Picked one up a little bit back as I wanted to see if its reputation for being a bloody razor was justified, or at least in my case (the whole YMMV thing).
That is probably what most people are expecting to see However, I am happy to report that is not the case. But please read on...
(Disclaimer: I like aggressive razors. My fatty is set on 9.)
I watched Mr. Guy's video to get an idea on wielding the razor. It is much like using a Rolls, which I have used a lot, so no problem there. I shaved with it over a few days, alternating between GEM and Treet blades.
When I first loaded a blade, I did not notice that the blade "stops" on the end tines of the comb were missing. Went on with a WTG pass and I could tell the unprotected ends of the blade were there. No nicks or cuts, they were just making their open presence known . Figured that wasn't the way it should be so I took a closer look and that is when I noticed the blade stops missing. I completed the shave with a ATG pass and ended up with a mostly BBS shave. There were spots that were DFS but I would have cut myself getting to BBS due to the exposed ends of the blade. Look at the circled parts of the razor for the blade stops I am talking about. (I borrowed the picture from the B/S/T forum, hope that is ok. If not, let me know and I will take my own pic).
I bought another MM and over the next few days while waiting for it to arrive, I continued to shave with the worn/broken one to get a feel if I liked the GEM or Treet blades better. I settled on the GEM blades. The Treets weren't bad, but I got a more comfortable shave with the GEM. As far as blade life goes... about the same for me. I have wires growing out of my face so no blade lasts long for me. Shave quality past the second shave began to suffer.
I tried the replacement MM last night and it does make a difference having those blade stops. No problem getting a BBS shave. The MM is a delightful razor. It has very nice balance that makes it easy for the weight and head of the razor to do the work. No need to apply pressure. If I did apply pressure, I surely would have cut myself with the worn/broken one.
Another thing I noticed. With the blade stops missing, the razor was even more aggressive as the blade slides forward past the old stops until it hits the internal stop (the oblong one in the center of the blade). Oddly enough, I enjoyed this additional aggressiveness Sooo... that being said, I suspect there are far more of these out there with missing stops. It is not obvious of you are not familiar with these razors.... it just looks like normal brassing. Could this be part of the reason some people experience such a blood fest with these razors? At any rate, it is something to be aware of and look out for if acquiring one of these.
That is probably what most people are expecting to see However, I am happy to report that is not the case. But please read on...
(Disclaimer: I like aggressive razors. My fatty is set on 9.)
I watched Mr. Guy's video to get an idea on wielding the razor. It is much like using a Rolls, which I have used a lot, so no problem there. I shaved with it over a few days, alternating between GEM and Treet blades.
When I first loaded a blade, I did not notice that the blade "stops" on the end tines of the comb were missing. Went on with a WTG pass and I could tell the unprotected ends of the blade were there. No nicks or cuts, they were just making their open presence known . Figured that wasn't the way it should be so I took a closer look and that is when I noticed the blade stops missing. I completed the shave with a ATG pass and ended up with a mostly BBS shave. There were spots that were DFS but I would have cut myself getting to BBS due to the exposed ends of the blade. Look at the circled parts of the razor for the blade stops I am talking about. (I borrowed the picture from the B/S/T forum, hope that is ok. If not, let me know and I will take my own pic).
I bought another MM and over the next few days while waiting for it to arrive, I continued to shave with the worn/broken one to get a feel if I liked the GEM or Treet blades better. I settled on the GEM blades. The Treets weren't bad, but I got a more comfortable shave with the GEM. As far as blade life goes... about the same for me. I have wires growing out of my face so no blade lasts long for me. Shave quality past the second shave began to suffer.
I tried the replacement MM last night and it does make a difference having those blade stops. No problem getting a BBS shave. The MM is a delightful razor. It has very nice balance that makes it easy for the weight and head of the razor to do the work. No need to apply pressure. If I did apply pressure, I surely would have cut myself with the worn/broken one.
Another thing I noticed. With the blade stops missing, the razor was even more aggressive as the blade slides forward past the old stops until it hits the internal stop (the oblong one in the center of the blade). Oddly enough, I enjoyed this additional aggressiveness Sooo... that being said, I suspect there are far more of these out there with missing stops. It is not obvious of you are not familiar with these razors.... it just looks like normal brassing. Could this be part of the reason some people experience such a blood fest with these razors? At any rate, it is something to be aware of and look out for if acquiring one of these.