Damn Comfortable Shave

[Esox]

Personally I wouldnt do anything with it but keep it clean and shiny.

If after you fall in love with it, maybe get it plated.

I'm very curious what you'll think of it. Just remember, that flat cap can vacuum lock to your skin. Its a strange sensation when it happens lol.

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

I have this strange feeling that your shiny MMOC is going to be "the one" Jim. And after discovering this you'll probably have it replated and made "even more shiny" by Chris @ RazorPlate.com

Cal, you may be right. I know these vintage GEM razors can be favorites for good reason.

Happy shaves,

Jim

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

Personally I wouldnt do anything with it but keep it clean and shiny.

If after you fall in love with it, maybe get it plated.

I'm very curious what you'll think of it. Just remember, that flat cap can vacuum lock to your skin. Its a strange sensation when it happens lol.

Be patient. It will likely be a number of weeks at least before I shave with this razor.



Unlike some GEM razors this has a cap with bevels, so it's not entirely flat. There is a very small bevel right behind the most forward part of the cap.

Some say the yellow area goes against the skin. Some, the green. Others, just shave and see what works.




This GEM, the G Bar, has a much more flat head. It's the vendor's photo of my G Bar, I think, which is in very good condition.

I don't think the photos show what I'm talking about well at all, but the drawing does, I think.

Happy shaves,

Jim

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

My Fixed Four will be completed tomorrow. It's been great.

I've had a lot of fun watching the consistent kit shaves of everyone else doing the Fixed Four, and have learned something with every shave - my shaves and your shaves - including the failures.

The Fixed Four has not been easy for me. I've had considerable discomfort at times. My recent shaves have been comfortable. I suspect the main reason is I've very significantly decreased my expectations. There is a bit of discipline required as one avoids grabbing a brush or soap or razor which looks tempting, but it is worth sticking to the plan.

Long term I still want - a close, long lasting, smooth, Damn Comfortable Shave - what I've always wanted. Short term I'm settling for comfort and a decent enough shave because I've concluded the Colonial General SS razor is not going to deliver what I want in closeness and smoothness without sacrificing comfort.

The Fixed Four reduces decision making to the minimum, and has let me focus on technique. That's great! I believe I have learned a little bit more about my beard during the last few weeks, too, and every little bit helps with my beard cartography.

Others started this Fixed Four after I did, so even though I finish the Four tomorrow, I can still participate vicariously.

Happy shaves,

Jim

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

For the past several weeks these three brushes have been undergoing a break in process. Every day they are soaked and their tips are towel dried for at least a few minutes. The Stirling was not brand new. It was already a brush I'd used, and had partly broken in. The midget brushes have never been used at all, and were totally new until the break in process began a few weeks ago.

I can tell a big difference in all three of these brushes. They're much softer. Their break in is "complete" now. All boar brushes will get softer over months and months of use, but you know what I mean. They're ready to use.

The Stirling boar was a very good brush before. It is much softer now. I expect it to become a favorite.
The midgets are surprisingly nice brushes broken in judging only by rubbing them on the inside of my forearm and seeing how they feel in my hand. I'm very sure I'm going to enjoy all three of these brushes.

Both midgets are very small brushes. The Mixed Midget is maybe 20% smaller than its Mighty Midget boar cousin, but both seem like they will work well for shaving. The Mighty Midget has a small handle of course because it is a small brush, but it feels amazingly right in my hand. As I use the brushes I'll write more about them, but I can't imagine they're not great brushes.

As a final check on the little brushes, I hand lathered with both the midgets, and they're fine in that department. Actually, I'd say the Mixed Midget was an amazing latherer. With very little product the Mixed Midget boar and badger brush lathered like crazy.



I'm not going to attempt to answer a question like that one?

Happy shaves,

Jim

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

Well done Jim! I've been following your progress with anticipation for every report.

Back at you, Rave. Your photographs have always blown me away with their artistry. If you continue shaving with Fatips you're probably going to get pretty good with them, too. Just guessing.

You may sell a few brushes, too.

Happy shaves,

Jim

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

Todays's 2nd to last Fixed Four shave went well enough.



Homemade shave oil. Lucky Tiger. Avon Brisk Spice aftershave.

BBS face. DFS neck. Two face passes. Several neck passes. No touch up except chin.

Comfort is quite good. Very close to Damn Comfortable Shave standards.

The Schick Proline blade has been used for more than a week and is still going strong. Amazing blade. I've flipped the blade after every shave.

Watching football I am seeing my favorite holiday commercial. The Coca-Cola polar bears.

Happy shaves,

Jim

 

[Ron R]

The fixed four has been interesting for you fellows and it must be tempting to cheat a little, I have been doing my own thing of mixing soaps and have a razor rotation. When I first got into DE wet shaving I had a fixed four until my gear started coming in from all over the place.(Omega boar brush, TOBS sandle wood croap, Gillette slim and Astra blades approx 1 month-good way to get to know your gear and improve technique if needed.)

