SharpSpine's OneBlade Journal (now w/ CORE)

Thanks DB. I agree that the cost of a blade is so minimal that it isn't worth it to stretch a blade for a few shaves. I'm a bit odd in that I prefer a blade to give some feedback (cold blade through butter) rather than no feedback (hot blade through butter). With 3 kids 6 & under I need as much woosah out of my shaves as possible.

December 30, 2015

My second shave using the de-spined GEM PTFE blade was once again flawless. Despite the fact that the blade doesn't lock into the razor head like the Feather Hi-Stainless blade does, I have yet to notice any movement of the blade away from the stops at any time.

GEM PTFE on left, FHS on right

The GEM blades do have a couple cutouts on each side while the Feather Hi-Stainless blades have a single cutout on each side. The GEM cutouts are smaller so they don't fit around the nubs machined into the razor head. However, I think the cutouts near the middle of the blade could possibly be catching the front edge of the blade nub which helps to hold the blade in place. The blade is not easily removed by pulling straight back. Similar to the FHS blades, you need to lift the blade up some before pulling it back to get a nice, smooth extraction.

The shave was exactly as I am coming to expect from the OneBlade; smooth, almost no feeling of the blade on you face (how I like to define mild), & still surprisingly efficient delivering another BBS result in my usual 2-pass shave; XTG then ATG. The ability of the OneBlade to hug the corners of my chin, jawline, & Adam's apple is what makes this razor stand out. Nothing I've ever shaved with has handled these difficult areas so well.

At this point I can easily declare the OneBlade as my daily driver. Now I'm just curious as to what differences I may notice between the two blades. One thing is for certain, if the blade is in good shape then I will be enjoying effortless, smooth as silk shaves each time.

Until my next OneBlade shave...

However, I think the cutouts near the middle of the blade could possibly be catching the front edge of the blade nub which helps to hold the blade in place. The blade is not easily removed by pulling straight back. Similar to the FHS blades, you need to lift the blade up some before pulling it back to get a nice, smooth extraction.

This suggests, that while the GEM may not be 'locked' in place, it is secure, especially if it requires the same pulling up action to extract the GEM as the Feather. While I'm sure more testing from other OneBlade owners will be useful to tell for sure, it does seem now more positively that a de-spined  GEM is a legitimate alternative blade option.

For me though, it will take several OneBlade owners saying that the GEM actually performs better, rather than just having a longer life, for me to try a switch from my Feather's.

Many thanks for your willingness to experiment, Brian!

December 31, 2015

[Image: HkrWMgx.jpg]

Posting today as it completely slipped my mind yesterday. Shave #3 on this de-spined GEM blade was just as great as the first two. Very close shaves were had with zero irritation. I'm pretty convinced at this point that while the GEM blades don't match perfectly with the nubs machined inside the razor head, they still catch enough to secure the blade for a safe shave.

It seems like there I've been some other fellas to give a de-spined GEM blade a try in their OneBlade razor. From what I'm reading it seems that there haven't been any problems reported yet. Still, I don't advise that you do this and if you do that you pay close attention to what is happening at all times.

seems like you're opening up the market for new oneblade users, SharpSpine.

has anyone asked OneBlade to consider modifying their head to accept standard GEM blades?

seems like you're opening up the market for new oneblade users, SharpSpine.

has anyone asked OneBlade to consider modifying their head to accept standard GEM blades?

They would have to change the name if they did that. It wouldnt be just one blade anymore.

I will say that after reading this thread this Razor has me intrigued.

seems like you're opening up the market for new oneblade users, SharpSpine.

has anyone asked OneBlade to consider modifying their head to accept standard GEM blades?

They would have to change the name if they did that.  It wouldnt be just one blade anymore.

I will say that after reading this thread this Razor has me intrigued.

eh..I don't think they would have to go through the trouble...they could offer both versions, though I believe more people would gravitate towards the GEM PTFE blades as they're A LOT cheaper.

I don't think the people running OneBlade want the OneBlade to be just another GEM. They are targeting a different and specific audience. I own one, but I don't think I'm the target audience they seek.

January 1, 2016 -- New Year, New Blade

After completing my first 3 shaves with the de-spined GEM blade, it was appropriate to start the new year with a fresh Feather Hi-Stainless blade. As per my normal routine, I palm stropped the blade before inserting it into the razor. The blade gave a satisfying click as it locked into place, something that is missing when using the GEM blade. The shave itself was smooth, easy, and efficient. Almost a complete lack of any blade feel on the face which is what makes this razor feel so mild. With how well it shaves my coarse stubble, I have no clue how others are finding that it takes tons of passes to get a close shave. 2 passes is all it takes for me to get BBS without any touchups. I start out XTG and then do a full ATG pass. Even going ATG on my sensitive lower neck is easy with no razor burn.

I would normally say that I once again had zero irritation from this shave. However, I have my senses on high alert so I do think that I noticed a slight amount of irritation on my lower neck. The irritation was washed away with a simple splash of some Barrister & Mann Tonique, this time in the form of Leviathan. All in all, this was a wonderful start to my 2016. While the Mongoose dominated my 2015, I think the OneBlade will see the brunt of my face time in 2016.

Happy New Year!

Until my next OneBlade shave...

You have me curious, Brian, how you get a clean cut on sideburns if you're doing a two pass shave consisting of XTG and ATG with no touchups? But, a BBS with two passes and no touchup sounds like heaven on earth! Not surprising that you're so taken with the OneBlade.