What's new

Micromatic Monday

So the MMOC is all about trust, especially for us shower shavers who can't hear the cutting action as well... that is to say you need to trust that the MMOC is *actually* cutting whiskers incredibly close, despite having really minimal blade feel when held flat against the face.

Today's MMOC shave was much smoother than my last, since I just held flat and checked my work afterward, instead giving in to the urge to lift a degree or two until I get blade feel to tell me that it's actually making close contact. Really slick soap (duck fat FTW!) helps with this, since cap slide on already shaved skin is an important part of the total equation.

I still get better shaves from the Featherweight, but I consider the MMOC tamed at this point. I actually got a harsher shave from my Schick L earlier in the week!

If I may ask; is that the consensus then? Holding the MMOC and its ilk (push button) So that the cap is flat to the face is the proper and smoothest way to shave with them?
 
If I may ask; is that the consensus then? Holding the MMOC and its ilk (push button) So that the cap is flat to the face is the proper and smoothest way to shave with them?
Your face and muscle memory should give you all the info you need in the first two inches of draw. Your face and whiskers will feel the blade and your hand should micro tune the angle without you even realizing it. Muscle memory takes over from there.
 
Your face and muscle memory should give you all the info you need in the first two inches of draw. Your face and whiskers will feel the blade and your hand should micro tune the angle without you even realizing it. Muscle memory takes over from there.
I’m newish to SE and have no muscle memory with these beauties yet
 

Flintstone65

Imagining solutions for imaginary problems
I'm leaning towards a Kampfe Bros Star and a new-to-me non-GEM branded razor (although I'm using a GEM blade in it -- after a small adjustment with some tin snips). Both are Open Comb and I'm trying to squeeze in as many OC razors as I can, although I haven't even used half of the ones that I have yet.
 
If I may ask; is that the consensus then? Holding the MMOC and its ilk (push button) So that the cap is flat to the face is the proper and smoothest way to shave with them?


Not sure what the consensus might be, but for me the MMOC shaves as close when flat to the face as when slightly elevated, but if I hold flat it has little or no blade feel, hence my post... The Featherweight OTOH doesn't get harsh as quickly when the angle of attack is increased, so at least in my case a hint of lift shaves closer and is still very kind to my face.

I like the no-cost blade feel of the Featherweight, but the build of the Micromatic TTO is amazing, I'm hoping the bullet tip/flying wing is a perfect cross between the two!
 
Mon 26 GEM SE SOTD
Soap Suezbana Lemon & TeaTree
Brush Yaqi 26mm Lucky Dice Badger
Razor GEM Push Button
Blade GEM Stainless 5th
Post & Aftershave
Ice Water + Special Thayers Mix
Hyaluronic + Reuzel Wood & Spice
Really nice lather. Love the scent.....performance is good too.
Shave with this razor and blade is getting better and better. Blade is way smoother now....amazing! Smooth and comfortable 3passes for a bbs to dfs result. Now I understand what many have been saying about this GEM blades...wow indeed.
Excellent post & aftershave.
Rating 9.5/10
20201025_205351.jpg

20201026_104158.jpg
 

Ron R

I survived a lathey foreman
MMMonday, OCtober 26th, 2020

Razor:
Gem Micromatic open comb- Mfg 1930-41, excellent mid range. More than likely saved the company through the dirty 30's.
Blade: Gem Personna SS PTFE(4) Excellent blade, very sharp, good longevity, nicely smooths out & predictable.
Soap:Razorock The Dead Sea- nice scent with excellent lather qualities- nice heavy glass container.
Brush: Yaqi lucky dice tuxedo knot 26 mm- excellent lather creator with those cloud like soft tips & some back bone.
Pre shave: Brush wash my whole face with CeraVe hand bar cleanser+ a dollop of clear Aloe Vera gel on clean beard area.
Prep: cold water rinse after each pass of 2 + pick ups. WTG + ATG + pickups.
Post shave: Razorock The Dead Sea aftershave with witch hazel + a dollop of Nivea balm.
Results: CCS,DFS,BBS+ no irritation + 1 blemish weeper = :a17:Excellent shave with my Gem MMOC and Gem blade.
MMMonday OCtober 26th, 2020.jpg

Have some great shaves! Stay & think safe in these times!
 
Monday! MMOC and invasive species

brass MMOC v PAA Starling OC, sharing a Gem PTFE (8)
SliceOfLife puck o' soap
Solid Set reknotted boar
Captain's Choice copper bowl for hybrid lather
Alum, Richard's Rub, Pinaud Clubman

1973B87C-6A7A-484B-991B-1BD351E4A1B5.jpeg

If I may ask; is that the consensus then? Holding the MMOC and its ilk (push button) So that the cap is flat to the face is the proper and smoothest way to shave with them?
I personally use my MMOCs with just a little elevation. Today I did some flat-on-face testing just to refresh my MMOC memory (and to perhaps smooth out the flight of the Starling).

No improvement to my MMOC shave. Not enough improvement with the Starling. I'm not sure my face has any areas flat enough and large enough for that big Starling cap to land and run flat.

Might be bye, bye barely used birdie. I am not sure aluminum is for me.
 
Monday! MMOC and invasive species

brass MMOC v PAA Starling OC, sharing a Gem PTFE (8)
SliceOfLife puck o' soap
Solid Set reknotted boar
Captain's Choice copper bowl for hybrid lather
Alum, Richard's Rub, Pinaud Clubman

View attachment 1174020

I personally use my MMOCs with just a little elevation. Today I did some flat-on-face testing just to refresh my MMOC memory (and to perhaps smooth out the flight of the Starling).

No improvement to my MMOC shave. Not enough improvement with the Starling. I'm not sure my face has any areas flat enough and large enough for that big Starling cap to land and run flat.

Might be bye, bye barely used birdie. I am not sure aluminum is for me.
Thanks for your feedback!
 
Hey @honeybadger79 ,

Micromatic Monday has gotten too be quite the long-lived thread. Here I am, shooting my mouth off about my Micromatic technique last August:

We're here for you! With too much contradictory advice, and mainly as enablers of various ADs, of course.

Here is part of a post from early in my Gem blade shaving days (last year):

"Sure enough, the dark night of my first Gem shave dawned into a halcyon noontime fifth Gem shave. Here is my current Gem dogma:
1 Quality soap well-lathered
2 Stretch skin
3 Short strokes
4 Shallow, but natural, angle (don’t force “flat”)
5 Shave confidently aiming for 2 passes and minimal touch up"

And I always lightly cork a Gem PTFE before first use, then use a very light touch when shaving. Gem SE shaving has helped me lighten my touch for DE and SR shaves.

I've evolved to longer strokes. I now use more face contortion rather than using my off (left) hand as much for skin stretching.
 
This morning I lathered up with Proraso Single Blade Cypress & Vetyver and did as low angle and low pressure a two-pass as I could with the MMOC, the shave was as good as I would have gotten with a casual 2.5 pass DE shave both from closeness and irritation standpoints. The blade was a Personna stainless/PTFE that's on either its 4th or 5th full shave, plus one evening shave that was probably only equivalent to one pass. Somewhat disappointingly, the Proraso doesn't really have any better slide than average good quality soaps, making it only OK for GEM shaves IMO.

I think I need to switch back to DE for a few days to get some perspective, but so far the GEM SE shaves are much better than I had expected.


...and a heads-up for any who might want to try carbon steel blades in their GEM SE razor; there are currently (late October 2020) GEM Blue Star blades in 10 packs (or multiples thereof) available for very decent prices on that auction site... I'll be loading one in the MMOC for its next use!
 
Top Bottom