Hey all! Happy early Thanksgiving. I’ve been a head shaver for around 10 years now; starting out with a no-guard electric trimmer followed up with a Gillette cartridge razor/shave gel, and most recently (3-4 months) a Merkur Futur on 6 with an Astra SP for the initial WTG pass to take all the hair off (I get lazy and sometimes go weeks without shaving it. The trimmer gives razor bumps and irritation.) followed up with my 34C/Astra SP for the ATG/XTG passes. I dont shower before shaving so I use pre-shave oil and hand lather with Proraso White (sensitive), followed up with alum and my choice of AS/ASB. It takes me forever to head shave with a DE because I’m constantly readjusting my angle. I’ve been hearing about GEM head shaving. Supposedly you don’t have to worry about the angle as much so you can get a quicker shave? I’m interested in trying this. I do have sensitive skin on my face but not much so on my head. Anyone have experience with GEM head shaving that can provide some input? Which GEM would you recommend? I don’t do EBay or buy off of forums so a brand new GEM would be the only way to go. I read PAA has a cheap entry level GEM or I can spend some $$$ and get a Blackland or ATT.
GEM Head Shaving
- Thread starter SullyInATX
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"rabidus" is the guy to ask about this.
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- #3
Rabidus offered some advice in a huge thread I started so maybe I’ll just copy/paste this into that thread
I find that the remedy for problem free head shaves is to shave everyday. I'm letting my hair grow at the moment, I'm not balding. After one week of hair growth, my stubble wreaked havoc growing back. I had zero issues shaving daily, even missing a day. I had major razor bumps on the back of my head after one week of growth.
I've only used vintage GEM razors on my head shave, the GEM MMOC being my favorite.
I shave in every direction to smooth things out.
@Dragonsbeard compared the MMOC very close to the Sabre L2 for his face shave, as far as efficiency and smoothness.
No matter what razor you use, you will have to maintain the proper angle.
I suggest shaving daily until you are comfortable with the angles and then you can shave less often, it's like riding a bike!
I've only used vintage GEM razors on my head shave, the GEM MMOC being my favorite.
I shave in every direction to smooth things out.
@Dragonsbeard compared the MMOC very close to the Sabre L2 for his face shave, as far as efficiency and smoothness.
No matter what razor you use, you will have to maintain the proper angle.
I suggest shaving daily until you are comfortable with the angles and then you can shave less often, it's like riding a bike!
I rotate through many different razors for head shaving and use Gems for on occasion. My favorites would be a 1912 or 1914. I don't think I get it done any faster or easier though (no harder though). For quick and easy SE it's hard to beat an injector my favorite would be an E Type. For quick and easy DE I like OLD types or a Fatboy. Also I don't shave my head ATG, two quick passes front to back usually gets me to DFS or at least good enough for me.
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I don’t have any problems head shaving, I’m just looking for a quicker option. My head shaves from start to finish typically take 30-40 minutes depending on how OCD I am that day. I wish I could shave my head every day... I’m too lazy to devote the time. Overall I was just wondering if you think a GEM razor would cut some time off of my shave. Do you find GEM/SE razors easier/harder to maintain proper blade angle than DE razors?
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- #7
Front to back from your forehead to the top of your scalp isn’t ATG?
I’m fortunate enough that I have no issues with razor bumps or irritation on my head. I can go every which way multiple times. My face is a completely different story!
Ouch... Shower, face and head shave takes me about 45 minutes give or take, I've done it in 30. I don't find any difference in time no matter what razor I use. It's BBS when I pick up a razor. I find SE blades best...
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- #9
@rabidus When you say you find SE blades best, do you mean SE or GEM? I was under the impression they were different. The Sabre includes 3 Personna GEM blades. Do you recommend a different GEM blade to try?
Schick Proline(AC), GEM SS PTFE(GEM), and as @troy mentioned, injectors. I'm not crazy about injectors, I prefer heavier razors with round handles, but they perform great. Other AC blades are not efficient enough to BBS my toughest stubble on my head.
DE blades are thin and flexible, they work best in a rigid razor design where the blade is held like a vise, supported fully by the baseplate.
SE blades are thicker and more rigid than a DE blade.
Even when a DE blade is supported fully, I feel it is still tearing my skin up on a micro level. No blood loss or lasting irritation. My skin feels smoother after shaving with an SE.
Basically, I get the same BBS results from both DE and SE. With a DE, after I'm done, it will feel like I ran a razor on my face. After I'm done shaving with an SE, it doesn't feel like I've shaved at all.
SE razors can be used at shallow str8 razor angles. At these angles, the blade slide on the skin slicing stubble. Even at the shallowest angles with a DE, they seem to do more scraping rather than slicing.
The postwar Tech and 48-50 Aristocrat was my best head shavers, the MMOC blows them away.
The ATT SE1 is my number one razor with the Schick Proline P AC blade. I got it recently after taking a break from shaving my head, so I haven't used it on my head yet. I've gotten MMOC/GEM SS PTFE performance from the Schick Proline in the El Jefe, but I'm on the fence with using the wider blade on my head. I don't really benefit from the wide blade on my head because of the roundness of my head. The full blade is not in contact with my skin on different parts of my head. It's not in full contact on my face either on some parts, so it's just something I have to get use to. The ATT SE1/Schick Proline should perform just as good as the mighty MMOC, it does on my face.
I haven't used the ATT G1. I was planning on giving it a try but the ATT SE1 pretty much put an end to that, I like the wider AC blade much better.
