djundjila
@djundjila@sub.wetshaving.social
- Comment on Sunday SOTD Thread - November 17th, 2024 (#525) 10 hours ago:
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 :)
- Comment on Sunday SOTD Thread - November 17th, 2024 (#525) 10 hours ago:
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)
- Comment on Saturday SOTD Thread - November 16th, 2024 (#524) 20 hours ago:
Perfect! I’m missing a Damaskeene in my DEM. GEN? It’s difficult to make a GEM + den portmanteau.
- Comment on Sunday SOTD Thread - November 17th, 2024 (#525) 22 hours ago:
GEM Days 1/14: 1912/Junior/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.
- Comment on Saturday SOTD Thread - November 16th, 2024 (#524) 1 day ago:
the Flying Wing is another example of a design that never needed changing.
Speaking of designs that didn’t need changing, I’m doing a run through the 14 generations of GEMs over the next 14 days, starting tomorrow, and will compare and contrast their designs. You’re more than welcome to join, tomorrow is the 1912/Cadet/Junior/Damaskeene’s turn
- Comment on Saturday SOTD Thread - November 16th, 2024 (#524) 1 day ago:
Still warm and comfy Sat 16 Nov 2024
- Brush: Zenith r/Wetshaving exclusive MOAR BADGER (Silvertip)
- Razor: Thiers Issard 14 Médaille d’Or 1921 Exposition d’Algier Acier Spécial (7/8", extra hollow, square point, carbon steel)
- Lather: Barrister and Mann – Nocturne
- Post Shave: Southern Witchcrafts – Pomona
I enjoyed this morning’s Nocturne shave so much I had to partially repeat it. As predicted (and entirely unsurprisingly), Pomona is a great pairing for Nocturne.
- Comment on Saturday SOTD Thread - November 16th, 2024 (#524) 1 day ago:
I love the zing version, and I was always a bit sceptical when I read Will’s comments complaining about it being too smokey. What does he mean, this smells great!
Now I get it what he was going for, because the sweet warmth of the apples comes through so well here. It’s really lovely, the kind of fall fragrance that smells delicious without being cloying. It’s a corner of the equilateral Pomona-Autumn Ash-Nocturne triangle, and right down my alley. I love gourmand scents in cold weather, so no surprise there.
- Comment on Saturday SOTD Thread - November 16th, 2024 (#524) 1 day ago:
For Warmth and Comfort Sat 16 Nov 2024
- Brush: Zenith r/Wetshaving exclusive MOAR BADGER (Silvertip)
- Razor: Thiers Issard 14 Médaille d’Or 1921 Exposition d’Algier Acier Spécial (7/8", extra hollow, square point, carbon steel)
- Lather: Barrister and Mann – Nocturne
- Post Shave: Barrister and Mann – Nocturne
- Fragrance: Tom Ford – Tobacco Vanille
Nocturne ♥
I’ve bought and enjoyed the zing/BaM collaboration version early in my wetshaving journey before I stopped using zing products (with a few exceptions), and when Will brought Nocturne back as a full BaM I happily jumped on the opportunity. The difference between the two fragrances is pretty clear, with less smoke in the BaM version. I really dig it. The warm apple scent is much more front and centre, not entirely unlike Pomona. With international shipping prices being what they are, getting samples of things doesn’t often make financial sense, so I’m delighted when a blind buy like this turns out exactly like I hoped.
After discussing TI steels with u/FireDragonMonkey I wanted to use my TI 14 today, and it’s such a pleasant razor, despite all its battle scars. All the pitting is cosmetic and the edge is soft-feeling and smooth. It reminds me of the Wade and Butcher blade feel. Less loud than many other 14s, I suspect the grind it a bit thicker. I can’t tell whether I prefer the newer high carbon C135 TI steel or the vintage steel they used to use. but both can clearly take a great edge (Although it takes me longer to sharpen the newer ones. I’m not sure if it holds the edge longer, but it would stand to reason)
I smell delicious.
- Comment on Friday SOTD Thread - November 15th, 2024 (#523) 2 days ago:
Valedictorian ++;
- Comment on Friday SOTD Thread - November 15th, 2024 (#523) 2 days ago:
I’m considering a run through all GEM razors. I’ve been planning one for a while, but it’s a 14 shave commitment
- Comment on [Show and Tell] Removing a synthetic knot from a handle 2 days ago:
Nice work!
