One shave from GEM PTFE blade?

[Old Hippie]

many of us who get double-digits out of the GEM, often feel that the first shave is the worst shave of the many we get.

I can get five shaves out of a Personna Stainless PTFE coated blade in just about any Gem or Gem-ish razor. With a very few, such as the ATT G1, I can eke out a sixth shave but in most Gem razors going for six is not gonna happen.

I have only had trouble with the first shave in one razor, a Gem Jr. Bar that's likely over 100 years old. When I'm 100 I probably won't clamp things as tight as I did as a callow punk of 60, either. Still love the thing, just take off the first shave in a more congenial razor for that purpose.

Getting just one would certainly qualify as a real drag. One thing I noticed about my preshave technique was that I was getting warmer and warmer water because I thought it would soften things up. What was really happening was my skin was getting more and more irritated, which led to worse and worse shaves. I use lukewarm water to make lather, do not use a scuttle, and my only preshave prep is to wet my hand and rub it on the area I'm going to lather next. I work in areas so the lather doesn't dry out. That, and using a soap with loads of residual slickness, works for me as well as anything.

O.H.

 

[Ted A]

Gem Junior 1912 falls similar to the Gem 1912 IMO, but then there is the Gem Junior bar lather catcher that is a tame mid range razor IMO. Ted you will have no problem with the Gem Junior 1912 at all IMO because you use Gem razors all the time.
After testing a lot of different razors from ASR I could not display all the razors on the chart and really it is just a basic guide or ball park placement. Some folks have mentioned it is accurate and that is what I thought testing them years ago when first using the Gem brand of razors.
View attachment 1404070
Have some great shaves!

Thanks. I‘m looking at how they compare to each other. Based on your table here I think the streamlines would be toward the bottom of my list of Gems I would like to acquire. And I think that I would enjoy the Damaskeene as it looks like it would shave similarly to the 1912 and the Junior, both of which I like.

 

[welshfellow]

I always palm strop my GEM SE blades before using them to gently wear off any microscopic burrs. Maybe it's in my head, but the blades seem smoother after stropping. I probably average 10 shaves per blade on a coarse beard, so I'm satisfied with GEM blades.

I agree with JimmyCB 110% palm stropping is the answer
Try this vid

 

[JimmyCB]

I agree with JimmyCB 110% palm stropping is the answer
Try this vid

I agree with JimmyCB 110% palm stropping is the answer
Try this vid

Great video on palm stropping. Thanks for posting it.
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[Ron R]

I can get five shaves out of a Personna Stainless PTFE coated blade in just about any Gem or Gem-ish razor. With a very few, such as the ATT G1, I can eke out a sixth shave but in most Gem razors going for six is not gonna happen.

I have only had trouble with the first shave in one razor, a Gem Jr. Bar that's likely over 100 years old. When I'm 100 I probably won't clamp things as tight as I did as a callow punk of 60, either. Still love the thing, just take off the first shave in a more congenial razor for that purpose.

Getting just one would certainly qualify as a real drag. One thing I noticed about my preshave technique was that I was getting warmer and warmer water because I thought it would soften things up. What was really happening was my skin was getting more and more irritated, which led to worse and worse shaves. I use lukewarm water to make lather, do not use a scuttle, and my only preshave prep is to wet my hand and rub it on the area I'm going to lather next. I work in areas so the lather doesn't dry out. That, and using a soap with loads of residual slickness, works for me as well as anything.

O.H.

When you get 5 shaves out of a Gem PTFE blade I believe you are head shaving from other threads I have read. If that is the case those are very good results for head shaving IMO?

 

[Old Hippie]

When you get 5 shaves out of a Gem PTFE blade I believe you are head shaving from other threads I have read. If that is the case those are very good results for head shaving IMO?

I agree! I keep thinking that since I have less and less hair all the time, one of these fine days that 6th shave is going to be a natural thing to do, since I won't have put so much wear on the blade yet. Thanks for the real-world sanity check, Ron!

O.H.

 

[Jayboz]

Thanks for all the info guys. I did increase to steeper angle and get same great results, just a little more audible feedback. Have to wait and to see if i can get more shaves per blade with steeper angle.

@Esox blade is in correctly and clamped down tight. I have the MMOC with bumps. Even with my 1-2 use per blade, I dont use it back to back days. I think the clog pruf is good combo of efficient/aggressive.

 

[Esox]

Even with my 1-2 use per blade, I dont use it back to back days. I think the clog pruf is good combo of efficient/aggressive.

I very rarely shave every day. My usual is every 48 hours. My growth is fairly dense and coarse and harder to cut at less than 40 hours growth. At 24 hours growth its quite difficult to cut. Using my Grande or Bullet Tip I get a 12 hour BBS so extending that shave beyond 12 hours isnt difficult. I've had nearly 19 hour BBS finishes with my MMOC and a fresh blade so 48 hours is pretty reasonable.

Many have said the Clug Pruf falls between the MMOC and Bullet Tip but I havent tried one. I dont find any of my top razors, which are all rigid designs, as being aggressive. Not all are as efficient as others but used properly all are quite efficient compared to my only less rigid design, an R41.