Micromatic Monday

[GAW9576]

So today I was pondering weather to join @ouchyfoot in a Push Button shave or go really old school along with @Tanuki with a Lather Catcher shave. Well I just couldn't decide. Then I did decide, on both. These two razors are near opposite ends of the Gems age spectrum. At first I thought this was going to be an Odd Couple pairing of razors but I was surprised how good these two look together.
I used the Gem Junior Bar on the front of my neck and on my beard line and the Push Button on the back of my neck. This turned out to be a very close enjoyable shave.

 

[Sinnbad11]

Gemmonday
Feather weight with a brand new Personna PTFE blade, one weeper to show for it. These Personna blades are unbelievably sharp when new, when they settle down they are fantastically long lived though.
Edit: no idea why I'm talking up the ptfe gem blades in this group! I'm sure you all know.

 

[Tanuki]

MM evening shave

Prep was a shower and washing my face three times with the shave soap and a 16mm boar knot from The Golden Nib that I just set in a repaired Sanax handle.

R: Ever-Ready 1914 Little Lather Catcher
BL: Gem PTFE (1) - lightly corked and forearm stropped
S: RazoRock lime puck
BR: vintage butterscotch Durobuilt with super high-density badger knot
AS: FloriLSec - a badger blend of M&L Florida Water and Pinaud Lime Sec. Florida Water is a burner!

Getting staged:

Smooth, sharp, close, and comfortable. I used to fret about a PTFE on shave 1. Cork it!

I have three wild-caught 1914s. Each came with a different type of case and has a different handle. The designer at ASR came in every Monday and styled a new handle, posted the drawing on a bulletin board by the water cooler. It gave the guys on the production line something to look forward to, talk over, kind of like a prototype Micromatic Monday.

 

[GAW9576]

MM evening shave

Prep was a shower and washing my face three times with the shave soap and a 16mm boar knot from The Golden Nib that I just set in a repaired Sanax handle.

R: Ever-Ready 1914 Little Lather Catcher
BL: Gem PTFE (1) - lightly corked and forearm stropped
S: RazoRock lime puck
BR: vintage butterscotch Durobuilt with super high-density badger knot
AS: FloriLSec - a badger blend of M&L Florida Water and Pinaud Lime Sec. Florida Water is a burner!

Getting staged:
View attachment 1216940

Smooth, sharp, close, and comfortable. I used to fret about a PTFE on shave 1. Cork it!

I have three wild-caught 1914s. Each came with a different type of case and has a different handle. The designer at ASR came in every Monday and styled a new handle, posted the drawing on a bulletin board by the water cooler. It gave the guys on the production line something to look forward to, talk over, kind of like a prototype Micromatic Monday.
View attachment 1216947

Beautiful razors.
It looks like there may be a slight variation in the guard bars. Is that just an optical illusion?

 

[chuckd]

Razor: GEM Micromatic Open Comb, chrome plated, with the two bumps on the baseplate
Blade: GEM by Personna SS PTFE (8)
Brush: Simpson Commodore X2 Best Badger
Soap: Mitchell's Wool Fat

Missed MM Monday because I didn't shave yesterday due to work and weather causing the day to spiral away from me... Great shave this afternoon on three days of growth. Easy BBS after WTG/XTG/ATG passes, except for a spot I missed on my Adam's apple because I was rushing. No nicks, burning, or irritation. The Commodore brush works great with the MWF soap, especially when using it wetter than with other soaps.

My last few shaves with the MMOC have been so good that I am considering using only GEM SE razors for the next month or so for evaluation purposes. Although I am pleasantly surprised at my results when using the GEM setups, I do have more than enough DE blades to last me a lifetime...

 

[Ron R]

SOTD, Tue, Feb 2nd 2021- A.S.R Tuesday with my 2nd Generation Streamline razor. Took a while to figure it out over the last 2 years but best results with my Streamline are short shallow strokes work best for my self. Steep approach does not work for myself at all.