I’ve done the same to two Rubberset 400s and a Moar Boar with a bad knot. I used approximately the same process as you for the Rubbersets, and also marred the ferrule, but upgraded my setup for the Moar Boar and I have worked out two recommendations for anyone trying to do this (or you if you do this again)
- Use a vise or something to position the nozzle of a vacuum cleaner next to the handle. It catches the dust, and lets you see mutch better what you’re doing (and clean-up is easier, too, but doing it outside is still smart). Seeing better makes it easier not to hit the ferrule and gives more confidence while milling.
- If you wrap the handle (especially the ferrule) in thick layers of cardboard and masking tape, you can hold the handle in a vise (still be careful not to crush it), and you won’t mar the ferrule if you accidentally touch it with the mill bit.
Pictures of my process are here
Next up for me is going to be extracting the shitknot of my Mühle Purist.
- Comment on Friday SOTD Thread - November 15th, 2024 (#523) 2 days ago:
The 14er is a flagship Böker, and if you ignore all the laser engraving and gold wash, it’s a fairly conservative design. IMO, this is exactly what Böker does best; consistent geometry in good steel. I’m not surprised you enjoy it, and I sure enjoy mine 😊
- Comment on Friday SOTD Thread - November 15th, 2024 (#523) 2 days ago:
Fougère Sheepday 15 Nov 2024
- Brush: Zenith 506B MB (27 mm × 51 mm Manchurian badger)
- Razor: Thiers Issard Le Dandy
- Lather: Boendoebaard Woesteling
- Post Shave: Boendoebaard Woesteling
After Varen, I went with my other mutton tallow fougère soap for my second luxury shave. For some reason, button tallow really seems to agree with my face, and I can’t get a bad shave with either Varen or Woesteling.
- Comment on Thursday SOTD Thread - November 14th, 2024 (#522) 3 days ago:
Oh, I had simply gotten tired of complaining about this abject failure of a knot. This is the brush equivalent of a shit sandwich. It is difficult for me to find words for how garbage this product really is.
I will pull or dremel the knot out (pulling might be impossible since it holds roughly 17 Badger hairs) and put in something decent.
This episode has annoyed me enough that I’m considering writing to Mühle and to ask what the fuck they think they are doing.
The only acceptance here is that I wasted money unless I change that knot. There cannot be acceptance of the knot.
If you’re interested in experiencing just how shite this brush is, I’d be happy to loan it to you before the exorcism.
Apparently I had some pent-up complaints that needed airing 😅
- Comment on Friday SOTD Thread - November 15th, 2024 (#523) 3 days ago:
Fou Fri 15 Nov 2024
- Brush: Zenith 506B MB (27 mm × 51 mm Manchurian badger)
- Razor: Thiers Issard Le Dandy
- Lather: Stirling Soap Co – Varen
- Post Shave: Stirling Soap Co – Varen
- Fragrance: Stirling Soap Co – Varen
Delightful morning shave for three reasons:
- The freshly honed Dandy. Doubly nice because I’ve been missing straight razors after mostly safety razors for over a week, and because this fresh crisp edge is on point. Satisfyingly smooth and close ATG, it cleared my neck with just a few long strokes. No buffing, no touch-ups, no notes.
- The Manchurian. Not just in contrast to the underwhelming Mühle Purist of the last few days, this scrubby badger with just the right amount of backbone and the comfy handle punches way above its price
- 🇳🇱 Varen 🇳🇱
- Comment on Thursday SOTD Thread - November 14th, 2024 (#522) 3 days ago:
Thu 14 Nov 2024
- Brush: Mühle Purist (21 mm silvertip badger, ebonite handle)
- Razor: Mühle R41 GT Berlin edition
- Blade: Feather new Hi-Stainless
- Lather: Barrister and Mann – Braeburn
- Post Shave: Chanel – Bleu de Chanel
Sweet Braeburn for an on theme SLS. I smell delicious.
- Comment on Thursday SOTD Thread - November 14th, 2024 (#522) 4 days ago:
Thu 14 Nov 2024
- Brush: Mühle Purist (21 mm silvertip badger, ebonite handle)
- Razor: Mühle R41 GT Berlin edition
- Blade: Feather new Hi-Stainless
- Lather: Spearhead Shaving Company – Seaforth! Roman Spice
- Post Shave: Spearhead Shaving Company – Seaforth! Roman Spice
- Fragrance: Spearhead Shaving Company – Seaforth! Roman Spice
This concludes my run through all Seaforth! Fragrances. I skipped Sea Ice Lime because it shares the fragrance with Sea Spice Lime and nobody needs koolada in western Swiss November. With Black Watch, Sea Spice Line, Heather, Spiced, and Fleur de France, Dennis and Shawn brought five of my all-time favourite fragrances in wetshaving, an astonishing hit ratio.