For the past several weeks these three brushes have been undergoing a break in process. Every day they are soaked and their tips are towel dried for at least a few minutes. The Stirling was not brand new. It was already a brush I'd used, and had partly broken in. The midget brushes have never been used at all, and were totally new until the break in process began a few weeks ago.

I can tell a big difference in all three of these brushes. They're much softer. Their break in is "complete" now. All boar brushes will get softer over months and months of use, but you know what I mean. They're ready to use.

That is a good way to break them in Jim and if they are funky in a few weeks that will have gone mostly.
Looking at the picture the hairs are splitting nicely for a soft lofty look.
Merry Christmas to all!

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

I think maybe my skin likes Dickinson's Witch Hazel more than Lucky Tiger.

Happy shaves,

Jim

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

That is a good way to break them in Jim and if they are funky in a few weeks that will have gone mostly.
Looking at the picture the hairs are splitting nicely for a soft lofty look.
Merry Christmas to all!

Hi, Ron.

The picture is not real recent. There are a lot more split ends now.

My brushes are never funky smelling when the arrive. I hear others aren't so lucky. One of my friends told me about buying a brush at a mall store in New York, maybe The Art of Shaving, and having the "dead animal" or "road kill" smell persist "forever." I offered to take it off his hands, and explained how to shampoo the brush, etc. Of course, he may be unlucky, unlike me.

When I started with this I had a very limited kit, too.

Happy shaves and Merry Christmas,

Jim

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

My shiny GEM MMOC is currently taking a Barbicide bath.

It will be ready when I decide to use it. Well, not for another six minutes. Besides, I'm in a Fixed Four until Christmas.

Happy shaves,

Jim

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

View attachment 846631

My shiny GEM MMOC is currently taking a Barbicide bath.

It will be ready when I decide to use it. Well, not for another six minutes. Besides, I'm in a Fixed Four until Christmas.

Happy shaves,

Jim

Twenty minutes in Barbicide took my GEM MMOC from shiny and new looking to a tarnished, discolored, and very funky appearance.

A couple or so drops of Flitz and a minute or less of elbow grease made it look new and pretty again.

The change was surprisingly profound, not shockingly unexpected, and not scary. I was pretty sure Flitz would quickly fix it, and glad it did.

Happy shaves,

Jim

 

[Esox]

Be patient. It will likely be a number of weeks at least before I shave with this razor.

View attachment 846437

Unlike some GEM razors this has a cap with bevels, so it's not entirely flat. There is a very small bevel right behind the most forward part of the cap.

View attachment 846480

Some say the yellow area goes against the skin. Some, the green. Others, just shave and see what works.


View attachment 846438

This GEM, the G Bar, has a much more flat head. It's the vendor's photo of my G Bar, I think, which is in very good condition.

I don't think the photos show what I'm talking about well at all, but the drawing does, I think.

Happy shaves,

Jim

Seeing the pics you posted, I had to get mine out and have a look. The MMOC does have a different cap.

GEM Bullet Tip left, MMOC right.



The much larger flat area of the Bullet Tip cap vacuum locked to my cheek and my neck when I used it. I would assume that much less an issue with the MMOC.

Looking at them both side by each like that, the MMOC does look a bit intimidating lol. I should have loaded blades in them...

Twenty minutes in Barbicide took my GEM MMOC from shiny and new looking to a tarnished, discolored, and very funky appearance.

Interesting...

https://www.barbicide.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2013/04/barbicide_msds.pdf

Dimethyl benzyl ammonium chloride.

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

I have never shaved with a GEM razor. I'm just learning about them, so keep that in mind, and don't think I have any expertise about GEM razors. I do have a small collection of nice ones, and plans to shave with some of them. I also plan to acquire at least one or two more because I want to shave with those models.

My MMOC loaded up with a blade looks very, let's say, impressive. That blade sticks way out.

However, my GEM G-Bar, supposed to be a mild shaver, looks much the same, loaded. When looking at a GEM razor, look at where the blade edge fits up against the little hooks on the far ends of the comb area. There is not much distance between the comb's edge and the blade's edge with the MMOC. Other GEM and EverReady razors have a considerably different arrangement of the combs.

I need to bring the rest of my GEM razors home from the office, and Barbicide them, and load up blades. Either that or take a blade to the office, and load them there. I'm interested in seeing how the blades actually look in some of the GEMS where the comb configuration and how the blade interacts with skin and beard is, so far, mysterious to me.

I don't think how the blade looks or what the exposure is, is all that telling about the shave. The P-BOCS blade looks scary as a Freddie movie, but shaves well.



My Feather AS-D2 has the least blade exposure of any razor I've used (I have not used the Phoenix DOC). The AS-D2 can most certainly bite you. I have less experience with the Fatip Piccolo than with the Feather, but I consider the Feather, which I've used a good bit, more aggressive than than the Piccolo. The Fatip is, I believe, a good more efficient than the AS-D2.

That's just my observation. I could be far from correct in terms of how someone else might experience the razors and blade exposure issues.