Razor: Everready Streamline 2nd generation-MFG 1949-53, great razor, upper mid range, one of the best looking ASR razors IMO.
Blade: Gem Personna SS PTFE (6) excellent blade, Very sharp, smooths out nicely, great longevity & predictable.
Soap: Razorock Lavender- Excellent manly scent with excellent lather qualities.
Brush: Yaqi Chianti's 24mm knot- excellent lather Generator, cloud like soft tips with some back bone for a nice gentle scrub and great lather painter.
Pre shave: Brush wash my whole face with CeraVe hand bar cleanser + a dollop of clear Aloe Vera gel on my cleaned beard area.
Prep: Cold water rinse after each pass of 2 + pickups. WTG + ATG + pickups,
Post shave: Razorock King Louis Lavender with witch hazel + a dollop of Nivea balm.
Results: CCS,DFS,BBs + no irritation + 1 small blemish weeper = Excellent shave with my 2nd Gen streamline with a coated Gem blade.

Have some great shaves! Stay & think safe in these times!

 

[Tanuki]

Beautiful razors.
It looks like there may be a slight variation in the guard bars. Is that just an optical illusion?

After close inspection, I think any guard variation is just minor variation between stamped parts, not any significant design difference. One razor has a variant company name stamped in the blade bed:

"Razor Corp." vs "Razor Co. Inc."
The "Razor Corp." blade bed lies flatter (closer to a right angle) to the handle than the other two.

 

[ouchyfoot]

I came here today to give you the gears!
As you know I’ve been enjoying testing various carbon steel blades meant for GEM razors. Stropping is a pretty important part of the process. A little while ago I showed you the Ever-Ready Automatic Stropper I’ve been using for these fully spined DE blades.
Today I got myself another Ever-Ready Stropper, but this one is a bit different. I’m guessing it’s an earlier model.
All I know is you just have to love all those kooky crazy gears.

With a blade installed for stropping

Here are the two Ever-Ready strippers side by side

Here

 

[Ron R]

I came here today to give you the gears!
As you know I’ve been enjoying testing various carbon steel blades meant for GEM razors. Stropping is a pretty important part of the process. A little while ago I showed you the Ever-Ready Automatic Stropper I’ve been using for these fully spined DE blades.
Today I got myself another Ever-Ready Stropper, but this one is a bit different. I’m guessing it’s an earlier model.
All I know is you just have to love all those kooky crazy gears.
View attachment 1218100View attachment 1218101
With a blade installed for stropping
View attachment 1218103

Here are the two Ever-Ready strippers side by side
View attachment 1218104HereView attachment 1218106

That must be one of the first designs they came out with, interesting design but later designs seemed more simpler.
This Everready strop head & handle came with my streamline 2nd gen set, never used it yet, the handle I use on my Everready 1924 shovel head. The handle is one of the best out there IMO.

Have some great shaves! Stay and think safe in these times!

 

[ouchyfoot]

the handle I use on my Everready 1924 shovel head.

I always spot the handle in your posts and wondered if you had the head that went with it.

 

[ouchyfoot]

Razor: GEM Damaskeene Open Comb
Blade: GEM - Carbon (2)
Brush: Semogue 1305
Pre-Shave: Face Wash & Hyaluronic Acid
Lather: Herc Soap Co - Autumn Treat - (Pumpkin Ginger Dessert)
Aftershave: Arsenal Grooming - Da’ Bomb
Strop: Ever-Ready Automatic Stropper

Shave Rating: 10/10
You say tomato and I say tomahto...Damaskeene!
This open comb Damaskeene has not been shuffled into the rotation as much as it deserves. I only shave every other day, so every other week I have to perform my Micromatic Monday shave on a Sunday. At least I’ll have a chance of beating Chard52142 (who plays the international dateline like a violin) to the punch.

As it would have been back in the day, I matched it up with a GEM Carbon steel blade. I gave it twenty strops beforehand, and it was just as smooth and close as any broken in GEM PTFE could have shaved me.

