First SE shave

[Aberneth]

A couple weeks ago, I picked up 3 gold GEM micromatics. They were all in decent shape, but one of them, with just a little Jeweler's rouge and about 10 minutes on my flannel wheel, turned out to have a mirror finish. These are truly beautiful shaving tools. Their looks are legendary. I told myself that if the shave they gave was half as good as the aesthetics of the razor, that I would be a very happy, baby butt smooth faced wetshaver. Tonight, I popped a walgreens personna GEM in the nicest of the 3, did my 20 minute hot shower/hot lathery towel prep, whipped up a batch of Trumper's Violet, and set to work. The verdict? The shave wasn't half as nice as it looked...

It was nicer.

This is the first true all-over-face BBS shave I've had, and it came with absolutely no irritation. It was a smooth shaver that was easy to master, and felt nice in my hands. I am addicted to GEM.

Gentlemen, I am in love (SWMBO is going to kill me...)

 

[bindibadgi]

That's great to hear, and a damn fine looking razor too I must say!

Congrats on finding such a nice combination. I can only hope I find the same thing; I just got myself a GEM and will soon have some blades to play with!

 

[akokandy]

That sure is a pretty one, mine has a lot of plate loss. I was surprised how easy it was to shave with Gems, especially for all the talk of the Micromatic being over-aggressive. While it's aggressive, it certainly isn't harsh. The angle of the head makes it really easy and intuitive to use, and the open combs make it easy to judge your angle. For me, it was love at first shave.

Congrats on finding a razor that gives you great results!

 

[BBrad]

Very nice polish job!!!

Congrats on such a nice outcome with your first SE shave with a Micromatic. You obviously hit it right the first time . . . not all first shaves with the MM are that bloodless!!

Once mastered, the open-comb Micromatic is an outstanding shaver.

 

[Aberneth]

Thank you all for the warm wishes. I'm excited to shave with it again in 2 nights (I've been waiting to try a GEM 1912 Damaskeene for ages- tonight's the night). Maybe SE is my solution, eh? I've only ever gotten really good shaves out of a gillette NEW with a 7am blade, which, while great for my skin and beard, rusts away after 3 shaves. These Personna GEM blades seem to be a little bit better about longevity, so fingers are crossed for my "holy grail" setup. Meanwhile, I woke up with no irritation/razor burn (mine usually tends to be late onset). Face still feels pretty damn smooth. It's safe to say that I am officially an SE convert.

 

[brianw]

Welcome to the world of SE Shaving....you are now a official GEMOCRAT. All hail GEMS

 

[Aberneth]

Welcome to the world of SE Shaving....you are now a official GEMOCRAT. All hail GEMS

I changed my facebook political views from "fingerlican" to "gemocrat"

 

[Slivovitz]

Thank you all for the warm wishes. I'm excited to shave with it again in 2 nights (I've been waiting to try a GEM 1912 Damaskeene for ages- tonight's the night). Maybe SE is my solution, eh? I've only ever gotten really good shaves out of a gillette NEW with a 7am blade, which, while great for my skin and beard, rusts away after 3 shaves. These Personna GEM blades seem to be a little bit better about longevity, so fingers are crossed for my "holy grail" setup. Meanwhile, I woke up with no irritation/razor burn (mine usually tends to be late onset). Face still feels pretty damn smooth. It's safe to say that I am officially an SE convert.

Glad it's working out so well for you. If you got such a great shave first time around from an OC Micromatic, then you must be meant to be an SE shaver. For myself, if I had the inclination to stick to just one razor, the 1912 would be a strong candidate.

You'll just have to trust your own experience on the Gem blades. I get about five shaves from one, but I've seen claims of both more and less from other people.

 

[Aberneth]

Do you guys ever see Damaskeene blades on the bay? I'm interested in trying one, now...

 

[MajorBurnz]

I've seen some. There's no need to try them, though. The Ted Pellas or Gem Blue Stars are every bit as good.

Micromatics can be great shavers. Congrats on getting that one.

 

[Swampfox]

I have yet to have the opportunity to get a Micromatic, but I do have four GEMs - Featherweight, Push button, Junior and 1912 - and I love them all.

 

[Aberneth]

I have yet to have the opportunity to get a Micromatic, but I do have four GEMs - Featherweight, Push button, Junior and 1912 - and I love them all.

I have a second gold micromatic in nearly identical condition to the one pictured above. If you're in the market, let me know. I also have a silver micromatic bullseye, if you want a bullet tip. It is in near-mint condition. Either are yours for $17 CONUS. PM me if you're interested.

 

[Luc]

Nice razor!

 

[HoosierTrooper]

Do you guys ever see Damaskeene blades on the bay? I'm interested in trying one, now...

I have several of the Damaskeene blades that were PIF'd to me and I tried one. It was a little rough to shave with. They might benefit from stropping. PM me your address and I'll mail you one.

Congrats on the first SE shave. The GEM's are remarkable shavers for sure. My favorite Micromatic model is the Clog Pruf. The "semi" open comb seems to give the perfect balance between aggressiveness and smoothness. But nothing, absolutely nothing, beats the Damaskeene 1912 for me.

 

[Swampfox]

I have a second gold micromatic in nearly identical condition to the one pictured above. If you're in the market, let me know. I also have a silver micromatic bullseye, if you want a bullet tip. It is in near-mint condition. Either are yours for $17 CONUS. PM me if you're interested.

Darn! I currently have my razor buying on hold. I started acquiring too many too fast. It may be a month or so before I allow myself to start buying again.

 

[Aberneth]

Darn! I currently have my razor buying on hold. I started acquiring too many too fast. It may be a month or so before I allow myself to start buying again.

C'mon man, get your fix! The pusher's gotta eat, too!

 

[Aberneth]

I tried a 1912 damaskeene today... Not quite as good for me. I had to finish up with my micromatic. Still BBS, it just took a few too many passes. It was damned smooth, though. I could barely feel the 1912 on my face as I made a pass.

 

[Go West Young Man]

I pulled out the Gem G-bar that's been staring at me for a while now this morning, and got a much better shave than I'd expected. I thought the angles would be awkward but it was actually much more natural than with a DE, and results were near BBS with little effort.

If I can keep up this level of shave, there might be a DE selloff in the near future!

 

[Aberneth]

I pulled out the Gem G-bar that's been staring at me for a while now this morning, and got a much better shave than I'd expected. I thought the angles would be awkward but it was actually much more natural than with a DE, and results were near BBS with little effort.

If I can keep up this level of shave, there might be a DE selloff in the near future!

Same here. I have a GEM Junior, a contour, and a pushbutton, and a G-bar all waiting in line. I pushed them up to the top of the cue, of course. It looks like my double ring is going to have to wait a little bit longer...

 

[Swampfox]

If I can keep up this level of shave, there might be a DE selloff in the near future!

Same here. There are only a few DE razors that I still wish to try, mostly Olds and News, particularly open combs. I have one, and it gives me the best DE shave. Other than that, I'm sticking with injectors and SEs.