I've read a lot of reports and reviews on the GEM MMOC. The rap on the razor is it is very aggressive. However, I never know when people use that term whether they mean aggressive as in it will bite you, or "aggressive" when what they mean is efficient as in it cuts whiskers well with few passes.

There are a good many gentlemen who've reported their MMOC as smooth, efficient, easy to shave with, comfortable, intuitive, gentle on their skin, and such as that. My guess is it is somewhat of a YMMV thing, but also related to the application of the razor in terms of angle and pressure, and such.

Happy shaves,

Jim

 

[Esox]

I've never even loaded a blade in my MMOC. After my first use of the carbon blades, I dismissed them entirely, but now you have me thinking...

Its been my experience with DE's that in general a more mild razor can become more efficient with a sharper blade and vice versa. The carbon blades I have really didnt work in the Bullet Tip which is considered a mild shaver, but now I'm wondering if they wont work better in the MMOC. Considerably better perhaps...

Seeing as I'm only on shave #15 tomorrow with the Polsilver and my 'month' isnt quite up yet it will need to wait a bit, but that is something I'll try. Kind of looking forward to it now...

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

Useful post on the various old GEM razors and their cousins.

Link.

Here are some cousins.

 

[Raven Koenes]

Back at you, Rave. Your photographs have always blown me away with their artistry. If you continue shaving with Fatips you're probably going to get pretty good with them, too. Just guessing.

You may sell a few brushes, too.

Happy shaves,

Jim

Thanks Jim. To tell you the truth, I'm a little scared to get too good with Fatips. I'm afraid if I do I might get a little obsessed with them, and lose my calm, even, balanced, composure towards them.

 

[Esox]

Merry Christmas to all!

A Merry Christmas to you as well Ron

I'm afraid if I do I might get a little obsessed with them, and lose my calm, even, balanced, composure towards them.

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

Thanks Jim. To tell you the truth, I'm a little scared to get too good with Fatips. I'm afraid if I do I might get a little obsessed with them, and lose my calm, even, balanced, composure towards them.

Rave, it would help if you had another interest. Oh, I forgot, you do.

Well, that wasn't much help. Let's see what we can come up with.

or

That's better. We're getting warm.

Ah, here it is.

Ah, afraid we're back where we started. It's hopeless.

Happy shaves,

Jim

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

My December to Remember Fixed Four ends on Christmas. I've completed my final shave. As good luck would have it, my last shave of the Fixed Four was probably my best shave of the Fixed Four.

I am very happy I did the experiment, and glad I picked these particular four tools.

My shave today was BBS face and DFS neck. Comfortable.

Homemade shave oil. Dickinson's Witch Hazel. Avon Brisk Spice. Cremo Moisturizer.

1. A Fixed Four should be done with a razor and blade you already have some confidence in.
2. Same with your Fixed Four shaving soap. Pick a good soap.
3. The Colonial General stainless steel razor works best for me at a very shallow angle. Riding the cap is a very good idea. There should be almost no blade feel.
4. Polishing the top surface of the cap of the General is an excellent thing to do. The shave is definitely improved with a shiny, polished, slick cap.
5. Washing my face at night is always a good idea, but it is better if I then apply Equate Noxzema-knock off to my beard, let it soak in a bit, and then apply shea butter, leaving it all on overnight.
6. Adding more Equate to my beard first thing in the morning is a very good practice.
7. I can get away without a towel soak over my first lather as long as I've had a shower and washed my face in the shower before I shave.
8. The General likes a very light touch. No pressure is needed. The razor likes to glide.
9. The General will bite if you're not careful. If you're careful it is not aggressive.
10. The General is efficient compared to many razors I've used.
11. Saponificio Varesino is a wonderful shaving soap. Very protective. Feels great during and after the shave.
12. Shaving oils are fun but they don't add much to my shave.
13. The Stirling butterscotch handled, fan shaped badger brush is terrific in all respects.
14. A Schick Proline blade lasts at least a week, and is an excellent blade. Sharp. Its smoothness improves with a shave or two.
15. The shaves I get with this kit, so far, are not perfect, but they are very good shaves, and improving.
16. Using a set kit like in a Fixed Four is a great idea, and a useful exercise, and a good learning experience.

Are there winners in a Fixed Four?

Yes, everybody wins, but only to the degree they make it a learning experience. It's not work, but it takes effort. There are no trophies. Well, if there are, where's mine? I know this isn't an exercise for children, so not everybody gets a trophy.

Oh, thanks so much. This award is for all my teammates. Thanks, guys, for helping me become rich, famous, and set up for the rest of my life.

I suppose if I'm only going to have one trophy this one will look nice on the mantle, right.

There are probably other things I learned doing this December to Remember Fixed Four, so maybe I'll add more as I think of them. I am very grateful to everyone who helped me get through the difficult times, and there certainly were some. I'm glad the Four was suggested by @Cal, and I'm glad I had some company.

To everybody still doing the Fixed Four, best of luck. I will be watching your progress and reading about your shaves.

Merry Christmas, and happy shaves,

Jim