Just wanted to do a simple write up on an amazing little vintage razor that has just been plain fantastic. First, I would like to thank a very generous member here who has lent me this fabulous vintage GEM razor, @imatabor. If it weren't for him, I would have never known about this best kept vintage GEM razor. Thanks John, you're the best bud...... 
Alright, enough of the mushy stuff. Let's get to this awesome shaver!
As some of you know me here, I am mostly a modern razor shaving kind of guy. I do have a few vintage razors such as my Old & New OC Gillette razors plus a couple of Valet razors. And of course a couple of 150+ year old vintage straights that are heirloom pieces. But for the most part, it has been mostly modern DE's and SE's. It's my thing. I like new items and I make no apologies for it. That being said, I do appreciate some of the vintage razors out there with some of them being designed ahead of their time. And the razor that I'm about to talk about is just that. It's the coolest vintage razor I've laid my eyes on. Yes, the Wilkerson Pall Mall GEM razor.
I'm not going to tell you what it is made of, what year it was produced or how it came about. There are plenty of threads here that will give you all that info and then some. I'm just going to tell you that this thing is one of the best GEM bladed razors I've ever used. And the quality shave it provided that just dropped my jaw in disbelief. And the real kicker is that this razor is adjustable! That blew me away. That little turn knob on the back of the razor actually brings the blade closer or further away from the working rolling safety bar. Ingenious!
How did it shave Gus? Ok... Flat out awesome! Real quickly Gents, I've never been afraid of an aggressive razor. Never met one I didn't like. Mild razors I can work with, as long as their Uber efficient. This one here gives you the best of both worlds, period.
On my first shave with it I performed a 3 pass shave that gave me one heck of a BBS shave that I have ever given myself, modern or vintage minus 2 little spots around the Adam's Apple area. I set the blade in the center of the roller guard for my first pass. 2 strokes in and I liked the feel of it, but I wanted just a bit more blade feel. So a quick 1/4 turn on the adjuster knob, another stroke and it was perfect. Hearing the whiskers get mowed down was sweet music and hearing the roller moving along my face was just a thing of beauty. It was a semi aggressive feeling shave but very efficient and quite smooth. I had no worries with the GEM blade exposed, as the blade stops held the blade in securely with very minimal flexing, if any. WTG, XTG and ATG not a single issue. Just very minimal irritation on the both sides of the jawline but I attribute that to user newness and getting accustomed to the razor. The 2 subsequent shaves have been just stellar. Each getting done in 2 passes with very minimal touch ups around the chin and throat areas. 3 awesome shaves that practically resulted in a BBS finish (almost BBS 1st one).
In summary, just an excellent razor that has left me totally surprised but completely satisfied with the shaving results. Good balance in the hands, a little lighter than the SS razors of today, but still very nice weight. And an audio feedback that was just amazing. Yes, I fell in love with this razor at my first pass. My Sabre is the only other GEM bladed razor that I own and I love the shave that it gives me. Smooth, efficient and consistent every time I use it. The Pall Mall was almost it's equal in my estimation. I won't say definite equal, need a few more shaves with it, but it really is an excellent shaver. I just might have to do a razor comparison between the two. They are that close to be honest. I just can't say enough good things about the Wilkerson Pall Mall razor. I thought moderns had the upper hand with the advances in technology, engineering and materials. I might have to rethink that a bit here.
Again, I would like to thank @imatabor for his generosity in lending me this amazing razor. Only problem is now, I don't know when I'm going to send it back to him... Yes, I like it!
Alright, enough of the mushy stuff. Let's get to this awesome shaver!
As some of you know me here, I am mostly a modern razor shaving kind of guy. I do have a few vintage razors such as my Old & New OC Gillette razors plus a couple of Valet razors. And of course a couple of 150+ year old vintage straights that are heirloom pieces. But for the most part, it has been mostly modern DE's and SE's. It's my thing. I like new items and I make no apologies for it. That being said, I do appreciate some of the vintage razors out there with some of them being designed ahead of their time. And the razor that I'm about to talk about is just that. It's the coolest vintage razor I've laid my eyes on. Yes, the Wilkerson Pall Mall GEM razor.
I'm not going to tell you what it is made of, what year it was produced or how it came about. There are plenty of threads here that will give you all that info and then some. I'm just going to tell you that this thing is one of the best GEM bladed razors I've ever used. And the quality shave it provided that just dropped my jaw in disbelief. And the real kicker is that this razor is adjustable! That blew me away. That little turn knob on the back of the razor actually brings the blade closer or further away from the working rolling safety bar. Ingenious!
How did it shave Gus? Ok... Flat out awesome! Real quickly Gents, I've never been afraid of an aggressive razor. Never met one I didn't like. Mild razors I can work with, as long as their Uber efficient. This one here gives you the best of both worlds, period.
On my first shave with it I performed a 3 pass shave that gave me one heck of a BBS shave that I have ever given myself, modern or vintage minus 2 little spots around the Adam's Apple area. I set the blade in the center of the roller guard for my first pass. 2 strokes in and I liked the feel of it, but I wanted just a bit more blade feel. So a quick 1/4 turn on the adjuster knob, another stroke and it was perfect. Hearing the whiskers get mowed down was sweet music and hearing the roller moving along my face was just a thing of beauty. It was a semi aggressive feeling shave but very efficient and quite smooth. I had no worries with the GEM blade exposed, as the blade stops held the blade in securely with very minimal flexing, if any. WTG, XTG and ATG not a single issue. Just very minimal irritation on the both sides of the jawline but I attribute that to user newness and getting accustomed to the razor. The 2 subsequent shaves have been just stellar. Each getting done in 2 passes with very minimal touch ups around the chin and throat areas. 3 awesome shaves that practically resulted in a BBS finish (almost BBS 1st one).
In summary, just an excellent razor that has left me totally surprised but completely satisfied with the shaving results. Good balance in the hands, a little lighter than the SS razors of today, but still very nice weight. And an audio feedback that was just amazing. Yes, I fell in love with this razor at my first pass. My Sabre is the only other GEM bladed razor that I own and I love the shave that it gives me. Smooth, efficient and consistent every time I use it. The Pall Mall was almost it's equal in my estimation. I won't say definite equal, need a few more shaves with it, but it really is an excellent shaver. I just might have to do a razor comparison between the two. They are that close to be honest. I just can't say enough good things about the Wilkerson Pall Mall razor. I thought moderns had the upper hand with the advances in technology, engineering and materials. I might have to rethink that a bit here.
Again, I would like to thank @imatabor for his generosity in lending me this amazing razor. Only problem is now, I don't know when I'm going to send it back to him... Yes, I like it!
