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G Bar arrived last night

and I shaved with it this morning. What a smooth and efficient operator. I shaved 7 ish and it was glorious. My face is still BBS and I really enjoyed using it. Going to use the MMOC and MMCP the next two days so I can get a feel for the differences.
 

Flintstone65

Imagining solutions for imaginary problems
Congrats on the acquisition! Really interested in hearing your take on the differences. I've used the MMOC and MMCP, and I have a G-Bar waiting in the wings, but haven't broken it out yet. Heard great things about it, and I'm curious to hear your experiential comparison.
 
Yeah lets hear those differences. I have just purchased my first SE (G-Bar) also, Its sitting at home loaded with a B&B recommended PTFE waiting to be used tonight. Cant wait. But I SO want to try the others, your mentioned MMOC and MMCP - but I LOVE the look of the 1912 too. Im scared stiff of the MMOC and 1912 though - I hear they are very aggressive, and I don't like aggressive!
 

Flintstone65

Imagining solutions for imaginary problems
I think one of the challenges of our hobby is how we each define the terms we use. For example, I absolutely love my MMOC, but I tend towards "efficient" razors (mows the hair down easily and short in a single pass), but not a real fan of aggression (bites if you're not careful and paying attention). In terms of smoothness (blade-feel on the face), I feel like the MMOC is high on efficiency, and reasonably smooth, I do have more blade-feel on my face, than say with an MMCP, but it's never bitten me, and I can get pretty careless when I'm shaving -- 40 years of cart shaving will do that to a person. So to me, I don't think of the MMOC as aggressive, but I do think it's a medium-smooth, highly-efficient razor (using my definition of those terms).

To throw another razor into the mix, I've just tried the Gem 1912 Damaskeene -- which I have heard shaves differently from a non-Damaskeene Gem 1912, and I have to say that my "Dammy" is probably the smoothest (little to no blade feel), most efficient (mows the hair down quickly) that I've ever tried. I haven't shaved with anything that can compete with it's combination of smoothness-efficiency.

Just my 2-cents....your mileage (and definitions) may vary. :001_smile
 
Aggresive, to me, is how it feels. That being said - I daily drive R41, Karve F, Asylum Evo P, Type E, and wide open M ATT H, Opened Ascension, etc. They are all efficient as all get out. I am a former SR user so i am careful will all things sharp near my face. I don't think they are aggressive. I just think someone said that word and, unfortunately, it stuck. Things I think are "aggressive" have tons of blade feel, in a bad way. Things like The IKON SB, the Timeless Bronze OC, and some others. I like efficient. Any razor (except maybe the Mamba) can bite you. The G bar is all efficiency, with little to no blade feel. I'm at nine hours an no stubble to speak of. Very pleasant if I do say so myself. Glad I made the jump, because after the Junior I wasn't sure any think that was not MM would do. NThis one is pristine, with a case and NOS blade. Boy, I am happy to be wrong.
 
The Gem Heavy Flat Top, known colloquially as the Gem G Bar, is a well designed, solid, and attractive razor. It dates from 1949 to the late 1950's.

But my tough whiskers prefer to be mowed with the Gem MMOC, which is a slightly more efficient tool. It dates from 1930 to late 1940's.
 
I love my GEM razors - all of them.

I do want to throw in my 2 cents about the aggression v efficient debate. I too think people use these terms incorrectly. If we are going to define an efficient razor as one that mows down facial hair in a single pass, then every aggressive razor should be efficient. What would be the point of having an aggressive razor that shaves inefficiently? All risk with no reward. On the other hand a non-aggressive razor that shaves efficiently is a wonderful thing. Many of the GEM razors fit that bill. The GEM Bullet may be the most efficient razor in my cupboard. Almost no blade feel. Smooth. Never so much as a harmless weeper. I can zip around my face without worry and end up with a remarkable shave.

enjoy
 

Flintstone65

Imagining solutions for imaginary problems
I love my GEM razors - all of them.

I do want to throw in my 2 cents about the aggression v efficient debate. I too think people use these terms incorrectly. If we are going to define an efficient razor as one that mows down facial hair in a single pass, then every aggressive razor should be efficient. What would be the point of having an aggressive razor that shaves inefficiently? All risk with no reward. On the other hand a non-aggressive razor that shaves efficiently is a wonderful thing. Many of the GEM razors fit that bill. The GEM Bullet may be the most efficient razor in my cupboard. Almost no blade feel. Smooth. Never so much as a harmless weeper. I can zip around my face without worry and end up with a remarkable shave.

enjoy
Hmmm, this is a really good point. I know this debate -- or at least a similar one on terminology -- seems to come up fairly often; and usually I'm smart enough to just sort of nod and walk-away, but I'm never sure how to address someone's assessment of "aggressive". My gut reaction is if any shaver's assessment of a tool is that it's aggressive -- whatever that term means for them -- I should just accept it and figure that I can't really agree or disagree until I try the razor. Of course, if I try it, and I don't think it's aggressive (whatever that term means to me), it still doesn't change how the original shaver feels about the razor. :a52: :a6::a7: These guys all represent me hitting me. I'm spiraling down into a "if a tree falls in the woods..." territory.

I should stop, but my fingers keep typing. I guess I was just trying to articulate my own view of razor efficiency / smoothness. It's really sort of a personal navel-gazing exercise for me. But as I stare into my navel and think about it, I guess deep down I really don't think about aggression when it comes to a razor -- although I did try to define it in my earlier post. I've shaved with single rings, various slants, a laundry list of super speeds, adjustables, and techs; along with a much shorter list (so far) of SE razors, and I really haven't run across a razor yet that I felt wouldn't cut me if I did something totally silly with the angle and/or the pressure. I do feel the blade more on some razors than others, and I do feel like my beard is reduced more on a single pass by some razors versus others; but I guess I think my technique (or lack thereof) has more to do with getting bitten by a razor than I do the razor itself.

Not sure that makes sense to anyone else -- and I completely respect folks may well have a different take on it. Admittedly, I'm a relatively new wet shaver, so this may be the undeveloped/mis-developed perspective of a semi-noob. Oh yeah, and my apologies to the original poster and all the others for accidentally hijacking this thread.

I'll end with, I'm looking forward to trying my G-bar (it's waiting behind some others at the moment), and I recommend folks try as many razors as possible, and always share your views on the razor...it's helpful to us all, even if our mileage varies.
 
Good thoughts, Brother Flintstone

I also would add even our firmly held beliefs about razors and shaving techniques are subject to change.

At least many of mine have changed over the years.

Time is the great equalizer of belief
 
@Flintstone65

Of course, I agree with pretty much everything you said. Very personal. Evolves over time. The search for the Holy Grail. All that stuff. In one way my experience differs from yours. You said:
I really haven't run across a razor yet that I felt wouldn't cut me if I did something totally silly with the angle and/or the pressure.

For almost 1 year I shaved with an ATT H2. Great razor. Very aggressive, for me anyway. Every stroke had to be placed perfectly to avoid a visit to the infirmary. If my prep weren't perfect, every little imperfection on my face was ruthlessly decapitated. It was a lot of work but the reward was a great shave. The ATT H2 is what got me thinking about this. What if, for example, with a GEM MMOC I can get 95% of the shave with less than 50% of the work - and no possibility of a nick or weeper? In my mind that would make the MMOC a more efficient razor than the H2.

I don't mean to beat a dead horse here. The GEM razors are remarkable and under appreciated. One day I am going to do some research to understand how and why the double edge safety razor became the dominant shaving species. In my opinion, sometimes evolution takes a wrong turn.
 
Marketing budget. That's all. Why is pink a girls color? Google that one ;) As far as aggressive non efficient razrs, what is the point? There is no point but they DO exist. they don't last long on the market but they do exist. The Ikon SB for example. I tried for ever to tame that %&^$% and to no avail. The OC version was a kitten, and pretty efficient. The SB was a wolverine and about the same efficiency level.

Anyway I wish I had used my Gbar today, my MMCP didn't deliver the goods. I think the blade expired overnight, as GEM blades have a tendency to do on me. My MMCP is usually MM Fool Proof, but not today. I should just count to five days and then pitch it regardless of what I think it's at as them seem to just give up the ghost all at once for me and not die a slow death like my DE blades do. I wonder if the edge deteriorates from air LMAO. They are the stainless ones FWIW. At any rate, my weepers let me know something was wrong after I re-lathered and it stung. That should have been a clue LOL. No AS for me today, as that is an adventure I'd rather not take. Alum and Thayer's for now. If it doesn't stop stinging in an hour i'll hit it with something menthol and some lotion.
 
So, I hear members say they want an aggressive razor. What do they mean?

Does a man with coarse hair need an aggressive razor? Do men with less coarse need mild?

When you compare vintage razors, Gillette, Schick, and GEM which brand produced the most aggressive or mild?

As razors evolved, did they become more or less aggressive/mild??
 
This was my best attempt at that question and that means a lot of different interpretations to a whole lot of folks I found out and nothing is written in stone to say any one is really wrong was my conclusion.
What is a aggressive and efficient razor interpretation?

I remember reading that thread. There are a lot of folks using vintage razors that have no idea what they are doing. If you know what you are doing you should be able to use any razor with a sharp blade to achieve your shaving goals. Blade gap and such does not translate into anything if you don't know what you are doing.

The OOMC is not more aggressive that the G Bar regardless of differences in blade gap. Both are effective in the right hands.

A man with tough whisker does not need more aggression. He needs a sharp blade and the skills to use it.

Now, I understand that skin types vary and some of us have more or less sensitive skin. This does not mean a mild razor is required. It means you have to learn how to use the razor.

Because of skin type differences and such a BBS shave may not be healthy for everyone. Shaving ATG may not be necessary of healthy for everyone no matter how much you don't want to feel or see stubble.

One thing I like about the GEM razors is the PTFE blade. It's fat and sharp. It glide with, across, and against as needed. One model is as effective as the other in the right hands.
 
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