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- #21
I am on about shave 15 with my Gem SE razors, and still had a total bloodbath of a shave today. It happens to all of us at some point.
LMAO
Ok gem s/e shavers guys, what am i doing wrong
- Thread starter alex2363
- Start date
LMAO
I am on about shave 15 with my Gem SE razors, and still had a total bloodbath of a shave today. It happens to all of us at some point.
In both cases it sounds like a blade angle issue to me. And the angle can vary slightly between the models of GEM razors. Some of them were designed so that the head is used flat against the face, while others are raised at a very slight angle from the face. You almost can't go wrong with the head very slightly raised. Just be extra aware of the blade angle as you navigate around your beard and use short strokes.
I find GEM blades very acceptable for shaving, and saving for paint scrapers later on.
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- #23
ok, i will try that. hopefully i get better. i love the way this gem just cuts my stuborn whiskers. but im gettin alota cuts..lol
I hope things work out for you Alex.
I do find it hard to get my head around you cutting yourself repeatedly though.Gems are milder shavers than most D/Es imho.
I do find it hard to get my head around you cutting yourself repeatedly though.Gems are milder shavers than most D/Es imho.
I do find it hard to get my head around you cutting yourself repeatedly though.
So far, I'm having similar issues- Gem 1912 w/ Walgreens Gem blades, good lather and prep, head held a few degrees off the face, very little pressure, etc. It certainly *sounds* and feels like it's cutting something, but I feel a lot of pulling and razor burn seems hard to avoid. I get to DFS faster and with less worry with a Super Speed (red tip) at this point.
I know it can be done, but I think I'm doing something wrong. I want to reach SE nirvana!
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- #26
true, i just took a shower and prepped with my vulvix badger brush,prorraso cream, i passed one time and heard the blade cutting but when i looked and felt my beard, nothing, just a little bit went off. i dont want to get too eager so im just keep trying til i get it. slowly but surely....i hope
Are you guys hearing the blade cutting? It makes a loud noise. As you adjust the angle, the acoustic feedback changes. You can tell the right angle by the sound - almost as if the blade is singing an aria, "Barber of Seville"
your angle may be too far off the face.
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- #29
Are you guys hearing the blade cutting? It makes a loud noise. As you adjust the angle, the acoustic feedback changes. You can tell the right angle by the sound - almost as if the blade is singing an aria, "Barber of Seville"
yes, i heard the band singing. lol. but it takes several tries judst to get there.
This morning I awoke on a mission to "get" the whole GEM fascination and take the time to learn its charms (and not injure myself). I was extra careful with getting good lather and was very meticulous with pressure and angle, short strokes...
The biggest surprise was when I realized the importance of the loud aural feedback- it became second nature to rely on it to know when an area was really smooth. I guess I've never really hit BBS until today, 'cause I'm used to a bit of residual hair-cutting noise on my final pass with my Gillettes. Maybe I've been impatient.
Anyway, the shave was super-close, no irritation, not a hit of burn with the AV splash... I GET IT. Awesome.
The biggest surprise was when I realized the importance of the loud aural feedback- it became second nature to rely on it to know when an area was really smooth. I guess I've never really hit BBS until today, 'cause I'm used to a bit of residual hair-cutting noise on my final pass with my Gillettes. Maybe I've been impatient.
Anyway, the shave was super-close, no irritation, not a hit of burn with the AV splash... I GET IT. Awesome.
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- #31
so that feedback is key? i hear it too, it sounds too wierd, i am not sure if that was normal. i only hear that cutting noise when i scrape stuff off walls ect. but now i will try to go with that sound to see if it helps, i am gettin better.
It might just be my sensitivity to tones, but I found that if your angle is too steep it makes a higher-pitched sound than the correct one.
I got my pack of Treets at Rite-Aid and they rust up after 1 PASS for me!
I would recommend either the GEM/Personna blades (most Walgreens have these) or possibly the Ted Pella which I haven't tried yet.
I got my pack of Treets at Rite-Aid and they rust up after 1 PASS for me!
I would recommend either the GEM/Personna blades (most Walgreens have these) or possibly the Ted Pella which I haven't tried yet.
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- #33
it does make a variation of sounds, each sound corresponds to the different pass, im just not that good at the technique just yet, thats why im open to advise, this is a great site to learn for such tips.
I'm having trouble too. Can we say that if we have the razor pointing down like we're about to do a N-S pass, and we have the head flat against the face, the correct angle is to lower the handle and increase the angle of attack by ~10 degrees? Or should the blade be almost perpendicular to the face?
I usually shave with a SE with the razor's head just slightly off my skin. If the blade is perpendicular to your skin, you will be scraping your skin same as if you do that with a DE. I really don't pay any attention to number of degrees whether I'm using a SE or DE. I just use whatever works and gives me the most comfortable shave.
-Clarke
Problem is, you don't know what works until you know what works 
I don't use a DE in such a way that the blade is perpendicular to my skin, though.
I thought I had tried it this way, and not gotten a very close shave. It's weird, I seem to get better results with the head pretty far off my face for pass 1 and 2, and then almost flat for pass 3 (ATG). My whiskers tend to lie pretty close to my face, though.
Tomorrow I'll try the "nearly flat" again and see if I can't find this so-called nirvana.
p.s. Apologies for the hijack
I don't use a DE in such a way that the blade is perpendicular to my skin, though. I thought I had tried it this way, and not gotten a very close shave. It's weird, I seem to get better results with the head pretty far off my face for pass 1 and 2, and then almost flat for pass 3 (ATG). My whiskers tend to lie pretty close to my face, though.
Tomorrow I'll try the "nearly flat" again and see if I can't find this so-called nirvana.
p.s. Apologies for the hijack
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- #37
Problem is, you don't know what works until you know what works
I thought I had tried it this way, and not gotten a very close shave. It's weird, I seem to get better results with the head pretty far off my face for pass 1 and 2, and then almost flat for pass 3 (ATG). My whiskers tend to lie pretty close to my face, though.
Tomorrow I'll try the "nearly flat" again and see if I can't find this so-called nirvana.
p.s. Apologies for the hijack
today i got off to the wrong start. i angled it but went too fast and sliced a chunk off between the nose my lip. i was ready to call the red cross for blood. after i used half roll toilet tissue to stop the blood. i took my time and it worked a little better. but im still not gettin that smooth shave yet, im keep tryin til it kills me..lol
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- #40
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