I just bought a Gem razor that has HOLD FLAT AGAINST FACE stamped on top. Is this razor common or is it a specialty? Just curious becasue if it is common I just got owned big time.
Yes that is my question too. I'm a year in and doing well with DE technique. So i thought I would try a G-bar. Used a Gem blade. It _ate_ my face. A few nicks, but a lot of burn and redness. I was probably too fast and too steep, but it took me a while to heal and not too sure I'll go back. I've seen it written that SEs are like straights. I sure have much more respect for them after a few rough shaves.... I had a few older Gems which I tried to use but had less than desireable results. Seeing this razor makes me think maybe my angle was way off? Are you really supposed to put the razor flat against your face while shaving?...
Yes, you shave with an angle that's very close to having the cap flat against the face. With a DE the blade is flexed both for extra rigidity but also to create a reasonable shaving angle that's the same on both sides. With an SE the blade is already very rigid and there's no need for symmetry. So with a DE the actual cutting angle is complicated by the flexed blade. With an SE the angle is clear. You start with the blade parallel to your skin and then slightly move the spine away from the skin. With a lot of the SEs you'll clearly hear when the angle is right and the whiskers are popping. That angle will have the angle of handle to face much different than a DE. If you have the handle at the same angle you'll have the spine of the SE blade too far from your skin and you'll be scraping instead of efficiently cutting.
+1(Just make sure it has functioning blade stops, which yours appears to have.)
I don't think I've ever shaved with a more intuitive easier to use razor than the OCMM.I've seen GEM advertising that says the OCMM is designed to shave properly much like a shave from a professonal barber practically on it's own.
If you go with the flow that's exactly what it does...
But the reminder on the blade cover might be a great idea anyway...
The razor knows....![]()