No kidding. I'd bet for every person who used a brush there's at least 1000 who use a can.
Why not? It's been canned since the '50s.
After asking about the date of my GEM the other day, I didn't want to have to waddle through that mess to find a starting point. Dating them is as clear as my name
It still took me quite a while looking through various message boards.
I'll start by stating why I don't think the switch from open to closed comb had anything to do with new shave creams being developed. If a company develops a product to make a task easier, and it actually causes the task to be harder, that company quickly goes out of business. Burma-Vita came out with Burma-Shave in 1925 and flourished. At that time the majority of razors were OC. (I only know of Gillette and GEM and I consider GEM to be a reinforced OC.)
I've read that the 1900/01 patent and early Ever Readys were considered lather catchers, but have heard no such issues with GEMs. In 1930 they came out with the Micromatic OC, which I noticed had no holes in the base plate. In 1933 they came out with the e-bar Micromatic, a CC version that also had no holes in the base plate. They then came out with Clog Pruf in 1941. It might have been in response to failings in the Micromatic line, but I believe it was a war time effort to allow soldiers an easier time shaving In situations where water is seldom plentiful. And unlike us, doing it for enjoyment, it was a crucial step in protecting against gas agents. This is just my supposition based upon when it happened, and the 8 years since last change to their razors happened. They would have fixed it earlier if it wasn't working well.
I believe the switch from OC to CC happened because of two reasons. The first reason is that the population was moving away from being beard wearers. The last bearded president was Benjamin Cleveland in 1898. Easy to use razors that didn't require a hone master to maintain had been invented. Two World Wars happened, which required soldiers to maintain a clean shaven face, but allowed for moustaches.
The second reason has to do with machining. I think that QC was easier to maintain, and machining more automated with CCs. They don't have dangly bits hanging about to get bent and/or broken off. And machining took off in the 30's. The following are tooling companies founded in the 30's. They made things to make things. This is why the first TTOs came out then.
Numberall Stamp and Tool Co. Inc.(1930), Iverson and Company (1931), Kitamura Machinery of USA Inc. (1933), Tool Specialty Co. (1933), City Machine Tool & Die Co. Inc. (1935), Wedin International Inc. (1936), Harig Mfg. Corp. (1937), Zagar Inc. (1937), Kennametal Inc. (1938)
That's my thinking on it.
Maybe just the use of a straight razor , should be considered traditional wet shaving. The DE safety razor was once considered a new improvement over the “ cut throat “ then used.
If I'm not mistaken, Barbasol would technically be a foam and a cream would be something along the lines of a tub of Taylor of Old Bond Street cream strictly speaking.
It's a slippery slope when you try to argue for what's tradition and what isn't, especially when you try to argue that traditional requires a brush. I mean, even brushless creams were around in the '20s. Thats what the original Barbasol was. I personally prefer a nice soap and a brush but it kind of annoys me when people act like you have to use a brush or else it's not traditional wet shaving.
I hear you. I'm honestly thinking about go minimalist when my stock of soaps are gone and going back to Barbasol and Gillette aftershave gel. I love my brush and soap but I don't need it.
To use a brush with Barbasol would not be beneficial,it would water the foam too thin and runny. Using a dry brush ,nothing to be gained over using you hands.
After asking about the date of my GEM the other day, I didn't want to have to waddle through that mess to find a starting point. Dating them is as clear as my name
It still took me quite a while looking through various message boards.
I'll start by stating why I don't think the switch from open to closed comb had anything to do with new shave creams being developed. If a company develops a product to make a task easier, and it actually causes the task to be harder, that company quickly goes out of business. Burma-Vita came out with Burma-Shave in 1925 and flourished. At that time the majority of razors were OC. (I only know of Gillette and GEM and I consider GEM to be a reinforced OC.)
I've read that the 1900/01 patent and early Ever Readys were considered lather catchers, but have heard no such issues with GEMs. In 1930 they came out with the Micromatic OC, which I noticed had no holes in the base plate. In 1933 they came out with the e-bar Micromatic, a CC version that also had no holes in the base plate. They then came out with Clog Pruf in 1941. It might have been in response to failings in the Micromatic line, but I believe it was a war time effort to allow soldiers an easier time shaving In situations where water is seldom plentiful. And unlike us, doing it for enjoyment, it was a crucial step in protecting against gas agents. This is just my supposition based upon when it happened, and the 8 years since last change to their razors happened. They would have fixed it earlier if it wasn't working well.
I believe the switch from OC to CC happened because of two reasons. The first reason is that the population was moving away from being beard wearers. The last bearded president was Benjamin Cleveland in 1898. Easy to use razors that didn't require a hone master to maintain had been invented. Two World Wars happened, which required soldiers to maintain a clean shaven face, but allowed for moustaches.
The second reason has to do with machining. I think that QC was easier to maintain, and machining more automated with CCs. They don't have dangly bits hanging about to get bent and/or broken off. And machining took off in the 30's. The following are tooling companies founded in the 30's. They made things to make things. This is why the first TTOs came out then.
Numberall Stamp and Tool Co. Inc.(1930), Iverson and Company (1931), Kitamura Machinery of USA Inc. (1933), Tool Specialty Co. (1933), City Machine Tool & Die Co. Inc. (1935), Wedin International Inc. (1936), Harig Mfg. Corp. (1937), Zagar Inc. (1937), Kennametal Inc. (1938)
That's my thinking on it.
Excellent and thank you for posting as it validates what we’ve been discussingAs i indicated in my post there could be many reasons why the switch took place. In the case of Barbasol , whose solid bar preceded Gillette, the rationale is right there in Conrad's 1933 patent application it's not my conjecture. The improved resistance to drops is also noted.
As for GEM, I sincerely doubt ASR would have named the razor the Clog-Pruf if it were an irrelevant concern. It doesn't mean there were not other motivations but you don't call your razor the Clog-Pruf if the public doesn't recognize clogging as an issue needing improvement.
I think I would go back to soap that was working fine for me and leave this huge "issue" in my dust.
