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Help me understand SE razors

Hi all new to the forum and stumbled on this thread so I guess my question is obviously they don’t use the DE blades I’m guessing. What is the advantage of a single edge razor over a double edge? not trying to be a smart *** or anything like that, I’ve just never seen these razors before that I know of and am genuinely curious. It seems with DE you would get more life out of a blade. So help me understand the +/- of these razors.
 

musicman1951

three-tu-tu, three-tu-tu
First off - I'm no SE expert. I'm a long time DE user who just started with SE razors a handful of weeks ago, and I've only used two so keep that in mind.

No, they most definitely do not use DE blades. The blades are considerably thicker and also longer. There is only one edge, but they last longer than DE blades. They seem to like a shaving angle about half of the DE angle, which is my natural preference. If you love to ride the cap an SE might feel strange.

There are lots of different SE razors, but my favorite (Alpha Spirit) has quite a small head, making it easy to use under the nose and very maneuverable - which I sometimes think is an advantage.

Like you, I read about them - for years in my case - and my curiosity finally got the better of me. I must say I like them, but I still use my DE.
 

WThomas0814

Ditto, ditto
Welcome to B&B. Glad you've joined us and are jumping into the forums.

SE blades last much longer for me. I get 4 shaves from a DE blade (3-4 passes) and I can get 8-10 shaves from a Gem blade.

The blade is very thick and rigid, but, I can't personally say that, in and of itself, gives me a better shave. You are quite limited in blade selection, with very few brands of PTFE coated blades available. Anything that isn't coated is essentially a paint scraper blade; I wouldn't shave with them.

There are some beautiful Gem razors being made currently, but, I only use Gems in vintage razors. Not a bad option for you to try Gems, if you're interested... you can pick up a decent 1930s Ever-Ready 1912 for around $25.

Many gents on here swear by AC-format razors, but, I've had nothing but bad experiences with them. Life is too short and there are too many other options available to make it worth my while to keep trying. It may well be a viable option for you, though.

Good luck!
 
As noted, SEs do perform somewhat differently than DE. Traditional SE razors (typically Gem) have you ride the cap to an extreme. Modern SEs, aside from the Sabre, have toned it down somewhat.

I started my vintage shaving road with SE, so they have a special place in my heart.🙂

For ~$30 you can get a Gem Micromatic and a tuck of blades...
 
I only have one AC razor and that's the Alpha Spirit. That thing is nimble but the AC razor, being thicker and wider, just mows down my thick beard with unparalleled ease. It's a different experience compared to the best DEs that I have. All I can say is, everyone should have at least one good AC razor in your den just to get a different shaving experience.
 
A brief history. The Kampfe Brothers patented and released the first safety razor in the late 1800’s, a few years before Gillettes first razor. It used single edge wedge blades that had to be resharpened, these were replaced in 1906 with what they called rib-back blades. They are still made today with a couple modifications. American Safety Razor was the umbrella company for several brands that sold various models of single edge razors. ASR also introduced the first turn to open razor, the Gem Micromatic, in 1930 beating Gillette by a couple years. In my not so humble opinion the 1912 patented razor is the epitome of razor designs, everything that came after did things differently but not necessarily better. The 1912, in particular the Damaskeene model, is my favorite razor.

Another style of SE razor is the injector. The blades are stored in a dispenser that is used to insert the blade into the razor which at the same time forces the old blade out. They are outstanding razors.

I have no experience with the AC style razors.
 

Phoenixkh

I shaved a fortune
There are at least 3 different types of Single Edge razors... common ones, at least.

1. Schick injectors
2 GEM razors
3. Artist Club (AC)

I have a couple Schick injectors but I haven't gotten around to using them.... I inherited two from my Mother... thx to my brother for rescuing them from the bin... One of them, with a blue handle, a G4, was the first blade razor I ever used..... Blood everywhere. I had no idea how to use one.... I borrowed another one of my mother's razors: some sort of Gillette TT0... It's long gone, evidently..... Then I switched to Gillette cartridge razors with the Trac II...

I started wet shaving with an AC razor. I only have a few of them.... but they are one of my favorite formats. The AC blades do last longer. I used to push them to 6 shaves but have since reduced the number to 3... With DE blades, I'm a one and done guy.
 
There are at least 3 different types of Single Edge razors... common ones, at least.

1. Schick injectors
2 GEM razors
3. Artist Club (AC)

I have a couple Schick injectors but I haven't gotten around to using them.... I inherited two from my Mother... thx to my brother for rescuing them from the bin... One of them, with a blue handle, a G4, was the first blade razor I ever used..... Blood everywhere. I had no idea how to use one.... I borrowed another one of my mother's razors: some sort of Gillette TT0... It's long gone, evidently..... Then I switched to Gillette cartridge razors with the Trac II...

I started wet shaving with an AC razor. I only have a few of them.... but they are one of my favorite formats. The AC blades do last longer. I used to push them to 6 shaves but have since reduced the number to 3... With DE blades, I'm a one and done guy.

