Shaving With a 1912 The Traditional Way

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Fergiebilly

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First WTG Whisker Knock Down with an Original Cru Stropping Blade..:eek:
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Original Cru Blade & Stropping Handle..:rolleyes:
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Todays Shave Set Up..;)
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Three Pass Shaving Routine..:cool:

Hot Water prep & massage with Coconut Oil
Ever Ready 1912
Star Cru Steel Blade NOS
Mason Pearson Pure Badger
LEA Tallow soap
Thayers Original Witch Hazel

I just had the most Wonderful Shave of my Life with My Ever Ready 1912 with an Original Cru Steel Stropping Blade Today..A Dolphin Smooth All Over BBS Result was achieved as Easy as Wiping My Darn Nose with Tissue Paper..o_O

I spent my time last evening Stropping 3 of these NOS Cru Steel blades..I Stropped them for around 80 laps a Side..Although NOS these Cru blades deteriorate with time..These blades are around 100 Yrs' Old..You can also bring them back with some Chromium Oxide & a piece of flat balsa wood which is cheap as chips..I have heard many a Folks saying that they have tried these blades & they Tug & are not usable..Well..Thats because they are not shave ready & No other Reason..These Cru Steel Blades are far more sharp than a Current Gem Blade when correctly sharpened & far smoother by a Long Shot..:p

These Cru Steel Stropping Blades are worth a 100 Current Gem Blades..One of these with Daily Stropping should last 3 to 6 months & after that can be brought back by a little honing with some Chromium Oxide..By the Way..A Monkey can Do this..You Don't need to be a an Expert..I sure Aint..Its So Darned Easy..All that is required is the Patience..Thats it in a Nut Shell..:confused:

As you can see in the First Pic the 1912 Cru Blade Combo Knocked Down Two Days of Whiskers in one WTG Pass..I achieved an almost all over BBS Result on my 2nd ATG Pass & my 3rd Pass was more of a Touch Up Job..These Blades are just so Darn Comfortable & Smooth as Icing on a Cake..A Current Gem Blade Just isn't Fit to Lick their Boots..I hear folks talkin about Traditional Wet Shaving this & That & Knocking Modern Cartridge Systems as if its not Real Wet Shaving..If we follow that line of thought through to its Logical Conclusion then Everybody that is Shaving with a 1912 with a Current Gem Blade is about the same thing as shaving with a Cartridge head on a DE Handle..:D

I don't follow that line of thought I have to say..I have went on about this many times..A Current Gem Blade is not Harsh..Its the Current Gem Blade & Older 1912 Comb geometry that is All Wrong..These Older SE s were designed to take these Older Stropping Blades with a Thicker Spine..The blade is far more Rigid as Well and of course hasn't a Mult Faceted Factory Made Cutting Edge..You can Replicate the correct angle with Shimming..See this thread of Mine..;)
http://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rc...YahL0nTzYFeu_nOv3jzUIQ&bvm=bv.114733917,d.ZWU

This works well..But if you want the Best from your 1912 then the Original Cru Blade is the Way to Go with the Traditional Stropping Methods..This is not a YMMV thing..This is the Traditional Way..The 1912 is One Almighty Shaver when its used the Traditional Way as it was Intended..You are only Sniffing the Full Potential with a 1912 using a Current Gem Blade..It only requires 30 Laps a Side on a Strop after your shave & its ready to Go..As I mentioned above a Monkey can Do this..Its So Easy to getting into shaving with a 1912 the Traditional Way..:p:D:p

Billy
 
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RSSO said:
Fu.. why I read this, I want them.
Just realised that Ever Ready 1912 is one that I wanted when I was asking for SE idiot!!!
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Yes, Billy has a tendency to do that to a guy.
I was asking him to grow a beard to save us all some money.

He won't listen though.

Are all SE blades of this era 'stropping blades' ?
Or are there different types like there are today?
 
Getting hold of these blades is simply down to providence ...

Once you've bought enough of these razors you will have amassed a good collection of vintage blades, almost all of which will be junk with either rust or degraded edges. Almost all. Amongst that pile of potential tetanus you might find one, just one blade which is good. That one blade actually might have come with a friend and you realise you now have two.

Great! Break out the stopper from one of those oversized sets with a razor and that other thing you're not quite sure what it does. If you're lucky, you'll have a strop, too.

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Give the blade a hundred laps, perhaps another hundred. Shave with it and give it 50 or more between shaves.

Like Billy, I think my finest shave has been with a vintage Damaskeene blade which just got smoother and smoother over the seven shaves I used it for. It's still good and as sharp as the first shave, certainly as sharp as a fresh modern GEM blade.

I also have a Cru-Steel and a Corrux that I believe are in good enough condition to use. They will get their moment soon ...

Great write-up, Billy.
 
mikebrownington said:
And where would one find these blades?
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riverrun said:
I think Billy would happily organise a group buy :p:p I'm in.
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As Paul just said I got my blades with some razors I bought..In particular the NOS Sets that I got..You can buy them on EBay though..Andreas..I will have a look around & if I see a Batch I will post them Up for a Group Buy if enough folks are Interested..:p

Billy
 
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grarea said:
Yes, Billy has a tendency to do that to a guy.
I was asking him to grow a beard to save us all some money.

He won't listen though.

Are all SE blades of this era 'stropping blades' ?
Or are there different types like there are today?
Click to expand...
In short..Yes..The First SE that was designed for the Current Gem blade was the Gem Open Comb Micromatic or OCMM on 1929/1930..The OCMM, Gem Clog Pruf, Bullet Tip, Gem G bar, Gem Featherweight, Gem Push Button & Gem Contour were all Designed to take the Current Gem Blade..All the SE s before the OCMM were designed for Stropping Blades..:)

Billy
 
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Fergiebilly said:
..I don't have a Gem Push button or Gem Contour..Paul has I believe..:D
Billy
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Do you reckon?
I was going to ask you and Paul (and obviously everyone else wants to show off there wares)

What is your 'jewel in the crown' of your collections?
Whether it is a complete set or a rare or just a favourite?
Best SE? Best injector? Best wedge? Favourite?

Go on, show me, make me drool.
 
P.S. the other thing, are some just rubbish?
SE blades I mean. As in 'don't touch ....... with a barge pole they have always been rubbish'
Or are they all much of a muchness?
Specifically (being selfish) The Star and Speedway.
 
grarea said:
P.S. the other thing, are some just rubbish?
SE blades I mean. As in 'don't touch ....... with a barge pole they have always been rubbish'
Or are they all much of a muchness?
Specifically (being selfish) The Star and Speedway.
Click to expand...
I wouldn't say any of these Older Blades are Crap..They were all High Quality Blades for Stropping..They had to be High Quality..Just stay way from anything that is in Bad Shape is All..;)

Billy
 
Right Folks..I have had good look around & I have come up with this Batch of NOS Stropping Blades..I have plenty at the moment So I am fine..But if there are a Group of folks that want to Chip in for these Feel Free..One is a Live Bid but since it Aint anything that will Up Set the Applecart so to speak I will Post it anyway..Its a Batch of 12 & would make an Excellent Group Buy..o_O
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/201526108328?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT


Billy
 
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