The Single Edge Gang

Yeah Marko, what whiteboy said. The GEM blades and injector blades are a whole different animal. For me they are smoother and more comfortable than any DE blade I've used, but of course, YMMV. I have yet to try a Feather AC blade razor so I can't comment on those.

Hi SE Gang, I've been wondering about SEs for a while now, mostly wondering why people use them when there are so many options available in the DE world in both blades and razors and the SE choices seem limited and relatively more expensive.  I'm genuinely interested in hearing SE shaver's point of view.  I understand that some people just like one thing or another but there has to be good reasons folks who use these razors seem to love them.  I see them as half of a DE razor at more of the cost.  Its not like the cut throat shavers, thats a whole different way of life.  I'm just searching for enlightenment.
Thanks,
Mark

SE blades are more rigid, and thus tend to be more efficient, regardless of the razor used. SE blades also tend to last way longer. I get 3-4x the amount of shaves that I typically get with any DE blade

Are the vintage SEs as good as modern versions of SEs? If I wanted to dip a toe into SE shaving without breaking the bank, what would you recommend?

wyze0ne what would you recommend?

Are the vintage SEs as good as modern versions of SEs?  If I wanted to dip a toe into SE shaving without breaking the bank, what would you recommend?

wyze0ne what would you recommend?

Marko, if you can get your hands on a GEM Featherweight, give it a try. I get excellent shaves with the one I have and GEM PTFE blades. The Schick Injectors are also excellent shavers but, of course, you'll have to get the proprietary blades, though they won't break the bank.

Marko, I've only used vintage SEs as there are no modern razors that accept GEM blades unless you count the OneBlade in which you must remove the spine from the blade. There's no way I'm buying one of those. Rumor has it that Colonial Razors has one in the works though.

I would also recommend the Featherweight or more specifically the Pushbutton version. I also get great shaves from the Micromatic Bullet Tip. If you're into something a little more aggressive, the Ever Ready 1924 is a good option. I like that razor a lot too. All of these can be had on ebay or etsy for a song. If you want to try a modern SE that takes the Artist Club style blades, the RazoRock Hawk is the cheapest one at $20-25 if you can grab one when they're available. I don't have one (yet) but all reports I've read are pretty good. Good luck in your search! Just make sure you get the PTFE coated GEM blades. The other ones are garbage IMO.

Marko, I've only used vintage SEs as there are no modern razors that accept GEM blades unless you count the OneBlade in which you must remove the spine from the blade. There's no way I'm buying one of those. Rumor has it that Colonial Razors has one in the works though.

I would also recommend the Featherweight or more specifically the Pushbutton version. I also get great shaves from the Micromatic Bullet Tip. If you're into something a little more aggressive, the Ever Ready 1924 is a good option. I like that razor a lot too. All of these can be had on ebay or etsy for a song. If you want to try a modern SE that takes the Artist Club style blades, the RazoRock Hawk is the cheapest one at $20-25 if you can grab one when they're available. I don't have one (yet) but all reports I've read are pretty good. Good luck in your search! Just make sure you get the PTFE coated GEM blades. The other ones are garbage IMO.

Thanks wyze0ne and Freddy for the great advice. I'm going to keep my eyes open for Gems, the Featherweight by the sounds of it. I really want to see what the SE world is about but I'm not really interested in dropping $$$$ on these modern SE razors or any razor for that matter.

I had a little more time to knock around this thread, there's a ton of information here but there's also a ton of information here!! Like 52 pages of information. Lots to read on a cold winter's night Thanks again wyze0ne and Freddy

Marko , be very careful...this thread was a big reason I tried SE shaving too, which then started me down a new rabbit hole of RAD

But seriously, I personally got into it as it just added more variety to shaving. The variety is one of the things I enjoy most. Personally, I know I will continue use both SE and DE's and some day I plan on trying shavettes and eventually a straight razor. So, for me, it's not a matter of DE vs SE but rather the options available.

FWIIW, if you are looking to get into this for a low investment (under $10), I have found my Schick L1 to be the smoothest of my SE's. I think it and the M type are mostly similar in terms of aggressiveness and both are readily available on ebay.

Marko , be very careful...this thread was a big reason I tried SE shaving too, which then started me down a new rabbit hole of RAD

But seriously, I personally got into it as it just added more variety to shaving.  The variety is one of the things I enjoy most.  Personally, I know I will continue use both SE and DE's and some day I plan on trying shavettes and eventually a straight razor.  So, for me, it's not a matter of DE vs SE but rather the options available.

FWIIW, if you are looking to get into this for a low investment (under $10), I have found my Schick L1 to be the smoothest of my SE's. I think it and the M type are mostly similar in terms of aggressiveness and both are readily available on ebay.

HoosierShave thanks for the warning. I occaisonly have flashbacks to a similar warning a co-worker gave me several years ago. I had just gotten into wet shaving and was using brush and cream but still carts. I was griping to him about the cost of shipping and the FX when ordering from a US vendor. He told me about a Canadian vendor, Fendrihan and said "be careful, its a deep, dark hole" I recall thinking, yeah whatever at the time but oh how those words have come back to me time and again. I got one of my brothers into wet shaving and gave him the same warning. To no avail, the humanity!

I'm looking at variety and don't think its going to soak up a ton of my money but one never knows. I probably shouldn't have access to money or matches.

whiteboy_cannon , I was just wondering how the Clog Pruf, Featherweight and MMOC are working out for you. In particular, how's the shave with the Featherweight? I've got one on the way and, from what I've read, it's a milder shave than the Clog Pruf.

I would definitely recommend the 1912. Gem, Gem jr., Everready , and Star were all different brand names on the same design. They are readily available on eBay for a reasonable price and are a great entry point to SE razors, very smooth and efficient!