GEMini (May 21st - June 20th)

[Pjotr]

Wil, as you're set up to use them I'll happily PIF you some Duridium blades I got with a NOS Push Button. I tried one and really don't want to do it again. They need stropping. I'm as happy as Larry with GEM SS. PM me if you're interested. I think there's half a dozen or so. I'll keep the ASR dispenser they came in but you're welcome to the blades.

Anyhow my last GEMini (happening tomorrow, I've been DE sidetracking today).

Flying Wing
GEM SS (4x)
MWF
Wee Scot
Alum block
Nivea Cool Kick

Over and out.

 

[greenhorn]

yay, first irritation free MMOC shave
bowl lathered arko (first for me)
omega boar

 

[Alucard73]

Used this for the first time (at least since I got it back yesterday from cooncatbob)...I love the lather catchers.
Gem junior bar w Gem SS blade
Vintage Williams SOC Boar

 

[Pjotr]

That's too nice to use.

 

[HoosierTrooper]

Thanks Jim. Most of what I have I've got at antique stores, flea markets or from the BST so I can usually look them over before purchasing them.

Tom (HoosierTrooper): You have some beautiful razors. Whatever I seem to get on eBay or elsewhere don't have the nice, bright finish you SE razors have. Nevertheless, they shave great.

 

[HoosierTrooper]

6-19-11

Number 2 on my SE list.

1914 Ever-Ready
Treet blade-day 2
Vintage Ever-Ready 200T brush
Vintage Williams (Cranford) soap
Vintage Shulton Old Spice AS

 

[MacDaddy]

Catching up now that all the upgrade worries are (hopefully) behind us...

Day 25

• Star bar lather catcher
• Same CVS blade from Day 22
• Custom fan-shaped two-band finest
• Queen Charlotte's Queen Charlotte shaving cream
• Homemade cardamom peppercorn bay rum aftershave splash

Day 26

Stayed in bed with a cold my kids gave me today and didn't shave at all.

Day 27

• Fat handled 1912
• Same CVS blade from Day 22
• Rooney 3/1 super
• Queen Charlotte's Cayman shaving cream
• Homemade cinnamon clove bay rum aftershave splash
• C&E West Indies Lime cologne

Day 28

• Star bar lather catcher
• Same CVS blade from Day 22
• Parker big floppy pure badger
• TOBS Lemon & Lime shaving cream
• Homemade cinnamon clove bay rum aftershave splash
• C&E West Indies Lime cologne

Day 29

• Ever Ready wooden handled lather catcher
• Same CVS blade from Day 22
• Rooney 3/1
• Arko shaving stick
• Homemade cardamom peppercorn bay rum aftershave splash
• Man of Aran cologne

 

[man00ver]

Happy Father's Day to those applicable members!

3 passes for BBS. For this penultimate GEMini shave, I cracked into my treasured antique-store find and used this classic soap for the very first time. The results, as expected, were magnificent.

• Vintage Erskine 3103 Badger brush
• Vintage Old Spice Shaving Mug soap
• Vintage Old Spice Aftershave
• Vintage Old Spice Talc

 

[Salty O'Rourke]

For Father's Day I decided to break out an Ever Ready lather catcher; I needed an aggressive razor in order to keep using a blade that's starting to go past its sell-by date:

Gem SS PTFE coated blade, shave #6
VDH Luxury soap
VDH Luxury badger brush
witch hazel
RSC daily a/s balm

I'd forgotten how LOUD the ER lather catcher is - positively deafening at times. I would hesitate to use a new blade in this thing; it makes the OCMM look like one of those plastic toy shave kits we got as kids, but it's great for breathing new life into a tired blade. BBS, no irritation, and no frantic blade buffing/J-hooking as sometimes occurs with a past-its-prime blade in a milder razor.

Now, what to use for tomorrow's final GEMini shave???

 

[stljeff]

Sunday, 19 June:

Gem FW
Gem SS/PFTE Blade (8)
Made-Rite 500 PB Brush
Palmolive Shave Stick
Barbasol Brisk

Going to give the FW a rest for a few days but it has performed admirably during its rotation. Another DFS today. The blade seems to continue to hang in there so it'll get at least another day of use.
______________

Jeff

 

[MrGuy]

Today saw another 1912 shave. An all brass model. It was cold and rainy this morning, so I warmed up with Tabac SS and AS, followed by a splash of Pinaud Special Reserve. Used the new VdH badger brush. That thing is HUGE! I prefer a more compact brush, but it's very nice for the price. The GEM SS blade is still hanging in there. I think today put it at shave #14. I'm not sure what I'll do for the final GEMini shave, but I'll have to get a pic up!

