I know what you mean. I'm not fussy on them either. I got better results with mine when I slowed down and watched more closely. The Gems have a very solid feel with not much nuance, like a wedge straight, so it's important to look at what you're doing. I still trot out a Micromatic every once in a while (they look so cool!), and with care it does give a nice shave. Best Regards goshawk
I had the same problem with the single edge blades from walgreens. I tried a few times with a new blade each time and the feel was the same. I've not seen any reasonably priced SEs on line to try so I've given up and will stick with my DEs.
Can't give advice, but I'm kind of in the same boat as the OP. First Gem shave, with an open comb Micromatic, just a couple of small nicks, but a very sloppy shave. Moved the blade to a G-Bar for the next shave, and did a bit better, but still only marginally acceptable. I plan to keep trying for a while, though. I have a feeling that if I can get the angle just right, it will do a good job. Using GEM Personna blades from Walgreens for now.
I couldn't help but notice, when I bought my SEs from Walgreens, that they were locked behind a barrier on the shelf, along with the cartidges and blade handles. The clerk who helped me said that the new stuff is so expensive that people steal it and resell it. I'm amazed at the prices. I'm guessing the average price of a DE blade is about .15.
