Jumping into the SE lake.....

[never-stop-learning]

Picked up a couple of SE razors, a GEM Micromatic and an Eveready.

Any recommendations on blades, care and feeding of the razors, etc..

From what I am reading, technique is a bit different from a DE.

Looking forward to receiving them and trying them out.

 

[Ron R]

Looks like you have acquired a 1930-32 buttonless base plate MMOC and a 1924 Everready AKA(Shovel head), You might find them a little aggressive possibly but both will give a excellent shave when hand technique is good.
I would learn the MMOC first and then the Shovelhead from my experiences.
Gem Razor Models - https://www.badgerandblade.com/forum/threads/gem-razor-models.554376/page-28 +
Everready 1914 razor VS Everready 1924 razor - https://www.badgerandblade.com/forum/threads/everready-1914-razor-vs-everready-1924-razor.572559/
For blades I bought mine from Connaught UK and they carry the Gem Personna SS PTFE blades that are excellent & cheapest. GEM by Personna Stainless Coated Single Edge Razor Blades - https://connaughtshaving.com/gemss.html
I will leave some information on the technique you should use on those razors.

When you buy used you sometimes do not receive manuals.
Have some great shaves!

 

[never-stop-learning]

Looks like you have acquired a 1930-32 buttonless base plate MMOC and a 1924 Everready AKA(Shovel head), You might find them a little aggressive possibly but both will give a excellent shave when hand technique is good.
I would learn the MMOC first and then the Shovelhead from my experiences.
Gem Razor Models - https://www.badgerandblade.com/forum/threads/gem-razor-models.554376/page-28 +
Everready 1914 razor VS Everready 1924 razor - https://www.badgerandblade.com/forum/threads/everready-1914-razor-vs-everready-1924-razor.572559/
For blades I bought mine from Connaught UK and they carry the Gem Personna SS PTFE blades that are excellent & cheapest. GEM by Personna Stainless Coated Single Edge Razor Blades - https://connaughtshaving.com/gemss.html
I will leave some information on the technique you should use on those razors.
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When you buy used you sometimes do not receive manuals.
Have some great shaves!

Incredible wealth of information! Thank you very much.

From a technique perspective, it looks like I need to really ride the cap?

Again, much appreciated.

 

[emwolf]

I find both of these are excellent razors, have fun with SE plunge!

 

[never-stop-learning]

I find both of these are excellent razors, have fun with SE plunge!

Thank you.

 

[brandaves]

I'm in the same boat as @never-stop-learning on this...I've had many SE razor kicking around for a long time but never really indulged in them beyond my first experience until recently. I was thinking of putting together my own post regarding blade questions. Thanks to @Ron R for addressing a bit of that. I was curious if anyone else had a few more blade suggestions? I wish I could find an SE blade variety pack like they make for DE blades but no such luck. Not trying to hijack a thread...hopefully just adding to the discussion.

 

[Old Hippie]

wish I could find an SE blade variety pack like they make for DE blades but no such luck.

Well, for Gem blades, here's what you do: Go to the drug store (or an online shaving site) and buy a package of "Gem Personna PTFE coated" blades. I'd say that's a variety pack of the most popular and widely available blade for Gem and Gem-style razors. I think there are only three varieties of blades for Gem: uncoated steel, uncoated stainless, and coated stainless. By far most of us who "shave Gem" use the PTFE coated stainless blades.

Actually, Accutek (which makes the blades for Personna) makes several varieties of Gem blades because they are a standard in replaceable-blade microtome machines for medical labs. This includes some thicker (.012 instead of .009) blades with a steel spine instead of aluminum. I'm negotiating for a few of them to try in my pre-1915 Gem razors. Much depends on what their engineer tells me when I talk to them.

O.H.

 

[Old Hippie]

Nice looking razors! I have yet to try the Shovel head (though I used to ride a Shovelhead).

The MMOC is one of the more-aggressive Gems as a rule. Not to scare you; it's still pretty mild. But if older Gems aren't giving you the shave you want, try that one.

I don't have a Shovel head yet, but I *do* have a 1914 Ever-Ready, the "Little Lather Catcher." That is a very nice shaver, much closer than some of my roughly contemporaneous Gems.

C'mon in! The rabbit hole's got cable...

O.H.

 

[never-stop-learning]

C'mon in! The rabbit hole's got cable...

As long as we have cable, I'm in.

 

[brandaves]

@Old Hippie Thanks for the reply on the blades! One additional question. Do you seasoned SE shavers find that SE blades have similar longevity as DE blades or do they require changing more often? I know, I know...YMMV and what not. Just curious for your input. Thanks in advance.

 

[brandaves]

Disregard my previous question...I just found this in the SE shave WIKI.

"On average a SE blade will last you 3-7 shaves depending on your face hair thickness and courseness."

I asked the question because my first SE shave was fantastic. My second was still great, but less so and I beleived the problem to by the blade. I trashed it without making it to the 3rd shave...not a huge deal. Thanks gents!

