Blades for L2 Sabre

[q345]

Hi all,
I just ordered polished Sabre razor with L2 plate from Blackmans.
I've never used Gem style razor/blades, it will be my first time. ( For many years I've been shaving.with SE Feather blades using.g Cobra, Asylum and other SE razors)

What kind of Gem blades should I order for it? Is there only one type or variations? Does Feather makes blades I can use in Sabre.

For members which are using both, what is the major differences between SE and Gem?
Thanks in advance

 

[shaveSymptomatic]

Buy the PTFE gem blades. They're sold under various brands, personna being one of them.

 

[never-stop-learning]

I use either the Personna GEM blades, purchased from Connaught or the Ted Pella GEM Personna blades purchased on the auction site.

 

[kingfisher]

Buy the PTFE gem blades. They're sold under various brands, personna being one of them.

This.

 

[q345]

Thanks a lot for recomendations!

 

[StuMcB]

If you can try a carbon blade. Treet used to do them. So smooth and comfortable.

 

[Old Hippie]

In contrast to DE blades, there's one big company (Accutek) that makes most Gem-style blades. I strongly suggest the Personna Stainless PTFE Coated blades.

There are fewer differences for me between Gem and AC formats than between either of them and DE. The major point of commonality is the extra thickness of the blades. Gem are, IIRC, a bit thicker than AC.

I find with most Gem razors I can get four to five shaves out of a Gem PTFE blade. Using the L1 plate on my Sabre I get about that, but the first two shaves are amazing instead of being a bit "edgy." Using the L2 plate I can usually get 5-6 shaves, because I find the L2 makes the last shave or two smoother than any other Gem-style razor I have.

The only time I've ever had a Gem chatter is with my Star lather catcher, which wasn't specifically designed for Gem blades (my Gem Jr. Bar doesn't chatter) and maybe more importantly might not be clamping the blade as well as it could. But, antique. It's fine. I've got some wedge blades, but little motivation to use them at the moment.

AC format has been challenging for me at times. I had an ATT SE1 and SE2 for a time, and recently re-homed them. I tried several blade types (Kai, Feather and Schick Proline, guarded and unguarded both). All of the blades in those razors ranged between rough and too sharp, and I was getting frequent nicks and cuts. Generally frustrating, so I took some time to focus on my core preferences for slant razors and Gem SE.

In an attempt to take my mind off the pandemic a bit, I picked up the RazoRock Hawk V3 in SB and OC when they first came out. It seemed like a good time for a reasoned return to AC format. I found that the SB with a guarded Feather blade was too mild to shave, which was kinda comforting to know I'd hit a lower limit instead of an upper one for a change. With a guarded Kai it was like shaving with barbed wire for me. I tried the Kai Captain Titan Mild Pink and in the SB it's smooth and mellow. In the OC, however, while the blade shaves with transcendent sharpness I find the teeth on the OC plate are just far enough apart that the razor will easily "straddle" a bump, scar or insect bit instead of gliding up over it. Then the blade is perfectly positioned to remove whatever is there: skin tag, bump, ingrown hair, scar -- it's a lovely tool for that if you can deal with the blood.

I generally get between 6 and 8 shaves from an AC blade in the Hawk V3SB. I think I went 10 once, but it was mostly just to see how it went. I guess I'd say that the biggest difference between Gem and AC blades, for me, is that AC blades last longer than Gem blades.

O.H.

 

[guitarslinger]

Personna PTFE coated stainless. The ultimate blade. Connaught is the best place to get them.

Nice thing about this razor = one great blade. Nothing to think about.