Share your shave of the day!
November 27, 2024 – WestMan Wednesday
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Brush: Wald Stratos Haunter 29mm A1
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Blade Holder: Gillette Slim Aristocrat H4 (setting: 5)
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Blade: Gillette Nacet (6)
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Lather: WestMan Shaving - Alma - Soap
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Aftershave: WestMan Shaving - Alma - Aftershave Balm
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Talc: Yardley Gold
2 passes. Face lather. Excellent shave.
Rose, musk, oud. Great way to start the day!
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November 27, 2024
- Brush: Maggard Purple Swirl - 24mm - Synthetic
- Razor: Blackland - Stainless Blackbird
- Blade: Personna 74 (1)
- Lather: Proraso Shaving Cream Tube - Sandalwood
- Aftershave: Declaration Grooming - Daemon
- Fragrance: Declaration Grooming - Daemon
Super fast shave before the pie social at Church tonight. Tomorrow I’ll give myself a good luxurious three pass shave with a carefully prepared lather. Today I just had to rip the hair off my face in short order.
Pie++
Wednesday, November 27, 2024: FLS
- Brush: Grizzly Bay - v24 Fanchurian 26mm badger
- Razor: GEM - Micromatic Clog-Pruf
- Blade: Personna - GEM PTFE (3)
- Lather: Barrister and Mann - Roam Two
- Post: Barrister and Mann - Roam Two Aftershave splash
- Post: Stirling - Glacial Unscented Aftershave balm
- Frag: Barrister and Mann - Roam Two EdT
Yet another shave with Roam Two where I got to the end and thought to myself “damn, that’s a nice scent.” It’s probably in my top 3.
The Clog-Pruf still bit me a little ATG, but my technique is improving. I’m definitely glad I picked this little razor up; it’s definitely whetted my appetite for more GEM razors.
Traveling this afternoon to spend the holiday with family. I’m not looking forward to fighting my way through the airport, but at least I smell good.
Safe travels, though I don’t envy you. GEM razors are worth the experience. My favorite is the MMOC, but I have only tried a few.
I’ve only tried this Clog-Pruf, but I can definitely recommend it! It was also pretty inexpensive and easy to find one in good condition.
Safe travels.
❤️
November 27, 2024 – Black Watchday
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Brush: Wald Nimbus Bloodline 27mm J3
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Blade Holder: Blackland Razors Blackbird Ti
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Blade: Gillette Nacet (7)
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Lather: Spearhead Shaving Company - Seaforth! Black Watch - Soap
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Aftershave: Spearhead Shaving Company - Seaforth! Black Watch - Aftershave
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Fragrance: Spearhead Shaving Company - Seaforth! Black Watch - Eau de Toilette
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Talc: Yardley Classic
2 passes. Face lather. Excellent shave.
The combination of the Blackbird and Black Watch is hard to beat. A luxurious SLS.
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November 27, 2024
- Brush: Chisel & Hound “Rob’s Finest” w/25mm Paragon Synthetic
- Razor: GEM Damaskeene
- Blade: Personna GEM PTFE (3)
- Lather: House of Mammoth - Santa Noir - Soap
- Post Shave: Pinaud - Clubman Special Reserve - Aftershave
- Post Shave: Goodfellow & Co. - Face Lotion - Kelp & Sea Mineral
- Post Shave: Stirling Soap Co. - Varen - Aftershave
Great shave with the Damaskeene. I wasn’t keen enough to follow along with day 1 of @djundjila@sub.wetshaving’s NovGEMber, but now is as good a time as ever!
I love shaving with this razor, but it’s admittedly not as efficient as any of my other GEM/Ever-Ready razors.
Some “fun” updates on the Lemmy server: some of you might have noticed a small amount of down time yesterday. Sorry about that. I thought it’d be quick, but it was less than quick.
Either way, the part of Lemmy that handles pictures now has its database handled through PostgresQL. Previously it used something called SLED which was fine, but postgres is better. This also streamlines the backup strategy a bit as the automated backup commands (run with a cronjob) are the same as the main Lemmy database. More importantly, backups can be taken while the software is up and running. We were taking backups without shutting things down before, but we weren’t supposed to.
