MIcromatic vs Burham 1909. Closest shave ever

Dear friends,
In the pursuit of the closest shave ever and the beyond effect, I decided to jump from DS to SE shaving. Is it worth or should I get a DE Slant?
I definitely narrowed my range to two options: Micromatic vs Burham 1909. My main concern are effectiveness and blades. I have read a lot about blades. I want really sharp ones, no matter how little they last. I also read about using blades with or without spine. It seems to me that the Burham needs using spineless blades and that the Micromatic can use regular blades with spines.
For a bigger mess for me, I saw some double sided blades for SE, that is, that can be flipped once one side is duller.
Yanking spines sounds a bit weird for me and I would discard any razor for this reason except if they sell them with no spine.
Sorry for all this ignorance ammount, but I want to clarify my ideas as soon as possible in order to get it for Xstmas.
Regards.

 

Don't discount the Rolls....a bit more work with the blade maintenance, but you won't have to buy blades anymore.

Also, many people like the MMOC, but I found it very harsh. I don't know anything about the other razor mentioned.

I do like my Gem Featherweight, and I still need to try my Star 1912.

 

Having shaved with a lot of razors of all types: DE, SE, and straights, I must say that I don't think you could possibly get any closer a shave than you get with an open-comb Gem Micromatic.

 

You could pick up a open comb Micromatic cheap and test it out. The O.C. Micromatic was too much for me. I did get a close shave once I got the hang of it but that was after I carved myself up pretty good. You could probably find someone who'll lend you a slant.

I don't know anything about the Burham razor you mention. Maybe someone else will come along with some knowledge.

I will say that for me, anyway, the difference between DE and SE is a matter of technique and shaving speed. I can shave faster with my GEM. It's not so much a matter of closeness.

My open comb M.P. R89 gets closer than my SE but is gentler on my face than that o.c. micromatic.

Good luck in your quest!

 

Light

I can barely see the light at the end of the tunnel.
Everybody agrees on pointing at the OCMM as the best option, though I would like to know more of the Burham.
Thanks for your help.
Regards.

 

Another :happy088 for the MMOC.

I really like the MMOC. The 1912, the Gem Push Button, the Gem Lather Catcher have all given me great SE shaves, as well - when used with Gem SE blades.

Never heard of/seen/used a Burham.

 

The Micromatic Open Comb was literally my first old school razor. Indeed where this wetshaving lunacy all started for me. Great shaver without a doubt but there was a bit of a learning curve at first. As has been said, the Gem 1912 and/or any lather catcher you can lay hands on are all wonderful choices as well. For the first couple years, SE Gems and Ever Ready's were my default setting. Great razors every one. The lasting impact to my rotation is felt to this day as 2/3rds of my safety razor fleet is SE to this date. I'm not sure where the term "5 o'clock shadow" originated but I can assure you that he certainly wasn't a Gem user. IMHO, the shaves are pretty comparable to a straight razor shave and I normally get 5 o'clock shadow at about midnight or 1 a.m.

A couple caveats though: The blade angle is a bit different from a DE. Start your passes with the head of the razor nearly flat against your face and then rotate it outboard slightly until you find the sweet spot (it should be at about 15 or 20 degrees off totally flat.) The Micromatic is also kind of a hefty razor so NO PRESSURE is especially important. You may have a couple rough shaves initially but stay with it. Your patience will undoubtedly be rewarded.

I hate to speak in generalities but the CVS brand SE blades should be avoided. I had a pack of 10 one time and every single blade in the pack was like shaving with a broken beer bottle. They all seemed to hop all over my face, biting, scratching and gouging with every move.

 

I use the Gem Push Button and an Ever Ready 1912 and love them both. Between the two, the Push Button seems a bit more aggressive, which I like. Never tried the MM, but intend to real soon, given how popular it seems to be. The Ted Pella Coated SS blades work well for me, and I have never had a bad blade yet. No 5-OClock shadow here when I use my Gem. By the next morning I hardly even need a 3 pass shave and often just do 2.

 

No ma'am, it is Burham, I have one in my collection but have never shaved with it, and like the OP said they used a spineless S/E blade.

I don't recall if a modern blade with the spine removed fits properly, or if I ever tried it honestly, maybe if I get the chance this weekend I'll give it a go.

 

Thanks for your clarifying explanations and help to you all. In addition I just want to know if OCMM uses regular blades (seems yes) with or without spine. They say that using the ones with spines means giving the blade a different angle.
Regards.

 

No spine removal required. The MMOC, 1912's and Gem Lather Catchers all take off the shelf SE blades

 

Great news regarding blades. By the way, are all OCMM TTO? Seems criptic language.
Thanks.

 

MMOC - MicroMatic Open Comb
TTO - Twist to Open

Yes - twist the knob at the bottom of the handle and the cap, or top, of the head pivots up and open.

Found this video. The guy's got some great pointers. He does show how to load the blade, but unfortunately he doesn't show actually twisting of the knob, but I'm sure most folks can figure that out.

Using the MMOC video

 

Thanks again. I had already found this interesting video and watched it.
Ted Pellas seem to be the blades to choose. Carbon, Stainless, PFTE. My main concern as an Feather DE blades, is obtaining the closest shave.
Be well and regards from Spain.

 

Two great razors Jeff; good choice.....:happy097

 

Here is a picture of a Gem Micromatic "clog pruf" with the original instructions in the box. They take Gem or any regular SE blades and you just twist the end knob up and down to load or unload blades which I buy at the grocery store. They shave great and the main differences IMHO would be the bar vis a vis open comb. I use the bar for a milder shave.:signs021

 

Just got this Micromatic, Guess that it is a regular open comb one. Seems mint condition.
Be welll.

 

Yup. Great score :happy088 :happy088

Enjoy it in good health!

For what it's worth, I can't use an SE for more than two days in a row. That's because they shave so close. I've relegated SEs to the weekends - a str8 on Saturday and the SE (such as the MM or an injector) on Sundays. Some folks can and do use 'em every day. God bless 'em!