Share your shave of the day!
November 17, 2024
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Brush: Wald Stratos Goldvein 29mm A1 Fan
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Blade Holder: Blackland Razors Blackbird Ti
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Blade: Personna Lab Blue (13)
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Lather: Saponificio Varesino - Opuntia - Soap
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Aftershave: Saponificio Varesino - Opuntia - Aftershave
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Fragrance: Creed - Aventus
2 passes. Face lather. Excellent shave.
The SV scents are so sophisticated I feel like an imposter using them. Very nice second luxury shave this evening.
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Sunday, November 17, 2024: SLS
- Brush: Zenith - B21 boar
- Razor: RazoRock - Game Changer .76
- Blade: Astra Superior Platinum (2)
- Lather: Barrister and Mann - Seville
- Post: Pinaud - Clubman Aftershave Lotion
- Post: Stirling - Glacial Unscented Aftershave balm
- Frag: Stirling - Stirling Gentleman EdT
A nice combination of barbershop scents for a rainy evening.
My first shave with the .76 plate on the GC went well, though it’s definitely more aggressive. I gave myself a small nick on the jawline, but otherwise it was a drama free shave.
November 17, 2024
- Brush: Stirling 24mm Synthetic
- Blade: Cien Men 2-Blade Cart (4)
- Lather: Stirling Soap Co. - Haverford - Soap
- Post Shave: Pinaud - Clubman - Aftershave
- Post Shave: Goodfellow & Co. - Face Lotion - Kelp & Sea Mineral
This cartridge isn’t feeling as sharp as usual. This particular one only has 4 shaves on it, but it has been sitting in my dopp kit for well over a year. Maybe it’s a dud, or maybe the storage got to it.
Sunday, November 17, 2024
- Preshave: Proraso Green Preshave
- Brush: Semogue C3 Galahad Horse 🐎
- Razor: Parker Straight Razor
- Lather: Abbate y la Mantia Ishtar
- Postshave: Naissance 702 Witch Hazel
- Postshave: Epsilon Blue Mediterranean
- Postshave: Nivea After Shave Balm
I’m less tired than yesterday, but it’s still an effort moving around in the flat.
Have a good evening!
November 17, 2024
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Brush: Zenith B15 (506 U/L) 27.5mm Boar
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Blade Holder: GEM Damaskeene CC (1912-1920)
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Blade: Personna Gem PTFE (8)
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Lather: Chiseled Face - Midnight Stag - Soap
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Aftershave: Chiseled Face - Midnight Stag - Aftershave
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Fragrance: Chiseled Face - Midnight Stag - Eau de Parfum
2 passes. Face lather. Excellent shave.
I’m takin’ a ride with my Staaaag … There’s really nothing like the Midnight Stag trifecta to start your day. I was getting some odd glances in the store while shopping for junk food for the Sunday afternoon games, but I felt more accepted by the forest wildlife on my morning hike.
@djundjila@sub.wetshaving.social is doing a run through all 14 generations of GEM razors. I only have 3 of them. This Damaskeene happens to be one that he doesn’t have. I have the MMOC Gen2 and Flying Wing also. The EldrormR Industries MM24 that I own is still in production and doesn’t factor into the 14 generations.
If I weren’t so deep into the straight razor side of this hobby, I would collect more examples of these GEM razors. The design and execution of them is very well done, and the ones I have tried have been great shavers.
Stag + forest hike sounds like a good mix. I was bicycling in the forest with Djunior today, but I wasn’t as well integrated as you :)
Everything is improved when you wear the Staaaaag :)
My father was a member of something called the Appalachian Trail Club. He would take me on hikes and to trail maintenance events when I was Djunior’s age. I wasn’t thrilled to come along at the time, but something stuck. By the time he reached the age I am now, I found ways to accompany him on a lot of short trail hikes.
That sounds fun!
I have an acquaintance in Connecticut who’s also active in such a club (or the same club?) and I accompanied him checking “his” part of the trail for damages after a storm. It was really beautiful nature.
Well, the appalachian mountains aren’t as dramatic as the alps, but they have their own charm … bears, reptiles, insects, etc. I hope to do a little hiking in Europe. My son has hiked the El Camino de Santiago and the GR10.
