Thanks @Ron R!
Micromatic Monday
- Thread starter Twelvefret
- Start date
Ron R
I survived a lathey foreman
MMMonday for myself today, I really like this razor and it will deliver a DFS range most of the time. Winter is hard on my skin this time of the year with our river frozen solid (lost our humidity creator) in the month of Jan with temperatures in the the minus -20 to -30 degrees Celsius or -15 degrees F average with my indoor Humidity gauge reading 33-36. My skin is dry along with dryer tougher whiskers to shave IMO. But the Gem Micromatic Flying wing or MMBT or Guiding eye..... did it's job with one of the greatest Blades known to man.
Razor : Gem MicroMatic Flying wing or MMBT or MM guiding eye...- MFG 1947-50
Blade: GEM Personna SS PTFE (9)
Soap : Taylor of Old Bond Street Sandal wood (TOBS)(Very nice scent)
Brush : Razorock Plissoft
Pre-shave : Brush wash the face with CeraVe hand bar soap + a dollop of clear Aloe Vera gel on beard area.
Prep: cold water rinse after each pass of 3.
Post shave: Proraso Red Sandal wood lotion with witch hazel + Nivea balm.
Results :CCS,DFS,BbS + no irritation + no weepers=
Here some extra information for fellows who bought a used razor with no literature on proper use and some extra info I will post every once in a while.
Have some Great shaves!
Razor : Gem MicroMatic Flying wing or MMBT or MM guiding eye...- MFG 1947-50
Blade: GEM Personna SS PTFE (9)
Soap : Taylor of Old Bond Street Sandal wood (TOBS)(Very nice scent)
Brush : Razorock Plissoft
Pre-shave : Brush wash the face with CeraVe hand bar soap + a dollop of clear Aloe Vera gel on beard area.
Prep: cold water rinse after each pass of 3.
Post shave: Proraso Red Sandal wood lotion with witch hazel + Nivea balm.
Results :CCS,DFS,BbS + no irritation + no weepers=
Here some extra information for fellows who bought a used razor with no literature on proper use and some extra info I will post every once in a while.
Have some Great shaves!
Flintstone65
Imagining solutions for imaginary problems
Awesome Lather Catcher, and with the Jr Parade and Ever-Ready brush, if there were awards for the most GEMonday Monday, this shave would be the winner!!! Thanks for sharing this with us, and congrats on being a member of The Association of Lather Catchers (TALC).
MLK Day ASRMonday shave
Harking back to my first Micromatic Mondays, I saved up a two day stubble. Shower for prep.
Side-by-side shave off: on the left side, I ran the baton handle with its native 1912 Gem Junior ‘The Parade’ head; right side, the E-R 1924 Shovelhead climbed aboard the baton.
Blade: Gem PTFE (10)
Soap: CBL Tonsorial Roasted Oatmeal Stout lent its scent to the whole shave den as soon as I opened the top. Great lube, great aromatherapy!
Brush: home built scrubby boar. I had thought to use my Ever-Ready brush, but that long vintage knot is a paintbrush and I wanted to scrub!
After: alum for testing purposes only, witch hazel because I love it, Texas 10X Face Freezer (menthol habituated), and some Burt’s Bees balm to take the edge off after the freeze started my eyes watering. That’s a lot of product!
Nice smooth before dinner shave. Very relaxing... in spite of having loaded the Face Freezer with enough menthol to approach LD50. I may need to dilute it.
The 1924 head continues as my favorite of the pre-Micromatic ASR shavers I have tried.
Harking back to my first Micromatic Mondays, I saved up a two day stubble. Shower for prep.
Side-by-side shave off: on the left side, I ran the baton handle with its native 1912 Gem Junior ‘The Parade’ head; right side, the E-R 1924 Shovelhead climbed aboard the baton.
Blade: Gem PTFE (10)
Soap: CBL Tonsorial Roasted Oatmeal Stout lent its scent to the whole shave den as soon as I opened the top. Great lube, great aromatherapy!
Brush: home built scrubby boar. I had thought to use my Ever-Ready brush, but that long vintage knot is a paintbrush and I wanted to scrub!
