GEMini will soon be upon us !

[woodfluter]

Ah, just saw this...well, I'm in for sure.
Used SEs previous three days.
British E-R was Monday, US Gem Jr 1912 was Tuesday, Damaskeene was Wednesday.

 

[Haggises]

Day 4 with the GEM 1912 Damaskeene and GEM SS blade (4).
Maybe it's the blade, maybe it's me finally figuring it out, but I got an irritation free DFS out of this for the first time. I even got my problem areas smooth as the proverbial this time.
Note to self : Even the SOC boar couldn't get the Portman Square Orange cream to a slick state - though a splash of KMF mint did the trick. Thank you KMF!

 

[rockviper]

4th shave with the same setup : 1912 + GEM PTFE(4). Actually, 4th shave ever with an SE.
I'm enjoying this so much that I'm now regretting not trying the SE which was in the CTB#2 (Canadian travelling box) when it passed my way last summer.

 

[Azarius]

GEM 1912, CVS carbon blade (5th shave), ice cold water Überlather of VDH and KMF and ice water shave. Finished with ice water rinse, alum and Clubman bath

Very refreshing and a DFS.

 

[Haggises]

Day 5
Went over to the Ever Ready 1912, with a new GEM/Personna SS blade. Palm stropped a bit.
Started like it was tugging, but quickly morphed into a very smooth shave. ATG is still a touch problematic but came out with only one spot of irritation and a DFS everywhere.
3 more days to go with this puppy.

 

[Snargle]

I need to dust off one of my Damaskeenes and give it a whirl. I've been fixated on the Streamline lately, but I should mix it up a little.

I dunno...the much-heralded, beloved, and very-collectible Streamline may be taking a back seat in my rotation after this morning's shave with the Damaskeene. Much less pulling and scraping...in fact, none at all. Great BBS shave with minimal effort. Nothing fancy, face-lathered Euro Palmolive, a Gem SS blade on it's 4th shave, basic shower prep, but very fancy results!

 

[rockviper]

Day-5 with the EverReady 1912 and GME PTFE. Have I said that I'm liking this SE thing yet?

 

[Haggises]

Day 5 (part 2)
Switched back to evening shaving.
ER 1912 with Gem/Personna SS (2).
Loved the shave, even though my attempt at face lathering Arko was a bit sloppy.

Still not getting anywhere near the burn that I was getting with DEs. Be interesting to see if I can go back once GEMini is over....

 

[brianw]

5 more days to get in on this. Great stuff so far... keep it up

 

[alex2363]

My 3rd shave with my prized possession, The Streamline...used the Gem blade and face lathered w Proraso cream, 3 passes and my face was BBS. (thanks Ervargas for this gift)

 

[Quigg]

I was doing great with my Gems – 1912, Gem Jr., Bullet Tip, and G Bar – and loving each one. But yesterday I received a Schick Adjustable Injector I had purchased off the BST. I just could not resist trying it this morning. It gave me a really smooth shaving experience, so I'm glad I did! I'll try to get back to the Gems tomorrow, though. I am expecting a Damaskeen to arrive very soon, too. That should help keep me on track.

 

[brianw]

Still going with the Damaskeene.... 12 shaves on the blade as I moved it from a 1912. New blade in the Damaskeene tomorrow.

 

[mikeschu]

OCMM with a Gem stainless blade (3), Cella and Floid Suave AS. Not a bad combo at all - it was a very enjoyable shave.

The OCMM ate through five days of beard like a kid in a pizza parlor, but for some reason the shaves aren't close. I had to run a Merkur 11C for one pass ATG to get the stubble off. Besides the usual (blade angle), is there anything else to look at? Is there a slightly more aggressive SE to try out? I have an angular jaw and I know I have some tight spots around the neck that usually take some touch-up from a DE regardless.

 

[Quigg]

Still going with the Damaskeene.... 12 shaves on the blade as I moved it from a 1912. New blade in the Damaskeene tomorrow.

I don't get nearly as many shaves out of a blade as you do, Brian. I feel the blade start to catch and tug after about four shaves. That's true (for me) for both SE and DE blades. Oh well, they're still a lot cheaper that Fusion cartridges.

 

[brianw]

For me the exact opposite of some of the others. The carbon steel blades are binned after 3 to 4 shaves. The SS PTFE coated are the ones that work best for me. This is the perfect example of YMMV. There are times I only get 7 shaves out of a SS.

 

[onefallinghope]

OCMM with a Gem stainless blade (3), Cella and Floid Suave AS. Not a bad combo at all - it was a very enjoyable shave.

The OCMM ate through five days of beard like a kid in a pizza parlor, but for some reason the shaves aren't close. I had to run a Merkur 11C for one pass ATG to get the stubble off. Besides the usual (blade angle), is there anything else to look at? Is there a slightly more aggressive SE to try out? I have an angular jaw and I know I have some tight spots around the neck that usually take some touch-up from a DE regardless.

I find that my 1912 variants do a better job at getting close than my OCMM does. YMMV.

 

[mikeschu]

I find that my 1912 variants do a better job at getting close than my OCMM does. YMMV.

I'm sure MMWV and I'll see if I can find a 1912. I'm signed up for a pass-around but I'm not sure it'll get to me before the end of GEMini.

 

[rockviper]

Didn't shave yesterday as I spent overnight at my brother's, but the 6th shave on the same GEM PTFE in the 1912 cut through 2 days growth without too much of a problem.

 

[Haggises]

Day 6 and Day 7
both were ER 1912 with GEM/Personna (2/3)
one more tomorrow before going ER 1914, I think first major shave with it.

 

[Haggises]

Day 8
ER 1912, GEM/personna stainless blade (4), mix of VDH and Portman orange cream with the SOC boar.
spent more time than usual working on the lather and it paid off.
last shave for now with this beauty, and approached BBS with 3 passes and a fair bit of buffing.
Zero irritation....Zero.
love this razor, would give it preference over the Damaskeene.

Tomorrow...the 1914 for the first time. Looking forward to it.