Hi all,
Just got the bug to detail the progression of razors I've tried since I joined B&B (going to contribute tout-de-suite, y'all).
Razors:
Merkur HD: Bought to replace a dead electric razor after reading about it on Cool Tools. I shaved with water in the shower, or maybe a little lathered-up Cetaphil face wash, and thought I was getting a pretty exemplary shave, compared to the 'lectric. It seemed very well-made but the AD soon came knocking...
Gillette SS Black Tip: I grabbed this one soon after starting to read B&B. Picked up for next to nothing on Ebay, it gave me a shockingly close shave compared to the Merkur. I could scarcely believe how smooth and comfortable the shave was. It's still my go-to "no time for real lather" razor.
Gem 1912 Junior: All the Gemocrat talk here soon drove me to SEs, and a couple of very brutal shaves with this beastie, all because of improper angle and too much pressure. Once I got it down with help from the kind folks here, it gave me the bestest-best-ever-hands-down most wonderful shave ever, and still remains a top favorite. The sound it makes when cutting hair makes mornings way more fun.
Gillette SS Red Tip: Soon I again succumbed to collective enthusiasm here and picked up this bad boy. It's a razor I love to use when I have time (and mental acuity) to go slow, and pay attention. It remains a little elusive, but when I'm on, it's a really nice tool. I think I'm still looking for the best blade match with this one.
Schick Injector (40s, plastic handle): Of course, I had to grab an injector after everyone glowed so much about them, and I finally used mine for the first time tonight. I gave myself a little irritation here and there, but the two little patches of beard to the left and right of my chin that NEVER seem to reach BBS no matter what I do, are finally smooth! The small head and easy handling really do make it easy to get the trouble spots, and made shaving the worrisome area on the jawline easier than with the heftier razors.
Gem Featherweight: I think this pretty thing may get PIF'd soon- I like but don't love it. The grip is nice, but the beautifully balanced feel and perfect weight of the Jr seems much better for keeping pressure (and precision) at its optimum.
Gem G-Bar: The G-Bar just came in tonight and hasn't been used at all yet. I plan to keep it whether or not the performance is stellar- it's just such a nicely-built piece of gear. The simplicity and grace of the Gem flip-open blade holder really makes one wonder why Gem ever got into TTOs.
I've been waiting for a Semogue brush to come in for a few weeks and am using a bottom-shelf Vulfix at the moment (and not getting "lather explosion" from the soaps and creams I've been trying) but I really enjoy the Proraso Eucalyptus/Green Tea soap, Kiss My Face lime cream, and as of tonight, I've started to see what makes people dig Tabac so much.
Aqua Velva is my pal, and I just got some new Bowling Green balm in, which I'm pretty enthused about.
Thanks, all, for a fun and enjoyable new morning ritual (and sometimes daytime obsession).
Just got the bug to detail the progression of razors I've tried since I joined B&B (going to contribute tout-de-suite, y'all).
Razors:
Merkur HD: Bought to replace a dead electric razor after reading about it on Cool Tools. I shaved with water in the shower, or maybe a little lathered-up Cetaphil face wash, and thought I was getting a pretty exemplary shave, compared to the 'lectric. It seemed very well-made but the AD soon came knocking...
Gillette SS Black Tip: I grabbed this one soon after starting to read B&B. Picked up for next to nothing on Ebay, it gave me a shockingly close shave compared to the Merkur. I could scarcely believe how smooth and comfortable the shave was. It's still my go-to "no time for real lather" razor.
Gem 1912 Junior: All the Gemocrat talk here soon drove me to SEs, and a couple of very brutal shaves with this beastie, all because of improper angle and too much pressure. Once I got it down with help from the kind folks here, it gave me the bestest-best-ever-hands-down most wonderful shave ever, and still remains a top favorite. The sound it makes when cutting hair makes mornings way more fun.
Gillette SS Red Tip: Soon I again succumbed to collective enthusiasm here and picked up this bad boy. It's a razor I love to use when I have time (and mental acuity) to go slow, and pay attention. It remains a little elusive, but when I'm on, it's a really nice tool. I think I'm still looking for the best blade match with this one.
Schick Injector (40s, plastic handle): Of course, I had to grab an injector after everyone glowed so much about them, and I finally used mine for the first time tonight. I gave myself a little irritation here and there, but the two little patches of beard to the left and right of my chin that NEVER seem to reach BBS no matter what I do, are finally smooth! The small head and easy handling really do make it easy to get the trouble spots, and made shaving the worrisome area on the jawline easier than with the heftier razors.
Gem Featherweight: I think this pretty thing may get PIF'd soon- I like but don't love it. The grip is nice, but the beautifully balanced feel and perfect weight of the Jr seems much better for keeping pressure (and precision) at its optimum.
Gem G-Bar: The G-Bar just came in tonight and hasn't been used at all yet. I plan to keep it whether or not the performance is stellar- it's just such a nicely-built piece of gear. The simplicity and grace of the Gem flip-open blade holder really makes one wonder why Gem ever got into TTOs.
I've been waiting for a Semogue brush to come in for a few weeks and am using a bottom-shelf Vulfix at the moment (and not getting "lather explosion" from the soaps and creams I've been trying) but I really enjoy the Proraso Eucalyptus/Green Tea soap, Kiss My Face lime cream, and as of tonight, I've started to see what makes people dig Tabac so much.
Aqua Velva is my pal, and I just got some new Bowling Green balm in, which I'm pretty enthused about.
Thanks, all, for a fun and enjoyable new morning ritual (and sometimes daytime obsession).
Last edited:
