this post was submitted on 23 Nov 2024
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WetShaving

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[–] djundjila 4 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago)

GEM Days 7a/14: second Generation GEM Micromatic Clog-Pruf Peerless – Sat 23 Nov 2024

  • Brush: Zenith 506B MB (27 mm × 51 mm Manchurian badger)
  • Razor: GEM Micromatic Clog-Pruf Peerless (second generation)
  • Blade: Personna GEM PTFE
  • Lather: Barrister and Mann – Nocturne
  • Post Shave: Barrister and Mann – Nocturne
  • Fragrance: Southern Witchcrafts – Autumn Ash

This is shave 13 of my run through all 14 generations of GEM-style razors, and I have reached the GEM Micromatic Clog-Pruf Peerless

The GEM Micromatic Clog-Pruf Peerless

The Clog-Pruf Peerless is a bit of an elusive beast. It is referenced in the wetshaving blogosphere and forums, and people remember seeing ads for it, but my searches came up with amost nothing. No document by ASR or GEM even mentioning the Peerless, just this catalogue page advertising it, but it is an interesting enough evolution from the first generation to warrant its own day (for certain definitions of "interesting") because it shows the way future GEMs will go. Pinging @merikus@sub.wetshaving.social who expressed an interest in this part.

So, what's the Clog-Pruf Peerless and how does it differ from the first generation Clog-Pruf? If you look close at the SOTD pic, you'll see that the Peerless on the left has a thinner safety bar with 17 nibs in contrast to the heftier safety bar with 12 nibs on the first generation. Seems like a small difference, but it's link in the evolutionary chain from GEM's open comb (Damaskene) to functionally open combs (1912, 1914, 1924†), open combs (MMOC 1 and 2), towards big nubs on a bar with channels‡ (Clog-Pruf 1) to this, which is already very close to a modern safety bar. The writing is on the wall and with the exception of the pretty lapse in djudgement known as the Jewel/Streamline, all future GEM razors will have modern safety bars.

† These look like safety bars with lather channels at first look, however, the sheet is bent down and out of the way so what touches the skin is functionally a comb with teeth. It other words, its just a way to make a structurally sound equivalent of a comb with rigid teeth, but from a thin sheet of brass, too thin to have strong enough individual teeth.

‡ The Mühle R41 has that, and it's usually referred to as an open comb razor.

The shave

The Peerless is a wonderful shaver like all the members of the Micromatic family, and it gave me a smooth Omnibus shave. Nocturne and Autumn Ash clearly go for a similar vibe, but they are surprisingly different, yet combine very nicely. I will smell delicious running errands today.

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-Pruf~~
  7. 1945-1946: Micromatic Clog-Pruf PeerlessWe are here
  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: Contour II (The last GEM razor)