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Continuing my SE search

I've tried the OneBlade Core and really do not like the many cons I experience with it-

  • only 2 comfy shaves per blade
  • head is too bulky to shave nooks and crannies under my nose
  • no matter how many passes I don't get BBS with it
With these things in mind, what's a good SE razor to try?
 
Personally I would recommend going "old school" -- a Schick Injector would be my initial recommendation and a Gem 1912 or Micromatic would be my next. Are you open to vintage or prefer new/modern?

2nd on that.........like old school.

I would throw in that the GEM g bar is mild to me........and I'm really new to that specific razor.

camo
 
Before going to a new razor you can try using a modified gem blade in the razor. That will improve the amount of shaves per blade. You should get at least 5 to 6 shaves if not more than that with a Gem blade. It might also help with the closer shave problem also.
 
If you still want to get a different razor whether you do or don't try the Gem blades your options are limited for modern razors depending what you want to pay and also the blade format depending which single edge blade type you want to go with. Knowing about what you are willing to pay for a razor will help in suggesting some options.

Based upon what the one blade core sells for a single edge that sells close to that price is the Type L clone of a Schick Type L1 injector. That could be an option. It is certainly a more aggressive and maneuverable razor plus the injector blades should last you at least 10 shaves. The cons is the build isn't always good on them.

This about the best price you'll get for one which is ~$27 including one injector key w/7 blades before tax and free shipping.

The link is a buy it now price and not an auction so shouldn't violate any posting rules. If it does check amazon there are retailers selling the same razor for about the same price just search shave classic.
 
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A Schick injector is a good call, and another would be a modern razor using one of the Feather Artist Club blades. The razors which take these blades include the Razorock Hawk, ATT SE1 and Blackland Vector. All are excellent, but I find the Vector the best of the bunch.
 

EclipseRedRing

I smell like a Christmas pudding
I would try the vintage 1912, here in the UK you can easily find the Ever Ready 1912 in perfect cased condition for under £10. Beautiful looking razor as well as a great performer.
 
I have a Core, and it's a very fickle razor - some shaves are spot on, and others aren't. I think the pivoting head screws around with my technique and makes it difficult to keep the razor head on point.

As for the FHS10 blades, I find that they work best for me with a soap or cream that features cushion over slickness. I'm on my fifth shave with one in my AutoStrop VB2 with more shaves left in it. I palm strop the blade between shaves to clean the edge.

Can't go wrong with a vintage GEM or Ever Ready razor of any stripe, well, maybe not the Contour II. If you like a heftier razor, look for an AutoStrop, they are built like a tank and perform well; some will work with a de-spined GEM blade while others will require the FHS10.
 
Personally I would recommend going "old school" -- a Schick Injector would be my initial recommendation and a Gem 1912 or Micromatic would be my next. Are you open to vintage or prefer new/modern?

I'm open to vintage. SO far I have 2, a Travel Tech and a Flare Tip.
 
If you still want to get a different razor whether you do or don't try the Gem blades your options are limited for modern razors depending what you want to pay and also the blade format depending which single edge blade type you want to go with. Knowing about what you are willing to pay for a razor will help in suggesting some options.

Based upon what the one blade core sells for a single edge that sells close to that price is the Type L clone of a Schick Type L1 injector. That could be an option. It is certainly a more aggressive and maneuverable razor plus the injector blades should last you at least 10 shaves. The cons is the build isn't always good on them.

This about the best price you'll get for one which is ~$27 including one injector key w/7 blades before tax and free shipping.

The link is a buy it now price and not an auction so shouldn't violate any posting rules. If it does check amazon there are retailers selling the same razor for about the same price just search shave classic.

I'm willing to pay more than the Core. I have a Merkur 34c DE, and might consider going up to about $100 for a razor. The Core was on a really good sale, down from its original price so I thought the price was right to test it out.
 
