GEM SS uncoated compared to PTFE coated

[Flintstone65]

Absolutely, brother!

 

[Esox]

I will just find a way of getting some PTFE coated blades.

This is a good place to buy PTFE blades.

GEM by Personna Stainless Coated Single Edge Razor Blades

They have inexpensive international shipping.

 

[Dave Deluxe]

Or you could buy here for a dollar less ($21.00) and get them in the good ole USA.

< Stainless Steel Single Razor Blades - Single Edge Carbon Steel Blades | The Razor Blade Company >

 

[Esox]

Or you could buy here for a dollar less ($21.00) and get them in the good ole USA.

< Stainless Steel Single Razor Blades - Single Edge Carbon Steel Blades | The Razor Blade Company >

I keep forgetting about that place and I even have them bookmarked! lol

 

[rabidus]

I checked, the ones I have from rite aid are carbon.

 

[Flintstone65]

I checked, the ones I have from rite aid are carbon.View attachment 932160 View attachment 932161

If I remember correctly, you're a Gem PTFE user as well? How do the rite aid blades compare for you?

 

[rabidus]

If I remember correctly, you're a Gem PTFE user as well? How do the rite aid blades compare for you?

I picked those up a while ago and only used one. I bought them to see if they were PTFE stainless steel, because it doesn't say on the label. I just opened one pack to check. I think I was waiting for my PTFE blade to arrive.

I might be able to get 2 BBS face shaves out of one. I couldn't get one BBS face and head shave out of a blade though, my head stubble is more coarse in some areas than my face stubble. Where as I could get at least 4 BBS face and head shaves from a SS PTFE. They take more work to get the same results as the PTFE and they rust fast. I could use them in a pinch but that's about it!

 

[Flintstone65]

I picked those up a while ago and only used one. I bought them to see if they were PTFE stainless steel, because it doesn't say on the label. I just opened one pack to check. I think I was waiting for my PTFE blade to arrive.

I might be able to get 2 BBS face shaves out of one. I couldn't get one BBS face and head shave out of a blade though, my head stubble is more coarse in some areas than my face stubble. Where as I could get at least 4 BBS face and head shaves from a SS PTFE. They take more work to get the same results as the PTFE and they rust fast. I could use them in a pinch but that's about it!

Thanks for the info. I'm in the same boat, I've been waiting on my Connaught's order and I'm thinking I might need to get some drugstore blades to tie me over. I've had such poor shaves with my Tryablade carbons that I'm not dying to experiment with more blades....especially carbons. That said, I've heard okay-to-good things about Treet's, which I think are made by Personna ASR and are the blades carried by CVS and other drugstores under their own private labels.

Geez, I know I've whined about this before, but even with the billions (slight exaggeration) of different DE brands, it didn't feel this hard. I just need to buy a truckload of the Gem PTFEs and put this out of my mind forever.

 

[rabidus]

Thanks for the info. I'm in the same boat, I've been waiting on my Connaught's order and I'm thinking I might need to get some drugstore blades to tie me over. I've had such poor shaves with my Tryablade carbons that I'm not dying to experiment with more blades....especially carbons. That said, I've heard okay-to-good things about Treet's, which I think are made by Personna ASR and are the blades carried by CVS and other drugstores under their own private labels.

Geez, I know I've whined about this before, but even with the billions (slight exaggeration) of different DE brands, it didn't feel this hard. I just need to buy a truckload of the Gem PTFEs and put this out of my mind forever.

Walgreen's usually has PTFE blades if they have them in the store.

 

[Flintstone65]

Cool, thanks!!!

 

[rabidus]

Cool, thanks!!!

You're welcome... if you go to the Walgreen's website and search "gem", they come up and you can put in your zip code to find them in store.

 

[Esox]

How do the rite aid blades compare for you?

For me, the carbon blades are a short step up from the Graham Field. I think they're actually utility blades in different packaging lol. The GEM PTFE is a fantastic blade.

 

[Silky Glide]

I have been experimenting with SS PTFE, Blue Star uncoated carbon steel and PAL PTFE coated carbon steel blades. Like everyone else, I find that SS PTFE blades to be the best both in terms of longevity and shave quality, but the shaves with the carbon steel blades have not been too bad - for me it is more an issue of the inconvenience of having to take the carbon steel blade out of the shaver after every shave and drying it off. Between shaves, after I dry it off, I keep the blade in a little pill bottle from the pharmacy with a silica packet to keep it dry. It seems to work pretty well - I get 4-5 shaves out of a carbon steel blade (vs. about 7 or 8 from a SS PTFE). My grandfather was a GEM user (he died in 1961, the year I was born). I am enjoying imagining what shaving was like for before the introduction of PTFE SS blades.

