What's a good SE for a first timer?

Discussion in 'Safety Razors' started by ChrisB, Mar 18, 2023.

  1. ChrisB

    ChrisB Well-Known Member

    Hi all, there seem to be a lot of people using SE razors. This has me intrigued.

    Should I be looking for a vintage Gem type or Schick type injectors: they seem to be cheap enough on-line but I would not know what to look out for other than buying from one of the reputable stores.

    Or should I be looking at one of the modern ones like the Supply Single edge razor, or One Blade made in USA.

    Any tips would be appreciated, TIA.

    Chris.
     
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  2. Enrico

    Enrico Popcorn

    I personally enjoy the Schick stick shift. Here is the Schick Guide

    I have found that using the razors prior to Type H that they are more efficient (aggressive) ;)

    I have used ones prior to Type H series, but enjoy the Hydro-magics (Type I) and the Type L.

    All depending what you prefer there is quite bit of NOS on eBay that are very reasonable.

    I'm not in to the new (modern) SE (too much messing around) prefer the "push pull click click" injectors.

    Hope this helps.

    :)
     
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  3. swarden43

    swarden43 "It's your shave. Enjoy it your way."©

    I would recommend the Gem Pushbutton or Clog-Pruf models for starters. They give a darn fine shave without being overly aggressive.

    Some things to know starting out with an SE...
    Very easy to use too much pressure. A light touch is needed.
    Angle is important. "Ride the cap" is must.

    I learned those things the hard way, thus believing SEs were way too harsh for my face. Turned out I had to employ a slightly different technique than I used for DEs, thus my suggestions above.

    Don't give up on 'em. Once learned, you may not go back to DEs!
     
  4. BBS

    BBS Well-Known Member

    Depends if you want to go modern or vintage. Shick Injector razors or similar style injector razors are by far the easiest to pick up and use for a beginner. Problem is there are only 3 readily available modern options and in my opinion none are particularly that good of shavers. You have the shave classic Type L like Schick clone, the Supply injector that comes with 3 different aggression level plates or the Parker adjustable injector which is the best of lot. The Parker might be more than good enough for others but I am particularly picky when it comes to razors and it just doesn't reach the high bar I set for razors. My personal suggestion if you want start with injectors is a vintage Schick Type G injector. They are cheap as snot, easily obtainable and good middle of the road razor in terms of mild to wild.

    AC injectors are nothing more than Schick injector blades that are wider. Just stick them cap to the face like cartridge razors and pull, almost idiot proof. Problem with the modern AC injector razors is everyone designs them like DE razors which teaches people the wrong to use these style of blades and as such also guarantee less than 100% capability of the blades shaving ability because you can't get the right angle and amount of blade on the face in the first place which is almost flat the face unlike DE blades. Other issue almost all the AC razors out there are going to be high priced Artisan offerings that if you don't like unless they offer a 30 day or something similar money back guarantee, you are stuck with it and will have to sell it at a steep depreciation loss afterwards unlike vintage razors. With that said there are some under $100 razors out there by Yaqi and Razorock that might be worth throwing the dice on if you don't have the money to spend on the high priced Artisan offerings.
     
    Last edited: Mar 18, 2023
  5. BBS

    BBS Well-Known Member

    One blade unless it is model than can use modified Gem SE blades only take a Feather FAS- 10 or Feather FHS-10 blade. The blades are pricey they only give about 1 to 2 good shaves. The thing about one blade is they are very mild shavers.
     
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  6. StewB

    StewB Member

    My first (and to this point, only) injector is a vintage Schick adjustable. So far my experience is that it shaves well but not as closely as my more efficient DE razors.

    There are two modern injectors I'm aware of: Parker and Supply. I have heard the Parker injector is relatively mild even on the highest setting. The Supply also has a number of fans. I haven't tried either of these.
     
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  7. BBS

    BBS Well-Known Member

    One of the best razors I own happens to be a MKII Gem Clog Pruf Micromatic. Well worth seeking out if you want to try a Gem blade SE razor. These razors like a Type G Schick Injector are can usually be found dirt cheap and easily.

