Micromatic Monday

[tipster_621]

I've been using my MMOC (or OCMM - which is it???) for the past 2 weeks, now going into week 3, with the same PTFE coated blade, alternating with Arko and VdH Luxury soap, and have been getting nothing but superb DFS shaves, bordering on BBS. This razor, hands down, is definitely my best SE in my collection, and rivals the shaves I get from my '46/'47 Gillette Aristocrat.
I remember the first few times I used it a few years ago, I felt like I was peeling the skin off my face. Now that my skills have improved, and I feel like I'm using better soaps (for me), it just gives me the smoothest shaves, with very little irritation, and just the right amount of aftershave sting (yes, I like a little sting to wake me up!).

 

[boo909]

Thanks for joining us!!! I REALLY like the combo of Arko and the Micromatic Open Comb....and Arko's scent has grown on me. It's not like Tabac for me, where I used it and fell in love with both the fragrance and performance; rather the scent wasn't initially my favorite, but the performance was just incredible. That said, I used Arko the other day and found myself thinking, "I like this fragrance"!

I have to admit, the very first time I opened an Arko stick and took a whiff my head snapped back as if the Arko Man on the packaging had just reached out and socked me one on the kisser it was, let's say "powerful". It took me about half a shave before I fell in love with it, total barbershop scent, the lather is bang on every time, even if you're in a hurry, such a workhorse, I'm mainly a bowl latherer but I find myself face lathering with Arko more and more these days.

 

[Tanuki]

I've been using my MMOC (or OCMM - which is it???) for the past 2 weeks, now going into week 3, with the same PTFE coated blade, alternating with Arko and VdH Luxury soap, and have been getting nothing but superb DFS shaves, bordering on BBS. This razor, hands down, is definitely my best SE in my collection, and rivals the shaves I get from my '46/'47 Gillette Aristocrat.
I remember the first few times I used it a few years ago, I felt like I was peeling the skin off my face. Now that my skills have improved, and I feel like I'm using better soaps (for me), it just gives me the smoothest shaves, with very little irritation, and just the right amount of aftershave sting (yes, I like a little sting to wake me up!).

Bunch of MMOCs getting it done this Monday.

OCMM might have a hard time recruiting adherents.

 

[ChrisPL68]

Gillette LC, MMCP, Boar, Moss Hill blue for men.

 

[Flintstone65]

I've been using my MMOC (or OCMM - which is it???) for the past 2 weeks, now going into week 3, with the same PTFE coated blade, alternating with Arko and VdH Luxury soap, and have been getting nothing but superb DFS shaves, bordering on BBS. This razor, hands down, is definitely my best SE in my collection, and rivals the shaves I get from my '46/'47 Gillette Aristocrat.
I remember the first few times I used it a few years ago, I felt like I was peeling the skin off my face. Now that my skills have improved, and I feel like I'm using better soaps (for me), it just gives me the smoothest shaves, with very little irritation, and just the right amount of aftershave sting (yes, I like a little sting to wake me up!).

Nice!!! And I often refer to it as just Micromatic. There's a place I hang out that joking discourages the "Open Comb" designation with the Micromatic Open Comb, because technically GEM referred to it as the Micromatic. The next razor was the Clog-Pruf (I don't think it was called a Micromatic Clog-Pruf), and the 3rd was the Guiding Eye. Now someone may well produce an ad (or ads) that disprove my rambling (it happens...often), but I think the Micromatic was just for the "original" (with a comb) Micromatic. Anyhoo -- it's a stellar razor, and easily in my top 5....and definitely makes my, "if I could only have 1...." list.

 

[Flintstone65]

Gillette LC, MMCP, Boar, Moss Hill blue for men.

View attachment 993533

Beautiful setup -- love the handle on the LC!!!

 

[Twelvefret]

G Bar with an American made SR from Fremont, Ohio (maybe Clauss Cutlery)

 

[Twelvefret]

Won this auction yesterday. No mention of a brand or Micromatic, just brass razor. Looks like another BMMOC.

Paid .99 cents plus $7 shipping.

 

[Flintstone65]

View attachment 993585
Won this auction yesterday. No mention of a brand or Micromatic, just brass razor. Looks like another BMMOC.

Paid .99 cents plus $7 shipping.

It does indeed, Congrats!!! And I didn't know (or totally forgot) that you even had a G-Bar!! Of course, I've lost track of the razors I've got, so it's no surprise that I've lost track of yours too

 

[Twelvefret]

It does indeed, Congrats!!! And I didn't know (or totally forgot) that you even had a G-Bar!! Of course, I've lost track of the razors I've got, so it's no surprise that I've lost track of yours too

Those G Bars look so cool. Made in '55, correct?

 

[Flintstone65]

Those G Bars look so cool. Made in '55, correct?

Yessir, I even double-checked it using Sir @mata_66's excellent resource. I'm always surprised a bit. I ALWAYS figured that the order was MMBT, then G-Bar, then Featherweight. It just made sense in my brain that they would've kept on going with metal/chrome, and then *poof* the era of plastic begins -- it's cheaper to produce, lighter to ship, so goodbye Chrome-plated stuff. But that's not how it went down, at least according to the timeline.

