So, this is the GEM thread the brought me from lurker to member.

[novitiate]

http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php/324227-Blades-for-GEM

I am an auction addict and have bought many great DE razors in the past. Recently I bought a lot that contained a GEM PB (Contour?). It is in great shape and my curiosity got the better of me. "I wonder if a paint scraper blade fits right in?" It did and I tried it out with predictable results. Some threads on other forums indicated that GEM razors are love/hate with some reporting great results and others saying they should be thrown away. Count me in for the latter group. But.....

This is a very well-made razor with great industrial design. The thought kept nagging at me that a razor blade giant such as GEM would not have put this on the market if it shaved horribly. Resisting my impulse to put up a "School me on GEM SE Razors" post, I found the above thread. "Ah hah, there are 2 kinds of SE blades, those for scraping and those for shaving!" Eureka, I am going to hit CVS this week and see if I can find any of the carbons and try this razor out correctly and then decide if it is the shave for me.

Lurker no more,

novitiate

 

[lowjax]

Welcome to the world of SE, novitate. I love my SEs. I'm sure you will to once you use a non-scraping blade.

 

[dcobranchi]

Watch your angle. The GEMs shave very differently from DE razors. If you try to maintain a 25 - 30 deg angle, you will be scraping your face.

 

[Niles]

Congrats on your first GEM.

 

[novitiate]

Welcome to the world of SE, novitate. I love my SEs. I'm sure you will to once you use a non-scraping blade.

I watched a youtube video on GEM SE technique. Very different than what I would have tried.

 

[beisler]

Welcome to the loser club

 

[novitiate]

I found CVS branded blades last night, a 10-pak in gray plastic vault for sub-$5. Their edge looks suspiciously like a scraper blade edge even though they were in with all the other shaving razors. Not on deck for today, ran out of time this AM. We'll see how it goes, standing by with O+.

 

[Haggises]

Those are the ones. Good luck. We're all counting on you!

 

[novitiate]

Bottom Line: This was quite possibly the closest shave I've ever had and I did not draw blood. I would imagine I am closer to what the throat-cutter fans rave about. No one is more surprised than me at how well this simple razor, the GEM Contour, shaves. To get there it took far more conscience effort than with my normal use DE, I took it slooooooow. I put about 90% of that on my lack of technique and low point on the learning curve. This will improve over time. Further, my skin definitely feels different. Not unpleasant just a bit more sensitive afterwards. Lastly, my wife approves.



So there is definitely something to this SE thing, /sarc! I've had many of these razors before and never looked into them any further. I'd get a bunch at auction, pluck out the "weird" ones, and blow them out as quickly as they came in. Mea culpa, mea culpa, mea maxima culpa. I won't dwell on what I may have let go previously. In the lot I got the Contour from there were also 2 Clog-Pruf MM's, 1 decent, the other well used & brassy. The one MM cleaned up nicely so I will try it out later this week. But the Contour was so new & modern appearing it got me to dig in and learn about them as a class of shavers. I am glad I did as well as all the great threads & advice here. I'll put up pics of my modest bunch for inspection tonight. Thanks again!

novitiate

 

[Mick]

Bottom Line: This was quite possibly the closest shave I've ever had and I did not draw blood. I would imagine I am closer to what the throat-cutter fans rave about. No one is more surprised than me at how well this simple razor, the GEM Contour, shaves. To get there it took far more conscience effort than with my normal use DE, I took it slooooooow. I put about 90% of that on my lack of technique and low point on the learning curve. This will improve over time. Further, my skin definitely feels different. Not unpleasant just a bit more sensitive afterwards. Lastly, my wife approves.



So there is definitely something to this SE thing, /sarc! I've had many of these razors before and never looked into them any further. I'd get a bunch at auction, pluck out the "weird" ones, and blow them out as quickly as they came in. Mea culpa, mea culpa, mea maxima culpa. I won't dwell on what I may have let go previously. In the lot I got the Contour from there were also 2 Clog-Pruf MM's, 1 decent, the other well used & brassy. The one MM cleaned up nicely so I will try it out later this week. But the Contour was so new & modern appearing it got me to dig in and learn about them as a class of shavers. I am glad I did as well as all the great threads & advice here. I'll put up pics of my modest bunch for inspection tonight. Thanks again!

novitiate

Single edge razors have been known as "a straight razor on a stick" for generations.

They are a well guarded secret

I have not found a single one that shaves poorly.

You may want to pick up a 100 count of GEM stainless steel PTFE coated blades at one of the medical supply companies online.

I find the coated blades a LOT smoother than the un-coated and carbon ones