Mid-Ohio Meetup exclusive in 2024, and the splash, Seaforth! Buckeye was made to accompany it. The Spearhead splashes were great (imo), and this one did not disappoint. I don't know if the splash's fragrance profile is the same as the soap's, but it definitely complements it.
This WoolfBlades razor and the Semogue Owners Club brush were used for Austere August this year. I have so much "stuff" that using these in AA makes them my most-used hardware over the past 12 months.
Now, you're asking an older person to explain why change is bad. To us, this is inherently obvious. Change requires unlearning things we took a lifetime to learn, and that effort seems greater with each passing year. That's my explanation. But I don't actually embody it in my day to day life. On the contrary, I think that the challenge of change is, overall, very positive; especially for those locked into old habits. OK, 'nuff said.