 

[Ron R]

I'm happy to see this thread, as it keeps me from having to create one. When I started on my SE journey, I foolishly ignored comments from folks saying that the Gem PTFE blades were the only real choice in a limited number of options. Coming from the DE world I figured why not sample the lot, given there are so few. I used Tryablade and got 2 blades of Gem PTFEs, Gem Carbons, and Pal Blue Carbons.

I started with the Gem PTFE -- it gave me 10 outstanding shaves with my MMOC and MMCP. The 11th shave seemed like I had to work a little harder for my usual results, and the 12th shave felt like I needed a 4th pass. None of the shaves were tuggy or produced irritation, even the last 2 weren't bad shaves, I could just tell the blade had lost the level of sharpness that I like.

I moved on to what was identified by the vendor as a Gem Carbon. Some people had commented that they found these blades to be initially smoother than the PTFEs and that their main downsides were they would readily rust if left to air dry, and didn't last as long as the PTFEs. I loaded a fresh one up into my MMCP and found it to be tuggy right at the start of the shave. I thought it was a "first shave roughness" phenomenon, and powered through....I was left with a really bad case of post-shave irritation, and my face was far from my usual BBS. I did some further research, and found my experience wasn't unique with this particular blade from this particular vendor. It may totally be a case of YMMV, but while I've never shaved with a carpet-cutter blade, my experience with this blade is what I would imagine it to be like.

Despite my experience above, I'm going to try the Pal Blue Carbon blade -- because I'm not a terribly bright guy -- but I'm ditching it at the first sign of trouble. My strong advice, especially for newbies, is listen to the veterans (@rabidus , @Twelvefret , et al) and just get the Gem PTFEs. I can't recall anyone not liking them or having an awful experience, and definitely skip the Tryablade's Gem Carbons....seriously, that blade is a try-at-your-own-risk. I'm going to try the Pal Blue since I have it -- and I've never been a one-trial learner -- and I'll come back here to report my experience with it.

I firmly believe that YMMV, and some folks can shave with a piece of broken glass and be happy about it, and I've tried lots of stuff where a vocal minority loves it and it's just not for me....the Gem Carbon from Tryablade was less of a "not for me" and more of a "this thing is a menace". By the way, I keep identifying the blade specifically by the vendor because the spine marking is different on the Tryablade Gem Carbon than on ones folks have talked about from drugstores and other vendors. I find the SE blade market to be infuriatingly confusing with the private-label branding, and this blade from company ABC is really produced by XYZ. For a limited product space, it feels harder to navigate to me than just picking up a pack of DE Feathers or Gillette Silver Blues. Another reason I'm going to finish my test of the Pal Blues and then stick with Gem PTFEs.

Thanks for that great write up, I have a habit of straying from good advice sometimes!

 

[JWK1]

I checked, the ones I have from rite aid are carbon.View attachment 932160 View attachment 932161

Now you have me wondering. That packaging is not at all what I saw, I know that for sure. I'll have to go back and look. If nothing specifically states SS, I'll know they are carbon blades. Thanks for taking the time!

 

[Flintstone65]

You're welcome... if you go to the Walgreen's website and search "gem", they come up and you can put in your zip code to find them in store.

Very handy way to shop -- thanks again!

 

[Flintstone65]

For me, the carbon blades are a short step up from the Graham Field. I think they're actually utility blades in different packaging lol. The GEM PTFE is a fantastic blade.

I completely agree!!!

 

[weekly]

Walgreen's usually has PTFE blades if they have them in the store.

Walgreens Gem blades are uncoated
Stainless Steel , rule of thumb is if it's
A Personna Gem Stainless and the pkg
Is not labeled as coated then it's not
Coated.

 

[rabidus]

Walgreens Gem blades are uncoated
Stainless Steel , rule of thumb is if it's
A Personna Gem Stainless and the pkg
Is not labeled as coated then it's not
Coated.

Thanks! I knew they were SS and better than the carbon blades. Once I got my stash from England, I didn't use the ones from Walgreen's again.

 

[luv2shave]

I've always wondered why the made in USA Personna Gem PTFE blades are the cheapest bargain from across the pond ?

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