After: alum for testing purposes only, witch hazel because I love it, Texas 10X Face Freezer (menthol habituated), and some Burt’s Bees balm to take the edge off after the freeze started my eyes watering. That’s a lot of product!
Nice smooth before dinner shave. Very relaxing... in spite of having loaded the Face Freezer with enough menthol to approach LD50. I may need to dilute it.
The 1924 head continues as my favorite of the pre-Micromatic ASR shavers I have tried.
You’ve got me looking at my Rolls Razor wedge blades with a speculative eye...
I say go for it! Not sure I'll tackle a Rolls shave on a workday morning, but big plans for next weekend ... Maybe I'll have to try a chronological quadruple; 1800s straight (Friday), GEM Lather Catcher (Saturday), Rolls (Sunday), Micromatic Monday. (Hoping that's the right order...)
I had an excellent shave today with my two newly made handles. One sporting a Gillette thin cap old type with. 3rd use Nacet blade and the other sporting a Gem Jr. Bar and a 5th use Gem SS PTFE. Tabac with a little lubriderm for added moisture whipped up beautifully on SHD two band badger. Finished things off with a splash of which hazel. The results are a very smooth irritation free shave.
Flintstone65
Imagining solutions for imaginary problems
It's time for your weekly MMA (Micromatic Monday Approaches) announcement!!! I've been away from the den for the last week, and this Monday I have my first visit with an orthopedic surgeon (shoulder injury)....I've only been putting this off for a couple of years, so I think it's time. But enough about me, let's talk about you.....
Micromatic Monday doth approach, so what are you thinking? Will you go old school (with perhaps a beautiful modern flourish) like our friend in the post above? [I've said it many other places, but gotta say it again, absolutely gorgeous handle on that Gem Jr Bar, @GAW9576!!!] Or perhaps you're thinking a traditional Micromatic (MMOC, MMCP, MMBT)? And of course, all American Safety Razor brands (GEM, Ever-Ready, Star and Treet) are welcome, so perhaps you'll make it a GEMonday with a GEM-cousin.....so many choices, so many great shaving opportunities!!!
I haven't chosen mine yet, but I am mentally leaning towards a younger (with bumps) Micromatic Open Comb....it's going to be a late night, and because of my appointment time, it won't be a long, luxurious shave tomorrow, but because of the day, it will undoubtedly be a great shave!!!
Micromatic Monday doth approach, so what are you thinking? Will you go old school (with perhaps a beautiful modern flourish) like our friend in the post above? [I've said it many other places, but gotta say it again, absolutely gorgeous handle on that Gem Jr Bar, @GAW9576!!!] Or perhaps you're thinking a traditional Micromatic (MMOC, MMCP, MMBT)? And of course, all American Safety Razor brands (GEM, Ever-Ready, Star and Treet) are welcome, so perhaps you'll make it a GEMonday with a GEM-cousin.....so many choices, so many great shaving opportunities!!!
I haven't chosen mine yet, but I am mentally leaning towards a younger (with bumps) Micromatic Open Comb....it's going to be a late night, and because of my appointment time, it won't be a long, luxurious shave tomorrow, but because of the day, it will undoubtedly be a great shave!!!
It might be a fast and furious early MMonday shave for me. I will stage my bumpy chrome MMOC and burst out of the blocks heading for.... CCS.
And I’ll try to post before dinnertime.
And I’ll try to post before dinnertime.
Great looking razor.Today's GEMonday follows a disastrous Sunday shave. I've been trying to master the Muhle R41 -- needless to say, it has "mastered" me with both weepers and irritation. If it hadn't been Monday, I would've skipped shaving today, but I didn't want to let a Micromatic Monday / GEMonday slip by me....so I chose a truly comfortable shaver -- no drama, no bleeding, no irritation (except for what is still left over from yesterday). The Feather Weight is one of a small cadre of razors that I turn to when I need/want to shave when I don't really need/want to shave.
