SE Razors

[Rschan]

Hello Gents,
I've been to DE's for about 10 months now and I own a small collection of DE's.
The greed of the human beings is endless and I'm also an ordinary human.
A small interest and curiosity has started growing inside me towards SE's. Few moth's back I was laughing at those funny looking tools!
Now I have few questions?
What are the most sturdy and reasonably priced vintage SE's in the market?
Are they easy to use?
Are the blades lasts longer than the ordinary DE blades?
Are the SE blades cheap and readily available?
Can they be resharpened by stropping?
Are there any reading material in B&B?

Hell of questionnaire !!! and yes it will be helpful to all interested

Thank you

Rschan

 

[lordjohn]

IMHO
1912 readily available in UK from usual sources
Yes with care
I find they don't go beyond about 6 days
Available online (UK)
Debatable (search for details , I have hand stropped but find no real difference)
Masses of info

 

[HoosierTrooper]

What are the most sturdy and reasonably priced vintage SE's in the market?-Gem, Star or Ever-Ready 1912
Are they easy to use?-Yes
Are the blades lasts longer than the ordinary DE blades?-Some do, some don't
Are the SE blades cheap and readily available?-Yes
Can they be resharpened by stropping?-Yes, but not really worth the time and effort for most
Are there any reading material in B&B?-Yes, thousands of posts about SE's can be found by searching

 

[Greyfox]

1912 is your best bet. Lots of information on the forum about SE's.

 

[Sledgehammer39]

Another vote for the GEM 1912

 

[smalltank]

I attached a pic to show head comparisons between my wifes (on the left)..being a 1912 GEM fancy handle..mine on the right is a custom Treet thick black handle..more aggressive for sure...just gives you a good visual if anyone says all SE's are the same

Palm stropping also works well on DE/SE blades if they tend to be harsh on your face..blade flipping works also...SE blades are thicker than DE blades except for a few DE blades which have a thicker grind to them..but which lasts longer..I would say they are about the same...I thought I would chime in my $0.2

ST

 

[HoosierTrooper]

Smalltank I'm curious when you say that's a "custom" Treet 1912. Unless I'm missing something it looks like a standard Baton handle Treet with the Clog pruf type guard.

 

[MondoJ]

Smalltank I'm curious when you say that's a "custom" Treet 1912. Unless I'm missing something it looks like a standard Baton handle Treet with the Clog pruf type guard.

+1

 

[Rylos]

What are the most sturdy and reasonably priced vintage SE's in the market? - 1912s as mentioned already from Gem and Ever Ready

Are they easy to use? - Extremely! I find them easier to use than my DEs. Started using SE after only using DE for about 6 weeks.

Are the blades lasts longer than the ordinary DE blades? - YMMV, so far I get more quality shaves out of one SE blade than I do out of one DE blade.

Are the SE blades cheap and readily available? - Absolutely. Local drug stores, Ted Pella, & ems (emsdiasum)

Can they be resharpened by stropping? - My understanding is that stropping doesn't resharpen a blade, it just helps reshape the edge. Honing is what is needed to resharpen a blade. You would only really need to consider that if you were using an old wedge blade. Not necessary with the disposable SE blades though.

 

[notsonewb]

The most sturdy s/e. I would say most Gem razors are pretty well made. I find the 1912 and the G bar to be bullet proof. SE blades are easily available, but a variety of choices are lacking.

 

[dadvest]

I too have just seen the light of the SE with my first adjustable injector and after 2 really nice shaves I must say that this is a keeper! I have my eye on a Gem G-bar that I can acquire for a really nice price that if after trying, which is a must, I can always sell it or trade it out! I think you are missing out if you don't give them a try, I did not think I would like this injector but if it was a feather I'd be tickled to death!

 

[Haiku]

Please see the responses below.

Hello Gents,
I've been to DE's for about 10 months now and I own a small collection of DE's.
The greed of the human beings is endless and I'm also an ordinary human.
A small interest and curiosity has started growing inside me towards SE's. Few moth's back I was laughing at those funny looking tools!
Now I have few questions?
What are the most sturdy and reasonably priced vintage SE's in the market?

