Single Edge Blades

[Hank]

Hi,

i have a Gem razor, what are some good or popular single edge blades? I picked up the razor and a hand full of blades in a pass box some years ago. The blades were great, but I don’t remember what they were, any advice or suggestions would be greatly appreciate. Thanks in advance.

Hank

 

[PLANofMAN]

There really aren't many options. GEM blades by personna are pretty much it, nowadays. But, they are good blades, so no complaints.

Last time I checked, Connaught's was the cheapest place to get them, though that might have changed with U.K. package shipping rates being what they are.

Edit: GEMs from the hardware and hobby store are single bevel ground. Not for shaving. You want a triple ground bevel on those bad boys.

 

[APBinNCA]

62-0165 GEM Extra Sharp Coated Single Edge Blade

Our Extra Sharp Coated GEM single edge blades are part of our premium single edge blade line. These blades are PTFE coated to reduce friction, allowing for a better cut and a longer-lasting edge.

www.razorbladeco.com

 

[dmshaver]

I'm a de shaver, so no help here. I'm commenting so this gets bumped up & others might see it to offer suggestions if there are any other than GEM.

 

[TheBigL]

I haven't bought or used any SE blades in probably 10 years.

The Gem blades were good, but at least back then there was stainless and carbon blades. The carbon blades were not as good in my opinion. Also, I remember buying some blades marked "Made in Korea" that were not good for shaving.

Definitely do not try hardware store scraper blades. Might as well shave with a piece of broken glass.

I can say I have "researched" SE blades and their bevels and facets and there might be good blades manufactured, not for shaving but perfectly usable. Problem is that they are not readily available for consumers and are sold in bulk from specialty suppliers for lab/medical use.

 

[Aziraphale]

I have shaved with a Blackland Sabre.

I had a variety pack of blades from Try-a-blade dot com and my favorite was the PTFE coated GEM blade. I did not care for the carbon steel at all. The uncoated stainless blades were my 2nd pick.

If you want to try a variety for yourself, I would definitely recommend the GEM pack from Tryablade.com

 

[Ebberman]

Are we talking about single edge half blades?
Amazon sold me 600 Derby Pro for £12

 

[HoosierTrooper]

At the top of the double edge razor page there is a list of pinned discussions that have a wealth of information in them. One of them is this discussion I started over 10 years ago, some of the info has changed a bit since then but most is still accurate and several members added to it over the years. Original discussion had pictures but they were hosted on Photobucket and eventually became useless and were removed.

Single edge blade guide

One of the most commonly asked SE related questions is: Where can I buy blades for my SE? I have put together a guide that I hope will help SE fans find their perfect blade. American Safety Razor/Personna is by far the largest producer of single edge blades that are suitable for shaving. They...

www.badgerandblade.com

 

[ShaverAZ]

I bought a couple lots of junk razors cheap. Each lot had a particular razor I was looking for, and the lots were cheaper than I could buy just the individual razor. Each lot also had several GEM razors: 2 Featherweights, Micromatic, G-Bar, and others i can't yet ID.
I also have some sample coated GEM blades from Ted Pella, and also a sample pack from Tryablade.com.
I'm not expecting much of a single edge shave, since I've been shaving with some of the best combinations of vintage Gillette and fine DE blades, but i'll post results when they happen.

 

[TheBigL]

I bought a couple lots of junk razors cheap. Each lot had a particular razor I was looking for, and the lots were cheaper than I could buy just the individual razor. Each lot also had several GEM razors: Featherweights, Micromatic and others i can't yet ID.
I also have some sample coated GEM blades from Ted Pella, and also a sample pack from Tryablade.com.
I'm not expecting much of a single edge shave, since I've been shaving with some of the best combinations of vintage Gillette and fine DE blades, but i'll post results when they happen.

I haven't shaved with an SE in several years, but I recall it being a different experience than DE shaving. Not bad, just different. The blades last me a lot longer but are more expensive. I actually really liked it, but I have a handful of SE razors and blades (and an injector or two) but I have a whole bunch of DE razors and like a billion blades.

 

[TheBigL]

Are we talking about single edge half blades?
Amazon sold me 600 Derby Pro for £12

No, these are different.

 

[Ebberman]

Ah, also sold as scraper blades. Panasonic and AmericaLine. I have those for my scrapers, bought on Amazon £9 per 100.
I came to this thread because I was interested in Big 77 blades, sold on Aliexpress. Apparently there are narrow and wide versions, and I was looking for a razor to fit. I found an SR on Aliexpress, but it was plastic and comments said it broke easily.

 

[1Pet5_8]

Because I didn't understand the difference, ordered several packages of these "Super Stainless" blades when I first tried GEM razors. They are currently my favorite blade to shave with, period.

Some past B&B threads suggest they are the same as the "coated" PTFEs.
Next time however - as others have often suggested - I will order these to see if I can tell a big difference.
Agree with @PLANofMAN - this is the best price I've seen as well:

GEM by Personna Stainless Coated Single Edge Razor Blades

Connaught Shaving is supplier of quality, traditional shaving products including Wickham 1912 shaving soaps, REX, Merkur & Edwin Jagger safety razors & many brands double edge razor blades. UK Supplier of Feather New Hi-stainless razor blades, Feather Artist Club Razors & Blades & Feather Safety...

connaughtshaving.com