But Seriously: What's the deal with Single Edge?

Since I jumped into the wet shaving game, I've loved buying and trying new blades. There's a whole world of them out there, and it's awesome to see how some work best in a mild razor, some perform awesome in an aggressive razor, and how in general different blades just feel... different. So I buy a kit, get my first DE razor. I'm in love. The heft, the feel, the shiny chrome glinting on my basin, it's all awesome. And then I shave. And I buy new razors. And I buy new blades. It's a smargasborg of combinations.

But... Then... I start seeing people talking about this new-fangled type of razor: The Single Edge.

"But... Wait," I say to myself. "Doesn't my DE blade have two sides? Doesn't this mean it will last longer? Isn't there a greater supply, from more vendors, for DE blades? Aren't they cheaper too?.... What the actual duck :: quack ::?"

So, SE Guys: Sell Me. What makes an SE superior? And why is there so much excitement about an SE? To me, it seems like the next innovation for an SE is to figure out how to stack two SE blades above each other to make a.... oh... wait......

I think people with heavier/coarse facial hair benefit from SE blades because they're thicker and thus more rigid than DE blades. said thickness and rigidity allow SE blades to not flex as much (aka blade chatter) when it's cutting through our facial hairs.

you can usually get similar results from a SE blade by using a slant DE or a DE razor that holds the blade tightly like in a wolfman or ATT.

Andy, for some, especially those with tough beards and sensitive skin, like SharpSpine's, it seems to make a huge difference as far as comfort and an irritation free shave goes.  For the most part, I am fortunate not to have those problems so it comes down to any razor that gives me a close comfortable shave and I have both DEs and SEs that do that for me.  It comes down to the type of head I'm in the mood for as well as the slightly different technique.  I'm sure others will soon chime in.

Andy, for some, especially those with tough beards and sensitive skin, like SharpSpine's, it seems to make a huge difference as far as comfort and an irritation free shave goes.  For the most part, I am fortunate not to have those problems so it comes down to any razor that gives me a close comfortable shave and I have both DEs and SEs that do that for me.  It comes down to the type of head I'm in the mood for as well as the slightly different technique.  I'm sure others will soon chime in.

Good points. Pretty much same here. No sensitive skin, but, I never go for BBS. I can get a DFS, no pun intended, with two great passes and one neck pass.

Of course, I have been doing this for a couple of decades, so my technique is pretty good.

Also, generally, the correct angle the designer intended for the razor is built into the SE. This can lead to some hit and miss shaving with improper DE angles. This correct angle, head flat on the face, cannot be done with a DE, and if you tried, you'd have a lopsided head that wouldn't shave correctly on one side.

Indeed, especially for those of us with coarser whiskers, the greater thickness of SE blades gives them better rigidity, which in turn reduces "chatter" when shaving: meaning smoother, less irritating shaves. Plus, SE blades tend to keep a good sharp edge much longer than DE blades.

When you think about it, the predecessor to all these safety razors, the straight razor, is a single edge on nicely rigid metal.  

I use both DE and SE on my head without complaints. I get very close shaves with a few of my DE and with my SE, and I get no irritation or discomfort. I also get about equal mileage from the blades, being 2 good, comfortable shaves. Then I toss them. No point in risking an uncomfortable shave for a few pennies.

The experience of the shave, however, is very different. Very difficult to quantify this in words, but the feel of the razor and blade as it cuts the hair is very different. This is likely due to the thickness and rigidity of the SE, coupled with the greatly reduced blade angle on the SE.

In my experience, one is not better than the other. They are different tools that provide different experiences, with the end results being close enough to be inconsequential, in most cases...

Clearly this is a YMMV scenario...

I use both DE and SE on my head without complaints. I get very close shaves with a few of my DE and with my SE, and I get no irritation or discomfort. I also get about equal mileage from the blades, being 2 good, comfortable shaves. Then I toss them. No point in risking an uncomfortable shave for a few pennies.

The experience of the shave, however, is very different. Very difficult to quantify this in words, but the feel of the razor and blade as it cuts the hair is very different. This is likely due to the thickness and rigidity of the SE, coupled with the greatly reduced blade angle on the SE.

In my experience, one is not better than the other. They are different tools that provide different experiences, with the end results being close enough to be inconsequential, in most cases...

Clearly this is a YMMV scenario...

Couldn't have said it better.

I'd also like to add that depending on the SE razor, a GEM PTFE blade can offer an almost straight razor feel and sound to the shave.

just because I'm curious, I'm going to try to photograph some comparison shots between a standard DE blade, an injector blade and a GEM SE blade sometime tonight.

I couldn't get my camera to focus well enough to bother taking any shots.

after despining the gem se blade, this is how they feel in order of stiffness to me:
1- Gem SE blade
2- Schick injector blade
3- DE blade