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GEM, Ouch!

I have been falling victim to RAD lately and SWMBO and I have been scouring the antique stores. I intend to sell most of these so that they are being used and loved, not sitting in a display case. Of course, I have to try them out first. I tried a Gem Micromatic last night. It tore the Hades out of my face! :yikes: I thought it was going well. Then I began to see blood flooding from a thousand points agony! Perhaps I exaggerate a tad. It didn't hurt until I used the Witch Hazel. I admit it, I cried. :crying: Even the moisturizer I put on hurt like no tomorrow. On the other hand, it was one of the best shaves I've had. It is the first open comb I've used, also. So, my question is this. Is it me? Was it my technique or is this flesh eater just too aggressive for me? What do you guys who have used these think?
 
I think they shave great. It was probably your technique or the blade you used. If you have no experience with GEM's, it can take a bit to get the technique down. Just keep the head as flat to your face as you can.
 
A huge learning curve but once you're over that, they're all great. I recently loaded a bad blade in my Micromatic and really chewed my face up pretty bad (even with proper technique). Admitted Gems are a bit quirky and totally intolerant of technical mistakes but all other things being equal they are great shavers. The head flat to your face time was a good one, the other one is absolutely zero pressure on the razor. The Micromatic has a fairly heavy head and the addition of the slightest pressure (especially with a brand new blade) tends to chew up your face fairly quickly.
 
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Patience and Persistence. You will be rewarded. The Gem micromatic delivers an excellent, smooth shave. Dave will have to weigh in to go over your technique. As far as technique though, the best teacher is experience - trial and error and you'll have it all figured it out in 2 more shaves.
 
patience and persistence. You will be rewarded. The gem micromatic delivers an excellent, smooth shave. Dave will have to weigh in to go over your technique. As far as technique though, the best teacher is experience - trial and error and you'll have it all figured it out in 2 more shaves.
+1.
 
My first shave with a GEM was a bloody disaster. I set it aside for a while then came back to it and got the best shave I'd had up to that point.

Not sure why the huge difference, but I think at first I tried too hard to "follow directions" and shave in a certain way ("razor head flat against the skin").

Whatever the reason, the first shave was a failure but the second was great. Second time I didn't treat the razor any differently than a DE. Concentrated on technique -- proper angle as judged by feel and even sound, no pressure.
 
+1. put down the micromatic for now.

The 1912's are wonderful, but don't lose sight of the "G". They are, from what I can tell, perhaps the mildest of the GEMS. Frankly, although I love that razor, it's a bit too mild for me.

I started my GEM journey with a G, fell in love and have been bitten by the bug.
 
There are many who really like the Micromatic and there are also quite a few folks that see them as a rather brutal type of cheese grater, so obviously, you must learn the proper technique in order to get a bloodless and comfortable shave with this razor.

On the other hand I've heard from far less people who have tried the 1912 and didn't like it right off the starting line or close to it. I strongly recommend that you try a 1912 first and perhaps someday, after you are comfortable with a SE, you might want to reevaluate the Micromatic.

Regards,
Tom
 
There are many who really like the Micromatic and there are also quite a few folks that see them as a rather brutal type of cheese grater, so obviously, you must learn the proper technique in order to get a bloodless and comfortable shave with this razor.

On the other hand I've heard from far less people who have tried the 1912 and didn't like it right off the starting line or close to it. I strongly recommend that you try a 1912 first and perhaps someday, after you are comfortable with a SE, you might want to reevaluate the Micromatic.

Regards,
Tom

Good plan. I prefer the 1912 to the Micromatic. Can't say why but that's just how it is.
 

OldSaw

The wife's investment
I don't think it had anything to do with your technique or the blade. These things just don't work for some people. If you really want to keep going with this thing, don't feel bad if it just doesn't work for you, but they are less forgiving than a Gillette DE. Your technique will improve but you may never get a very comfortable shave.
 
I was thinking the same thing as regards to putting the Gem away for a bit. At least long enough for my face to recover from the trauma it sustained last night. Today, I went back to my faithful SS. Considering the emotional and physical scarring from last night, this too was unpleasant, to say the least. Part of the problem was, with the Gem, I didn't feel the havoc that was being wreaked. Today,with my SS, I could. I finally finished up with a Schick Injector. I only used this one other time. It was extremely comfortable but not the closest shave possible. It was very easy to use and seemed to go faster. I assume it is a lot less aggressive. Turning to a this made it a little easier to finish. However, for the sake of self-preservation, I made no attempt at a BBS, and didn't even try for a DFS.
Perhaps I should post in a different thread, but am I correct about the injector being milder? I have a Schick Injector Type L1 that I only paid a dollar for and seems to be in great condition. I was planning on selling it but now I wonder if I should keep it around as a "comfort razor".
 
Perhaps I should post in a different thread, but am I correct about the injector being milder? I have a Schick Injector Type L1 that I only paid a dollar for and seems to be in great condition. I was planning on selling it but now I wonder if I should keep it around as a "comfort razor".

I would keep it. They shave great too.
 
I had a nasty face-shearing experience with a micromatic - no doubt due to my own failure of skill. But, I've found that I usually prefer lighter razors, so that's probably my issue. My first time with a G-bar was a bit bad, but the second time around turned out great. Today I picked up an aluminum-handled british 1912 model gem and it was perfect on the first try - a very loud sound as it sheared straight through the whiskers!
 
The micromatic tore me up pretty good the few time I've used it, but then I found the G bar and it was so much better for some reason
 
I had a nasty face-shearing experience with a micromatic - no doubt due to my own failure of skill. But, I've found that I usually prefer lighter razors, so that's probably my issue. My first time with a G-bar was a bit bad, but the second time around turned out great. Today I picked up an aluminum-handled british 1912 model gem and it was perfect on the first try - a very loud sound as it sheared straight through the whiskers!

youd probably love the featherweight then. really light razor.
 
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