Atelier DURDAN Vestige pass around

**** 10/16 EDIT: My first two shaves used the + plate, not ++. ****

I have shaved twice so far with the Vestige. This is my first experience with GEM style blades, and my first impression is that the blades are much smaller than I anticipated. Paint scraper blades and close up pictures of vintage ornate lather catchers in SOD pics created a mental picture in my mind of an intimidating beast of a razor. I was relieved to see the proportions and sizing of GEM blades is appropriate for the job of shaving.

Aesthetically the Vintage is just as stunning in real life as in the pictures. The reduced size of the head presents a very elegant and minimalist tool in contrast to the large heads I am familiar with from pictures.

The Vestige handle style is my favorite among Artelier Durdan's offerings so far aesthetically. The tapered end of the handle is graceful and fits perfectly in the stand. I note that the razor easily tips over if the stand is moved with the razor in it.

The first shave was my maiden voyage using a GEM style razor. During my first shave, the smooth handle felt slick in my hand. I switched to a knurled AboveTheTie handle of similar length and weight and found it to me much more secure in my hand.  I used the + plate for both shaves. As others described, the Vestige feels quite nimble and agile. I found the performance to be  excellent after switching to handle with more grip. Very smooth and comfortable shave. I only detect the slightest of blade feel using the + plate.

When I changed plates this evening, I discovered that I first used the + plate. Tonight was my first use of the ++ plate. More to follow, but the razor came alive to me and I enjoyed a sublime shave tonight.

The ++ plate hit my personal shaving sweet spot. It provides just the right amount of blade feel and a bump in efficiency. The razor is very comfortable, and drew no weepers or blood whatsoever. Weight and balance are very good. My only recommendation is in regards to the handle. Although beautifully designed, it lacks grip. I felt much more confidence using a knurled handle. 

This was an excellent introduction to the Gem format for me. I am grateful for the privilege of experiencing the Vestige. Thank you very much Atelier DURDAN and cornbread for sharing this beautiful gem with DFS!

The Vestige arrived last night from ewk and I had my first shave with it this morning. My first impressions are that it is a very beautiful and well made razor that is quite a bit smaller than I was expecting. Things always look bigger in pictures to me.

Anyway, I went to load up a fresh PTFE and found it to be a little bit precarious to do because of the small size of the top cap and baseplate. I didn't end up cutting myself or anything so no harm, no foul. I'm sure it would become second nature of you owned one and used it often.

On to the shave. With the standard (?) plate I believe this is the most mild razor I've ever used, at times to the point of being ineffective. The tiny blade gap caused the razor to get clogged without frequent rinsing. There were moments when it was just wiping the lather off my face without cutting any stubble. My trouble spots of coarse hair around my chin and jawline didn't end up smooth even after many buffing strokes. Needless to say this plate did not really work for me, but I can tell this thing will shave well with the other plates.

I did really enjoy the agility and slim head profile. With the more aggressive plates I'm thinking this design will be a joy to use. We will see in the coming days. One other note, I found the handle to be surprisingly grippy despite the lack of knurling/rings etc. The way that it was machined definitely left some kind of micro texture to the finish even though it looks polished. Pretty impressive if you ask me. I'm excited to try the other plates.

Here's another update with my last two shaves...

The shave with the + plate was only marginally better than the standard. So in essence, too mild for my taste. It did a little bit better job cutting through my stubble, but not by much. I still appreciated how nimble and maneuverable this razor is however. Blade changing was still kind of precarious and with the thin post you have to be careful not to cross thread the handle. Nice finish with a bit of buffing.



For today's shave I used the ++ plate and it is definitely the best of them, but I would still categorize it as mild/medium. To be brutally honest I get better shaves out of my vintage GEM razors. That doesn't negate the fact that the Vestige is still a fun razor to use though. You can zip around your face with ease and I like how it feels almost like a squeegee wiping the lather and whiskers from your skin. The design and craftsmanship is impeccable and I would probably be more interested if a more aggressive plate was offered.



Many thanks to Atelier DURDAN for generously offering the pass around and to cornbread for facilitating. The razor will be packed up and on its way to Freddiep318ti within the next day or two.

Razor arrived today. I'll give it my first run in tbe AM.

First run with the Vestige. As others as stated, I was surprised at the size of the razor upon arrival. Most GEM style razors have a bulkiness and weight that we've all become accustomed to dealing. This one was a refreshing surprise! Razor is well crafted and a beautiful design.

I took the maiden voyage with some SV Felce and the standard plate. My stubble was light due to a late shave yesterday and the standard plate, though mild, handled it nicely, leaving me BBS with zero nicks or weapers. Reading others reviews in this thread I thought the standard plate would be too mild but I fount it perfect as a daily driver. Razor was nimble in hand and a joy to use. My only concern was the sickness of the SV made tbe handle itself a little slick. The knob at the bottom of the handle allowed for a grip to hold on to Razor without issue thankfully. Tomorrow will be the + plate.

Second run with the Vestige. This morning I used the  + plate with the same blade. Slight uptick in aggression that made for a more efficient,
but comfortable, BBS shave. Getting more familiar with the razor allowed me an even better shave IMO and I was able to adjust for any potential handle slickness That I experienced yesterday.

I have yet to use the ++ plate but feel the standard or + would be my go to plates. I do still plan to try it but just going off experience, those would be my range with a GEM blade. Aggression wise my go to is a Karve with a C plate or Schick Type M set around 3 for comparison.

The more I look at the razor the more I find it to be a gorgeous piece of hardware. Very well made and the lines are perfect. To aid in the shaving task I used my C-MON w/ Shaveforge silvertip and Gentleman Nods Musashi. Great overall shave to start the day.

Third day with the Vestige and 1st run with the ++ plate. This plate is definitely the most efficient of the 3 due to the increased aggression. This would be my stopping point in the line-up if a +++ plate was offered. I did have 2 small weapers at my goatee line where the skin is a little more sensitive but nothing  a splash of cold water couldn't handle. Even with the increased aggression, this is still the most comfortable GEM style razor I have used and would recommend to anyone looking.

I went with one of my favorite Zingari line-ups and did a trifecta of Traditionalist soap, splash and beard balm. Brush was a custom Zingari handle with Maggard 2 band knot.

Thank you to both cornbread and Atelier DURDAN for the chance to use this beautiful piece of hardware.

The razor arrived from Freddiep318ti yesterday, and I used it for the first time this morning. As a bit of background, I shave both my head and face, and I prefer efficient razors. I typically use DE razors, and my current favorite is the Yates 921-EH in titanium. My experience with GEM razors includes a Micromatic Clog Pruf, MM24 (1924 Shovelhead on a Micromatic handle), Blackland Sabre Level 2, and titanium Shield GEM. 

I was really impressed by the build quality and machining of the Vestige. The lather holes in the baseplates are especially eye catching. The weight and balance felt great to me. Since I gravitate towards higher efficiency razors, I skipped the classic plate and loaded the + plate for my first shave. I had three days' worth of growth on my head and face. 

The WTG pass on my head felt great. I didn't have any issues knocking down the stubble. I went ATG on my next pass, and the razor felt very smooth, comfortable, and safe. I did have to do more cleanup strokes than I'm used to with the razors in my typical rotation, but it could be that I didn't have the angle quite dialed in. 

My face shave was also very nice. Again, the WTG pass was quick and easy. XTG and ATG were comfortable. Overall, I found this razor pretty easy to use right out of the box. I felt myself wanting a bit more efficiency, so I'm looking forward to using the ++ plate on my next shave.