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Return Of The Gempire

2nd Shave with MB Awakenings and Osage Rub A/S.

Smoother than the first especially around the neck. The GEM is a keeper.
 
2nd Shave with MB Awakenings and Osage Rub A/S.

Smoother than the first especially around the neck. The GEM is a keeper.

Yep, SE need a slightly different technique, but one that every guy can pick up on fast! Be careful tho, soon your DE's will start to lose that spark that first brought you together:wink:
 
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What a coincidence! I just shaved with a 1912 Gem for the first time today too! Same results as Lou, BBS everywhere except for the neck. Overall I was very impressed. And you have to love the sound it makes, much more satisfying than a DE razor. Sounds a lot like a straight come to think of it. ...

It was the feel of the GEM, including the sound, that got me started on straights, believe it or not.

I had been interested in straights for a while but, not wanting to make such a big commitment into the unknown, tried a variety of "shavetttes" -- those things that look something like a straight but hold half of a DE blade. I was not impressed -- seemed nothing but an inconvenient way to use a DE blade.

Once I shaved with a GEM SE I realized that there could really be a much different (and, to me, better) shaving experience and my theory was that it had to do with the stiffness of the SE blade compared to the DE. Figuring a straight would be stiffer yet I decided to give a real straight a chance.

Whether my theory is right or wrong, it turned out to be a good decision for me, even though the learning curve was (and still is!) steeper and longer than I anticipated.

So, give SE shaving a try and if it seems like a more pleasant shave consider a straight!
 
So, give SE shaving a try and if it seems like a more pleasant shave consider a straight!

Actually I'm already shaving with a straight. :lol1:

Though I will say that line of reasoning, albeit in reverse, has brought me in this direction. Did they really shave like a straight on a stick like some claim? I was also wondering what all the fuss was about among SE devotees here. I mean almost everyone here claims an almost fanatical loyalty to some sort of shaving instrumentation, but the claims that an SE razors shave better than DEs? Could it be true? Hmm, it seemed to be a claim worth investigating. Besides if nothing else I just like to experiment with stuff. So here am I!

I'm still going to shave with a straight, but hey there's no harm in mixing it up every once and awhile. :biggrin:
 
Actually I'm already shaving with a straight. :lol1:

Though I will say that line of reasoning, albeit in reverse, has brought me in this direction. Did they really shave like a straight on a stick like some claim?
No, I wouldn't say that. The experience is quite different. The GEMs are a lot easier to save with -- it's almost impossible to nick yourself, you really need to work hard to get any serious razor burn, and the results are great. I do think when I have given each my best shot I can do a tad better with a straight -- mostly under the jaw line. On a typical shave day I get pretty similar results -- but my straight technique is still towards the novice end of the scale.

I'm still going to shave with a straight, but hey there's no harm in mixing it up every once and awhile. :biggrin:
Exactly what I do.
 
I'm glad I alread have all mine, they might be getting more popular and more expensive soon :D
I've got about 15 of them, all boxed or cased and only two of the cost more than $15 (cased damaskeen 1912 and pat 1900 gem jnr), most were around $5, the cheapest being the micromatics.

I had a shave with the clog pruf micromatic the other day, it was a nice shave and I see what 1oldgi meant when he said the 'heft' of the razor feels different to a 1912 :D
 
Maybe this should be another thread, but what is the difference between the Damaskene, Ever Ready, Star and Gems?

the damaskeene was a gem blade that was advertised on some of their models and recommended to be used. it proceeded the double life gem blade. ER, star and gem were all razors made under ASR: different brands under one flag; theyre not ALL gems. they are each their own razor. star became part of the ASR family in 1915/1916.
 
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