GEMini (May 21st - June 20th)

[Pjotr]

15/6/11

Flying Wing with the Guiding Eye (somebody's watching - scary)
GEM SS (2x)
Tabac
Peerless restore
Alum block
Nives Cool Kick

The guiding eye really helped. Only joking, but it is a nice touch. Bought it not knowing it had one. Neither did the seller, obviously. She also described it as having a torpedo knob. Almost sounds better than a Bullet tip I think. Usually use a Feather Weight with new blades and I think it is milder than a Flying Wing. This shave was very close. Almost too close in places. A babies bottom is grade 20 sandpaper compared to my face.

 

[Alucard73]

1901 Gem Lather Catcher w Gem SS blade...mowed down two weeks growth like it wasn't there.

 

[DunEdinRanger]

While the site was down I had two more shaves with the pushbutton, and 1 shave with the "Guiding Eye" Micromatic. Each shave better than the last. And the MM shave was good for 24 hours. I don't know if I will go back to DE's...

 

[man00ver]

The Wednesday night shave...

3 pass BBS. Good job, but given the difference in shave comfort I won't be buying these CVS blades again. I'm quite happy with the GEM SS coated blades by comparison, and don't at all regret the group buy decision!

• Vulfix 660 Super Badger Brush
• Coates' Limited Edition Tea Tree and Rosemary Shaving Cream
• Vintage Avon Leather AS
• Master Bay Rum as hair tonic

 

[man00ver]

The Thursday night shave...
3 pass BBS. If I've learned nothing else during GEMini, I've learned that the MMOC works best for me, and will now be enshrined as one of the best tools in my DE/SE arsenal. I'm still not enamored of this blade, but in this handle it did very well, mowing extra close as I expect on Thursday nights, clean enough in all trouble spots to comfortably last through Saturday morning.

• Vulfix 660 Super Badger Brush
• Vintage Franklin Barbershop Herbal Scent Soap
• Lotion Opaline Aftershave
• Pinaud Eau de Portugal Hair Tonic

 

[man00ver]

Caught up to today (Saturday)!
3 pass BBS. I've never encountered a more dramatic difference than I experienced with this fantastic shave, as compared to the first outing with this handle. After some light denim-stropping, I made sure the new stainless blade was firmly clipped, and just went crazy. This GEM Junior is clearly the most mild SE razor I own, and with good prep, lather, and angle I just didn't worry about pressure at all, even with the new sharp shiv. It skated around my face like an olympian, and left me as super-clean as anyone could want. Zero facial trauma, too!

The nice summer shave set:

• Vintage Erskine 3103 Badger Brush
• C.O. Bigelow Premium Shaving Cream
• Osage Rub Hair Tonic and Aftershave
• Murray & Lanman Florida Water Cologne

 

[Wil Dorenbos]

This morning I shaved with the other half. Good shave. Will see how it goes tomorrow.

So it does not work afterall... Guess as the razor was hardly used the spring was very strong in the beginning, but it seems to loosen a bit now. Anyway, here is pic.

 

[ackvil]

While B&B was down I continued the Gemini challenge using a 1924 EverReady for the first time. A superb razor. Next I went to my Gbar where I had five superb shaves loaded with the same EMS GEM blade. The first time I used a Gbar I did not get the best shave. However, after changing my angle a bit (I was new to SE shaving having only used DE for years) the shaves were fantastic. Only needed three passes instead of the usual four to get a BBS shave.

Went through my shave den this a.m. and counted up the razors in my rotation: two Mergesses, a FB, a slim, and 10 SE razors!

 

[MrGuy]

Still using the second GEM blade. Let's see, it's been mostly 1912 shaves. Got to mix things up lately since I found a local store with just about any Clubman product you could want!

 

[bassmanlarry]

Glad the site is back up. Today's shave was my OCMM with a GEM blade on its 5th shave with some Omega soap and Dr. Badger brush finished up with some OS Pure Sport.

 

[stljeff]

Some serious catching up is is order:

Tuesday, 14 June:

Gem OC MM
Gem SS/PFTE Blade (3)
Made-Rite 500 PB Brush
Proraso Cream
Barbasol Pacific Rush

Wednesday, 15 June:

Gem OC MM
Gem SS/PFTE Blade (4)
Made-Rite 500 PB Brush
KMF Key Lime Cream
Barbasol Brisk

Thursday, 16 June:

Gem OC MM
Gem SS/PFTE Blade (5)
Made-Rite 500 PB Brush
Nivea Rasier Crème
Aqua Velva Ice Blue

Friday, 17 June:

Gem FW
Gem SS/PFTE Blade (6)
Made-Rite 500 PB Brush
Euro Palmolive Cream
Pinaud Clubman VI Bay Rum

Saturday, 18 June:

Gem FW
Gem SS/PFTE Blade (7)
Made-Rite 500 PB Brush
Palmolive Shave Stick
Vi-Jon Ivy Club Spice
______________

Jeff

Great shaves all!