    Here is how to tell the difference between an MKI and MKII Clog Pruf
    gcppp.jpg

    The MKI is on the left and MKII on the right. The key is how many teeth each guard has. My opinion the MKI is not a good shaver unlike the MKII which besides the teeth has a redesigned shave head making it much better.
    Keep in mind with these razors do not shave them like a DE. Cap flat or almost flat to the face is the correct way to use these style blades and razors.
     
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  8. BBS

    BBS Well-Known Member

    The Schick Type M adjustable, ones made after 1973 and injectors in general made around 73 and afterwards are designed to use Schick II twin injector blades. If you like shaving with those blades is reason enough to keep at least 1 injector made 73 or later. It is also a good beginner razor because of the adjustable factor, the fact they have good resell value and sell quickly later on if you outgrow it. Just don't overpay for one.

    I've owned a V2 Supply with all 3 plates and never found any of them satisfactory so I sold it. same with both Parker V1 and V2 adjustable razor.
     
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  9. gorgo2

    gorgo2 geezerhood

    G Bar.
     
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  10. ShaversRUs

    ShaversRUs Well-Known Member

    Whichever of the following Schicks you can get at the lowest price, and in decent user-grade condition: type E, G, I, J, L, M, N.
    There are variants in each letter, but I wouldn't be concerned about it.
    Below E is hard to get at a decent price. So is O. Any others I left out are either for Ladies or are rare.

    If you want to dig deeper, the following is the bible on injectors by our very own @BBS. This is what I used a few years ago as a guide (before I even joined the forum) to get the best of the best for each letter type I listed above.

    Just one example:
    https://theshaveden.com/forums/threads/schick-type-e-injectors-for-dummies.63548/
    There is a dummies thread for just about every letter type. Just search since I'm not sure there is an index anywhere.

    I still haven't tried all that I bought, but I do remember liking the E and M (adjustable) a lot. I've never had a bad shave with a Schick injector.

    I'd stay clear of the Supply. Never clicked with me. The Schicks worked for me on the first stroke.

    I bought the V1 of the Parker injector a couple of years ago and still haven't tried it yet.
    ;)

    Not sure if it is still available, but there is an L clone that supposedly is a piece of you-know-what. Avoid.

    A vintage PAL adjustable is good, too. Should cost about the same as a Schick M, which will be more than the other letters I listed.

    Blades: I've used vintage Schicks that came with some of the razors I bought. I've also used the Supply blades that came in the white pack with the plastic key. Both these blades worked fine for me.

    I also have the "Ted Pellas"/Personnas/Taconic Shave blades that came with the Parker, but haven't tried them yet.

    I also have the Chinese-made Schicks (nicknamed Chicks). Haven't tried them yet. While the previously mentioned blades get mixed reviews, the Chicks seem to be universally liked.
     
    Last edited: Mar 19, 2023
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  11. ShaversRUs

    ShaversRUs Well-Known Member

    Supply has discontinued the 3 plate model. They replaced it with a true adjustable (The Single Edge Pro). They also have The Single Edge SE, with just the one plate that will actually fit the older handle. The plate has what they call "fins" on the guard bar, as opposed to the original which had a smooth, solid guard bar. At first glance, it looks like an open-comb, but it is not. Sort of like a Muhle R41. I've tried none of these razors.

    Supply has supposedly improved their razor. Perhaps. Perhaps not. The SE is listed as their "best seller", but considering that they only sell 2 different razors, that doesn't really say much.

    You can buy just the new plate if you have the older model, but I'm not throwing any more money at Supply. I can't even find the link to buy just the plate on their site anymore.

    The new models are all made of the "Alloy." The previous models were also offered in stainless steel, for much more money, of course. They claim their new models are so "intricate" that using stainless steel would make the razor prohibitively more expensive than that of their older models.

    BTW, the previous model was called 2.0. This one is not called 3.0, however. That would have made too much sense.

    It used to be called "The Single Edge". Now it is called "The Single Edge SE", which to me is redundant, but what do I know?
     
    Last edited: Mar 19, 2023
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  12. BBS

    BBS Well-Known Member

    Fair enough. I haven't kept up with their offerings. Might be time to take a look at their adjustable.
     
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  13. ShaversRUs

    ShaversRUs Well-Known Member

    It would be interesting, but like I said I won't be throwing any more money at Supply. I've kept the 2.0 razor and plan to use it again in the future just to see if my opinion changes, but I've been focused on my DEs lately.
     
