Shaving with a SE razor loaded with a DE razor blade

[DCRIII]

After reading another thread asking about SE razors that could use a half of a DE blade and thus learning that someone else modified a decent blade to fit in a 1912, I decided to give it a try.
I decided to use my Shovelhead and just grabbed a random DE blade, a Personna Platinum Chrome as it happens, for this. I used a pair of cuticle scissors to trim the sides tabs on the DE blade until I could slide it under the garden tabs inside the razor. I first tested it on my rist and was quite surprised how smooth and close it shaved. Today I did a 3 pass shave with it and got the best BBS to date. No nicks, cuts, weepers, or irritation. Now I need to find out which of my other SE razors will work in this manner.
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[matwho]

It's nice to know you can do that if you need to but I think I will stick to the Gems as long as I can get them.

 

[BSAGuy]

Well done.

 

[KeenDogg]

Cool hack!

 

[Heron]

After reading another thread asking about SE razors that could use a half of a DE blade and thus learning that someone else modified a decent blade to fit in a 1912, I decided to give it a try.
I decided to use my Shovelhead and just grabbed a random DE blade, a Personna Platinum Chrome as it happens, for this. I used a pair of cuticle scissors to trim the sides tabs on the DE blade until I could slide it under the garden tabs inside the razor. I first tested it on my rist and was quite surprised how smooth and close it shaved. Today I did a 3 pass shave with it and got the best BBS to date. No nicks, cuts, weepers, or irritation.

I wish I'd tried this before I got rid of my SEs. Those GEM blades were terrible (in my experience; I know many of you think they're the best blade ever).

 

[DCRIII]

It's nice to know you can do that if you need to but I think I will stick to the Gems as long as I can get them.

I like using GEM blades as well and I currently have about 200, so it was mostly curiosity of how well as SE razor would perform with a DE blade if I could get one to fit.

 

[q345]

Congratulations for your sucesful experience.
I am a Feathe AC user, never had or shaved any regular SE, so when I read about OneBlade and how good is that I asked on this forum couple of weeks ago, If anyone who currently owns OB woukd be ready to do the following experiment: put half DE blade in OneBlade under GEM with filed edge, so Gem blade will act as a holder only, but actual shaving will be done with the edge of DE. Got scolded that 'it's too much to ask', 'want to fiddle, buy OB and fiddle yourself, don't ask other to satisfy your curiosity' etc. No one was ready to try and I haven't got any meaningful responded.

I considere buying cheap vintage SE razor , had no desire to spend 400$ on OB, and try, but your experiment.proved it can be done successfully.

I like using GEM blades as well and I currently have about 200, so it was mostly curiosity of how well as SE razor would perform with a DE blade if I could get one to fit.

 

[DCRIII]

I tried multiple different Vintage SE razors I've have, and found that the Ever-Ready Shovelhead is the easiest to work with and get a DE blade into, especially without damaging the other side of the blade. I managed to get one into a GEM 1912, Gem Damaskeene, and a 1914 Ever-Ready, but with a little difficulty and possible damage to the other blades edge. The GEM Featherweight, Push Button, Bullet tip Micromatic, G-bar, and bother the Clog pruf and OC Micromatic SE razors were all a no go without some serious modification that I've yet to look into.
If I had a OneBlade or the extra funds just to buy one to see if I could get a DE blade to work in one, I'd certainly give it a go!
Anyway I hope this information helps you out.

Congratulations for your sucesful experience.
I am a Feathe AC user, never had or shaved any regular SE, so when I read about OneBlade and how good is that I asked on this forum couple of weeks ago, If anyone who currently owns OB woukd be ready to do the following experiment: put half DE blade in OneBlade under GEM with filed edge, so Gem blade will act as a holder only, but actual shaving will be done with the edge of DE. Got scolded that 'it's too much to ask', 'want to fiddle, buy OB and fiddle yourself, don't ask other to satisfy your curiosity' etc. No one was ready to try and I haven't got any meaningful responded.

I considere buying cheap vintage SE razor , had no desire to spend 400$ on OB, and try, but your experiment.proved it can be done successfully.

 

[q345]

I am sure now, after reading your posts that it can be done with OneBlade.
My initial two questions were caused by multiple claims here on the forum
that OB provides 'best shave ever'. I simply wanted to know what is the decisive factor :
pivot, blade or head geometry.