Not sure why no one is giving the ATT G1 a try. It was said to be too mild on its release and then it was revamped. I've only seen one review of it since it was changed and it was positive.
One advantage with the ATT G1 is it doesn't have blade stops, so you get the full cutting edge which is one reason why I would go for the ATT G1.
ATT has a 30 day satisfaction guaranteed, you can send it back if you are not satisfied. I believe Blackland has one also, not entirely sure though!
I only use the GEM SS PTFE blades. Carbon blades are garbage for me.
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From the forehead to the crown the grain is pretty sparse for me, but front to back is more or less WTG for me. It does switch up a little, but not enough that I need to change directions. I shave after a shower. to shave my head and cleanup around the beard it takes me about 15 min, 20 if I'm using a razor I'm not used to or just want to get better than average shave. If I'm in a hurry I can get it done in 10.
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A lot of advice/opinion here. A little confusing (I did just wake up...) to see what you truly recommend. Is it the ATT SE1 with Schick Proline P AC blade? Which handle do you prefer? I’d like to try a SE and GEM at the same time. Do you think there’d be noticeable difference? The clash mechanism of the GEM just seems really cool and functional to me. Maybe I’ll order the SE1 and a Blackland Sabre and use one for a week and the other for a week to compare.
Forgot to add that GEM/SE razors look easily cloggable to me. Do you have to make sure you don’t have a lot of growth before using them? I watched a video review of the SE1. Wow are those blades small! They don’t look anything like a DE or GEM blade.
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There are several different AC blades. The Schick Proline P are the most efficient and smoothest for me! Paired with the ATT SE1, it's simply the best!
I've only used the Sabre L1 and found it too mild. The L2 looks promising, great reviews, unfortunately the ATT SE1 and SE2 ended that pursuit. I prefer the wider blade.
I shave daily so I don't know anything about clogging issues, the SE1 is perfect for daily shaving. If you're man enough, the SE2 is what you want. It's the only open comb AC razor around. It takes a little more focus than the SE1 but it's more efficient, about as efficient a "safety" razor can get. It uses the same cap as the SE1. It shouldn't clog with the open comb.
I have the 3" Atlas handle. Longer handles are for garden tools.
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There are several different AC blades. The Schick Proline P are the most efficient and smoothest for me! Paired with the ATT SE1, it's simply the best!
I've only used the Sabre L1 and found it too mild. The L2 looks promising, great reviews, unfortunately the ATT SE1 and SE2 ended that pursuit. I prefer the wider blade.
I shave daily so I don't know anything about clogging issues, the SE1 is perfect for daily shaving. If you're man enough, the SE2 is what you want. It's the only open comb AC razor around. It takes a little more focus than the SE1 but it's more efficient, about as efficient a "safety" razor can get. It uses the same cap as the SE1. It shouldn't clog with the open comb.
I have the 3" Atlas handle. Longer handles are for garden tools.
I’ll pick up the SE1 and try it out. It seems ATT doesn’t include blades, at least I can’t see it included anywhere in the description. Can you provide a link to purchase the blades you use? I can’t find them anywhere.
I get them from Japan. Unfortunately they're sold out at the moment. You can get them here in the US at a premium though...
Schick P-30 Proline Artist Club Style Blades -Pack of 30 blades
I get them from here with small packet shipping:
https://global.rakuten.com/en/store/ha-life/item/twoinone0550/?l-id=rgm_item_en_rvp_widget
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Well, I ordered the SE1 from ATT and contacted them about whether or not blades were included. They are not, and I don't believe in buying a $185 razor from a company that doesn't provide at least one blade with it to try out. I cancelled my order and ordered the Sabre with both the L1 and L2 base plates and the inkwell stand. Hopefully it treats me right! Excited to try a new style razor. I will never attempt using a straight razor so this GEM and SE are all I have left to try.
There are 6 different popular AC blade choices that will change the performance of the SE1. If ATT would choose one of those blades for you, you may like it or you may not like it.
You can get a sample pack of all of the from try a blade Buy Individual Razor Blades for Double Edge, Single Edge and Shavettes
The GEM razor basically only has one blade that is mainly used, the GEM SS PTFE. So it's easy to throw in blades for the Sabre.
The Sabre has a lot of positive reviews, should be a winner!
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I’m sure hoping so! The Sabre comes with 3 Personna GEM PTFE blades. I typically use a fresh blade every shave... with the cost of GEM blades I may have to change that. Is there a specific GEM blade you like?
Some GEM type razors can clog a bit if the hair is long. MMOC is ideal for longer hair - there's nowhere for the hair to build up (I find an Old Type DE even better).
1912 variants I rarely have a problem with clogging while shaving a couple days growth, though I often get a bit of under the blade build up with a 1914 or 1924 or G bar.
These are face results rather than head....
Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk
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- #20
I’ll definitely be trying it on my face as well. No point in spending $300 on a razor and designating it to head only! My thing is I just can’t shave every day, and I’d rather not use my beard trimmer with no guard to get it down low enough to shave. My Futur on 6 allows me to tackle a month’s worth of hair growth and not clog. My 34C with an Astra SP that I use after I take it down works fine... I just end up spending 30-45min shaving and I was looking for a another razor that might help speed the process. If it doesn’t, yet I find the razor is enjoyable to use and works well, hey, I got a nice new razor. Happy Thanksgiving everyone and happy birthday to me!
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