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Post by PJGH on Apr 5, 2014 13:56:29 GMT -6
Thanks, matey! hile reading back, I noticed I posed the same picture twice. Just above where I say, "Hmmm ..." this picture shows the Feather blade pushed all the way back. I reckon I can snip off a little more of the hole to have the arms click in just perfectly.
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ShadowsDad
Gem Star
None boring shaver!!
"It's not the bow, it's the Indian"
Posts: 4,534
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Post by ShadowsDad on Apr 5, 2014 16:28:36 GMT -6
That cleaned up fantastically! Good that you'll be able to use.
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Post by drumzalot on Apr 5, 2014 20:45:48 GMT -6
Excellent post Paul. Thanks for the in depth overview and plentiful pictures of this razor. As always you made an old razor look new.
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norfolkdick
Master Shaver
Captain of the Razor Blades
Posts: 1,601
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Post by norfolkdick on Apr 6, 2014 1:59:27 GMT -6
Greetings
That last picture is particularly interesting Paul and tends to make you feel perhaps the original blades were a couple of millimetres wider than the current blades and the two 'guides or quasi blade stops' were there to simply stop you digging the blade corners into your skin. At least that's my take on it, you really do need to find an original blade but I'm sure it won't be easy, the last ones probably found their way into landfill before we were born!
Regards Dick.
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RocketMan
Gem Star
RazorAddict
Welcome To The Sharp Side!
Posts: 4,167
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Post by RocketMan on Apr 6, 2014 2:19:40 GMT -6
Yes this is a wonderful razor. You have done a great job cleaning it up and presenting it here. Thnx!
Looking forward to the shave report.
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Post by PJGH on Apr 6, 2014 2:38:35 GMT -6
Thanks, chaps. Yes, Dick, you're quite probably right. With such a precision piece of equipment I am sure the blades would have been made to fit flush. You can see from this picture that the blade corners were not stopped by hooks, but fit flush they would not have been a danger. I'm re-thinking the Feathers. Given a little more in the edge holes, I think they'd be a much better fit leading me to think that the original blades must have been pretty much Valet blades with the edge holes were a micron larger. I have tried a vintage Valet, but they are the same as the Feathers.
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Post by PJGH on Apr 6, 2014 3:04:17 GMT -6
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Post by sleddog on Apr 6, 2014 12:09:05 GMT -6
Excellent!! Very nice job cleaning it up, looks great!!
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Post by PJGH on Apr 10, 2014 7:10:08 GMT -6
Tonight's the night!
I'm going to go with a Feather, pushed all the way back and the arms left open ... unless I can just nibble enough without breaking the blade to get it to sit all the way back and close the arms. Pushed back, it sits in the same place as a munged GEM blade, in terms of reveal, so expect a medium aggressive shave.
Fingers crossed ...
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Post by PJGH on Apr 10, 2014 13:54:42 GMT -6
You guys are going to hate me for this, but ... this is a stormingly good razor! I agree, what a pain having to fiddle about with the blades, but the juice is so much worth the squeeze. With the Feather strapped in and pushed all the way to the back, the blade exposure looks on the aggressive side ... and it was. Think Micromatic Open Comb, and you're about there. The sound is like the 1912. Scraping a butter knife over toast. Sublime feedback. The build quality is that of the Valets, but so much more aggressive ... and such a great sound. Two passes did me ... Built like a BMW, sounds like SAAB, feels like an AUDI. Awesome!
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Post by wchnu on Apr 17, 2014 22:30:43 GMT -6
Awesome indeed. Sounds great.
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Post by PJGH on Apr 18, 2014 7:40:14 GMT -6
MJC has it on loan at the mo ... we'll no doubt hear what he thinks in due course.
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Post by mjclark on Apr 19, 2014 15:25:01 GMT -6
MJC has it on loan at the mo ... we'll no doubt hear what he thinks in due course. Yeah - it's great to have the opportunity to try this razor so thanks Paul! One of these passed me by on ebay a few months back and I'd wondered what it would be like. Well, now I know and it really is a shocker It reminds me of one of those early biplanes that was made out of wood and canvas, and it really is a beautifully constructed razor,moresoe than the Valets or even the Empire. And with that Feather blade pushed right back it was still extremely fierce. More aggressive than the OCMM, even less smooth, fussy about angle and very bitey. Astonishingly loud too, buttering toast or maybe scraping burnt bits! I can't help wondering whether with a narrower bespoke blade with less exposure, the 7 o'clock might turn into a much better behaved razor, but this way was a lot of FUN and a real hang-on-to-your-hats kind of shave. I'm really glad to have had the chance to experience it!
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Post by PJGH on Apr 19, 2014 15:31:45 GMT -6
I did say, "think MMOC kind of aggressive" I liked it and didn't think about this until now, but what about dropping in a GEM blade as per my modifications in the above thread. Just upon insertion it looked so far back that I didn't think it would achieve anything, but it might actually be just in the right place for a mild shave. Yeah, noisy innit!?
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Post by mjclark on Apr 19, 2014 16:02:29 GMT -6
Absolutely cracking idea to use a GEM blade. That looks a lot more like it, and I'll let you know tomorrow...
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