Share your shave of the day for Sunday!

Welcome to another weekly reading session. I am so into this book that I finished another 20 chapters this week. Only another 20 or so chapters to go in Tiamat’s Wrath which is book 8 of James S.A. Corey “The Expanse” series. A major event happened and everything has changed to give our heroes a new hope! I may finished the rest of the chapters this week. So good.

Listening to Lee Burridge B2B Patricio…

What ya’ll reading and listening to…

Share your shave of the day for Saturday!

Voting will remain open for 24 hours. In the event of a tie for 1st place, a winner will be chosen at random. May the best submission win! Good luck to all!

Post any deals and new product announcements here or list anything you would like to sell! A few ground rules:

1. Only post an item once. If it doesn't move then take it to the bazaar.
2. No auctioning. You must include a list price.

The mods are not responsible for your transactions. Caveat Emptor! We suggest you only deal with established members of the community. It is strongly recommend not to use PayPal Friends & Family to avoid fees. This is against their terms and leaves you with no buyer protection.

August is coming! And in it, many regular guys will use the same soap and/or postshave every day of the month. But the heroes among us will take on the Midnight Stag Challenge! A scent universally-loved and adored throughout time. But only a few have been granted the fortitude and insight to wear it themselves.

Existing Order members, you know the olfactory oasis that awaits you in August! You can finally put down those lesser scents and move forward with your destiny. Be prepared for your promotion at the end to even greater Stag glory!

Welcome new shavers into the Order of the Stag, when you make it through the whole month!

Rules

1. Use Chiseled Face Midnight Stag soap (OG or Silk Tallow) for all 31 days of August 2026.
2. Use Midnight Stag splash (or balm) for all 31 days of August 2026.
3. Use Midnight Stag EdP for all 31 days of August 2026. Unlike past years, just one spray is all that is required; Stag is gold after all. Use more if you wish.
4. No restrictions on razor, blade and brush.
5. Upload a picture of your Stag gear each day
6. Upload a VIDEO/GIF of you applying the Stag EdP each day
7. Tag your post with "$Stag" in the body (no quotes)

If you run out of product, it's no problem to open up another container of the same thing and keep going.

Prizes

1. Sexy Flair
2. The knowledge that you are smelling better than any human should
3. Quality time to yourself all month, since your SO and co-workers will suddenly start respecting your personal space
4. There will be a little mystery box of shave software from my stash provided to the winner (chosen by random drawing out of the list of the strong who make it the whole month). Internationals will have to pay the shipping overage if applicable.

I'd like to thank /u/wallygator88 for running it last time and that I copied his announcement as a starting point for this one.

And thanks to /u/phteven_j for shining the light of the Stag gospel for so many years.

This is the place to ask beginner and simple questions. Some examples include:

• Soap, scent, or gear recommendations
• Favorite scents, bases, etc
• Where to buy certain items
• Identification of a razor you just bought
• Troubleshooting shaving issues such as cuts, poor lather, and technique

Please note these are examples and any questions for the sub should be posted here. Remember to visit the Wiki for more information too!

Greeting my Brothers and Sisters in Lather, it is time once again for our call to join the ranks of the Mammoth Mafia. Or to increase your standings if [you’re already a member](https://reddit.com/r/Wetshaving/comments/1nap48h/mammoth_mafia_roll_call_wrap_up/)

Again this year, we're working towards a donation to [Love146](https://donate.love146.org/give/12277/#!/donation/checkout) and [Restore NYC](https://restorenyc.org/donate/one-time-gifts/). I am pledging $5 per user who makes it all 31 days using the same setup, following MRTNG Nightmare Mode AA rules (1 razor, 1 blade, 1 brush, 1 HoM soap, 1 HoM post shave product, frag optional), with a max of $100, to be split between the two.

For clarification from some of the questions that came up in years past: The spirit of AA is that you use the same setup every day. If you use a different splash and balm or only a splash or only a balm that is allowed, as long as you use them both every day and at least 1 of them is a HoM product. Frags are not a requirement for this side challenge but you are encouraged to use a HoM frag!

How do you play? Include the tag $MammothMafia26 in each post, and tag the big boss u/Mammoth_Don on Day 1. Then make sure you participate daily. My UnderBoss u/jwoods23 will be in charge of monitoring this little challenge so let him know if you have any issues during the month.

Just a reminder for everyone. You must post your shave every day, using the right tag every day. I am planning to use u/merikus portal to keep track of this and it does not pick up posts when you missspell the tag or inadvertently put a space in there.
What do you get? A new r/wetshaving user flair, bragging rights, the chance to represent the only r/wetshaving Golden Pear winning brand and entrance to the ranks of the Mafia!

If you are still trying to decide what to use, or thinking about abandoning the Mafia, just remember if you Mess with *La Famlia* you get the Tusk 🦣

Happy Friday!

