WetShaving

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This is a community of enthusiasts, hobbyists and artisans who enjoy a traditional wet shave: brush, soap, and safety or straight razor. We are a part of the WetShaving community found on Reddit, Discord, and IRC.

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Friday SOTD Thread - November 22nd, 2024 (#530) (self.wetshaving)

submitted 6 hours ago by AutoBot to c/wetshaving

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Share your shave of the day!

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[–] djundjila 1 points 5 hours ago* (last edited 3 hours 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

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