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Gem Micromatic Vs Gem 1912

When I was first using the Micromatic, I would get perfect BBS one day, then get lots of blood the next. One day after drying the blade off and closing the top, I noticed that the edge of the blade sat about in the middle (up and down) of the little clips on the front and not all the way down the where they meet the bed. I began placing the blades in edge first so they were possitioned corrctly and never had a bad shave again. The only thing I can think of is that when the blade was seated in the middle of the clips, it messes the alignment and results in horrible shaves. Maybe I'm wrong, but it seems to make sence to me.
 
Nice video Mr. Guy. You've helped a lot of people with the mystery behind the Gem Single Edge Razors.

Cheers.
 
I began placing the blades in edge first so they were possitioned corrctly and never had a bad shave again. The only thing I can think of is that when the blade was seated in the middle of the clips, it messes the alignment and results in horrible shaves. Maybe I'm wrong, but it seems to make sence to me.

Ok, but why not seat the blade flat in the head of the razor after ensuring that the edge is positioned correctly in the clips? I mean, I really think you've hit on something, but have no idea why it works. And the MM has all of those fancy catches in the head to mate with the notches of an SE blade (in another thread, someone said that the modern SE blade actually has the notches thanks to the introduction of the MM, so it seems funny not to take full advantage of the design).
 
When I was first using the Micromatic, I would get perfect BBS one day, then get lots of blood the next. One day after drying the blade off and closing the top, I noticed that the edge of the blade sat about in the middle (up and down) of the little clips on the front and not all the way down the where they meet the bed. I began placing the blades in edge first so they were possitioned corrctly and never had a bad shave again. The only thing I can think of is that when the blade was seated in the middle of the clips, it messes the alignment and results in horrible shaves. Maybe I'm wrong, but it seems to make sence to me.

I was confused because I thought you were talking about installing the blade at an angle other than that which is normal. Now that I see you are talking about making sure that the front edge of the blade is seated properly against the bottom of the clips, I am no longer confused. :001_smile
 
Ok, but why not seat the blade flat in the head of the razor after ensuring that the edge is positioned correctly in the clips? I mean, I really think you've hit on something, but have no idea why it works. And the MM has all of those fancy catches in the head to mate with the notches of an SE blade (in another thread, someone said that the modern SE blade actually has the notches thanks to the introduction of the MM, so it seems funny not to take full advantage of the design).

I suppose you could press the blade flat after positioning in the clips, but then you risk the edge slipping out of place. The top of the head will push the spine down only as far as it needs to go, but never out of position. By allowing the extra space, you ensure everything stays lined up perfectly.
The little catches on the underside of the top still press against the blade. They apply forward pressure, keeping the blade from slipping back. If I only rinse a MM for about a week's worth of shaves, the soap buildup is missing where the catches hit the blade.


I was confused because I thought you were talking about installing the blade at an angle other than that which is normal. Now that I see you are talking about making sure that the front edge of the blade is seated properly against the bottom of the clips, I am no longer confused. :001_smile

I'm glad you aren't confused, sometimes I'm not so good with the putting together of the words and the making of them come out right.:blink:
 
Wow on the blade loading tip. I just tried it, and it is a different angle after closing the cap.
When I tried shaving with a MM, I had to keep the cap on the skin, I couldn't lift the razor head off on a slight angle like I'm supposed too and I do with other SE razors. Of course the shave wasn't that great and if I tried to lift the cap of on an angle I got weepers and cuts.
I'm going to try again using that blade loading tip you gave MrGuy, thanks.
 
I was confused because I thought you were talking about installing the blade at an angle other than that which is normal. Now that I see you are talking about making sure that the front edge of the blade is seated properly against the bottom of the clips, I am no longer confused. :001_smile

Well, not to confuse things further, but I actually was talking about loading the blade at an angle other than what one would consider "normal". In the video, MrGuy loads the blade making sure to leave a gap between the blade and the head of the razor. This angles the blade slightly as the edge is positioned at the bottom of the clips while the spine is lifted slightly off the head. Please see the video - it's much easier to just see it than it is to describe. It would appear, though, that this is NOT the normal way to load a blade per Gem's original design/instructions. That is why I think it so noteworthy, and wonder if it's the reason that so many have had varying results.

I still don't have enough experience with a MM to say for sure, but so far I've only tried it with the blade loaded per MrGuy's recommendation and it has treated me better than any other razor. I get the closest shaves I've ever had with no irritation. Even with a mild DE like a superspeed, if I try to get a decent shave on my neck, I get all sorts of irritation and bleeding. With the OC MM, I've had a DFS on my neck for the first time ever.

Of course, it might just be another case of YMMV, but I really do think that this tip from MrGuy might be making the difference. I'm curious to see what would happen if a few people who have had bad experiences with a MM might try this blade loading tip and give the MM another run.
 
