Dedicated to the manly art of shaving like a man. Battery-powered hunks of plastic are for CHICKS!
Inspired by our times, I will always endeavor to explore the BEST and CHEAPEST shaving solutions. The point here is that shaving can indeed be a cheap and enjoyable daily activity that you will actually look forward to! This is NOT about sacrifice!
Got this on fleabay for the price of a Fusion Proglide Power. Does it work? YES! Is it gorgeous? HELL YES! The plating on the razor is pristine. With something like this available for $13.50 how is it possible that MEN continue to be suckered by multi-bladed vibrating plastic gimmicks? Tell me, somebody out there.
Included with this set were 3 vintage E-R blades. They had very minimal surface rust, and I have honed and stropped one to perfection!
OK, I've always been interested in trying the "Old Type", the very first DE. This 'estate sale' example from 1904 included a nasty scabby Schick PP blade so the thing was in use as late as the 70's!
It looks way scarier than it shaves. It gives a great shave with no drama. Blade alignment is a bit fiddly, but nothing to be afraid of.
As I went further and further into the process of SLAM, I found myself going for better and better shaves. But what does "better" mean in this case? Is it the 'gold standard' - BBS? I thought so, but now I'm not so sure.
More than likely our distinguished forebears did maybe a couple of passes and called it good, certainly none of this j-hooking ATG blade buffing bullshit - they were going for presentability, and 2 passes with even a 'whimpy' DE like a Tech or SS gets you there safely and comfortably, but they were clearly never intended for "face-turbation" shaves.
Fewer OCD passes/touchups also means longer blade life. Do the math. Can you feel stubble here and there? Well, earth to dumb-fuck - you are a MAN. That shit is constantly growing out of your face. Now look in the mirror - do you see that shit that you can feel? What's that? You can't see it? Nobody else can either. You'll get it next time.
A member on B&B came up with this absolutely BRILLIANT trick in 2009 - he was poo-pooed. I 'bumped' the thread in May, and am reproducing the original post here in the hope of giving MEN another reason to love the GEM 1912. My 'research' already led me to believe that the 1912, whether GEM, GEM Junior, STAR, or Ever-Ready is the perfect marriage of style and function. It is more than arguable that all safety razor design has been downhill ever since. Using this simple 'trick', you can use your 1912 with the 1/2 DE Blade of your choice - the better news is that it is in no way a compromise in shave quality - it's as good as any shave from any razor IME. I have found that the cheap, ubiquitous DERBY is a fine match in the 1912 using this method. I have found that I can get 3 faceturbation quality shaves from half a DERBY - whereas 4 is my limit for a DERBY in a DE razor. In perhaps a unique case of YM not V-ing, the original inventor also likes DERBY in the 1912.To me it just means that the 1912 is a better design than most DE razors. I will make an exception for the YUMA, because I have been known to go the YUMA for touchups when nothing else will work, but a Yuma has nothing on a 1912 for looks or build quality. My flare tip Super Speed is built like a toy compared to the 1912. The bottom line: the 1912 SE variants are superb razors even a century later. Shitloads were produced and finding a 'nice' one for $10 is easy. A great thing gets even better when you realize that you have no reason to be limited in your blade choices. I really believe this is the ultimate cheapskate solution that works unbelievably well! It's just WIN WIN WIN - quality, looks, price - get busy, Spuds!
Making a DE blade holder for your GEM 1912 razor
Have you ever wished you could use your favorite DE blade in a SE razor?
Here is what I've come up with:
MATERIALS: 2 SE blades, epoxy and a little patience.
STEP 1: Carefully remove the spines from both blades. Do this by gently, by prying the spines away from the blades with a small screwdriver or knife. Try not to bend the blades or damage the spines. Pry them away only enough to get the blades out.
STEP 2: Carefully place the blades together face to face. This should be a tight fit without space between the faces of the blades. Flip the blades arround and try to get them to match perfectly. If the blades are bowed or bent start over.
STEP 3: Apply a THIN coat of epoxy from the sharp edge right up to (NOT BEYOND) the notch on the inside face of one of the blades. Lay a piece of paper on the area beyond the epoxy and stick the blades together face to face. The paper will keep the epoxy from moving toward the back of the blade.
Step 4: Keeping both blades together (and all edges even) slide the SHARP EDGE side into one of the spines. Make sure it goes all the way in and keep all edges lined up. Crimp it tight with pliers and remove the paper blotter from between the blades as the epoxy sets.
When the epoxy has set you're ready to go. Snap your favorite DE blade in half (ALWAYS leave the blade in the wrapper when snapping, to avoid embarrassing wounds to fingers and possible splinters in the eyes) and carefully slide it into your new holder. The epoxy acts as a stop. Put the whole thing into a GEM 1912 style razor and start shaving.
This won't work with early 1914s or the Micromatics, but if you snap the little tabs off the ends of your half DE blade it works incredibly well in the 1924 "Shovelhead."
Why is now a good time to revive a 20th century technology? RESULTS and PRICE. There is no cheaper way to get better results.
Until the magic of the internet, there were some lost decades. Now you have way more information/choices than you probably even want.
My parents divorced when I was 11, saw dad shave maybe a couple of times. Fact is, growing up in the swingin' 70s I saw those cute little Schick injector blades on a mirror a hell of a lot more often than in a razor. Oh yeah, I know he used Foamy - red.
My Step-Derelict used the worst disposables and electrics, so didn't exactly learn anything there either.
HUNDREDS of page views, but no comments - WTF is wrong with you people?!? I'm hoping to be a springboard for an international discussion of these issues - you fux need to participate! C'mon! It's enabled! You probably won't be sent to a CIA Prison for commenting, so just do it! I can't believe out of the hundreds of 'visitors' none of you has anything to say!
WTG with this user-grade but pretty nice "The Cranford" 9/16 full hollow, $12.50 on Ebay. My advice on getting straight razors on Ebay is to avoid all popular brands and get the seller to tell you in writing that there are no cracks. If it's cracked, it's fucked - you'll not hone that out - same goes for large chips. Avoid any chips - common sense, right? There was some pitting on the edge of this razor that honed out just fine. "finished" on the Chinese 12k 100 laps with water. Newspaper stropped 100 laps then 30 on a leather belt. I'm really liking this one. Damned learning curve! I'm looking forward to the day when I am skilled enough to finish a shave with a straight. For now, one damage free pass is enough for me.
XTG and ATG with a half Derby DE blade in the GEM 1912 - I can hardly stop fondling my face! The glassy smoothness!
It has been argued that safety razor design was all downhill from the GEM 1912. Quality? This thing is BUILT. That gorgeous handle is solid nickel plated brass - performance? I have tried it twice with the same great results. Very easy to use, and rather less dangerous than the Micromatic. The sound it makes when it cuts is pretty unique and badass as well. The guard works like an open comb, but is way safer - it would take a special kind of ineptitude to get cut with a 1912. Not only that, but it's very efficient - one pass WTG for an SAS! Sold under the brand names GEM, STAR, and EVER-READY the 1912 was produced until the 1940s. Shitloads were made over the years and examples can be found in great shape for $10-15 postage paid, or the same price as a scabby, shitty Gillette Tech, or a Fusion Proglide. So let's see, it's cheap, will outlast you, is beautiful, and it works really, really well. What more do you need? Here's something else:
This is an incredible and effective way to increase the versatility of your 1912. Try it! Just hold one of these in your hand and see how far we have fallen as a race in the last century.
