Dad's Old Single Edge Razor

[Dominic]

Howdy,

years ago I started using by Dad's old razors. He had two adjustable safety razors that I haven't tried yet, two regular safety razors that I use all the time (one from 1947 or thereabouts and one 1967), and one single edge razor that I tried once when I was still fairly new to wet shaving. I've thought about trying it again, but I was wondering about the blades. The ones I bought before, I got from the grocery store (or maybe drug store) in the shaving section. When I tried it, I wondered if there was a difference between single edge blades for shaving and utility knife blades. They look the same. The razor did not glide across my face easily like a safety razor, and the corners of the blade kept wanting to poke my face. Ouch! It was not a pleasant experience. So, are the Gem blades actually meant for shaving?

 

[Multum in parvo]

You have to look for coated, triple faceted blades.
Most preferred and available are Gem Personna coated as sold by
Connaught

 

[Dominic]

Photo of open razor.

 

[GGiovanni]

Actually you are right, blades used in GEM razors are used also for other purposes (in wood working, if I am not wrong).

With my GEM razors I use the ones at this link: Connaught - GEM Blades
But if you look here it seems there are more types: Other GEM Blades

However I would just give a try to the ones sold by Connaught, if buying from there is OK with you.

Consider also the technique, different from the DE one. Keep the razor flat on the skin, and apply no pressure. The feedback is different from the DE one. Once you get comfortable shaves you can try a little closer angle to increase the blade feel.
With the right technique I feel these razors smooth and with the blade lasting 10+ 3 pass shaves.

 

[Salty O'Rourke]

Blades from the shaving section in a grocery or drug store are fine for shaving. The blades we use are ground to 3 facets; the utility knife blades are ground to 2 facets.

The ideal GEM blade is the PTFE (teflon) coated blade; you won't find them in the shaving aisle but the online vendors have them.

The blades we use for shaving are intended for laboratory and pathology slicer-dicers, like tissue slicers. The ones they sell in the shaving section are usually re-branded Gem uncoated 3 facet blades but shaving is a relatively small niche for the manufacturer. If you run across blades that are made outside the USA, they are most likely Dorco blades and are sub-par in my experience.

 

[Salty O'Rourke]

Photo of open razor.

View attachment 1258898

You have a GEM Micromatic Flying Wing (or Bullet Tip, as it's been dubbed by the SE aficionados). It's a very efficient, smooth razor. If you use the same razor-to-face angle as you do with your DE razors, you will have a disappointing experience. For SE, the razor head should be much closer to your face, like almost flat, or else you wind up doing more scraping and less shaving.

 

[kingfisher]

The edges of the blade should not be a problem with that particular razor. Make sure the b ademis seated properly. The sharp parts of the edge of the blades should be behind the blade tabs.

Many of those razors have a little circle on the flat part of the top cover. These were called the guiding eye. The idea was that the guiding eye should be kept touching the skin to get the proper angle for comfortable shaving. So the angle is obviously a lot different from DEs. Also, the GEM blade tends to be a but harsh on the first shave and then tone down some. I like to palm strop the blade a few tines on both edges prior to the first shave. Takes away some of that harshness.

So, takeaways are these: seat the blade so the points are behind the tabs, keep the razor almost flat against your face, light touch.

 

[Dominic]

You have a GEM Micromatic Flying Wing (or Bullet Tip, as it's been dubbed by the SE aficionados).

Thank you. I wouldn't have known the Flying Wing/Bullet Tip part.

 

[Dominic]

Thanks for the tip on how to hold the razor, how it's different than a DE. I'll remember that next time I give it a try. Connaught is in the UK. I'm in the USA. I'll have to buy the blades here. I'll look locally first, so I can avoid shipping charges.

A couple of you mentioned that they need to be triple faceted. Does it mention that on the package? I'll be sure to look for double or triple faceted blades to make sure I buy the right one.

EDIT: OK, I just looked at the picture with Personna in blue (Connaught website), and it said triple faceted. The box with Gem in red did not say triple faceted. One more question, if the box says "coated," should I assume that's the PTFE you mentioned?

 

[Salty O'Rourke]

Thanks for the tip on how to hold the razor, how it's different than a DE. I'll remember that next time I give it a try. Connaught is in the UK. I'm in the USA. I'll have to buy the blades here. I'll look locally first, so I can avoid shipping charges.

A couple of you mentioned that they need to be triple faceted. Does it mention that on the package? I'll be sure to look for double or triple faceted blades to make sure I buy the right one.

EDIT: OK, I just looked at the picture with Personna in blue (Connaught website), and it said triple faceted. The box with Gem in red did not say triple faceted. One more question, if the box says "coated," should I assume that's the PTFE you mentioned?

Tryablade.com is the place to source a few blades relatively easily. "Coated" I would assume to mean PTFE. I don't think any of the drug-store SE blades are PTFE coated, but perhaps there are some out there. I'm pretty sure the CVS blades are not PTFE coated.

If you have success with your dad's razor, by all means get your blades from Connaught's - their prices are as cheap or cheaper than you can get in the states, and the shipping is reasonable and fast. If you get your technique down pat you should get 8-10 or more shaves per PTFE-coated blade, so the cost-per-blade makes it easy to justify buying in bulk/paying for shipping. The more stuff you add to your cart the cheaper the per-item shipping is - that's how I save money through wet shaving -=giggle=- -=snort=-.