I thought it’d be quick, but it was less than quick.
This is the story of my life at work…
As always, thanks for the work you do to keep this place running smoothly!
Septidi 7 Frimaire an 233 de la Révolution, jour de Chou-fleur
- Preshave: Proraso Green Preshave
- Brush: Semogue Owner’s Club Boar 🐗 ‘Taj’
- Razor: GEM MMOC
- Blade: Personna GEM PTFE (14)
- Lather: Barrister & Mann Death
- Postshave: Naissance 702 Witch Hazel
- Postshave: Epsilon Blue Mediterranean
- Postshave: Nivea After Shave Balm
Death has the same base accord like War and Plague, but it is fresher (maybe some ozone in there?). I definitely prefer Death to War and Plague - I will have to check Famine, too.
On this note, have a good evening!
That whole series never appealed to me, and I never even looked at the scent notes. A small part of me wishes I had at least gotten samples, though.
It is a rather conceptual thing. I cannot say I like it, but I can appreciate the idea. I certainly don’t think that anybody should get a full tub of the horsemen, though.
GEM Days 11b/14: Heavy Flat Tops, or G and E-Bars – Wed 27 Nov 2024
- Brush: Zenith 506B MB (27 mm × 51 mm Manchurian badger)
- Razor: GEM Heavy Flat Top a.k.a. the G-Bar
- Blade: Personna GEM PTFE
- Lather: Imaginary Authors – Telegrama
- Post Shave: Imaginary Authors – Telegrama
Nice Telegrama shave with the shiny G-Bar.
This was shave 22 of my run through all 14 generations of GEM-style razors:
1906-1953: GEM 1912/Star Cadet/Junior/Damaskeene1914-1927: 19141924-1933: 1924 Shovelhead1930-1932: Micromatic Open Comb Gen 1 (Bumpless baseplate)1932-1941: Micromatic Open Comb Gen 2 (double-edge Micromatic GEM blades)1940-1943: Micromatic Clog-Pruf1945-1946: Micromatic Clog-Pruf Peerless1947-1950: Micromatic Flying Wing/Bullet Tip, with guiding eye until 1948, with plastic knob in the last year1949-1953: 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
- 1955-1958: GEM V-Slim “Heavy Flat Top” (G-Bar, shiny chrome), New V Natural Angle Heavy Flat Top (E-Bar, less shiny nickel) ← We are here
- 1958-1965: Push Button
- 1965-1973: Contour
- 1973-1979: Contour II (The last GEM razor)
Thanks for the series! It’s really quite interesting to see how they went with their designs - judging just by looks and mechanisms, I’d have thought the Flying Wing was the last GEM razor ever produced. However, this G-Bar looks very great - combines the clamp mechanism w/ a solid handle that has nice knurling. Kinda gets me in the mood for vintage razor hunting again 😄
judging just by looks and mechanisms, I’d have thought the Flying Wing was the last GEM razor ever produced.
Totally, right?
combines the clamp mechanism w/ a solid handle that has nice knurling.
Both the streamline and the G-Bar fit that description, and I think I prefer the Streamline between the two.
Kinda gets me in the mood for vintage razor hunting again 😄
I’m also happy to loan you a bunch of you want to try before you buy.
Yeah, I thought the TTO/Butterfly mechanism was something that only came to be way later. Both the MMOC that I got from you as well as my Flying Wing are such solid razors.
I can see your point in the Streamline. Definitely looks really solid too. There’s just something I really like about the G/E-Bar razors’ conic handle shape. Kinda makes it look like a knife handle and I dig that. Weird, I know 😅
Thanks for your offer - I might get back to you once the postal service Christmas chaos here in Germany is over!
I have a G-Bar. I think I’ve used it maybe twice. I don’t think I understand how to use it as I’ve not enjoyed either of the shaves I’ve done. Have any tips for me?