Hope, alps, and hike in the same comment?
If you make plans to visit my corner of the planet, I’d love to arrange for a meeting!
ATM, I plan to visit my son in France in late spring or early summer. I have not been to your exact corner of the planet, so I would enjoy the chance to travel there and to meet.
Taking this to DM
I love a good Stag shave.
I felt more accepted by the forest wildlife on my morning hike.
😂
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GEM Days 1/14: 1912/Junior/Cadet/Damaskeene – Sun 17 Nov 2024
- Brush: Dogwood Handcrafts - Papa Eld with Declaration Grooming B3
- Razor: Star – Cadet
- Blade: Personna GEM PTFE
- Lather: Abbate Y La Mantia – Verbena Toscana
- Post Shave: №4711 – Echt Kölnisch Wasser
- Fragrance: Farina – 1709
I’m doing a run through all 14 generations of GEM-style razors from 1906, when the 1912 started production to 1979 when the conveyor belt rolled out last Contour II. For the purposes of this run, I’m defining the 14 generations as follows:
- 1906-1953: GEM 1912/Star Cadet/Junior/Damaskeene ← We are here
- 1914-1927: 1914
- 1924-1933: Shovelhead †
- 1930-1932: Micromatic Open Comb Gen 1 (Bumpless baseplate)
- 1932-1941: Micromatic Open Comb Gen 2 (double-edge Micromatic GEM blades)
- 1940-1943: Micromatic Clog-Pruf
- 1945-1946: Micromatic Clog-Pruf Peerless
- 1947-1950: Micromatic Flying Wing/Bullet Tip, with guiding eye until 1948, with plastic knob in the last year
- 1949-1953: GEM Jewel/Streamline/Ambassador (The beginning of the end IMHO)
- 1950: New GEM Feather Weight, renamed to “Slim-V Flat Top” in 1953, British version sold as “Natural Angle” by Ever-Ready
- 1955: GEM V-Slim “Heavy Flat Top” (G-Bar, shiny chrome), New V Natural Angle Heavy Flat Top (E-Bar, less shiny nickel)
- 1958-1965: Push Button
- 1965-1973: Contour
- 1973-1979: Countour II (The last Gem Razor)
† Still in production by u/EldrormR Industries – GEM Division.
All dates in the list above come from the American Safety Razor Dating Chart here. I hope they are accurate, but haven’t double-checked anything.
This is an opinionated list for at least four reasons: 1) The Damaskeene (open-comb 1912) is different enough from later tyical 1912s to deserve it’s own day, but I don’t have one. 2) The British 1909 isn’t on the list because I have never seen one in the wild. 3) there are three generations of Jewels, but I only have the one, and finally 4) there are images floating around the interwebs of an adjustable GEM Pushbutton, but it’s a kind of a phantom and I’m not sure it ever was more than a prototype.
The 1912
The first GEM razor, and also my gateway into the SE Cult. In 2021, u/Semaj3000 recommended me to try a 1912 at first, because they are good shavers and cheap. Specifically, he recommended me to trawl French eBay for the Star version called “Cadet”, because the Bakelite cases of the day had blade banks with the French inscription “lames”, which amused him. As you can see in the SOTD picture, I followed his advice and indeed found a razor and case in great condition. Since I never fall halfway into a rabbit hole, I also ended up getting a British-made 1912 which came with NOS contemporary Corrux blades with the fun Ever-Ready maskot, and a pretty US-made one with the iconic art deco “chain-link” handle. Back then u/Semaj3000 and u/VisceralWatch were at peak vintage razor thrill, and I learned a lot about GEM razors in a hurry from them.
This first GEM razor has already half of what I consider the genius of this line of razors: Unlike DE razors with a single degree of freedom in their clamping mechanism, the 1912 has two springs, one clamping the blade down, and one pushing on the spine, firmly locking the edge in place against the blade stops. This is why GEM razors always have an absolutely reproducible exposure and gap, regardless of the geometric tolerances of GEM blades, unlike DE razors and all modern GEM razors.
The shave
Once you get the hang of GEM razors (which is easy), the 1912 gives great shaves to the sound of buttering toast. Verbena Toscana is a lovely summery scent, and I really like the AYLM hard soap base. 4711 and Farina are lovely, but they don’t last very long.
