13 is a great number. I love it!
What can I say about this Asylum Shave Works SV Flying Mango shaving soap? Let's try this. I'm in love!
I've spent the evening polishing a couple of my old brass GEM razors while watching football.
One is, I think, a 1912. The other is surely a GEM Junior. Both entered the evening and my life in decent or better shape. They were good examples of the ebay selections. However, the 1912 had some crummy looking places on the handle and the cap. Not terrible places. The Junior looked a good bit better.
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Somewhere there are the before pictures, but this is after.
Neither of these were in the league with my MMOC, pictured above. When I started with it I knew it was probably going to be a razor I could shave with but I wasn't sure I could make it look good. I kinda sorta thought its looks had maybe been ruined.
I was pretty sure I could make the GEM Junior look rather good, and make the 1912 look a lot better.
I'm not quite finished with either. Both need some detailing on the inside areas, and a fair amount more work on the bottom of the baseplate. It is clear that both of these razors are going to end up in near mint condition, and look every bit as great as my MMOC.
Sometime in the next few days I'll continue the process, and use Barbicide. When I'm through I'll have pictures taken in my in-house professional photography studio.
I ordered and received a Gem Damaskeene, but it was missing a blade stop, so I returned it to the ebay vendor. I don't know if the razor was made in brass. The one I ordered was steel. The head looked pretty good, but the handle was not as nice looking. I may have to learn about steel (not stainless) as I do want to have one of these razors, but I'm only going to buy one which is a very good deal. The razors usually demand a premium price relative to many other GEM razors, but I'll await a bargain.
Happy shaves,
Jim
Absolutely stunning Jim! Well done and thank you for sharing!View attachment 848501
These are the razors I've been cleaning and polishing. On the left is a brass Ever-Ready 1912. On the right is a brass GEM Junior
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I would say both look better in person than in the photographs.
Both were in good shape when I got them from ebay vendors months ago, but now they are in much better shape. Mostly the were polished with Flitz, and a brass gun-cleaning toothbrush, and micrcofiber cloths, and elbow grease. They also had a Barbicide bath.
Next, a blade will be installed just to see how a blade does in them. I have no plans to shave with them anytime soon because I'm occupied with other razors (particular one other razor), but these are likely to be used for shaving down the road.
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I also have a brass MMOC. It is with these two razors in this photo.
My Ever-Ready 1924 and my GEM G-Bar complete my current collection of GEM and Ever-Ready razors.
Happy shaves,
Jim
+1Absolutely stunning Jim! Well done and thank you for sharing!
This sounds like an interesting soap. I have yet to try SV, but you have me intrigued... I’m about to finish 3017ing a puck of Haslinger Schafmilch. Probably makes sense to replace it, right?
My new Fatip Retro (chrome) and new Fatip Grande (nickel) arrived today. That's 15 I've purchased and two I've gifted (last year), so I have thirteen that are in my collection with two Mk1's on the way. These two new ones also align perfectly (of course).
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I'm absolutely going to shave with each and every one of them, and hopefully often! It looks like I picked up a rogue Mk1 cap on the Retro.Rave, you are acquiring the most amazing collection.
Are you gong to shave with all those beauty Fatip razors? Maybe Fatip should make a television commercial staring guess who? You.
There's probably somebody in the Fatip | Schöne | Plisson world who spends a portion of their workday monitoring the buying practices of prominent collectors and suggesting to the designers razor variations which then *must* be acquired by collectors.
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I'm sure that person needs an American consultant.
Happy shaves,
Jim
I'm absolutely going to shave with each and every one of them, and hopefully often! It looks like I picked up a rogue Mk1 cap on the Retro.
My agenda using these single bladed razors is to get the same shave at home I used to get at the hands of a professional barber using a straight. Those shaves of yore - close, long lasting, smooth, and very comfortable - were wonderful.
Sometimes I've wondered if my goals were achievable. Others have suggested the whiskers of yore have morphed into whiskers incapable of being shaved like those of decades ago.
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Recently I'm beginning to believe maybe my agenda can be realized. The ATT SE2 has established a new standard for my shaves. Better, my shaves seem to be improving almost every day.
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The SE2 is an aggressive razor. No doubt about that. Still, it can be used in a comfortable manner, and the shave it delivers can be comfortable all day long.
Happy shaves,
Jim
But what to do with all of those DE blades...