 

[kingfisher]

Yes. If it says they are coated, that means PFTE.

 

[Johnnynroy]

Thanks for the tip on how to hold the razor, how it's different than a DE. I'll remember that next time I give it a try. Connaught is in the UK. I'm in the USA. I'll have to buy the blades here. I'll look locally first, so I can avoid shipping charges.

A couple of you mentioned that they need to be triple faceted. Does it mention that on the package? I'll be sure to look for double or triple faceted blades to make sure I buy the right one.

EDIT: OK, I just looked at the picture with Personna in blue (Connaught website), and it said triple faceted. The box with Gem in red did not say triple faceted. One more question, if the box says "coated," should I assume that's the PTFE you mentioned?

Someone already mentioned this, but Connaught has really cheap international shipping. It can take a bit to arrive, but it is well worth it. I also tried sourcing locally. Unless you live in a place with a brick and mortar shave store (and NOT art of shaving that I’m aware), you will not be able to find adequate blades. Walgreens/CVS don’t have coated that I have been able to find. Walmart and target won’t carry them. If you’re going to order from Amazon, just skip it and order from Connaught. You’ll save money on the blade cost, despite paying some shipping. I spent a lot of time researching and the 100 blade pack from there is the best deal you’re likely to find. Ted pella also sells them, but you have to be sure you’re getting the exact right blades.


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[StuMcB]

Connaughts SE blades are real sharp. A good vendor too.

 

[ouchyfoot]

The ideal GEM blade is the PTFE (teflon) coated blade;

What he said. May also be listed as “Ted Pella” Personna

 

[RenoRichard]

Walgreens used to sell Gem blades like this, 10 for about $5.50; seems not to be currently on their site. But, this is the retail packaging for the stainless steel coated blades you might see:

 

[Whiterook]

My local CVS/Long's Drugs carries the carbon steel blades. They shave well enough but rust too quickly in this salty island air. I buy my Personna blades on eBay.

 

[Carpe]

+1 for GEM PTFE and basically all of the above. I just made a blade purchase from Connaught and not only was it fairly cheap (including UK to US shipping) but it was surprisingly fast. I've noted a lot of Out of Stock on these blades in various places including Tryablade. Ted Pella stocks in quantities of 100 (and maybe even 200 in the coated blades) so best to be sure before purchasing.

BTW @Ron R and several others have a lot of great information on GEM razor--Ron R did a whole chart on the different styles and how he feels they shave along with info on angle etc. for SE razors. I'm still not great with linking things from different posts other than using quotes but if you search for the GEM Razor Model thread under his moniker, you should find it--as I recall there are a lot of posts in that thread but his full charts are somewhere in the middle.

I had some amount of trouble when I started off with an SE but now I really enjoy the four that I have (including a guiding eye bullet tip) and get shaves that are consistently DFS. I went from doubting whether SEs were for me to buying 3 in a month...funny how that happens around here

Enjoy!

 

[Dominic]

Walgreens used to sell Gem blades like this, 10 for about $5.50; seems not to be currently on their site. But, this is the retail packaging for the stainless steel coated blades you might see:

View attachment 1259657

That's the package I've seen in the past. I saw that one a shaving site and e-mailed them and asked if they have the one that was pictured on Connaught's site, and they replied they don't. The box on the Connaught site noted that it was triple faceted. The shaving vendor I wrote to said this package does not say triple, so he assumed it was double faceted.

I checked the local CVS and Walgreens to no avail. I might order online then.

Thanks, everyone, for your replies! I appreciate them.

EDIT: Just to see what it would cost, I checked the Connaught site. For 10 blades, it's $5.98 after shipping. I thought it would cost more. I might buy them then. Thanks again.

 

[Salty O'Rourke]

That's the package I've seen in the past. I saw that one a shaving site and e-mailed them and asked if they have the one that was pictured on Connaught's site, and they replied they don't. The box on the Connaught site noted that it was triple faceted. The shaving vendor I wrote to said this package does not say triple, so he assumed it was double faceted.

I checked the local CVS and Walgreens to no avail. I might order online then.

Thanks, everyone, for your replies! I appreciate them.

EDIT: Just to see what it would cost, I checked the Connaught site. For 10 blades, it's $5.98 after shipping. I thought it would cost more. I might buy them then. Thanks again.

The drug store blades will be rebranded to the store's house brand - for example, Rite Aid sells them under their Daylogic brand. As long as it says Made in USA on the back, it's the right blade, just not the coated ones.

If you have a local independent Mom & Pop pharmacy in your town, check there. The ones around me sell Gem blades (and Schick injector blades too, but that's another rabbit hole).

 

[Dominic]

Well, since there was still a blade in the razor, I shaved with it. I saw that it was a Gem stainless steel, so I am guessing it's the triple faceted.

I got a close shave. Did a triple pass. It was definitely more aggressive a razor than the DE safety razors I have. Aftershave balm very much needed. It does have the "guiding eye" on the top. Since I am now around 10 years into using Dad's old safety razors and a few years into occasionally shaving with an old shavette that belonged to a friend's dad, (which I recently noticed upon closer inspection is really a Weck "hair shaper"), I guess that's probably why I was able to use the Gem better this time than the first time years ago when I was still new into wet shaving. Anyway, I might put it into rotation. Two days ago I ordered a couple straight razors. Dumb, I know, since I have what I already have to shave with.