This is my new-to-me (and quite honestly, pretty dang new to just about anybody), Feather Weight Deluxe. I copied @Ron R's brush and soap maker (Yaqi Sagrada Tuxedo -- love that little guy -- and RazoRock Acqua soap). Finished with Thayer's Rose Witch Hazel. Two passes and I got a VERY comfortable (exponentially more comfortable than yesterday's shave) and decently close (as close as I needed it to be) CCS-DFS-BBS. The blade was a GEM SS PTFE on it's 17th shave...couldn't bear the thought of a brand new GEM SS PTFE today, even with the Feather Weight.
Not only did this razor come with a case and it's little internal slip of cardboard for the blade, but also instructions and blade holder. I haven't checked out the blade holder closely to see if I have "new-old" blades yet. I know I wasn't the first to shave with it (the seller reportedly used it a couple of times), but I'd be surprised if this beauty has had very many shaves during it's almost 70 years of existence.
Great shaves from everybody so far....thanks to those who have posted, and looking forward to seeing what is yet to come!!!
Not sure what I'll be shaving with but it will probably be a shave early post late kinda day.
Flintstone65
Imagining solutions for imaginary problems
Today was a Magnificent Micromatic Monday -- this MMOC (later model without the internal "bumps") was my very first GEM-style razor. I really like open combs, and even though this razor had a (IMO undeserved) reputation for being aggressive 
-- I had an awesome first shave with it (no blood, no irritation) and down the rabbit hole I went.
Today's shave reminded me of that very first shave....no drama, just comfort and smoothness. Here's a pic of the equipment: GEM Micromatic (Open Comb) with a GEM SS PTFE blade (shave # ???), and Prorarso Blue (cream) lathered with a RR 28MM Beehive.
-- I had an awesome first shave with it (no blood, no irritation) and down the rabbit hole I went. Today's shave reminded me of that very first shave....no drama, just comfort and smoothness. Here's a pic of the equipment: GEM Micromatic (Open Comb) with a GEM SS PTFE blade (shave # ???), and Prorarso Blue (cream) lathered with a RR 28MM Beehive.
Ron R
I survived a lathey foreman
GEMonday for myself today, I nailed this shave with my Gem Featherweight with a new Gem coated blade. This razor is such a joy with a new Gem blade and is excellent for breaking in a new Gem blade that is one of the sharpest smoothest blades MFG in the shaving world IMO. I figured I would have a close shave with a new blade but not a BBS. It can sometimes happen like some one mentioned when you are not aiming for dolphin skin smooth BBS shave.
Razor : Gem Featherweight(1oz) standard model-Mfg 1950-53
Blade : Gem Personna SS PTFE (1)
Soap: Santa Maria del Fiore "Firenze"- great soap to use if you like light tobacco, vanilla.....
Brush : Razorock Plissoft 24 mm.
Pre-shave: Shower+ brush wash my face with CeraVe hand bar soap + a dollop of clear aloe Vera gel on beard area.
Prep: Cold water rinse after each pass of 3.
Post shave: AVON "True Gent"cologne with witch Hazel- very nice tobacco ............+ Nivea balm.
Results: CCS,DFS,BBs + no irritation + no weepers =
Have some great shaves!
Razor : Gem Featherweight(1oz) standard model-Mfg 1950-53
Blade : Gem Personna SS PTFE (1)
Soap: Santa Maria del Fiore "Firenze"- great soap to use if you like light tobacco, vanilla.....
Brush : Razorock Plissoft 24 mm.
Pre-shave: Shower+ brush wash my face with CeraVe hand bar soap + a dollop of clear aloe Vera gel on beard area.
Prep: Cold water rinse after each pass of 3.
Post shave: AVON "True Gent"cologne with witch Hazel- very nice tobacco ............+ Nivea balm.
Results: CCS,DFS,BBs + no irritation + no weepers =
Have some great shaves!
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GEMMonday again for me. Today it was the Pushbutton.
GEM Pushbutton, GEM Persona PTFE
Taconic Shave, Bay Rum
Maggard's 24mm Black and White
Love this Pushbutton. Wonderful, quick shave this morning.
This razor doesn't give me that nostalgic feeling the Micromatic, Jr. Parade, or Damaskeene do, but it's just so smooth and easy to use. I guess it's my version of a cart translated into the GEM universe.