I have no reservations about shaving with properly prepped Carbon blades. I arrived at a BBS with a most comfortably efficient of a shave as you would expect from your favorite modern metal blade. Do not be afraid of of carbon steel.

“salutant te qui ad radi”

 

[Whiterook]

Two firsts for tomorrow. My first shave with my Ever-Ready 1914 LLC and my first ever shave with an Ever-Ready branded razor.

 

[ouchyfoot]

Just a comment on the Ever-Ready Stropper I used with the above Damaskeene shave. If you remember I posted my receipt of this Stropper and showed a comparison photo beside another model of Ever-Ready Stropper.

I think we all agree that this (left) Stropper is an older design. I encountered a few peculiarities when trying this model for the first time. First, unless the end of your strop is curled up like the toes of Aladin’s slippers you will need something to help fish it through the rollers. (I used a hemostat). Secondly, unlike the newer version on the right that flips the blade automatically back and forth as you change direction, the older version needs you to stop, ease up on the tension and carefully let the blade retainer roll back on the gears until it hits the end, and then engages...sometimes. It’s an acquired knack that works well once you’re tuned in, but I’m sure many strops were cut before Ever-Ready changed the design.
...and no, I’m not posting this because I cut my belt. I used a plastic razor blade for my initial Stropping trial.

 

[never-stop-learning]

Breaking out the GEM MMOC (with bumps) for Micromatic Monday.

 

[Ron R]

I will be using the Micromatic Clog Pruf, Peerless model!

 

[Flintstone65]

It looks like we're all primed and ready for Micromatic Monday. I've not landed on my Gem yet -- it's between the FeatherWeight and the Gem Jr Bar. I need an easy shaver -- not that there are any difficult shavers in the ASR line -- and I'll confess that I probably won't get a pic posted. I'm sure it hasn't gone unnoticed that I haven't posted a pic in some time, but you gents are all too polite and gentlemanly to call me out. Things have been beyond busy in the Flintstone household. I got a new job at "the quarry" and I'm still holding down a part time job at "the bowling alley", plus I'm still taking as many fire, medical and motor vehicle accident calls for Joe Rockhead's Volunteer Fire Department (look it up, it's a real reference); oh yeah, and Wilma managed to fall this week and break her collarbone -- actually the orthopedist described it as "shattered". It's times like these when I regret that we didn't have a Pebbles or Bam-Bam years ago who might be able to help now as another grownup. We are doing fine, it's just been a bit more challenging of late...and I'm adjusting my schedule and reducing my external commitments so that I can take care of my household.

So I've been here in spirit, and I've been doing my shaves, but honestly, the photos, along with my postings, have been on the thin-to-non-existent side. Shaving has been one of those things that I look forward to, and it ranks higher to me than most creature-comforts (i.e., sleep or food). My apologies for going off-topic, but I wanted to update you gents.

Now let's get back to business.....Micromatic Monday Approaches!!!! Enjoy those shaves!!!!

 

[GAW9576]

Hang in there @Flintstone65. This craziness too shall pass.

 

[Whiterook]

Let's all dedicate tomorrow's shave to Fred. Hang in there, boon companion and friend!

 

[thombrogan]

@Flintstone65 — praying for your missus. Earlier, I just read the first lone about razor choice and thought no more of it and then I reread in alarm. I’m very sorry.

 

[Chard52142]

Micromatic Mon 8th SOTD
Cream Saponificio Bignoli Black Berry & Moss
Brush Yaqi 24mm Purple Mink
Razor GEM Clog Pruf
Blade GEM Stainless 11th use
Post & Aftershaves Ice Water + Thayers + Hyaluronic + Aqua Velva Musk
Pleasant mild scent and good quality lather from the cream.
Shave with razor paired with the well-used blade was still good even for atg on chin and lips area. Smooth, comfortable, and still sharpish for 3passes for a DFS result with a minor creeper. Rating 9.5/10