 

[MacDaddy]

Day 30

• Damaskeene
• New CVS blade
• Custom fan-shaped two-band finest
• The Beer Soap Company's Honey Porter shaving soap
• Homemade cardamom peppercorn bay rum aftershave splash
• C&E West Indies Lime cologne

The soap was a Father's Day present this morning, so I put it straight to work. The scent is very sweet and strong, but I need to fine tune the lather. I got a pretty lightweight, foamy lather out of it on the first try. But it was good enough for a two-pass shave with a new blade in the Damaskeene.

I think I'm going to finish up with one of the bar lather catchers tomorrow. They've been, far and away, the stars of GEMini for me.

 

[Doug123]

061311 - 061711, 061911

Clog Pruf
Group buy blade
Cella stick
Badger brush
Aqua Velva Ice Blue

I used this same combo for the whole time period and loved it.

This is the 15th day I've shaved with this blade. 30 passes.

All great shaves but it needs changed. If I use it tomorrow that's it.

 

[Wil Dorenbos]

Saturday I stropped a nos Duridium in my ER stropping set and used it in an English ER 1912. Soap has been Vitos cream, as I am trying to finish this tube (500 ml ).

Today I used that blade again in the same razor. This time stropped with the "Magnus" set that came with the Heljestrand. Again a very nice shave. Brush was a Vie-long pro horse number 1 (brown hair).

 

[stljeff]

Final GEMini shave (but you can bet I'll have an SE in my hands tomorrow morning!):

Monday, 19 June:

Gem MM Clog Pruf
Gem SS/PFTE Blade (9)
Made-Rite 500 PB Brush
Proraso Cream
Barbasol Pacific Rush
______________

Jeff

 

[HoosierTrooper]

6-20-11

To wrap up GEMini I used my favorites for last day. Thanks DunEdinRanger for starting this. It's been fun seeing some of the awesome SE razors that are in use all these years after they were made.

Gem 1912 Damaskeene
Gem Blue Star blade
Vintage Williams (Glastonbury) soap
Vintage Ever-Ready 300 brush
Vintage early 1950's Old Spice cologne

 

[JD.E.]

It might be my last Gemini shave, but it's definitely not my last SE shave:

Arko Shave stick
Gem Featherweight
Gem SS Group Buy Blades (4th shave? A bit rough towards the end which was surprising)
Witch Hazel
Nivea Sensitive AS

Great shave (second one in a row with Arko!) all in all and this Gemini will forever be remembered (by celebrating again next year!)

 

[greenhorn]

trifecta!

pass 1: featherweight
pass 2: gem jr
pass 3: micromatic
cella
mighty midget
witch hazel

 

[mftoms59]

The past four shaves were using a newly acquired TTO Gem Micromatic Clog-Pruf closed comb with a PAL Carbon Steel, I think this razor gives the Damaskeene a run for the money performance-wise. I LOVE the aggressiveness and with the weight of the razor and it's long handle it's easy to maneuver, I find this to be the easiest to use under the nose and the shape/ design of the head seems to be identical to the Heavy Flat-Top (G-Bar). My last Shave for GEMini will be with the Clog-Pruf & PAL (3rd), Shavemac Silver-Tip and LEA SC, followed by some Aqua Velva Ice Sport.

I've really enjoyed participating in the GEMini and using the 5 different SE's I own, I may pare down my collection by 2, probably the Lather-Catcher and the Star SE will "leave the island" in a close call, keep your eyes on the BST.

 

[fizgiggsr]

06/15/2011

Omega Pro
Cella
ER 1912
GEM SS (1)
Thayer's Original Witchhazel
Nivea Sensitive Skin Aftershave Balm

06/16/2011

Omega Pro
Cella
ER 1912
GEM SS (2)
Thayer's Original Witchhazel
Nivea Sensitive Skin Aftershave Balm

06/17/2011

Omega Pro
GFT Limes Soap
ER 1912
GEM SS (3)
Clubman Virgin Island's Bay Rum
Nivea Sensitive Skin Aftershave Balm

06/18/2011

Omega Pro
GFT Limes Soap
ER 1912
GEM SS (4)
Clubman Virgin Island's Bay Rum
Nivea Sensitive Skin Aftershave Balm

06/19/2011

Ever-Ready 925 reknotted with TGN Super Silvertip
Mama Bear's Spellbound Woods
GEM OCMM
GEM Blue Star (1)
Thayer's Original
Nivea Cooling Aftershave Balm

06/20/2011

Omega Pro
C.O. Bigelow
GEM OCMM
GEM Blue Star (2)
Thayer's Original
Nivea Sensitive Skin Aftershave Balm

Well, today's shave brings GEMini to a close. Through this adventure in SE shaving, I have found out many things. One, that I like shaving with an SE, and I plan on keeping them in rotation. Two, that SE shaving is a bit rougher on my skin than DE shaving, so it will not be using them as a daily shaver.