Blade Life: GEM/Personna, PTFE Coated, SE Razor Blade

[SteveF]

What is the normal / expected blade life for the: GEM/Personna, PTFE Coated, SE Razor Blade?

I recently started shaving with SE razors (I have been shaving for over 40 years with DE safety razors), and I am using GEM/Personna, PTFE coated, SE razor blades. I am still using the very first SE blade that I started shaving with in SE razors (I purchased a pack of 100 blades). . . I just had my 21st BBS shave with that blade today (today I shaved with an Ever-Ready, 1924 - "Shovel Head" razor). I have used that same blade shaving with the following razors (with most of the razors, I have shaved multiple times with the same blade in each different razor): 1912 Damaskeen, 1912 Ever-Ready (made in England), 1912 GEM, GEM Feather Weight, GEM Flat Top Heavy - FTH/G-Bar, MMOC, MMCP, MMBT, 1914 Ever-Ready, 1924 Ever-Ready - "Shovel Head."

 

[SteveF]

Today, I enjoyed comfortable (two and a half shaving passes), BBS shave number 22 with the same blade!!! -- Today I used the blade in a 1912 GEM Damaskeene razor.

 

[SteveF]

Shave number 23 today with the blade. . . Great shave with an Ever-Ready 1924 "Shovel Head" razor!!!

 

[luv2shave]

Chanced on this thread when looking for something gem blade related. Sad to see no comments and the thread just die. 23 shaves is amazing and wonder how long that blade lasted @SteveF

It would be great for people using Gem blades to post their experience and revive this thread. Apparently Gem PTFE blades last longer than DE for most shavers. Would like to know the maximum shaves people have got and in what hardware.

Sent from my MI MAX using Tapatalk

 

[JWK1]

I don't get it. I really don't. I go past 5 shaves with a GEM PTFE and it will barely cut my whiskers. I wish I could find the secret.

 

[troy]

I hope the OP weighs back in too, looks like he was here as recently as a couple months ago.

I hear a lot of guys say they get more shaves out of these than DE blades, but not me. I get 5-7 really good shaves from these, the best are from shave 2 to 4. I could maybe push it to 10 if i really tried. Most DE and injector blades will easily go twice this for me sometimes four times as much.

 

[Jim99]

I never pushed my Gem Personna blades past 6 shaves. It’s not like they felt terrible at that point, but the shave didn’t feel as smooth. Next time My SE razors come up in the rotation, I’ll push the blade and see where it really is “done” and post my results.

 

[1afc]

I have to admit this single edge stuff is strange.

I had a 1912 and tried it out will an old technology Tweet. Now I know what they use for skin grafts!

However, with the GEM PTFE it just seems like the perfect combination to me.

I've read that the 1912 is aggressive but I found it is just super efficient. No rash, no nicks (unlike DE) and blades seem to last around 10 (same as the good DE).

I came from the usual DE stuff includes Merkur Progress and Variant, and then milder Tech, DB89, Krona et al.
Blades Feather, Personna Lab, GSB in Tier 1 and Astra SP as tier 2 (smooth but don't last).

Just from a curiosity perspective, I have a hand strop on order to see if I can get a bit more out of the SE as they are thicker and also safer to strop with the inbuilt spine.

For those that haven't tried SE I'd certainly suggest it's worth the effort.

 

[Jim99]

I’m on shave 7 now with the Gem Personna blade in my Damaskeene OC. The shaves are still great and I’m planning on going with this blade till it quits.

 

[PeteVK]

I can’t wait to try my first SE soon. I picked up a GEM Jr from a member here with a pack of 100 blades.

 

[Ron R]

I learned from shave counting on a DE blades with the average between 5 to 7 good shaves and try not to push shaves past 6 shaves because its the average for my beard type, works out to about $.02 to .03 cents a DE shave.
Gem Personna SS PTFE blades I get about 8 to 12 good shaves and when averaged its 10 and I try not to push the blade past 10 and that works out to about $.02 to 03 cents a SE shave the same as DE system blades IMO.
I seem to get closer shaves and skin and beard feels better with the GEM blades ( there is a short learning curve technique for the GEM system) and I have been using both systems for over 2 yrs and I have will not sell my DE razors for now. It depends on how much beard a person is shaving(beards,mustaches.....) and head shaving also is a consideration for longevity of any blade system.

Have some great shaves!

 

[Clay S]

I'm currently on shave 21 with both my Gem SE and my Gillette 7 O'clock. Today only got a DFS with the SE. If the same or worse the next shave on Tuesday, I'll retire it.

 

[Clay S]

21 was it. Switched to a PAL today.

 

[les24preludes]

The joy in the PTFE blade for me is using it when it's new or nearly new. It's just wonderful then. But after 6 shaves or so it doesn't quite have that edge and I prefer to load a new one. I don't push any of my blades past the point where they start to disappoint compared to a new blade. I mean, I have literally hundreds of blades and shave once every 2 days, so what on earth is the point of using them when they start to dull?

 

[Rory1262]

Not sure how many shaves I'd gotten out of it -- my guess is a dozen to 20 -- but today I had a GEM blade tell me that its useful life was over. I could tell after the first pass that a switch was needed.