 

[HoosierTrooper]

Time to get caught up.

6-14-11

1912 Gem Junior
Unknown brand brush
Gem stainless blade-day 8 and done
Mama Bear's Sandalwood Vanilla soap

6-15-11

Gem Contour
Gem Blue Star blade-day 1
Vintage Williams (Beecham) soap
Vintage Ever-Ready 300 brush
Unknown age Mennen Skin Bracer AS

6-16-11

Gem Micromatic Flying Wing with the Guiding Eye
Gem Blue Star blade-day 2
Vintage Erskine brush
The Real Shaving Co cream
Old Spice cologne

6-17-11

Gem Heavy Flat Top
Gem Blue Star blade-day 3
Surrey soap, mug, brush and soap
Vintage Avon Spicy AS

 

[HoosierTrooper]

6-18-11

To wind up the last three days of GEMini I'm going to countdown my three favorite razors and will be using a Treet blade.
Staring with number 3:

Gem Micromatic Clog pruf
Treet blade- day 1
Vintage Glastonbury Williams soap
Vintage Ever-Ready C40 brush
Aqua Velva AS

 

[greenhorn]

6/18/11

gem gbar
omega boar
cella

dfs, though the cella dries my face out

 

[man00ver]

Chris, the Avon "One Good Turn" decanter came with several types of AS. Mine is "Spicy," but a quick search shows them for sale with Tai Winds and Wild Country also.

 

[shanman]

6/17/11

Gem 1914
Gem SS(3)
C.F. Bigelow cream
Ever Ready Vintage H40 Boar
Typical finish of alum and Thayers rose petal

First time with my 1914, and I am delightfully impressed with this razor, very smooth shaver with good feedback. Half a cheek down and we fell into that groove that lasted till the end. Light years different than the 24'.

6/18/11

Gem de Luxe (1912 Damaskeene open comb)
Gem SS(4)
CF Bigelow
ER H40 boar

Not the best shave, had a hard time finding the best angle and it provided a rather mild shave. First time with it, so I'll give it another go in the future as they aren't quite growing on trees.
On to the hot rods!

 

[ackvil]

Tom (HoosierTrooper): You have some beautiful razors. Whatever I seem to get on eBay or elsewhere don't have the nice, bright finish you SE razors have. Nevertheless, they shave great.

 

[Salty O'Rourke]

Lotta catching up to do - I changed to a new blade on the 14th and used it for the 5th shave today.

June 14-17 razor - Gem Pushbutton
June 18 razor - Gem MMOC
June 14-18 blade - Gem SS PTFE coated
June 14 lather - Williams soap, very disappointing, thin lather that dried too soon. Crummy shave, felt okay at first but very stubbly by late afternoon.

June 15 lather - VDH Luxury soap - bbs shave, no irritation - VDH Luxury badger brush

June 16 lather - Speick cream + KMF unscented - another great bbs shave - Parker badger brush

June 17 lather - Arko shave stick - very close, comfortable shave - Shaving Factory XS boar brush

June 18 lather - RSC Sensitive cream + KMF unscented - Tweezerman badger brush. Blade had 4 shaves already so it was time to switch to a more aggressive razor. MMOC mowed 'em down, bbs in 3 passes + touchup, no irritation.

 

[nortac]

The last few shaves have been with my MMOC and a GEM SS. I have enjoyed GEMini and SE's have earned a few spots in my rotation for sure, but they have not spoiled me for all others. I've used the 1912, HFT, FW, Flying Wing, Clog Pruf and MMOC. I will revisit these periodically, some were not so great , probably because of my own technique was off in the beginning.

 

[Wil Dorenbos]

Stopped with the saloon DE blades in my later model ER 1914 on friday. Saturday I stropped a nos Duridium in my ER stropping set and used it in an English ER 1912. Soap has been Vitos cream, as I am trying to finish this tube (500 ml ). Today it was Rolls day, so Rolls Imperial 2, with a 1949 blade. Had hoped to use a nos (but rusty) 1947 blade. But after I got all the rust off (also on the edge), honed and stropped it, it was as dull as a butterknife...