I'm willing to pay more than the Core. I have a Merkur 34c DE, and might consider going up to about $100 for a razor. The Core was on a really good sale, down from its original price so I thought the price was right to test it out.
At that price point you have some options for modern razors. For injector blades you have the Supply V2 which is better built than the Type L clone. lf you get the alloy version that is an option that will cost about $75 and comes with 3 different aggressiveness plates with the razor. For gem style razors you can try the PAA Starling if it still produced. For Artist Club blades the razorock hawk V2 is another option though I would wait until the V3 is out first and some reviews of the new version. I can't comment on how these razors shave except the Supply which I only found works for me with the 3 dot plate. The others if they catch your fancy ask around.

For vintage at $100 you could get 5 or more razors depending the price. As long as you keep away from lather catcher style razors or high end sets and razors that collectable and in demand you should be able to find something that works for you using Gem or injector style blades.

I'll post some razors to consider vintage in a bit with pictures so you know what you are looking at and for if you decide to go that way.
 
For an AC razor, I like the aluminum Hawk V2, but I prefer my Classic Shaving SS Enoch. I also enjoy my MMOC which is a bargain - you can generally find one in good to excellent condition for under $30.
 
For me, I spent a little time reading various SE threads, first trying to determine what format most appealed to me. I decided the biggest initial differentiator between the SE formats is (easily obtained) blade selection, and I wanted to start off with some choice, and after reading about blade rigidity and sharpness, I settled on Artist Club (AC).

Long story short, I read universal praise for the Blackland Vector, and it was an easy decision for me to pull trigger and order a polished version. I only had a short wait as they caught up on inventory, but I have had mine for a little over a month. It has been a revelation. So much so that I can say without doubt that if my name on the Wolfman order list came up today, I would take a pass and opt to not complete my order. My DE usage has been minimal since getting the Vector (as well as a vintage injector that followed), and I simply don't see that changing any time soon.
 
One I really like that is mild but effective is a Gem razor called a Clog Pruf Peerless. The reason for it being called a Peerless is to differentiate it from a regular Clog Pruf. The way to tell the difference between the both is shown below.
gcp.jpg
Clog Pruf on the left
Clog Pruf peerless on the right
The Peerless has more teeth on the guard and that is how identify them.

If you want mild but effective then the Gem flat top razors are an option. They do require some technique to get the best out of them which is shave them with the razor head flat to the face and use light pressure. They aren't overly efficient but with enough passes and multiple swipes over an area on each pass you'll get a BBS finish with no cuts or irritation.
Models to look for are the Micromatic Flying wing bullet tip with and without the guiding eye, Featherweight, heavy flat top aka G-bar, push button, Contour and Contour II. They vary in mildness
except for the Micromatic bullet tip without the guiding eye which is the most aggressive of the bunch.

The difference between Micromatic Flying wing with and without the guiding eye is the razor cap either has a circular indent aka the guiding eye or doesn't aka without the guiding eye.

The next is more aggressive and generally well regarded among wet shavers here and on other forums. That is Gem Micromatic open comb.

You should be able to get at least 6 shaves out of a gem blade and regardless of the razors suggested you can still find user grade ones for $20 or less on ebay shipped if you find the right auction or buy it now listing.

I happen to own all these razors and my preference is the Clog Pruf Peerless but I do rotate the flat tops in quite a bit. The Micromatic open comb gets the least use.

I'll do a separate posting on Schick injectors.
 
I forgot to do so, here it is my injector razor recommendations.

I personally like the vintage stuff better here, not that you don't have modern options but you really only have 2 maybe 3 options if Maggards still has the discontinued Mongoose Minigoose in stock on modern injector razors.

My suggestion for a starter razor unless you already know what type of a razor mild or agressive, etc. you like is to start out a Schick Type G injector. It doesn't matter what style or variant. They are solid middle of the road shaves, not too mild or aggressive. These razors usually run around $20 for user grade pieces. From there you'll know whether you want to trade up to a more aggressive or milder model after using it for a bit. Another option similar to the Schick Type G razors are the Pal injecto-matic razors though they are not as common.