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  14. BBS

    BBS Well-Known Member

    If this review is anything to go by the new Supply SE is somewhere between 1 and 2 dot plates as far as how it shaves which means I'd personally take a hard pass on it. I could only barely get a decent but non BBS shave with the 3 dot plate on the older Supply V2. If you are a mild razor lover then maybe the Supply SE is a consideration. The Pro adjustable I'd have to do some digging.

    https://sharpologist.com/the-supply-se-razor-review/
     
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  15. ShaversRUs

    ShaversRUs Well-Known Member

    And it has the mysterious link to buy the new plate for 14 bucks.
    Mantic's a good guy but he does review a lot of affiliate stuff, like the Supply.
    He doesn't give everything a "2 thumbs up" review, but he doesn't exactly trash anything, either. At least here he gives you an idea based on the previous version. I probably read the whole review when it was first published.

    Supply targets current cart users. They do that whole cost/benefit analysis thing like other companies like Henson do as well. That's all fine and good, but it makes it hard for hobbyists like us to find crucial info on their sites. DE and SE blades are cheaper than carts -- I get it, folks. :p
     
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  16. Ron R

    Ron R Well-Known Member

    I started out with a Gem G bar and that is a great razor and another good Gem razor is the Gem Push Button for learning. Use the Gem Personna SS PTFE blades they are very good IMO!
    Photo below are some common Gem razors that can be bought at local antique stores and online auction sites and I rated them as I was trying them out over months of use, the archived photo chart is a just a general reference guide, it is better than me rambling on:eatdrink047: .)
    Final Gem review Jan21-2019 (3).jpg

    Have some great shaves!
     
  17. ShaversRUs

    ShaversRUs Well-Known Member

    Can you please post your pic that show the correct angles? Some are held flat against the face, some are not, depending on the model.
    I believe you have a chart as above with the 1914 and 1924, correct?

    I have most of the models, but I remember liking the 1924 one a lot.
     
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  18. Ron R

    Ron R Well-Known Member

    It is up to the operator to figure that out but Gem razors where usually almost flat against the face and Everready razors where similar angles but certain models where different angle positions. (ASR razors basically are a shorter version of a straight razor but have a safety bar and some later models have a top cap, early models did not have a top cap, the blade acted as a top cap. Straight razors use a shallow angle or riding the cap)
    Gem instruction manual (2).jpg

    (Photo below is a Ever-Ready 1924(AKA shovel head)
    E-R1924Instructions and Case (4).JPG
    Have some great shaves!
     
  19. ShaversRUs

    ShaversRUs Well-Known Member

    Thanks!

    True, but since Gem and Ever-Ready provided those instructions originally, it is a tremendous help to first-time users of the razors.
    :happy096:

    Although I have so many of those models, I still haven't shaved with them much. I didn't like the Bullet Tip because of the suction effect when placing the top cap flat against the face. My recommendation to anyone wanting to try these is to pick a model that uses the steep angle, as shown above as in the 1924.

    One thing to be aware of about the Gem-blade razors is the choice of blades. Let's see, um, er, there is only one choice! And don't use a Gem blade made for paint-scraping!
     
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  20. ChrisB

    ChrisB Well-Known Member

    Wow, thanks Gents! I can’t believe all the replies and good advice. I have had a hard time keeping up with all this flood of information, which is why I haven’t replied to this thread yet.

    @Enrico
    @swarden43
    @BBS
    @StewB
    @gorgo2
    @ShaversRUs
    @Ron R thanks Ron for the diagrams!


    So, there is heaps for me to read and think about over the next week (weeks maybe!)

    A few other things come to mind.

    1) for older vintage Gems and Schicks will there always be blades available or at the very least a choice of blades?
    2) Looking at some on-line listings from online sources (Moderators: not sure if I am allowed to mention them here if so please delete: Techichi shave company and Dapperstudio for example) I see a lot of wear and tear and scratches on the heads: fair go, they are vintage items, can I just ignore these or is better to go for better condition if not mint?
    3) I also see mention of AC Razors in various posts, how are these different? Are they just the modern/pricey/artisan ones?

    Not sure I want to buy from fleabay where mostly the vendors don’t really know what they are selling.

    Thanks again Gents!
     
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