Deja vu.

Still not dead yet

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

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.

1. 1906-1953: GEM 1912/Star Cadet/Junior/Damaskeene ← We are here
   • FLS
2. 1914-1927: 1914
3. 1924-1933: Shovelhead †
4. 1930-1932: Micromatic Open Comb Gen 1 (Bumpless baseplate)
5. 1932-1941: Micromatic Open Comb Gen 2 (double-edge Micromatic GEM blades)
6. 1940-1943: Micromatic Clog-Pruf
7. 1945-1946: Micromatic Clog-Pruf Peerless
8. 1947-1950: Micromatic Flying Wing/Bullet Tip, with guiding eye until 1948, with plastic knob in the last year
9. 1949-1953: GEM Jewel/Streamline/Ambassador (The beginning of the end IMHO)
10. 1950: New GEM Feather Weight, renamed to “Slim-V Flat Top” in 1953, British version sold as “Natural Angle” by Ever-Ready
11. 1955: GEM V-Slim “Heavy Flat Top” (G-Bar, shiny chrome), New V Natural Angle Heavy Flat Top (E-Bar, less shiny nickel)
12. 1958-1965: Push Button
13. 1965-1973: Contour
14. 1973-1979: Countour II (The last GEM razor)

November 17, 2024

• Brush: Zenith B15 (506 U/L) 27.5mm Boar

• Blade Holder: GEM Damaskeene CC (1912-1920)

• Blade: Personna Gem PTFE (8)

• Lather: Chiseled Face - Midnight Stag - Soap

• Aftershave: Chiseled Face - Midnight Stag - Aftershave

• 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.

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.

🍳 Created with Neovim & sotd.nvim 🍳

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!

~Shared via emacs & sotd.el~

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.

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:

1. 1906-1953: GEM 1912/Star Cadet/Junior/Damaskeene ← We are here
2. 1914-1927: 1914
3. 1924-1933: Shovelhead †
4. 1930-1932: Micromatic Open Comb Gen 1 (Bumpless baseplate)
5. 1932-1941: Micromatic Open Comb Gen 2 (double-edge Micromatic GEM blades)
6. 1940-1943: Micromatic Clog-Pruf
7. 1945-1946: Micromatic Clog-Pruf Peerless
8. 1947-1950: Micromatic Flying Wing/Bullet Tip, with guiding eye until 1948, with plastic knob in the last year
9. 1949-1953: GEM Jewel/Streamline/Ambassador (The beginning of the end IMHO)
10. 1950: New GEM Feather Weight, renamed to “Slim-V Flat Top” in 1953, British version sold as “Natural Angle” by Ever-Ready
11. 1955: GEM V-Slim “Heavy Flat Top” (G-Bar, shiny chrome), New V Natural Angle Heavy Flat Top (E-Bar, less shiny nickel)
12. 1958-1965: Push Button
13. 1965-1973: Contour
14. 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.