If you find that too aggressive then the next one down on the mild scale would be a Type L specifically one that is referred to as an L1 made 1972 or later or if you go by my dummies thread then any razor that is called a 2nd variant regardless of style.

Now if you find it too mild the next one up on the aggressive scale would be a Type E specifically one called a Type E3 or a 6th variant using the dummies thread for Type E razors.

Finally if you want a really efficient beard busting type of a razor then the Type I or J razors specifically the 2nd variants. My personal favorite of those second variants is the I2 hydro-magic.


The other injector to take a look at are the Schick adjustables, don't get caught up in which variant the main points is it they go from mild to wild depending the dial setting and they work equally as well with single edge injector blades and double edge injector blades which though expensive are ridiculously smooth and long lasting to the point the are cost wise about the same price per shave as cheaper blades.

I get a minimum of 10 shaves out of an injector blade doing 5 pass shaves with a double edge I don't know but I do know of people saying they get 30+ days out a single double edge injector blade.

Other thing to consider since it was a concern is injectors are very maneuverable besides the angle and pressure used. They also shave similar to carts. You should also be able to get BBS finish shaves out of any of these razors with enough practice and passes.

Here are the threads for the Type G, E, I, J and L razors so you can see what they look like and key features that distinguish them from other injectors.



 
I love single edge razors, and have more than my share. The 1912 is my favorite for the GEM blade--but if you think the OneBlade core head is too big to shave your lip, then you won't like the 1912, other GEM (micromatic, G-Bar, etc.) or Valet Auto Strop razors.

For Feather style blades, I like both my V1 Razorock Hawk (I never tried the V2--I believe he had to change it because the original is pretty much a replica of the Mongoose Alumigoose) and the ATT SE1. The ATT is a higher quality aluminum and it feels like it--better feel in the hand. There's also a stainless steel version but that's well above $100 last I checked. Schick injectors are nice and easy to use, but I don't get as close of a shave with those.

I also tried the OneBlade for the $20 sale price--I actually like it and may sell some of my razors so I can upgrade to the Hybrid or see if I can find a Genesis in the $200 range (I've read they have 50% off sales for Father's Day and Black Friday).

Good luck!
 
I love single edge razors, and have more than my share. The 1912 is my favorite for the GEM blade--but if you think the OneBlade core head is too big to shave your lip, then you won't like the 1912, other GEM (micromatic, G-Bar, etc.) or Valet Auto Strop razors.

For Feather style blades, I like both my V1 Razorock Hawk (I never tried the V2--I believe he had to change it because the original is pretty much a replica of the Mongoose Alumigoose) and the ATT SE1. The ATT is a higher quality aluminum and it feels like it--better feel in the hand. There's also a stainless steel version but that's well above $100 last I checked. Schick injectors are nice and easy to use, but I don't get as close of a shave with those.

I also tried the OneBlade for the $20 sale price--I actually like it and may sell some of my razors so I can upgrade to the Hybrid or see if I can find a Genesis in the $200 range (I've read they have 50% off sales for Father's Day and Black Friday).

Good luck!

Gem style razors don't need to be maneuverable under the nose. They work just fine as long as you are willing to do an ATG pass and/or as recommended in the Gem razor instructions an xtg pass from the edge of the lip towards the nose. The milder they are the better they work on an ATG pass.
 
Gem style razors don't need to be maneuverable under the nose. They work just fine as long as you are willing to do an ATG pass and/or as recommended in the Gem razor instructions an xtg pass from the edge of the lip towards the nose. The milder they are the better they work on an ATG pass.
I agree—I get great results from my GEM without issues. I was just referring to the OP who felt the OneBlade wasn’t comfortable. If it’s the size of the head that’s an issue, then a razor that uses a Feather AC, Injector, it half DE blade might be more to his liking.
 
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