There is a 4th single edge. I think they are recent. The half DE blade razor. You snap a DE blade in half and use it.

The advantage of a half DE blade razor is that it has a smaller head and is, in my opinion, more maneuverable than a DE. It’s often lighter.

Injectors can be found used in great shape relatively inexpensively. The Schick/Eversharp razors are generally quite light, have small heads. There are a number of modern injectors as well.
 

Phoenixkh

I shaved a fortune
There is a 4th single edge. I think they are recent. The half DE blade razor. You snap a DE blade in half and use it.

The advantage of a half DE blade razor is that it has a smaller head and is, in my opinion, more maneuverable than a DE. It’s often lighter.

Injectors can be found used in great shape relatively inexpensively. The Schick/Eversharp razors are generally quite light, have small heads. There are a number of modern injectors as well.
Thanks, I hadn't considered them... I guess I still think of them as DE razors since they use half of a thinner blade, but they are certainly single edge.
 

thombrogan

Lounging On The Isle Of Tugsley.
Aside from the razors that take a half DE blade - or a full DE blade if it’s the G.E. Jones Shake Sharp - it’s a different way of doing the same job.

I think @ponykilr dropped his slant razors after using the AC-format SE stuff (was it a Vector? My memory ebbs at times…).

All razors cut whiskers, but the look, feel, and thrill of the chase tend to bring us all over the place.
 
Thanks, I hadn't considered them... I guess I still think of them as DE razors since they use half of a thinner blade, but they are certainly single edge.
Yeah, I don’t consider them single edge razors. I could use any double edge razor and only shave with one edge of the blade for the entire shave and call that “single edge” shaving but it isn’t.
 

Old Hippie

Somewhere between 61 and dead
There is a 4th single edge. I think they are recent. The half DE blade razor. You snap a DE blade in half and use it.

Commercial half-DE razors are moderately recent. What's interesting is, if you read back in this very forum to the very first years, you'll see a few examples of people cutting down DE razors and using them with either snapped DE blades or the half-DE blades used in many shavettes and hair shapers. It was weird back then but it's another format today. :)

Also there are some of the odd blades that Chinese shavettes use. I'm seeing more and more of them so it looks like that's "normalizing" too.

Don't forget that the Weck, Hess, Fromm, Annie and other hair shapers use the "hair shaper blade" from Personna, Fromm, Kismet or others. So five styles...

O.H.
 

Old Hippie

Somewhere between 61 and dead
So help me understand the +/- of these razors.

One of the minuses is that you'll need to keep up stock of all the different blades. :) I have DE, Gem, hair shaper and Artist Club blades in the cabinet. I don't use injectors.

Everybody's usage varies, but in general I get 5-6 good shaves out of a DE, 5 out of a Gem, up to 10 out of a hair shaper and usually around 9 for AC. Note that I am a head shaver and only shave a bit of my face around the beard.

Thickness of the blade matters. Gem and AC (and I suppose injector) are stiffer blades and don't have much capacity to jitter while you're shaving. Half-DE is the least expensive format but I've had struggles with them in shavettes. I can get a better shave with that thicker SE blade in a shavette, where I can't usually do any ATG with a half-DE. Might be different in a T-shaped razor, but I'm not that interested in the half-DE format to invest in it.

O.H.
 

Phoenixkh

I shaved a fortune
Commercial half-DE razors are moderately recent. What's interesting is, if you read back in this very forum to the very first years, you'll see a few examples of people cutting down DE razors and using them with either snapped DE blades or the half-DE blades used in many shavettes and hair shapers. It was weird back then but it's another format today. :)

Also there are some of the odd blades that Chinese shavettes use. I'm seeing more and more of them so it looks like that's "normalizing" too.

Don't forget that the Weck, Hess, Fromm, Annie and other hair shapers use the "hair shaper blade" from Personna, Fromm, Kismet or others. So five styles...

O.H.
I forgot to include barber razors, etc... Another category of SE razors. I do have 4 of them.... I've only had a couple shaves with them... I'll get to them sometime in more depth.... Too many AC and DE razors I use routinely.
 
Single edge blades are much more rigid , using one in an old time Lather Catcher is the closest I will ever get to using a cabbage cutter . I like the audible sound using one. The last of the GEM razors, not so much. I picked one up cheap for the collection and it is very mild and I seem to have to press hard ( 3 copies?) to get a DFS. I like a good challenge, there are a lot of single edge that take proprietary blades , love to try to modify blades to fit them and give them new life......
 
Make it easy on yourself and buy a GEM Micromatic bullet tip or Micromatic Clog Pruf razor for between $10 - $20 and some GEM Personna single edge blades (make sure they're coated) easily found on ebay. Blades last me 20 shaves or so. Experiment and you'll get the angle just right for you. Enjoy!
 
Another affordable way to SE is the 1912 versions of GEM, STAR and Ever-Ready. I'm with Tom that the 1912 GEM Damaskeene is one of my absolute favorites, you can get one for $10 - $20, buy a box of 100 coated GEM blades and you're set for life :)
 
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