Well, not to confuse things further, but I actually was talking about loading the blade at an angle other than what one would consider "normal". In the video, MrGuy loads the blade making sure to leave a gap between the blade and the head of the razor. This angles the blade slightly as the edge is positioned at the bottom of the clips while the spine is lifted slightly off the head. Please see the video - it's much easier to just see it than it is to describe. It would appear, though, that this is NOT the normal way to load a blade per Gem's original design/instructions. That is why I think it so noteworthy, and wonder if it's the reason that so many have had varying results.

I still don't have enough experience with a MM to say for sure, but so far I've only tried it with the blade loaded per MrGuy's recommendation and it has treated me better than any other razor. I get the closest shaves I've ever had with no irritation. Even with a mild DE like a superspeed, if I try to get a decent shave on my neck, I get all sorts of irritation and bleeding. With the OC MM, I've had a DFS on my neck for the first time ever.

Of course, it might just be another case of YMMV, but I really do think that this tip from MrGuy might be making the difference. I'm curious to see what would happen if a few people who have had bad experiences with a MM might try this blade loading tip and give the MM another run.

I tried to load a blade with some extra angle, but every time I started to close the top, the blade went back to its normal position. Loaded properly, the blade will sit at an angle with respect to the the head because of those 2 bumps where the blade sits.
 
I tried to load a blade with some extra angle, but every time I started to close the top, the blade went back to its normal position. Loaded properly, the blade will sit at an angle with respect to the the head because of those 2 bumps where the blade sits.

Closing the top will push the spine back down to where it needs to be. By starting with the extra angle, you help prevent beginning at the wrong angel. And keep in mind, not all MM's have the bumps. The loading tip likely helps more with these (earlier?) versions, with the flat bed.
 
I've managed two very good consecutive shaves with my Micromatic open comb yesterday and today. But I don't see any advantage over the 1912's, G-bar or my current favorite, the Featherweight that I've used with great results, andnd it definitely took longer with the MMOC, but that may be because I'm being extra cautious.
 
I've managed two very good consecutive shaves with my Micromatic open comb yesterday and today. But I don't see any advantage over the 1912's, G-bar or my current favorite, the Featherweight that I've used with great results, andnd it definitely took longer with the MMOC, but that may be because I'm being extra cautious.

I don't know if one has an "advantage" over another. Some work well for some people and not for others. The open comb MM was my first SE, and while there was very little SE attention here at the time, the vast majority of it condemned the MM as a total waste of time (and blood:lol:) I couldn't understand why my favorite razor was so hated. I started passing on tips, seeing what worked for guys and what only worked for me. The MM fan club has grown since then, but I still like to see how many people I can help get good shaves from this razor. I still think it's underrated and misunderstood, but in he end it's not the razor for every one.
 
I don't know if one has an "advantage" over another. Some work well for some people and not for others. The open comb MM was my first SE, and while there was very little SE attention here at the time, the vast majority of it condemned the MM as a total waste of time (and blood:lol:) I couldn't understand why my favorite razor was so hated. I started passing on tips, seeing what worked for guys and what only worked for me. The MM fan club has grown since then, but I still like to see how many people I can help get good shaves from this razor. I still think it's underrated and misunderstood, but in he end it's not the razor for every one.

The first time I used an MM it was not very pleasant, and I really don't know why. Possibly the blade wasn't setting right, don't know. The last two where very good, just slower than what I'm used to.
 
The first time I used an MM it was not very pleasant, and I really don't know why. Possibly the blade wasn't setting right, don't know. The last two where very good, just slower than what I'm used to.

I think that has something to do with it. As I said before, maybe I'm right, maybe I'm wrong, but it seems to work for a few guys to double check the blade first.
Speed will come, if you want to work at it. I'm still working on a decent "shave cam" to show how fast a good, blood free MM shave can be:001_smile
 
Well, I now feel like I have enough experience with the OC micromatic to make an informed judgement. After about 10 days of shaving with this razor, I can honestly say that it gives me the closest, and quickest shaves of any SE or DE that I've tried, with no or extremely little irritation. On top of that, I'm able to get a DFS (nearly BBS) on my neck without razor burn or nicks which was impossible with every other razor I've tried.

To get at the title topic of this thread, I first shaved with a couple different 1912's for a couple of weeks before trying the micromatic. I loved shaving with the 1912 as compared to DE's. I found that my shaves went quicker and were marginally closer (as compared to a Merkur HD or Slim Adjustable set to 7). I was surprised to find that I could rinse the razor much less frequently using the 1912... the collecting lather is pushed under the head and doesn't clog the razor like with the DE's I'd used. I had anticipated the opposite - more frequent rinsing since I couldn't flip the razor for a fresh edge as I did with a DE. I was very satisfied with shaves provided by the 1912 style SE's even though I wasn't able to get as close as I'd like on my neck - I had written this off as a peculiarity of my particular face.