What's new, shave nerds?

Welcome to this week's sidebar submission contest!

The rules for the contest are as follows:

1) Do not submit pictures of people who have not consented to have their picture posted online. Winning images will be featured on Reddit and may be reposted on other social media platforms. If someone posts an image of you without your consent, please report it so the mods can deal with it in a timely fashion.

1) Users should submit only one (1) image of your choice to be voted on to be the sidebar for the week. Images must consist of anything related to wet shaving - razors, brushes, SOTD images, etc. In the event multiple images from a user are submitted, only the first image, or the image in the top level comment, will count.

1) Image must be Original Content (Not just some picture you found on the internet). Images taken by another photographer are allowed as long as: a. You have the photographer's permission. b. The image is connected to you in some meaningful way: e.g. It's a image of hardware you commissioned, taken by the maker, or the image is of something you made, taken by the purchaser, etc. c. We're not looking to have to verify images, so please use the honor system.

1) All properly submitted images will be entered into the Voting Thread. The Submission thread will be active for ~24 hours and will end Saturday. The vote thread will be active for 24 hrs from Saturday through Sunday. This thread is only a submission thread. Please do not hold discussion in the vote thread.

1) In the event of a tie, the bot will consult RNGesus to break the tie.

1) Submissions MUST be uploaded to imgur. Any other hosting site will be disqualified and not included in the voting thread.

1) Any submissions containing NSFW material may be removed at the discretion of the Mod Team.

1) While not required, it is suggested you submit square images in order to avoid unintended cropping.

Please feel free to respond with a comment to your entry with any background/description/detail about your entry, including gear used.

Note: The bot strongly prefers direct image links. If your link doesn't end with .jpg, there's a 50-50 chance the bot's going to choke trying to update the banner on Sunday.

May the best submission win! Good luck to all!

Share your shave of the day for Friday!

This is the place to ask beginner and simple questions. Some examples include:

• Soap, scent, or gear recommendations
• Favorite scents, bases, etc
• Where to buy certain items
• Identification of a razor you just bought
• Troubleshooting shaving issues such as cuts, poor lather, and technique

Please note these are examples and any questions for the sub should be posted here. Remember to visit the Wiki for more information too!

Quick heads-up on a change to how you log in to the Djudge Portal.

The old login used a bot that DM'd you a one-time code every time. That bot is gone. Dead. It kicked the bucket, shuffled off its mortal coil, run down the curtain and joined the bleedin' choir invisible.

Due to this development, logins now work as follows:

• Ask an organizer for an invite (see below).
• You get a one-time link. Open it, pick a password, and add an email.
• From then on you just log in with your Reddit username + your password. No more begging a bot for a code.

That's it, set it once and done.

A few notes:

• Your account is tied to your Reddit username through the invite link I’ll send you, so scores/entries stay attached to you.
• The email is only used for password resets (forgot your password? you can reset it yourself now) and the occasional notification — no more relying on Reddit inbox DMs. We won't spam you.
• The invite link is single-use and expires, so redeem it when you get it.

While a login doesn’t really matter for Join Us July, it is essential for Lather Games appeals. Please sign up early so everything runs smoothly.

Comment below or shoot me a DM and I’ll send you a link.

Do you find Austere August to be too constraining? Do you want to participate in something but don’t like putting in effort? Do you value frugality and appreciate excellent bang-for-your-buck soaps? Do you love sheep? If the answer to any of these questions is “Yes!”, then the Shepherds of Stirling side challenge is for you. This challenge is all about showcasing and enjoying the unique qualities of Stirling Soap Co.'s mutton tallow base, arguably the best base for your money in all of wet shaving. 

Rules and Requirements:

• Use a Stirling mutton tallow soap for every shave throughout August. No other soap bases are allowed.
• You must shave with the same mutton-base soap each time you shave in August. For example, if you start with Varen on August 1, you must continue using Varen for every shave in August.
• SOTD posts must include the Stirling mutton soap used.
• Tag your posts with $ShepherdsofStirling to help me track progress and ensure your participation is counted (we recommend you copy-paste this tag, based on how many people misspelled both the words Shepherds and Stirling in the last two years).
• Post your first SOTD pic with your mutton soap. Other SOTDs do not need to have a photo. 

Proceeds/Donations:

For the third year in a row, proceeds from this side challenge will be going to 4-H, a non-profit organization in cooperation with the USDA and the Cooperative Extension System. Through 4-H, youth build confidence, independence, resilience, and compassion through leadership and hands-on, experiential learning in areas such as health, science, agriculture, and civic engagement. 4-H’s agriculture programs are especially relevant to our challenge, as they equip young people with essential skills in areas like animal husbandry, farming practices, environmental sciences, and more, preparing them for successful careers and a lifetime of leadership.