 

[AnotherChef]

Deep hole...

 

[Old Hippie]

I asked the question because my first SE shave was fantastic. My second was still great, but less so and I beleived the problem to by the blade. I trashed it without making it to the 3rd shave...not a huge deal. Thanks gents!

Yeah, it's kind of YMMV. I am a head shaver (see avatar; not too far off). I have the Triple Threat of aging, coarser hair; relatively less hair; and aging, sensitive skin. I pretty much need a sharp blade, but too sharp is a problem too. Conventional wisdom is that you'll get more shaves on a blade if you shave your face.

With the Personna PTFE coated blades I tend to get four or five really good shaves. I do not either cork or strop my blades. The first two (I flip the blade after each use) are stellar. The second two are darn good, shaves five to eight are increasingly rougher. Somewhere in there I'll decide life's too short to shave with a rough blade.

And just to say: you may have gotten a bum blade. It happens. I'm not sure what the allowable error percentage is, but it seems to run about one per cent in practice -- in every 100 blades there's one or two that seem a little "off."

"Friday blades," maybe.

In which case, bin it and load up a fresh one.

O.H.

 

[emwolf]

Head shaver as well, the max I've gone with the coated blades is 4.

 

[kingfisher]

Two great razors, but a different technique is required for both.
Start with the MMOC. Put it basically flat to your face and use a light touch and short strokes, like using a straight razor. Some say this razor is aggressive, but it isn't if you use it properly. Just smooth and comfy.

The Shovelhead, on the other hand, is an odd bird among GEM razors. It opens backwards for blade loading. You have to use it with the razor head off the face farther than other GEMs. This one really is aggressive. An ultra light touch is rewarded with a close shave.

The PTFE coated blades are a tiny bit harsh on the first shave. They can be tamed by a bit of palm stropping before the first use. For me these blades generally last a couple of shaves longer than DE blades.

Good luck and have fun.

 

[never-stop-learning]

Two great razors, but a different technique is required for both.
Start with the MMOC. Put it basically flat to your face and use a light touch and short strokes, like using a straight razor. Some say this razor is aggressive, but it isn't if you use it properly. Just smooth and comfy.

The Shovelhead, on the other hand, is an odd bird among GEM razors. It opens backwards for blade loading. You have to use it with the razor head off the face farther than other GEMs. This one really is aggressive. An ultra light touch is rewarded with a close shave.

The PTFE coated blades are a tiny bit harsh on the first shave. They can be tamed by a bit of palm stropping before the first use. For me these blades generally last a couple of shaves longer than DE blades.

Good luck and have fun.

Thank you very much.

 

[Pepin]

Congratulations beautiful razors.

They are very nice to shave with. You will be ready for next years SEptember.

 

[never-stop-learning]

Congratulations beautiful razors.

They are very nice to shave with. You will be ready for next years SEptember.

Thank you. I certainly hope to be practiced enough by then.

 

[BBS-1]

Regardless of brand there is only 4 major types of Gem style SE blades.

The first is the one you'll see most recommended

Stainless steel PTFE coated blades

then you have the following

Stainless steel uncoated
Carbon steel
Blue carbon steel

Before buying large quantities of any you can buy singles of each type over at tryablade.com

I'd suggest getting 2 of each style and seeing which one you like best.

Though more expensive than buying 100 packs of these blades you can source the stainless steel ptfe coated blades in 7 or 10 blades per pack at a Walgreens and such.

The carbon steel blades can be bought at CVS.

You need to read the label to make sure they are stainless or carbon steel.

Personally I like carbon steel blades the best but you have dry them after each use or they rust. Because of maintenance issues I don't use them as much and use the stainless steel ptfe coated blades more often.

If you decide to buy large quantities of blades afterwards if you don't source them from a shave/barber supply dealer and buy them through a medical or razor blade dealer instead make sure the blades are what is called a 3 facet cut regardless of type. Anything 3 facet is suitable for shaving anything without isn't.

 

[never-stop-learning]

Regardless of brand there is only 4 major types of Gem style SE blades.

The first is the one you'll see most recommended

Stainless steel PTFE coated blades

then you have the following

Stainless steel uncoated
Carbon steel
Blue carbon steel

Before buying large quantities of any you can buy singles of each type over at tryablade.com

I'd suggest getting 2 of each style and seeing which one you like best.

Though more expensive than buying 100 packs of these blades you can source the stainless steel ptfe coated blades in 7 or 10 blades per pack at a Walgreens and such.

The carbon steel blades can be bought at CVS.

You need to read the label to make sure they are stainless or carbon steel.

Personally I like carbon steel blades the best but you have dry them after each use or they rust. Because of maintenance issues I don't use them as much and use the stainless steel ptfe coated blades more often.

If you decide to buy large quantities of blades afterwards if you don't source them from a shave/barber supply dealer and buy them through a medical or razor blade dealer instead make sure the blades are what is called a 3 facet cut regardless of type. Anything 3 facet is suitable for shaving anything without isn't.

Excellent information. Thank you!