PTFE Gem blades. Our thoughts on it.

[albsat]

We have just one player in the field, the Persona's Gem blades. What do you think about this blade format?

I like the sharpness of this blade. It can turn a razor into an unforgiving one easily through , at lest for me.

How many shaves do you get from it?

Getting 2 or 3 gem razors for this blade is never a waste of money.

 

[ShavingBarristr84]

On certain gem razors like the micromatic open comb or the micromatic clog pruf they are decent. You can get a good shave. On other razors like the gem featherweight, they suc at least for me. In any event, they never come close to a good DE blade like say a perma sharp and a good razor like a GC84.

 

[redrako]

I'm waiting on my first order of Gem PTFE blades from Connaught.

Over the years I've had good experiences with Gem Carbon razor blades (from CVS) and Gem Super Stainless blades (from wet shaving vendor that I don't recall). I liked both blades very much, but appreciated not having to wipe dry the stainless.

I'll be interested to see how the PTFE blades compare to earlier blades.

 

[thombrogan]

1-12 shaves from GEM PTFE blades so far (been a while, though). Personna/GEM/Accu-Tec also makes an uncoated stainless GEM and there are a few other places selling uncoated GEM-style stainless blades (haven’t tried them, though) for a dollar or two less per 100 blades.

Morganville Scientific sells what they claim is a 0.012” thick stainless GEM-style blade. It’s on my ‘someday’ list.

 

[chuckd]

They work great for me for usually BBS results, and I can get 20+ shaves from one blade. That said, I notice way more blade feel from GEM blades than from almost any DE razor and blade combination, and this is why I don't use GEM razors on a daily basis.

 

[HoosierTrooper]

Here is the same question from a year ago:

How many shaves can you get from a GEM blade?

As the question ask, how many shaves can you get from a GEM blade? I get about 7. I use the stainless blades I get from Walgreens. How many shave do you get from one?

www.badgerandblade.com

 

[1Pet5_8]

"Getting 2 or 3 gem razors for this blade is never a waste of money." -albsat
Well how was I supposed to resist that?! It's like a double-dog dare.

Been awaiting receipt of my first Gem razors and purchased the white and red label "super stainless" package simply because I found a good deal to do a trial run, er....shave, and explore the technique. For a minute my stomach dropped when I realized I didn't get the black-label, 3-facet blades (aka "Pellas").

However, I see the 10packs of "super stainless" at the Personna site described as "...smooth shaving performance and comfort...", and Amazon buyers give them good reviews.
Seems that over the years, some B&B folks said no difference, but some said one was much better than the other for them. Some thought they were both PTFE-coated, etc. Is it pretty much just good ol' YMMV here?

Since this is a thread on your thoughts (and realizing how long it took me to get the right box of USA Lab Blue DEs LOL), do you find either is good to go in both Micromatics and 1912s?

Thanks, and sorry for beating this poor horse again. I'm a slow learner and often order the wrong thing, haha! Sigh...

 

[albsat]

"Getting 2 or 3 gem razors for this blade is never a waste of money." -albsat
Well how was I supposed to resist that?! It's like a double-dog dare.

Been awaiting receipt of my first Gem razors and purchased the white and red label "super stainless" package simply because I found a good deal to do a trial run, er....shave, and explore the technique. For a minute my stomach dropped when I realized I didn't get the black-label, 3-facet blades (aka "Pellas").
View attachment 1413492
However, I see the 10packs of "super stainless" at the Personna site described as "...smooth shaving performance and comfort...", and Amazon buyers give them good reviews.
Seems that over the years, some B&B folks said no difference, but some said one was much better than the other for them. Some thought they were both PTFE-coated, etc. Is it pretty much just good ol' YMMV here?

Since this is a thread on your thoughts (and realizing how long it took me to get the right box of USA Lab Blue DEs LOL), do you find either is good to go in both Micromatics and 1912s?

Thanks, and sorry for beating this poor horse again. I'm a slow learner and often order the wrong thing, haha! Sigh...

I found the best natural shave with 1912 at the beginning. The reason is the wide head and you just keep the had totally on your face. And the 1912 will start singing and removing everything. After some shaves go with a Micromatic.

 

[1Pet5_8]

I found the best natural shave with 1912 at the beginning. The reason is the wide head and you just keep the had totally on your face. And the 1912 will start singing and removing everything. After some shaves go with a Micromatic.

Thank you Sir, for the advice! Was just worried I might have chosen inferior blades. Am looking forward to the experience

 

[albsat]

Thank you Sir, for the advice! Was just worried I might have chosen inferior blades. Am looking forward to the experience

My bad. I didn't understand it, sorry. I can't speak about the blades you mentioned. I would suggest though to buy some blades from connaught shaving website in case you have doubts about them. These seem to be the best gem blades available .

 

[Ron R]

My experiences with the Personna Gem coated teflon (PTFE) have been positive. I found at first it was a different type of feel than a DE blade and just as sharp or better than a lot of DE blades brands IMO.
The Gem blade is easier to load and has no blade tap overhang, the blade is very sharp and has great longevity and smooths out over use + predictable. Some folks find the the first few shaves possibly harsh but that is from the very sharpness the blade offers and it is easy just to put the blade in one of the mild Gem razors (MMFW, Featherweight, G bar or even a Gem lather catcher) for the first couple of shaves to take advantage of the sharpness.
I usually get 8-12 shaves per blade and so I average 10 shaves and usually toss the blade. They are just that good for longevity.
The cost per shave for me is just as good as a lot of DE blades I have at $.02-.03 per shave and that is very good for a SE shave.
Gem brand blades have been around for well over 110 years and was part of the ASR or American Safety Razor corporation umbrella of other brand names like Personna who is now controlled by Accutec MFG.
Also if you are into vintage and some modern SE razors this blade will work in them also and you can enjoy those great razors also. Gem could make a blade with different coatings but there is no need & it is just simpler to buy a coated Gem blade IMO.

 

[Bladeforum]

I have a gold plated star razor and use the gem blades. I love it but if I'm not careful the shaving cream turns red.

 

[albsat]

As much as I am careful, I always get great shaves but with tiny weepers in my first couple of shaves using a new blade.

Is it just me?

 

[Spang]

I find the Gem PTFE blades to be generally good in terms of sharpness and overall performance. I can typically get 7-10 shaves from a blade. They sometimes can feel a bit harsh on the first shave, but if I manage to keep that in mind, I can usually compensate for that with very light hand on the that first shave.

I am a believer in the more-is-better school of thought when it comes to blade rigidity and that, I think, is a major factor in the effectiveness of the Gem format. While the PTFE blades generally work well for me, it would be nice if there were other blade options (other than carbon steel) in this format. On the other hand, I guess we should be glad that the PTFE blades are at least pretty good, since they are the only game in town.