Blooding my new SEs.

[proxymoron]

Figuratively, maybe literally.

Picked up a pair of SE razors on the bay not too long ago and am pretty keen to give them a whirl. From what I gather, I've picked up a GEM 1912 travel razor and a GEM Featherweight. Both have cleaned up well:

Except for a spot of brassing near the handle-join of the 1912 and a touch of plate loss on the heel of the Featherweight, neither shows much wear for having been around since long before I was born. Any apparent wonkiness is strictly the photographer's fault.

I bought a 10-pack of the GEM x Personna blades and was fortunate enough to receive some PTFE-coated Pellas from Brianw to try. Watched a bunch of tutorial vids and skipped today's shave, so Saturday morning looks set for launch.

A question for the SE shavers: what blade/razor combo do you guys recommend? The 1912 gets a lot of raves (as do the coated Pella blades) but is this the right combo to start on? Do the Featherweight and/or Personna GEMs present milder options?

Your thoughts are appreciated.

 

[drandall]

the 1912's are a great place to start. the ornate handle 1912 and fat-handled version are particularly nice. a few things i've found:

1) angle is key. personally, i find 30-40 degrees off the face to be about right

2) like a straight razor, SE's benefit from a bit more skin stretching than a DE. just don't overdo it.

3) no pressure. this is true for DE's but doubly so for single edge.

4) use short strokes and given the added blade thickness, be careful maneuvering around curved surfaces like the chin

5) dont use a SE razor that has weak spring that doesn't clamp down firmly on the blade or one which has missing or bent blade guides.

 

[DunEdinRanger]

the 1912's are a great place to start. the ornate handle 1912 and fat-handled version are particularly nice. a few things i've found:

1) angle is key. personally, i find 30-40 degrees off the face to be about right

2) like a straight razor, SE's benefit from a bit more skin stretching than a DE. just don't overdo it.

3) no pressure. this is true for DE's but doubly so for single edge.

4) use short strokes and given the added blade thickness, be careful maneuvering around curved surfaces like the chin

5) dont use a SE razor that has weak spring that doesn't clamp down firmly on the blade or one which has missing or bent blade guides.

Great advice - Don't forget to try an Open Comb Micromatic!

 

[RichGem]

Great advice - Don't forget to try an Open Comb Micromatic!

And the veal. Don;t forget to try the veal.

seriously, ditto the above. also good prep is essential.

 

[Slivovitz]

I'm not sure that mildness as such is even the main point; for me the 1912 design is the easiest to use. Maybe it's the design of the guard, maybe it's the shape of the head, maybe something else, but I find it extremely easy to control. I'm not sure if I've ever cut myself with one of these, and I've always gotten a close shave.

I didn't care much for the Featherweight, but maybe I need to give it more of a chance some time. It's been a while, and I remember not liking it without being entirely sure why.

 

[HoosierTrooper]

Like the other fellas have suggested, start with the 1912. I find the handle on the Featherweight a bit tricky, and it's much lighter, while the 1912's seem to be near perfect in weight and balance.

I can't tell a bit of difference between the GEM/Personna/Walgreens blades and the Ted Pellas, but some guys with more sophisticated faces than me can.

 

[MrGuy]

I still don't get along well with the Featherweights. I think they are far too light and it's very easy to apply too much pressure. Maybe it's just me.
As far as blades, physically they are two different blades (different grind angles), but performance wise there is little difference. I seem to get more shaves from the Ted Pella blades, but it could be all in my head as well.

 

[proxymoron]

Thanks for the tips--for once, there even seems to be a pretty solid consensus. Will post results if I survive the weekend.