A real simple and I would assume , quick question for everybody..... So are the Gem Personna SS PTFE really a good blade ? I have one of the razors that use those types of blades but have not been able to ever shave with it because the time I tried ,the blades I had were Extremely tuggy and it was sooooooo uncomfortable that I gave up trying to get a shave out of it.... I tried the drug stores brand shaving blades BTW... I think these were the ones I got... Thanks for any advice.....
Those are the only blade I use in all 10 of my SEs. I tried Treet blades; hated 'em. But that's me. By the way, what type of razor are you using?
I have one of those. Great razor. How long have you been using an SE? I ask because it took me a while to get comfortable with one. Ride the cap. That is, start with the cap of the razor flat against your face, then lift the handle to slightly increase the angle. Play around with it to find your perfect angle. Then again, it could be a batch of bad blades. Unlikely, as I've been at this for over 15 years and have never come across a bad batch of blades, SE or DE.
Well I started "wet shaving " right around the time I joined here. I mainly use DE razors but dabble with injector and AC type razors and half blade razor and or occasionally I will mess with straight razor.. I have Never been able to use the razor I wrote about as I have not been able to because of it never being comfortable .
Try my advice about riding the cap. And just like all your other razors, you know very well to use as little pressure as possible.
@richgem put this together a while back. May be worth a read, if you haven't already. https://theshaveden.com/forums/threads/se-gem-shaving-tips-tricks.31529/
I believe the drug store Gem blades as pictured in your post aren’t PTFE coated. Not 100% sure, but pretty sure. For sure, I do know that the cardboard wrapped blades are indeed PTFE blades. BullGoose still has some inventory of the Personna labeled blades. The new production product will be labeled AccuTec. Phil asked me to sample the new AccuTec blades and compare them to the old production. There are a few making their way to me as we speak. I enjoy my Bullet Tip a lot and will use one of the new blades when they arrive. Of course, I’m still waiting on my polished Sabre which I’m betting will be a homerun
Yeah, the Gem Personna SS PTFE blades are actually pretty solid. They’re known for being sharp and smooth. If you found the ones you tried tuggy, it might be worth giving these a shot.
Sounds like the angle was too shallow. SE blades were modeled after straight razor blades, and use the same 'nearly flat to the face' shaving angle. The selection of single edge blades for GEM type razors is extremely limited, fortunately, like Feather's (and KAI's) single edge (shavette) razor blades, those blades are about as good as you will ever find.
The blue carbon steel blades are very sharp and can be stropped on jeans or a towel to smooth them out when new, or they'll smooth out after a few shaves, but I do prefer the SS PTFE. They are a bit less sharp but smoother and they last longer.
There is a drug store near me that at one point carried the GEM Blue Star single edge blades like these (internet pulled image)... Are these any good ? I may check and see if they still stock them if they are ....
I have used Blue Star blades before. If I remember correctly, they are uncoated high carbon blades (not stainless). Very smooth shavers for having no coatings. I found a pack in a gas station about ten years ago that looked as though it had been sitting on the hang hook since 1980.
They're good too. Just keep in mind that carbon doesn't perform like stainless, but it's got the upside of initial sharpness (usually) and can be stropped to maintain a usable edge for a few extra shaves.
Ok, so the Personna branded Gem blade I’d been using (only 5x) when the new blades arrived is waiting to eventually be recalled to active duty. I just completed my third shave (Bullet Tip, Clog Pruf, Bullet Tip) with a new AccuForge blade. Bottom line is I don’t detect any difference at all between this and the Personna branded blade. In my estimation, they look, feel and shave identically. If/When I get eight to ten solid shaves from this blade I’ll be able to comment on longevity. Truthfully, I don’t know exactly when this particular AccuForge blade was manufactured relative to management changes re: branding and packaging. For the moment at least, we should be thankful that the blades seem unchanged. Let’s hope they don’t tinker.
I used to see these locally in chain stores and independents all the time. But now that I think about it, probably not in at least 6 or 7 years. I guess so few people in general were buying them, it wasn’t a productive use of retail space any longer. Mom and Pop stores can cater to loyal customers who are loyal to a certain brand or product. For instance, my local independent pharmacy still stocks Schick injector and Wilkinson Sword DE blades because I and a half dozen other people still buy them. That’s the kind of service that keeps me going back there.