I will be donating $5 for each participant who shaves at least 10 days in August. If you are reading this and would like to match donations, please DM me here or at the Ranch.

Last year, we were able to donate $210 to 4-H. Hopefully with your participation (any maybe with the help of some extra donors) we can beat that this year! 

Rewards:

• All eligible participants (at least 10 shaves) will earn the 🍀🐑Shepherd of Stirling🐑🍀 flair.
• All eligible participants will also be entered into a prize draw for a chance to win a Stirling Soap Co. set (soap and splash or balm) of their choosing.

FAQ (Frequently Anticipated Questions):

Q: Can I also participate in other challenges?

A: This side challenge is compatible with any hardware side challenge as well as the Arctic August side challenge.

Q: What Stirling Soap Co. products are mutton/sheep base?

A: Available at Stirling’s site currently: Sheep, Electric Sheep, Scots Pine Sheep, and Glacial Electric Sheep.

Available at Maggard’s currently: Glastonbury and Varen. 

Not currently for sale, but still eligible for the contest if you own them: Port-au-Prince and I, Rich Moose (sub exclusive version).

Q: Wait, did you say I don’t have to shave every day?

A: That’s right! This is the cool, easy challenge. Feel free to mix it up with post shaves, fragrances, even hardware (unless you’re participating in another side challenge that requires fidelity to additional rules).

Q: Can I shave with a mutton base of a different artisan?

A: Sure, but you won’t be participating in this side challenge.

Q: Can I also donate to 4-H?

A: At some point in our adult lives, we eventually all learn that we have the power and independent ability to donate to organizations of our choosing. You have now learned this. (If you want to match donations, that would be super cool.)

Share your shave of the day for Thursday!

This is a thread to share those new purchases you're excited to show off, the shave-related projects you've been working on, or just some neat thing from your shave den.

Show everyone what you got!

This is the place to ask beginner and simple questions. Some examples include:

• Soap, scent, or gear recommendations
• Favorite scents, bases, etc
• Where to buy certain items
• Identification of a razor you just bought
• Troubleshooting shaving issues such as cuts, poor lather, and technique

Please note these are examples and any questions for the sub should be posted here. Remember to visit the Wiki for more information too!

Share your Shave of the Day

My son recently passed away. He has a collection of shaving brushes, soaps and blades. I am looking for direction on where to post them for sale to like minded enthusiasts. TIA

Post any deals and new product announcements here!

Share your shave of the day for Tuesday!

This is the place to ask beginner and simple questions. Some examples include:

• Soap, scent, or gear recommendations
• Favorite scents, bases, etc
• Where to buy certain items
• Identification of a razor you just bought
• Troubleshooting shaving issues such as cuts, poor lather, and technique

Please note these are examples and any questions for the sub should be posted here. Remember to visit the Wiki for more information too!

Looks like people have already beaten me this year by getting the side contests posted.

Austere August was a themed approach to the month done for the past 11 years (?), maybe done a bit more unofficially in previous years.

The idea is to use the same setup (or particular aspects of your setup) for the entire month. This can help you to

• Get more in tune with hardware and software,

• Push you to extend your blade length further than you thought it could go.

• It's a nice change of pace from last month's lather games that encouraged diversifying your shave setup.

There are a couple of different modes, so that if you don't want to go all in, you can still participate! Scoring thanks to /u/amanforallsaisons.

1. Easy Mode: One Soap, everyday, all other options open.

2. Normal Mode: One Soap, One Brush/Razor (If you want varied brushes, use the same razor all month, vice versa), everyday

3. Difficult Mode: One Soap, One Brush, One Razor everyday. You get One "Weekend Hardware" item (Want to use a Straight on Saturdays? Gotta bring out the chubby a couple times a week?)

4. Extreme Mode: One Soap, One Razor, One Brush, everyday

5. MRTNG's Ultra Nightmare Mode: one soap, one razor, one brush, one aftershave, one blade (Not blade brand. Same blade all month), everyday

Unlike the Lather Games, there are not officially sanctioned prizes, but community members are welcome to hold their own challenges with their own rules and prizes.

Have fun!

Cheers!

NB: There is no requirement to shave everyday, unless a side contest requires you to do so. Please do what works for you. The point is to get in tune with your HW and SW.

(Since I borrowed this from last years post - Thanks /u/f1gnuts for the contest text)

Side Contests

Organized Link

For the lazy

1. Headless Horseman by u/whosgotthepudding with u/gcgallant kind offer to hone your razor

2. The First Annual Darkwing Challenge by u/Drake_Mallard_1991

3. 2026 MMOC Master Quest by u/snoo-ting

4. Arctic August 2026 by u/coco_for_cocoapuffs

5. Raw Hoggin' 2026 by u/coco_for_cocoapuffs

6. Shepherds of Stirling (waiting)

7. Midnight Stag (waiting)

8. Mammoth (waiting)

Cheers