As for the G-Bar, I need to drag mine back out at some point. I liked it, but I remember preferring the Featherweight over the G-Bar -- I don't recall why....I tend to prefer metal to plastic, and you're right, the G Bar looks very cool!!!

 

[GAW9576]

All great setups gentlemen.
Mine was a Gemonday evening shave.

Hot towel and Noxzema pre.
Mer shaving Fougere orange on two band badger.
Gem Featherweight deluxe with Gem SS ptfe 1st lighty palm stropped for first pass WTG
Gillette tech with Feather Hi stainless 1st for second pass ATG and cleanup.
Whitchazle and Tolsom aftershave splash.

Some people say the mild razor with a super sharp blade works wonders for them. It still takes A Lot of clean up pass to get good results for me. I think an really efficient razor with a smooth but sharp blade works best for me, but I still love the variety of trying different razors and blades.

 

[ChrisPL68]

Those G Bars look so cool. Made in '55, correct?

'55-'58

 

[Flintstone65]

All great setups gentlemen.
Mine was a Gemonday evening shave.

Hot towel and Noxzema pre.
Mer shaving Fougere orange on two band badger.
Gem Featherweight deluxe with Gem SS ptfe 1st lighty palm stropped for first pass WTG
Gillette tech with Feather Hi stainless 1st for second pass ATG and cleanup.
Whitchazle and Tolsom aftershave splash.

Some people say the mild razor with a super sharp blade works wonders for them. It still takes A Lot of clean up pass to get good results for me. I think an really efficient razor with a smooth but sharp blade works best for me, but I still love the variety of trying different razors and blades.

View attachment 993625

Beautiful!!! So, are those two "mild" from your perspective?

 

[GAW9576]

The Gem deluxe featherweight is just about right for when I want a milder shave, the Gillette tech is extremely mild to me, however I love the way it looks all stripped down to raw brass and red brass.

 

[Flintstone65]

The Gem deluxe featherweight is just about right for when I want a milder shave, the Gillette tech is extremely mild to me, however I love the way it looks all stripped down to raw brass and red brass.

Cool -- that's where I fall out as well....only exception is my Contract Tech, which actually seems more efficient to me than my other Techs. And that said, other than the CT, I haven't used my pre or post war Tech's in many months....maybe I'd feel differently now.

 

[boo909]

Techs are really mild (for me anyway), I've been shaving with the same 1912 for about 5 years and over the past few months I've been trying out some DEs, just for a change. The first two that I tried were a Tech and a Rocket, I had to keep checking I hadn't forgotten to put the blade in after the 1912. Finally settled on a thin top cap Old Type as my regular DE as it felt most like my SE. The new MMOC has been a revelation though, totally love it.

 

[Twelvefret]

Techs are really mild (for me anyway), I've been shaving with the same 1912 for about 5 years and over the past few months I've been trying out some DEs, just for a change. The first two that I tried were a Tech and a Rocket, I had to keep checking I hadn't forgotten to put the blade in after the 1912. Finally settled on a thin top cap Old Type as my regular DE as it felt most like my SE. The new MMOC has been a revelation though, totally love it.

Impressive history you have. Happy you like the MMOC.

 

[boo909]

Impressive history you have. Happy you like the MMOC.

Haha, I started on Bic Disposables when I was a kid (though I do remember my Dad had a few injector razors but I don't think I ever used them), then, once I'd moved out of home and started to have to buy my own, I suddenly noticed how cheap DE blades were (I think I've always been a miser ) and got myself a cheapy Wilkinson Sword Classic. Used that for about 12-15 years then grew a beard for 10 years or so (even cheaper ). Since it was Sacred Shaving of The Beard I decided to treat myself and picked up the 1912 (mainly because they looked so nice and were about the cheapest razors on Ebay (miser), I didn't even realise they didn't use a DE blade until I got it), grabbed some Feathers and some Gem blades and was blown away by the shave. None of the DEs I've been trying recently, whilst still fun and I enjoy shaving with them, have come close really, apart from maybe the Old Type.

So really it's more of a "how cheap can I shave" history, rather than impressive haha, then I discoved this place of course, now all my spare money goes on shaving gear

 

[Twelvefret]

Haha, I started on Bic Disposables when I was a kid (though I do remember my Dad had a few injector razors but I don't think I ever used them), then, once I'd moved out of home and started to have to buy my own, I suddenly noticed how cheap DE blades were (I think I've always been a miser ) and got myself a cheapy Wilkinson Sword Classic. Used that for about 12-15 years then grew a beard for 10 years or so (even cheaper ). Since it was Sacred Shaving of The Beard I decided to treat myself and picked up the 1912 (mainly because they looked so nice and were about the cheapest razors on Ebay (miser), I didn't even realise they didn't use a DE blade until I got it), grabbed some Feathers and some Gem blades and was blown away by the shave. None of the DEs I've been trying recently, whilst still fun and I enjoy shaving with them, have come close really, apart from maybe the Old Type.

So really it's more of a "how cheap can I shave" history, rather than impressive haha, then I discoved this place of course, now all my spare money goes on shaving gear

I’m pretty cheap myself although I’ve paid
more than I wanted for the more hard to find ones . No regrets at all. This is a fun and historical hobby that I throughly enjoy.