GEM Pushbutton, GEM Persona PTFE
Taconic Shave, Bay Rum
Maggard's 24mm Black and White
Love this Pushbutton. Wonderful, quick shave this morning.
This razor doesn't give me that nostalgic feeling the Micromatic, Jr. Parade, or Damaskeene do, but it's just so smooth and easy to use. I guess it's my version of a cart translated into the GEM universe.
I had a very nice shave with the Gem Jr this morning. This was my first time using a Meijer branded SS blade. The dispenser box is marked AccuTec Blades. The shave was quite smooth. If these hold up well and are consistent it will be nice to buy blades locally. And of course Mer Shavings Fougere orange was wonderful on SHD two band badger.
Ron R
I survived a lathey foreman
One of a kind handle, very smooth looking on a GEM junior razor one of the best Gems IMO.I had a very nice shave with the Gem Jr this morning. This was my first time using a Meijer branded SS blade. The dispenser box is marked AccuTec Blades. The shave was quite smooth. If these hold up well and are consistent it will be nice to buy blades locally. And of course Mer Shavings Fougere orange was wonderful on SHD two band badger.
Thanks for sharing!
Thank you. It was fun making it and it handles very well. I hope to make a few more handles soon.
Shave late, post late.
Burst out of the blocks... and not enough growth to bother shaving. Back from the slopes, hit the shower, and followed today’s @Flintstone65 example to one of those shaves that justify everything about ASR, Gem blades, the Micromatic TTO, and even Monday, that often reviled day of the week!
Razor - chrome MMOC with lovely bumps
Blade- the legendary, twice across the pond, Connaught-supplied Gem PTFE on shave 11
Brush - vintage Ever-Ready banded boar
Soap - BOSC Special Reserve AC. I will finish this soap!
Lather Apparatus - Captains Choice copper bowl plus 8oz stainless prep bowl. Warm, abundant lather.
After - alum, vetiver witch hazel, Aqua Velva
This shave inspected and approved by the LOTH.
Happy day, happy shave. Smooth, close, relaxing... everything a shave should be, and the thing a Micromatic can deliver outstandingly well.
As @Ron R so notably advises, have some great shaves gentlemen!
Burst out of the blocks... and not enough growth to bother shaving. Back from the slopes, hit the shower, and followed today’s @Flintstone65 example to one of those shaves that justify everything about ASR, Gem blades, the Micromatic TTO, and even Monday, that often reviled day of the week!
Razor - chrome MMOC with lovely bumps
Blade- the legendary, twice across the pond, Connaught-supplied Gem PTFE on shave 11
Brush - vintage Ever-Ready banded boar
Soap - BOSC Special Reserve AC. I will finish this soap!
Lather Apparatus - Captains Choice copper bowl plus 8oz stainless prep bowl. Warm, abundant lather.
After - alum, vetiver witch hazel, Aqua Velva
This shave inspected and approved by the LOTH.
Happy day, happy shave. Smooth, close, relaxing... everything a shave should be, and the thing a Micromatic can deliver outstandingly well.
As @Ron R so notably advises, have some great shaves gentlemen!
Had my first shave with a SE today, just happens to be Micromatic Monday! I got one for 3 bucks at a thrift shop along with 4 unused "duridium" Gem blades. It's an MMOC, and after a little reading I really didn't know what to expect but was leaning toward bloodbath, lol. Things actually went pretty well for me until I got to my mustache and did the ATG pass. Being my first SE shave I'm sure my technique is suspect but I am wondering if i should have just stopped at the XTG pass and left well enough alone. I'll spare you the pictures of my ugly mug, but suffice it to say there were a few constellations of little bloody dots around my mustache and sideburns and my neck was red and angry.
As an experience, though? Very cool. The angle is completely different from a DE razor. Will definitely try again and see if skipping the ATG pass still gives me decent results.
As an experience, though? Very cool. The angle is completely different from a DE razor. Will definitely try again and see if skipping the ATG pass still gives me decent results.
Welcome to Micromatic Monday! Was that a “duridium” shave? I haven’t yet unwrapped a vintage Gem blade.
