Gem blades (even the coated ones) tend to be very harsh on their first few uses. A few weeks back @shave/brush suggested hand stropping 4 times on each side (seems these blades, not necessarily made for shaving, are not ground as finely as DE blades). Finally gave it a go on a brand new Gem blade this morning. The difference was unbelievable. Smooth as butter in my Sabre L2, and sharp as all heck. Fab shave this morning gents. This is some of the best readily employable shaving advice out there. Hat’s off to you @shave/brush!
A Gem of an Epiphany
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I haven’t tried palm stropping; you just keep the blade flat and drag across your palm away from the sharp edge?
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I don’t strop the length of my palm (it’s not a smooth plain and I don’t want to get cut). I put my left palm up and hold the top of the blade with my thumb and index finger of my right hand. I then strop the blade a very narrow length of my palm that starts at what would be a line that begins at the point between my pinky and ring finger back to the edge of my palm on the other side of my pinky.
Good luck! Works wonders.
Good luck! Works wonders.
I lightly cork (single pass, minimal pressure, wine cork) my Gem PTFE blades before first use.
I also strop them lightly on my inner forearm after use. It’s a reasonably flat surface. I give the blade a couple passes on each side. It helps dry them, if nothing else.
I also strop them lightly on my inner forearm after use. It’s a reasonably flat surface. I give the blade a couple passes on each side. It helps dry them, if nothing else.
That sounds kind of similar to what I do. I hold the spine of the blade in my right hand, lay the edge on the thick part of my left hand below the pinky, and snap it off my hand past the pinky. Once on each side. That's enough for me. Seems strange that it works, but it does for me.
I'm glad it worked for you. I just strop it on the edge of my hand below the pinky finger going from the inner side to the outer edge. Only about a half inch maybe. Works fine.
Flintstone65
Imagining solutions for imaginary problems
Okay, you guys sold me. I've tried a few things, but I'll admit that I haven't tried palm-stropping a GEM blade....I generally just put a new blade in a mild razor (e.g., GEM Featherweight) or I just kick caution to the wind and throw it into whatever razor is up to bat....admittedly, that hasn't historically worked out very well 
.
On a totally unrelated note, man they really overhauled the forum software, no wonder it was down so long today.
. On a totally unrelated note, man they really overhauled the forum software, no wonder it was down so long today.
I'm glad to hear the stropping worked for you and you got a great shave!
I tried it once but couldn't tell a difference , then again I've never noticed the PTFE blades to be rough.
I tried it once but couldn't tell a difference , then again I've never noticed the PTFE blades to be rough.
I've palm-stropped my SE blades for years, I don't know if it makes a big difference but I don't think it hurts either. I put just enough moisture on the heel of my hand so that when I pull the blade across it, suction is created and a noticeable resistance to the stropping occurs. My personal belief is that this results in removing microscopic particles of soap and skin from the edge, and doesn't necessarily remove any burrs or straighten any rolled edges like you would find when stropping a carbon blade.
I have to say my "I play with blades all the time" side just does NOT get this. In the spirit of Lord Kelvin's comment to the effect of "When you measure, you KNOW" -- what is the data? I've been looking and don't see the kind of data that gives me numbers.
Now I'm also NOT arguing about it. Y'all have empirical data (that is, generated by experience or observation) but I'm looking for a deeper dive. The closest thing I've found that seems logical was posted on a well-known DE-biased shave site back in July. From that discussion: "...PTFE tends to be soft and wears out very easily, especially when coated on a slick surface – like that of a polished and ground razor blade – which is then exposed to abrasive materials like your whiskers.
This coating – whatever it is composed of – will usually last for part of your first shave before it is worn away, maybe longer depending on the preparation of the base metal, coating chemistry, and quality of bonding. Thereafter you get down to the “bare metal” of the blade itself. The cutting-edge will cut before the coating wears off, but as is wears you will notice the blade changes “feel” as you go through your shave."
That says to me that palm-stropping simply removes the very thin PTFE layer from the edge of the blade. Alternatively for those who "face-strop"
we are doing the same thing but a little more slowly. My next task is to think up an experimental design that will get to my questions.
Absolutely NOT tossing fuel on the fire. I have some specific things I want to know, which means I need to ask specific questions and test them in specific ways. Not going to bore you with my mental process for now, but I'll report back.
O.H.
Now I'm also NOT arguing about it. Y'all have empirical data (that is, generated by experience or observation) but I'm looking for a deeper dive. The closest thing I've found that seems logical was posted on a well-known DE-biased shave site back in July. From that discussion: "...PTFE tends to be soft and wears out very easily, especially when coated on a slick surface – like that of a polished and ground razor blade – which is then exposed to abrasive materials like your whiskers.