I’m not sure, just the usual, really. Wet lather, light pressure, and listen for the feedback. It is on the milder side, so you’ll need to get the angle right (rather flat), and once you do, it’s a great shave IMO
GEM Days 11a/14: Heavy Flat Tops, or G and E-Bars – Wed 27 Nov 2024
- Brush: Zenith 506B MB (27 mm × 51 mm Manchurian badger)
- Razor: Ever-Ready Natural Angle Heavy Flat Top a.k.a the E-Bar
- Blade: Personna GEM PTFE
- Lather: Declaration Grooming – Peaches + Scream
- Post Shave: Ariana and Evans – Peach & Cognac
- Fragrance: Imaginary Authors – Saint Julep
This is shave 21 of my run through all 14 generations of GEM-style razors, and I have reached the E-Bar/G-bar, or Heavy Flat Tops, or the better-made Featherweight
The E-Bar/G-Bar
The Heavy Flat Top is to the Featherweight what the Streamline is to the 1912: It’s the same razor, but built heavier and arguably prettier, except that they only changed the handle this time around. They retain the 1912 style mechanism, the Micromatic Flying Wing base plate-geometry, but they ditch the hollow plastic handle for a heavy cast handle (I’m guessing brass, given the weight?). The GEM version (a.k.a. G-Bar) has a shiny bluish-bright chrome-plating, while the Ever-Ready (a.k.a. E-Bar) has a duller yellow-tint nickel plating.
The two versions of this razor were packaged in almost identical display cases.
Compared to yesterday’s Featherweights it is visible that both the British and the American Version have the same head this time around, and it’s the one of the Ever-Ready Featherweight, with the lower outline of the top cap and the thicker base plate (as befits the name Heavy Flat Top).
I don’t know whether the GEM version was produced at much higher volumes, but nowadays, the G-Bar version can be found relatively easily while the E-Bar is rarer than a Streamline in my experience. I have referred to them as Elusive-Bar in my vintage safety razor self help group with u/EldrormR, u/Semaj3000 and u/VisceralWatch and it took me a long time watching eBay to source one.
The shave
Perfect boozy shave with Peaches + Scream, Peach & Cognac, and the E(lusive)-Bar. This razor has a nice heft to it and the little hook at the end of the handle is a surprisingly nice touch and gives a strong feeling of control when resting the tip of the ring finger on it. The head being identical to the Ever-Ready Featherweight’s, this thing is an efficient and intuitive razor (the “Natural” Angle in the name isn’t all marketing speak).
The timeline
1906-1953: GEM 1912/Star Cadet/Junior/Damaskeene1914-1927: 19141924-1933: 1924 Shovelhead1930-1932: Micromatic Open Comb Gen 1 (Bumpless baseplate)1932-1941: Micromatic Open Comb Gen 2 (double-edge Micromatic GEM blades)1940-1943: Micromatic Clog-Pruf1945-1946: Micromatic Clog-Pruf Peerless1947-1950: Micromatic Flying Wing/Bullet Tip, with guiding eye until 1948, with plastic knob in the last year1949-1953: 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
- 1955-1958: GEM V-Slim “Heavy Flat Top” (G-Bar, shiny chrome), New V Natural Angle Heavy Flat Top (E-Bar, less shiny nickel) ← We are here
- 1958-1965: Push Button
- 1965-1973: Contour
- 1973-1979: Contour II (The last GEM razor)
Did Eld, Semaj, and VW source these razors as well?
I think Semaj has one, and mine was found by VW. I don’t think Eld ever wanted one
Similar to a Flying Wing?! Sounds like I need a G-Bar in my life.
I thought the conclusion would be the exact opposite 🙃
If they shave the same but the Flying Wing is a glorious Micromatic, and this one is a regression to the dark ages, why not stick to the Micromatic?
Because more is better!
Wednesday, November 27, 2024: SLS
- Brush: Yaqi - Sagrada Familia 24mm Synthetic
- Razor: Merkur - 34C
- Blade: Van Der Hagen - Stainless (1)
- Lather: Barrister and Mann - Lavanille
- Post: Nivea - Sensitive Post Shave Balm
- Frag: Stirling - Stirling Gentleman
A late second luxury shave tonight. Good results, no notes.
