Hello Gents.. Happy Thanksgiving Day... I have never used a single edge razor. That said I have accquired a GEM G-Bar (really nice looking and solid) and a GEM Featherweight yellow handle with silver head (also in good shape). Which one would you suggest I start out with for a first shave using the SE system?? Tips on angle and such would be greatly appreciated.
GEM SE Advice
- Thread starter Sledgehammer39
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I haven't shaved with either one, but the 1912 model is really great and the micromatic just a hair under it.
As for shave angle... it is different than a DE... you have to hold the head almost flat against your face with just a slight lift of the back of the head. Go slowly until you get the hang of it, it will take a little learning.
As for shave angle... it is different than a DE... you have to hold the head almost flat against your face with just a slight lift of the back of the head. Go slowly until you get the hang of it, it will take a little learning.
I find the grip of the Featherweight to be a little more secure - the metal handle of the G is a little slippery for me.
Take a look at the numerous threads on shaving with SE - I think you'll want a much milder angle with the SE than with a DE - the head of the razor is going to be closer to parallel with your face. Remember: NO PRESSURE! (OK, obviously there has to be some pressure - but if you press the razor against your face (& neck, esp.) there will likely be irritation. Go easy, is all.)
Great shaves with these guys, I bet. Have fun!
Take a look at the numerous threads on shaving with SE - I think you'll want a much milder angle with the SE than with a DE - the head of the razor is going to be closer to parallel with your face. Remember: NO PRESSURE! (OK, obviously there has to be some pressure - but if you press the razor against your face (& neck, esp.) there will likely be irritation. Go easy, is all.)
Great shaves with these guys, I bet. Have fun!
- Thread starter
- #4
Hey Guys.. Thanks for the tips and advice. I will attempt the use of the Featherweight on Saturday and I will update you on my progress.
Good luck! Oh, and one more thing... GEMs typically give a lot more audio feed back (scraping/hair cutting sound) than a DE. This is normal and not an indication that you're doing anything wrong.
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- #6
Before I shave I gotta quick question. Between the Rite-Aid SE Treet blade and the CVS Gem SE blade which one would yield a better result? Thanks in advance.
Which one says Personna?
If they say Carbon Steel they may start to rust rather quickly.
I prefer the PTFE stainless steel GEM blades.
If they say Carbon Steel they may start to rust rather quickly.
I prefer the PTFE stainless steel GEM blades.
IMHO, they're about the same. Tho, I think the treets might be a touch sharper and smoother. But, that's totally subjective.
- Thread starter
- #9
Hey Guys Thanks for all the great tips.. I feel so empowered on this site with the vast amount of knowledge available.. I also plan on posting some pics of razors which I have snagged at some antique shops so stay tuned.
Of all the GEM models I find the Micromatic the most difficult one to use without cutting myself when shaving.
- Thread starter
- #11
Hello Gents.. As promised I am gonna give some feedback on shaving with the GEM Featherweight using a GEM-Personna blade. I had about 6 days of beard growth and I made sure that I got my beard really supple and soft during my shower. I finished with the shower and used Proraso (white tub) with a touch of E-shave cream into it. I massaged the soap into the beard, felt confident that it was soft enough. Using hardly any pressure with the GEM it was taking my beard down to nothing.. 
I was really impressed. I do used a method shave approach when shaving with a DE and did so with the SE. I gotta say when it was all said and done it was a really great experience using this under appreciated/overlooked shaving platform. I gotta get one of those 1912's but I would like one of those Contour models. This product line is great and will have a permanent rotation along side my SS and Progress. 
I was really impressed. I do used a method shave approach when shaving with a DE and did so with the SE. I gotta say when it was all said and done it was a really great experience using this under appreciated/overlooked shaving platform. I gotta get one of those 1912's but I would like one of those Contour models. This product line is great and will have a permanent rotation along side my SS and Progress. - Thread starter
- #12
I posted some pics in a new thread of razors which I found at an antique store. Let me know what you think? The only razor not in the picture is the GEM Featherweight which I used.
Your best bet is to choose the 1912 with the best texture to the handle. Short, slippery handles are the weak point with these, as far as I'm concerned. The handle on the Ever-Ready I'm using right now is hexagonal but shiny and smooth, so I have to dry it off if it gets wet for any kind of useful grip.
- Chris
- Chris
- Thread starter
- #14
Thanks for the tip Chris.. In another post I got a 1912 at an antique store and I plan on trying that model next week. I just wanna finish up a week the Featherweight.. I know that YMMV but how many shave can u get out of SE blade when shaving with it?
Imo, the 1912 is the best safety razor ever created. BBS straight razor close shaves every single time.
I am glad the SE gods have a new worshiper.
I am glad the SE gods have a new worshiper.
- Thread starter
- #17
Imo, the 1912 is the best safety razor ever created. BBS straight razor close shaves every single time.
I am glad the SE gods have a new worshiper.
Hey Disburden.. Take a look at my post that I had started today it shows some GEM units which I accquired over the weekend hunt. Let me know what you think of them. I would like to get my hands on a Contour with a silver head which I could use at the gym. Any tips on technique for the neck area still in a learning curve with the Gem but I like it. How do you grip the handle?
I didn't know CVS had Gem blades. I went to Riteaid and CVS tonight and ended up buying Treet blades. The blades at CVS looked exactly like the Treets at Riteaid except they were the CVS brand and cost a little more. Are these actually Gem blades? (There was no mfg. name on the back except CVS).
I hold GEMs differently than I do with DEs. I made a post on it, it's somewhere in the safety razor forum. Basically what I do is hold the top of the razor's handle with two fingers, right under the head of the razor. The rest of my fingers just kind of hover over the hand to give balance or change angle if I need to. Pressure is almost non-existent also and like mentioned before the angle is pretty flat to the face than it would be with a DE razor.
When I shave with a SE I also stretch my skin with the other hand just like I would with a straight razor. So basically when I am shaving my neck my other hand is stretching the skin very tight to make the hairs stand up at attention.
Stretching making shaving a lot easier.
My Gem Featherweight arrived today and it was my first SE shave. It was actually a VERY close shave, closer in some areas than a DE. The cheeks went very well but I did have problems on the neck. I think I was using the proper angle as you described, but it wasn't cutting the whiskers. I think it was possibly because the hairs weren't standing up. I had to make several passes and ended up with lots of cuts and redness. But it was close. I'll try your suggestion about stretching the skin next time. Holding it at the top of the handle sounds interesting too. It seems like that might give you more of a "feel" during the process.