One thing I realised over the last week is that i prefer the 20.1 base over highland, but I get great performance from both, so I conclude that I must prefer the uNoBtAiNiUm one solely because it’s gone. Silly, but apparently I’m that guy.
Roman Spice was my AA setup, so it immediately felt routine. Great shave, nice šmellz.
The R41 GT still rocks, the Purist badger still sucks, now off to the office.
- Comment on Wednesday SOTD Thread - November 13th, 2024 (#521) 4 days ago:
I wonder whether it may be more a function of the shape. The R41 GT in titanium has a matte, stone washed-like finish, and I don’t feel any drag from it either. So smooth stainless steel (polished), zamac (chrome plated), and rough surface titanium all don’t drag.
- Comment on Wednesday SOTD Thread - November 13th, 2024 (#521) 4 days ago:
Indeed!
“Sniff, sniff – ooh, is this my favourite?” - my wife
- Comment on Wednesday SOTD Thread - November 13th, 2024 (#521) 4 days ago:
Yes, we are on the same page, I think.
my Stando Perun really pisses me off in that regard. A 100+€ stainless steel razor simply shouldn’t catch rust, period. 😞
Yeah, this one is infuriating. I’m sorry this happened to you.
Both PantaRei and Zenith could be good examples for Mühle IMO. Luxury quality, or good value.
It’s cool that they even came out with the GS model after the success of the Rocca.
Yeah, it really is. The GS is really well made too, tight fits, good surface quality. For a European made razor, even the price seems reasonable.
I apologize for rambling way too much, but you brought up so many valid points and instigated such a meaningful discussion that I wanted to share my two cents, but instead dropped my whole bank account on you. Sorry 😅
Oh please, this is exactly what we have this instance for 😊
- Comment on Wednesday SOTD Thread - November 13th, 2024 (#521) 4 days ago:
Glide for His Pleasure Wed 13 Nov 2024
- Brush: Mühle Purist (21 mm silvertip badger, ebonite handle)
- Razor: Mühle R41 GS
- Blade: Feather new Hi-Stainless
- Razor: Mühle R41 Twist
- Blade: Feather new Hi-Stainless
- Lather: Saponificio Varesino - Settantesimo
- Post Shave: Saponificio Varesino - Settantesimo
@PorkButtsNTaters666@sub.wetshaving.social mentioned that he finds that chrome-plated razors glide better on his skin that stainless steel razors. Since I have my R41 comparison going anyway, I used them both and tried to feel a difference. It’s tricky since they feel different being of vastly different weight, but I couldn’t really feel a meaningful difference in how they slide over the lather. YKMV, I guess.
- Comment on Wednesday SOTD Thread - November 13th, 2024 (#521) 4 days ago:
I never noticed a difference. Now I have a homework for my SLS 🙂
- Comment on Wednesday SOTD Thread - November 13th, 2024 (#521) 4 days ago:
Because if we’re being honest, a well made safety razor (or straight razor, or shaving brush) is a luxury item.
I both agree and don’t. Yes, in the sense that nobody needs a stainless steel safety razor for over €100 if a brass Tech will cost a fraction. On the other hand, nobody would call it luxury if you shave with Mach3 cartridges, but those are more expensive than the “luxury” stainless steel razor in just a few years. So it’s all kind of messed up in my opinion.
Worst case scenario, someone has a broken and unusable razor at home that has cost them 200+€.
Yeah, this one gets to me. The meissner series they sell is a porcelain handle zamac razor that might just break after a some years of use because the threads wear through the plating for €655, and a brush that has the same lame knot as my brush and costs €675. I don’t understand.
- Comment on Wednesday SOTD Thread - November 13th, 2024 (#521) 4 days ago:
Compared to razors offered in plastic with many tiny blades of the cheapest possible stainless, chrome-covered zamac is still a large improvement in quality. :)
I agree! I still recommend the Merkur 34C for beginners for instance. It’s just praising it as peak durability that irks me and it leaves no room for making the case for steel.
- Comment on Wednesday SOTD Thread - November 13th, 2024 (#521) 4 days ago:
Was it just that special edition
Yes, they made just two editions, the London and the Berlin edition with I think a couple hundred razors.
few would buy the machined one if they sold it at the same margins as the zinc alloy.
That sounds right, unfortunately.
the time it takes to winnow the quality offerings from the grift as doing my part to signal a better direction for society.
