I'm a L.O.S.E.R. loser

[ouch]

Soy un perdador. I'm a LOSER loser, so why don't you kill me.


Actually, I've been using injectors for the longest time, and I can't sing their praises highly enough. I was recently given a Gem micromatic somethingorother by the usual ambassador of good will (and I have an inkling that at least one other ink stained hand may have been involved) along with some single edge blades from Ted Pella, my supplier of choice for injector blades.

I believe I have not been chosen. I can deal with the oversized head and somewhat awkward ergonomics, but I'm just not getting good shaves from it. Neck irritation has been particularly bad, and try as I might I just don't see it replacing my L type injector.

I consider it to be a razor best suited for a first pass with the grain. I'm not saying it doesn't do a decent job, it just doesn't provide the feel of the injector, which can best be described as wiping away the whiskers.

I guess I'll have to slink away in shame and stick my head in a bucket of The Veg.

 

[HoosierTrooper]

A couple things to consider. Which Micromatic did you use? Some guys find the open comb to be too aggressive while some find the Flying Wing/Bullet-Tip to be too mild resulting in needing too many passes which can cause irritation. Also, I much, much prefer the carbon steel SE blades over the PTFE coated stainless blades sold by TP,ems and other sites.

I can't believe that you've been around here since the earth started to cool and haven't tried any of the GEM style SE's. A 1912 style frame might work for you.

 

[canascrews]

I would have to agree that any of the Micromatics may not be the best place to start . I have a Clogpruf and it's a bit much for me . Maybe try a push button or a featherweight . The featherweight is the one that hits the spot for me .

 

[beisler]

I tried a micromatic oc about 6 months ago and I hated it.It didn;t shave a hair on my face and I couldn't understand it.I than bought a clogpruf with the same results.
I threw both in the garbage can in disgust and threw out my SE blades also that I had bought fron Walgreens to try the SE's. I than bought a new DE from the B/S/T and the guy threw
in a Gem 1912. I figured what the heck,I went to Walgreens and bought blades again. Went home and shaved and OMG.--Closest shave of my life. I proceeded over the next 2 months to sell all my DE's
and my lifetime supply of 800 SI blades.(I still miss the blades---great shaves)-The SE's shaved me wayyyyyyy better. I now have 7 SE razors (1 for each day) and I use an injector for my head.
I still have no idea why the first try didn't work but I am real happy the guy threw in the Gem 1912 or I would have never tried again.

 

[Mick]

You are not supposed to use it like a paint scrapper on your face

 

[Zagnut]

I was not a fan of the Micromatic line either. I thought it was just a coke-blades thing until I tried the 1912 style and, later, the G-Bar.
They are much softer and, excepting the weight, quite Injector-like in terms of blade feel.

The MM is an acquired taste, the open comb even more so.

I would recommend trying a 1912 before writing off non-Injector SEs altogether. They shave great, they wouldn't have lasted over a century if they didn't.

 

[TonyJoe]

I was not a fan of the Micromatic line either. I thought it was just a coke-blades thing until I tried the 1912 style and, later, the G-Bar.
They are much softer and, excepting the weight, quite Injector-like in terms of blade feel.

The MM is an acquired taste, the open comb even more so.

I would recommend trying a 1912 before writing off non-Injector SEs altogether. They shave great, they wouldn't have lasted over a century if they didn't.

My experience seems to be the opposite. My OCMM is really easy for me to get the angle, but the 1912 is a little tougher to dial in just right. It seems like the flat head of the MM is a better guide for where the best angle is. I still like and use both.

One thing I would say, ouch, is that these GEM types require feather-light touch (for me anyway); lighter than DEs or injectors. Letting just the weight of the MM do the work might even be too much. I always try to shave so that I can hear whiskers being cut, but don't really feel the blade touching my skin. They will give me irritation as well if I'm not really careful.

But the injectors are so nice and easy to use, if they are what floats your boat there's nothing wrong with sticking with them.

 

[maxman]

You gave it a try. That's the important thing.

 

[stvince71]

I tried a micromatic oc about 6 months ago and I hated it.It didn;t shave a hair on my face and I couldn't understand it.I than bought a clogpruf with the same results.
I threw both in the garbage can in disgust and threw out my SE blades also that I had bought fron Walgreens to try the SE's. I than bought a new DE from the B/S/T and the guy threw
in a Gem 1912. I figured what the heck,I went to Walgreens and bought blades again. Went home and shaved and OMG.--Closest shave of my life. I proceeded over the next 2 months to sell all my DE's
and my lifetime supply of 800 SI blades.(I still miss the blades---great shaves)-The SE's shaved me wayyyyyyy better. I now have 7 SE razors (1 for each day) and I use an injector for my head.
I still have no idea why the first try didn't work but I am real happy the guy threw in the Gem 1912 or I would have never tried again.

You threw them out!?!?

Pardon me while I try to get my heart started again.

 

[InfernoOrangeSS]

I tried a micromatic oc about 6 months ago and I hated it.It didn;t shave a hair on my face and I couldn't understand it.I than bought a clogpruf with the same results.
I threw both in the garbage can in disgust and threw out my SE blades also that I had bought fron Walgreens to try the SE's. I than bought a new DE from the B/S/T and the guy threw
in a Gem 1912. I figured what the heck,I went to Walgreens and bought blades again. Went home and shaved and OMG.--Closest shave of my life. I proceeded over the next 2 months to sell all my DE's
and my lifetime supply of 800 SI blades.(I still miss the blades---great shaves)-The SE's shaved me wayyyyyyy better. I now have 7 SE razors (1 for each day) and I use an injector for my head.
I still have no idea why the first try didn't work but I am real happy the guy threw in the Gem 1912 or I would have never tried again.

My story is a little similar. I was shaving with Gillette DE's for a while. I loved the Single Ring with a Gillette 7 O'Clock Black in it. Best shave of my life, I thought. I started getting into Ever-Ready brushes, and bought a few with the intent of having them restored. One of the brushes I wanted happened to be in a combo pack on ebay. Included in the low price of the brush, was an ER travel razor in a case, (also an OS mug.) It kind of interested me, and I started reading about SE's in this forum. I honestly had never ever clicked on this forum, as I had no interest in something as dumb as a SE razor. The more I read, the more I saw where people were proclaiming them to be the best shave they had ever had. I took a gamble and bought an ER 1912 and some carbon steel blades. The whole thing was like $20. No big deal. If I didn't like it, I had a very attractive razor for my collection. I tried shaving with it, and I have been hooked ever since. My DE's sit unused. I absolutely love the ER 1912s. I have since purchased at least 12 more ER razors of various designs, because I love them so much.

I am sad that you threw out some old razors.

 

[beisler]

Pardon me while I try to get my heart started again
I am sad that you threw out some old razors

Look on the bright side,at least I bought "new"ones