They are all sturdy. The oldest "lather catcher" models are not very sturdy however. They are rather fine instruments. Generally, people love the 1912 model. The 1914 "shovel head" is built like a tank. The GEM Jewell or Ever REady Streamline is probably the best of them all in terms of quality build. The 1912 and the shovel head are very reasonably priced. The other two are premium priced razors. Still very inexpensive compared to premium DE razors

Are they easy to use?

Very easy to use.

Are the blades lasts longer than the ordinary DE blades?

Yes. In my case they last 7 to 10 shaves. DE blades last 4 or 5 at most.

Are the SE blades cheap and readily available?

On the Web yes, easily available. Depending on your location they may not be. No different than DE blades.

Can they be resharpened by stropping?

[Yes they can be stropped. No blade can be resharpened by stropping. I use an Ever Ready Automatic Stropping Machine which is very similar to the stropping machines that come with the Streamline. They work great. I strop GEM stainless steel blades. There are people who will tell you that stainless steel cannot be stropped. Don't believe them. The straight razor crowd strops stainless steel razors all the time./I]

Are there any reading material in B&B?

Lots.

Hell of questionnaire !!! and yes it will be helpful to all interested

Thank you

Rschan

 

[Rschan]

Well!! sounds interesting1
Now I should look for any one razor mentioned above at a reasonable price!
With DE purchases I'm drowned neck deep, and still trying buy an SE !! Oh My what a greedy.......

Thank you for the info. But I haven't seen much SE's in BST or in bay lately
Where can I find a reasonably priced SE?

 

[Old Man Army]

I've had some luck looking at antique shops. I have an idea in mind how much I'm willing to pay and have walked away from a few that I thought were overpriced. Finding them is half the fun.

 

[Rylos]

There are a ton of SEs on the bay every single day!

 

[Pjotr]

Well!! sounds interesting1
Now I should look for any one razor mentioned above at a reasonable price!
With DE purchases I'm drowned neck deep, and still trying buy an SE !! Oh My what a greedy.......

Thank you for the info. But I haven't seen much SE's in BST or in bay lately
Where can I find a reasonably priced SE?

Put a WTB thread up. Provided you're not asking for rare ones such as lather catchers or Streamline/Jewels you're bound to get a few hits.

 

[garyg]

SE's go for a song (uncased) on the Bay or BST, they are so cheap most don't get listed, it is embarrassing to do a price drop on a $9 1912 ..

 

[Haiku]

Do a search on the bay for GEM razors as well as Ever Ready razors. You'll have a vast selection. There's a "G" style Gem on the bay right now with what looks like a good bin price with free shipping. That is a good price if the razor is in fact as good as it looks in the pictures. The "G" is a stunning razor and it's rather mild compared to the rest.

Generally I would say that Gems and Ever Readys can be found for between $10 and $20 for the common models.

 

[Pjotr]

Do a search on the bay for GEM razors as well as Ever Ready razors. You'll have a vast selection. There's a "G" style Gem on the bay right now with what looks like a good bin price with free shipping. That is a good price if the razor is in fact as good as it looks in the pictures. The "G" is a stunning razor and it's rather mild compared to the rest.

Generally I would say that Gems and Ever Readys can be found for between $10 and $20 for the common models.

I assume you mean a G-Bar. It's official name is Heavy Flat Top by the way. I use a Featherweight which has the same head but a much lighter handle. Perfect for breaking in new blades and provides a fantastic shave.

 

[Haiku]

I assume you mean a G-Bar. It's official name is Heavy Flat Top by the way. I use a Featherweight which has the same head but a much lighter handle. Perfect for breaking in new blades and provides a fantastic shave.

Right, that's the name of the razor, thanks for reminding me. I bought a NOS version of the razor and interestingly, there was no name on it at all.

Tell me, any idea as to what the "official" name of the Ever Ready version?