But as luck would have it, I won an ebay auction that included a couple of OC micromatics... I had bid on the lot because a clean looking ever ready 1912 caught my eye, and didn't think much of the MM's that were included in the sale as I'd heard the painful stories of so many sorry souls on these boards. I thought it a shame as the MM's seemed so well made and felt good in the hand - and even to someone wholly uninterested in shaving, the design of this thing just screams the aesthetic of the era it was manufactured. They sat unused on my dresser for weeks - until I came across this thread and MrGuy's video.

Hearing that it was possible to get good shaves with this razor, I thought I'd give it a try. I expected my first shave to be painful, but halfway through the first pass I started to realize that this thing was really agreeing with me. The OC MM just glided over my face without a single nick or any irritation and gave me a DFS in just 2 passes - bordering on BBS. It was literally the quickest, closest, and most comfortable wet shave experience that I've had up until that point. I've been shaving daily with this razor since then, and have relaxed quite a bit with it... I admit that I use a VERY light touch, but I don't claim that I use absolutely no pressure. I'm stunned at how different my experience with this razor has been from the norm - I've had nothing but great shaves with it right from the start.

Since I've never used an OC razor before, I wonder if this has something to do with it. All I can say is that the open-comb micromatic is a highly under rated instrument... I'm curious to try a few other DE's and SE's including a lather catcher, but I feel like I've found my daily shaver.
 
Sammer -

This all good info to know, as I find myself becoming enamored with SE shaving. I haven't tried an OC MM yet, but am looking forward to it sometime in the future.

You are definately right about this bit, "the design of this thing just screams the aesthetic of the era it was manufactured", and I find that a big attraction to the vintage SE shavers, in the addition to their outstanding ability to perform.

DD
 
Closing the top will push the spine back down to where it needs to be. By starting with the extra angle, you help prevent beginning at the wrong angel. And keep in mind, not all MM's have the bumps. The loading tip likely helps more with these (earlier?) versions, with the flat bed.

What a great observation you made regarding loading the blade. I likely would never have noticed it. Thanks for your video and posting on this.

I take it that the newer Micromatics have the bumps, (mine does) and that would be an improvement in the development of these razors. I would guess that those with flat beds would benefit greatly from the loading technique described.
 
Enjoyed your video Mr. Guy. You have a lot of great tips and information for existing gem users as well as people who are considering adding a single edge razor to their arsenal of shavers.

Cheers!:thumbup:
 
Mr. Guy, thanks for the great tip.

Though I haven't tried it yet, it has inspired me to give the Micromatics a second try.

Would you say this blade loading tip is valid for the non-Open Comb Clog-Pruf, and bullet tip, Micormatics?

Thanks,
K.T.
 
Very smart and helpful video, Mr. Guy. Just wondering what blades you prefer with your OCMM: the brand (besides Gem), vintage or new, and a good online source for them. Thanks!
 
Thanks again for all the kind words about my video, guys:blush:

Mr. Guy, thanks for the great tip.

Though I haven't tried it yet, it has inspired me to give the Micromatics a second try.

Would you say this blade loading tip is valid for the non-Open Comb Clog-Pruf, and bullet tip, Micormatics?

Thanks,
K.T.

I would say the loading tip (possitioning the edge first) is valid for any SE razor where the edge of the blade wedges into clips. If that angle if off, it can mean the difference between a great shave and one full of blood and irritation.


Very smart and helpful video, Mr. Guy. Just wondering what blades you prefer with your OCMM: the brand (besides Gem), vintage or new, and a good online source for them. Thanks!

The blades I have used are GEM blades, (from Walgreens, and from Ted Pella, and a few of the Amazon blades) PAL "Super Singe Edge", and Treet "Super Singe Edge". In the OCMM, my order from favorite to least favorite is; Ted Pella, Walgreens, Treet, PAL, Amazon. TP and Walgreens are neck and neck. (The Pellas seem to give a couple more good shaves) Treet is just a bit back. PAL is a fair jump down (but are the only blade I use with my Auto Strop razors. I think they are very well suited to stropping!) Amazon is at the bottom because they rust on me (as several others have reported, despite being stamped as "stainless":confused1) I have never come across a vintage SE blade that has been in usable condition, not to say they don't exist, just that I haven't found any.
As for online sources, there is Ted Pella, inconvenient because of shipping charges not disclosed up front, minimum of 200 blade order, and requiring a signature on delivery, but reliable (so far). There are any number of "drug store" sites that can ship the other blades. Personally, I would stay away from the "Amazon blades". Just because they don't seem to be what they say they are, and the blade in the photo is definitely not the same blade they ship. (Good, bad, or otherwise, if they can't take a quick pic of the blade they sell, why should I trust them with any of my money?)

As always, these are my own personal observations. I don't think of myself as an "expert", but someone who gets great results from a razor that many don't like.
 
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