I like this perspective a lot.
- Comment on Tuesday SOTD Thread - November 12th, 2024 (#520) 4 days ago:
R41 gang 🍻🍻
- Comment on Wednesday SOTD Thread - November 13th, 2024 (#521) 4 days ago:
Black Watchday 13 Nov 2024
- Brush: Mühle Purist (21 mm silvertip badger, ebonite handle)
- Razor: Mühle R41 GS
- Blade: Feather new Hi-Stainless
- **Lather:**Spearhead Shaving Company – Seaforth! Black Watch
- **Post Shave:**Spearhead Shaving Company – Seaforth! Black Watch
- **Fragrance:**Spearhead Shaving Company – Seaforth! Black Watch
Black Watch is an all time favourite of mine. I like to combine it with Cerberus, Braeburn or other warm fruity fragrances, but this is trickhole week for me, so I’m trickholing it. It never disappoints.
The stainless R41 Gs is a heavy beast and my favourite version of the R41 family. It has that heft that inspires a (sometimes misguided) sense of quality like a good tool. It’s one of my favourite DE razors on par with my Wolfies. This and the Rocca are underrated products IMO and it might have to do with Mühle’s awkward positioning in the shave market. The bulk of their offering is this annoying combination of a cheap product with a luxury packaging. For example, if you go on their website, the majority of their razors are cheap zamac heads with expensive (pretty) handles. This brush is the same, pretty handle and lacklustre knot. My travel synth is similar with a nice folding handle and an unpleasant knot. I don’t get it. Mühle is a small family-run business, they could easily run in the “German Quality” direction, this razor and the Rocca are proof they can make quality products at good prices. Instead they compete with cheap mass produced products by attaching pretty handles to their cheap mass produced product. I think they may be stuck and unable to advertise their good razors (stainless steel and titanium) as quality worth a few extra Euros while still praising their “high quality” zamac razors which cost the almost the same despite a fancy porcelain handle. How do you tell your customers to choose between quality and luxury when many would expect the two to go hand in hand?
In their words, stainless steel vs zamac (which they refuse to name, so they call it chrome instead. This is close to dishonest IMO since chrome is only the plating on the zamac):
Edelstahl steht wie kaum ein anderes Material für kühle Eleganz und Robustheit. Es ist besonders beständig und bringt eine zeitlose Schönheit, die bleibt. (Stainless steel represents cool elegance and robustness like almost no other material. It is extra durable and brings a timeless beauty that persists.)
Ohne Chrom würde die Welt viel von ihrem Glanz einbüßen. In der Verarbeitung für unsere Nassrasur-Accessoires beweist er seine besten Eigenschaften: Die Oberfläche ist korrosionsbeständig, besonders langlebig und hat einen kostbaren, verführerischen Glanz. Im Kontrast dazu kommen Farben und Formen anderer hochwertiger Werkstoffe besonders gut zur Geltung. (Without chrome, the world would look a lot of its lustre. It shows its best properties in its use for wetshaving-accessories: The surface is corrosion resistant, extra durable and has a precious, seductive shine. The colours and shaves of other quality material come into play particularly well in contrast to it.)
From this marketing speak, how would someone who doesn’t know that chrome is just a plating and that the underlying zamac breaks when you drop the razor or corrodes away when wear (micro)cracks the plating on the threads understand that the stainless steel razor head is worth a few extra Euros if you care about durability? Both are “extra durable”, and the chrome one is described as prettier, and also of superlative quality if you believe this text.
- Comment on Tuesday SOTD Thread - November 12th, 2024 (#520) 5 days ago:
Then you won’t be surprised to hear that I bought them just because they looked cool😅
- Comment on Tuesday SOTD Thread - November 12th, 2024 (#520) 5 days ago:
Scum! Tue 12 Nov 2024
- Brush: Mühle Purist (21 mm silvertip badger, ebonite handle)
- Razor: Mühle R41 Twist
- Blade: Feather new Hi-Stainless
- Lather: Schmiere Abschaum
- Post Shave: Schmiere 1959
Abschaum has the biggest discrepancy between the fragrance and its name. This scum smells clean and fresh like laundry detergent and I love it. The splash has a grandpa-y almost medicinal fragrance. It’s impossible not to enjoy this combination.
The big R41 Twist felt good, but since @gcgallant@sub.wetshaving.social suggested I should use all three R41s, one pass each, I feel like I’m doing it wrong 😅.
- Comment on Tuesday SOTD Thread - November 12th, 2024 (#520) 5 days ago:
Fully agree. No notes
