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  • djundjilaMA
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    3 days ago

    GEM Days 6a/14: first Generation GEM Micromatic Clog-Pruf – The Zenith of Razor-Making – Fri 22 Nov 2024

    • Brush: Zenith 506B MB (27 mm × 51 mm Manchurian badger)
    • Razor: GEM Micromatic Clog-Pruf (first generation, NOS)
    • Blade: Personna GEM PTFE
    • Lather: Declaration Grooming – Dirtyver
    • Post Shave: Saponificio Varesino – Desert Vetiver
    • Fragrance: Terre d’Hermès Eau Intense Vétiver

    This is shave 11 of my run through all 14 generations of GEM-style razors, and I have reached the first generation Clog-Pruf, around peak maturity of the Micromatic system.

    The first generation Micromatic Clog-Pruf

    The Clog-Pruf shares all the parts with the second generation MMOC except the base plate. The Clog-Pruf has a scalloped safety bar (with 12 nubs) and two large lather channels where the MMOC had the open comb. Technically, the two razors are entirely equivalent and any preference is just a question of taste. The MMOC has a reputation for being aggressive, and the Clog-Pruf – while being very efficient as well – is considered more middle of the road, although it’s still got plenty of blade feel compared to typical safety razors like a Gillette Tech, a DE89/R89 or its gazillion clones or any Merkur. I was made aware of this razor by sub veteran, LG organiser extraordinaire, and all-around great guy u/merikus, and while I have a mild preference of the MMOC over the Clog-Pruf, I can agree with his sentiment

    I literally don’t understand why people even make razors anymore since razor-making reached its zenith in the 1940s with the GEM Clog Pruf. - @merikus@sub.wetshaving.social

    The two Clog-Prufs, the second generation MMOC and the Flying Wing are just different mildness variations of the same razor and differ only in the shape of the comb/safety bar. You know you’ve reached maturity if all you change are details and keep all of the fundamentals. So what is the marketing angle for selling this minuscule update to the MMOC? It’s Barbasol! The big lather channels are supposedly designed not to clog with brushless creams.

    The shave

    A refreshing vetivercentric shave with Dirtyver today. The NOS Clog-Pruf gave me a fantastic shave as always. Once you’ve gotten the hang of any of the Micromatics, they all become great IMO.

    The butterscotch Zenith with the comfy handle and the scrubby Manchurian badger knot layers up quickly and I love the scrub.

    The timeline

    1. 1906-1953: GEM 1912/Star Cadet/Junior/Damaskeene
    2. 1914-1927: 1914
    3. 1924-1933: 1924 Shovelhead
    4. 1930-1932: Micromatic Open Comb Gen 1 (Bumpless baseplate)
    5. 1932-1941: Micromatic Open Comb Gen 2 (double-edge Micromatic GEM blades)
    6. 1940-1943: Micromatic Clog-PrufWe are here
    7. 1945-1946: Micromatic Clog-Pruf Peerless
    8. 1947-1950: Micromatic Flying Wing/Bullet Tip, with guiding eye until 1948, with plastic knob in the last year
    9. 1949-1953: GEM Jewel/Streamline/Ambassador (The beginning of the end IMHO)
    10. 1950: New GEM Feather Weight, renamed to “Slim-V Flat Top” in 1953, British version sold as “Natural Angle” by Ever-Ready
    11. 1955-1958: GEM V-Slim “Heavy Flat Top” (G-Bar, shiny chrome), New V Natural Angle Heavy Flat Top (E-Bar, less shiny nickel)
    12. 1958-1965: Push Button
    13. 1965-1973: Contour
    14. 1973-1979: Countour II (The last GEM razor)
    • gcgallant
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      3 days ago

      I continue to enjoy this series. The DE razor (and blades) were marketed in parallel with SEs. Was the popularity of DEs all about low-cost replaceable blades?

      • djundjilaMA
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        2 days ago

        Thank you! I enjoy writing it!

        Was the popularity of DEs all about low-cost replaceable blades?

        I don’t know, and I wonder about it a lot. The GEM system seems technically better, and IMHO makes for better mass-produced razors than the Gillette format. Might it just be network effects?

        • gcgallant
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          2 days ago

          My suspicion is that it was marketing. I think the band steel used for DE blades was a boon for blade production. The band steel seems to be a perfect fit for high volume, multi-stage manufacture. Gillette heavily promoted replaceable blades, and as I recall, the company’s business model was to make its profits through high-volume/low margin sales of blades.

          • djundjilaMA
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            2 days ago

            Marketing sounds plausible. The Doubledge Micromatic blades would have had the exact same arguments in their favour, yet they didn’t stick around.

            Maybe it’s one of those mac vs windows stories. Two roughly equivalent systems and one of them gets big first.

    • waldenMA
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      3 days ago

      I ended up with a Clog-Pruf before ever trying a MMOC. The people in Discord said the Clog-Pruf was milder, so I assumed it would be closer to my preferences. It turns out they’re both super close to each other, and although I don’t know if I have a preference between the two, if I could only keep one it would be the Micro-Matic Open Comb.

      I’m looking forward to what you have to say about the Flying Wing/Bullet Tip, which is my favorite of the bunch.

      • djundjilaMA
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        2 days ago

        I’m looking forward to what you have to say about the Flying Wing/Bullet Tip, which is my favorite of the bunch.

        tomorrow!