Very cool, I look forward to hearing your thoughts as you compare these.
I have my first GEM razor on its way to me, it should be delivered tomorrow actually. It’s a 1940-43 Clog-Pruf that looks in excellent shape, and it was only ~$15 shipped on the bay!
The Clog-Pruf is a fantastic starting point IMO. Good choice!
Cool chart. What’s the source? Might be good to add to the wiki for posterity.
Edit: you already included the source. Duh!
Sunday, November 17, 2024: FLS
- Brush: Simpson - T2 Trafalgar 24mm Synthetic
- Razor: Chiseled Face - Titanium Legacy Razor
- Blade: Personna - Lab Blue (2)
- Lather: Barritser and Mann - Rhapsody (Soft Heart base)
- Post: Chiseled Face - Ghost Town Barber Aftershave splash
- Post: Barrister and Mann - Rahpsody Aftershave Balm (Soft Heart base)
A little under the weather from a couple vaccines yesterday evening. It was an easy and smooth shave though.
No irritation from the T2 this morning, I think I maybe have just been splaying too much with previous attempts. This brush performs much better when I just paint the lather and water on.
Have a good day y’all.
Deja vu.
Still not dead yet
Glad to hear it!
Oh no we want the death of the tub so I can move in to New soaps
Oh, I thought you were talking about yourself not a soap 😄
GEM Days 1b/14: 1912/Star Cadet/Junior/Damaskeene – Sun 17 Nov 2024
- Brush: Dogwood Handcrafts - Papa Eld with Declaration Grooming B3
- Razor: Ever Ready - 1912 (with iconic chain link handle)
- Blade: Personna GEM PTFE
- Lather: Barrister and Mann – Lavanille
- Post Shave: Chatillon Lux – Pure Lavender
Second shave with a patent 1912 razor, this time with a US-made Ever-Ready 1912 with the iconic art deco / chain link handle introduced in 1927. It’s a very simple razor head made from just a few pieces of bent sheets of brass (and possibly steel for the spring), but this razor was produced for almost 50 years for a reason. This simple design gives great shaves and must have been very cost competitive to produce compared to later models, which all involve deep drawn, cast, or machined pieces.
It is telling that this first and simplest GEM razor also had the longest run. Over the next two weeks we’ll visit its more and more complicated and technically brilliant cousins, but not successors. It will survive them all.
Lavanille and Pure Lavender are a fantastic combo.
This was shave two of my run through all 14 generations of GEM-style razors.
- 1906-1953: GEM 1912/Star Cadet/Junior/Damaskeene ← We are here
- 1914-1927: 1914
- 1924-1933: Shovelhead †
- 1930-1932: Micromatic Open Comb Gen 1 (Bumpless baseplate)
- 1932-1941: Micromatic Open Comb Gen 2 (double-edge Micromatic GEM blades)
- 1940-1943: Micromatic Clog-Pruf
- 1945-1946: Micromatic Clog-Pruf Peerless
- 1947-1950: Micromatic Flying Wing/Bullet Tip, with guiding eye until 1948, with plastic knob in the last year
- 1949-1953: GEM Jewel/Streamline/Ambassador (The beginning of the end IMHO)
- 1950: New GEM Feather Weight, renamed to “Slim-V Flat Top” in 1953, British version sold as “Natural Angle” by Ever-Ready
- 1955: GEM V-Slim “Heavy Flat Top” (G-Bar, shiny chrome), New V Natural Angle Heavy Flat Top (E-Bar, less shiny nickel)
- 1958-1965: Push Button
- 1965-1973: Contour
- 1973-1979: Countour II (The last GEM razor)
There’s the gem unicorn that you don’t have though. I saw it in a forum at some point… There’s a few adjustable prototypes out in the wild
Damnit. I should remember you shave twice a day
Yup, I’d love to get my hands on one, but they are ghosts
Nov 17, 2024
- Brush: AP Shave Co. Ruby Ripple 22mm Faux Horse Synthentic Knot
- Razor: Mühle R41
- Blade: Gillette 7 O’Clock Super Stainless (Green) [30]
- Lather: Ariana & Evans - The Equestrian - Cream
- Post Shave: Old Spice - Original - Aftershave Lotion