Pivot is very easy to disable by just wrapping a piece of regular sticky tape around it.
After unwrapping it , a regular alcohol wipe should clean any residie. Or it's possible first to wrap non sticky plastic and on top of it sticky tape, then there is no residievat all.Haven't got any feedback.

Regarding using the DE in OB : I think the slot is minimum 2 times wider then thickness of GEM or Feather SE Blade. DE blade, according to specs is 2 times thinner then Gem blade, so I think it's possible to slide them together into the slot or at least try without any danger of jamming or damaging the head.
Haven't got any meaningful feedback on it as well.

As you mentioned , the main problem is funds, I simply don't have free 400$ to buy OB for the try, otherwise I would have done it myself, all is needed is scissors, piece of sticky tape. And about 5 min of time.

You wrote that DE in SE provides an exellent shave and it strengthen my assumption that decisive factor in OB performance is not the blade or pivot, but head geometry, in particular wide low guard so it should perform equally well if actual cutting edge wil be of DE blade.

This is important, IMHO, since OB has monopolized distribution of feather blades in US, so if it's possible to use DE in OB with results equal to usage of Feather SE, it solves the problem of blades prices and availability.

I tried multiple different Vintage SE razors I've have, and found that the Ever-Ready Shovelhead is the easiest to work with and get a DE blade into, especially without damaging the other side of the blade. I managed to get one into a GEM 1912, Gem Damaskeene, and a 1914 Ever-Ready, but with a little difficulty and possible damage to the other blades edge. The GEM Featherweight, Push Button, Bullet tip Micromatic, G-bar, and bother the Clog pruf and OC Micromatic SE razors were all a no go without some serious modification that I've yet to look into.
If I had a OneBlade or the extra funds just to buy one to see if I could get a DE blade to work in one, I'd certainly give it a go!
Anyway I hope this information helps you out.

 

[jmudrick]

I'll just second that this works just great. I shimmed the Shovelhead with a couple of injector blades placing the trimmed DE on top and have had two great BBS shaves.

 

[Slapo]

@DCRIII: Would you mind re-uploading the attachments?
I'd very much like to see the photos, but it seems they are now gone.

Thanks.

 

[DCRIII]

@DCRIII: Would you mind re-uploading the attachments?
I'd very much like to see the photos, but it seems they are now gone.

Thanks.

Sure thing, here they are.

 

[Slapo]

Awesome, thank you kindly.

Razors are not toys, but, hmmm, all the fun that can be had like this...

 

[jmudrick]

I tried the Shovelhead with a trimmed Astra DE for the head shave, extremely aggressive and efficient but a little scary. For the beard I trimmed the edge off the Astra and used it as a shim to stabilize a fresh Personna Blue. Though the DE blade doesn't benefit from the curvature here as it does in the Shake Sharp, the stabilizing blade does smooth things out considerably, making for a great and considerably less scary shave. I like it.

 

[jaro 101969]

Sure thing, here they are. View attachment 759938 View attachment 759939

I know this is an old thread but just ran across it so,,,, i guess im just missing something in your pics.. where exactly did you trim it ??? also instead of putting a blade under a blade couldnt you have just slid the end off a se blade and slid it on the end of a de blade? please explain this procedure to me again if you will and thanks....

 

[DCRIII]

I know this is an old thread but just ran across it so,,,, i guess im just missing something in your pics.. where exactly did you trim it ??? also instead of putting a blade under a blade couldnt you have just slid the end off a se blade and slid it on the end of a de blade? please explain this procedure to me again if you will and thanks....

I trimmed off the end tabs of the DE blade were you'd normally grab them for safe handling.
Yes, I guess you could slide on the end of a single edge blade on one end of the DE blade, but it would more than likely dull that side of the blade. Wouldn't be an issue if you aren't going to use both sides though.

 

[jaro 101969]

I trimmed off the end tabs of the DE blade were you'd normally grab them for safe handling.
Yes, I guess you could slide on the end of a single edge blade on one end of the DE blade, but it would more than likely dull that side of the blade. Wouldn't be an issue if you aren't going to use both sides though.

thank you i didn't notice they were trimmed until you said specifically and now i see it. and i figured the other end would get dull anyway so that's why i mentioned the end piece from a SE.