This coating – whatever it is composed of – will usually last for part of your first shave before it is worn away, maybe longer depending on the preparation of the base metal, coating chemistry, and quality of bonding. Thereafter you get down to the “bare metal” of the blade itself. The cutting-edge will cut before the coating wears off, but as is wears you will notice the blade changes “feel” as you go through your shave."
That says to me that palm-stropping simply removes the very thin PTFE layer from the edge of the blade. Alternatively for those who "face-strop"
we are doing the same thing but a little more slowly. My next task is to think up an experimental design that will get to my questions.Absolutely NOT tossing fuel on the fire. I have some specific things I want to know, which means I need to ask specific questions and test them in specific ways. Not going to bore you with my mental process for now, but I'll report back.
O.H.
Never quite understood this. To me there is no finer, sharper, smoother shave than with a fresh GEM PTFE SS blade.
Maybe a Feather DE or a Feather Super Pro come close.
Maybe a Feather DE or a Feather Super Pro come close.
I have to say my "I play with blades all the time" side just does NOT get this. In the spirit of Lord Kelvin's comment to the effect of "When you measure, you KNOW" -- what is the data? I've been looking and don't see the kind of data that gives me numbers.
Now I'm also NOT arguing about it. Y'all have empirical data (that is, generated by experience or observation) but I'm looking for a deeper dive. The closest thing I've found that seems logical was posted on a well-known DE-biased shave site back in July. From that discussion: "...PTFE tends to be soft and wears out very easily, especially when coated on a slick surface – like that of a polished and ground razor blade – which is then exposed to abrasive materials like your whiskers.
This coating – whatever it is composed of – will usually last for part of your first shave before it is worn away, maybe longer depending on the preparation of the base metal, coating chemistry, and quality of bonding. Thereafter you get down to the “bare metal” of the blade itself. The cutting-edge will cut before the coating wears off, but as is wears you will notice the blade changes “feel” as you go through your shave."
That says to me that palm-stropping simply removes the very thin PTFE layer from the edge of the blade. Alternatively for those who "face-strop"
Absolutely NOT tossing fuel on the fire. I have some specific things I want to know, which means I need to ask specific questions and test them in specific ways. Not going to bore you with my mental process for now, but I'll report back.
O.H.
As for my Gem forearm stropping, I not only have no data, I don’t even know why I started doing it. I never shaved with Gem SE blades until recently. I don’t strop DE blades on any body parts. But when I started using Gems I spontaneously went to forearm stropping. It felt familiar...
I’m pretty sure my mother had a Featherweight. Did she teach me to forearm strop as a toddler? I have a distinct memory of her putting a lit cigarette between my lips and sending me around the garage to toddle into the backyard and shock my father. So why wouldn’t she introduce me to unshielded razor blades?
As for corking, I picked up that suggestion on a B&B thread. I have not run a double blind study, so I won’t claim to have data. But I am convinced it smooths out shave 1.
Your mom sounds like mine. You sure we're not related?
Well, MY mom used a Gillette. I suspect she swiped it from Dad when he returned from Making The World Safe For Democracy in 1946. I do know I'd like to have that razor, but it's long, long gone. I do have his old Military Clip Schaeffer pen, however.
Thanks for your perspective. I have some ideas on that, but they're only ideas at this point.
O.H.
I never found "stropping" to make much difference. Recently I've been happily using Injector blades in my MicroMatic family of razors with good results.
Invest in a hanging straight razor strop, perhaps? I've seen a youtube video of a guy doing exactly that.
BTW, you don't strop a blade to make it sharper. You strop it to align and round the edge slightly. That could make for smoother shaving. The edge of a blade is made of "teeth" microscopically, and by stropping it, you align the teeth. You also smooth out the bevel. All those things can reduce irritation.
A good blade theoretically shouldn't need any of that, though.
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- #16
Right, and that’s the point. Gem blades are predominantly made for industrial purposes, not shaving. They likely have the issues you mention which is why stropping is helpful.
There is no doubt in my mine that stropping makes for a smoother shave. If I use a GEM blade, any GEM blade, it does not feel smooth to my skin at all. I would never use a GEM blade if I couldn't strop it. I give it 4 strops on each side of the blade on my hand and it becomes very smooth.
That's an advantage of a GEM, I suppose. Injectors would be difficult to strop . The first shave with an injector can be harsh with certain blades.
With other types of blades it's not necessary to strop, at least the DE blades and artist club SE type blades.
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