GEM razor questions

Hello everybody.. Hope all is Well? A little background to begin. I've been using straights as my main razors for over 2 years now but will still grab either my mid 40's Gillette Tech or my Muhle 101 a few days a month for a change, touch up, or if I want a BBS shave ill use either of those.. I had no intention of getting any more safety razors.. Ever! Until I kept seeing 2 nice looking GEM SE razors on CL for months.. It bothered me nobody had bought these 2 for $20.00.. One long handle, other short handle, no breaks or chips on either and they both snap back tight.. Now I use Feather Hi-Stainless DE for my Doubles now but have zero 3xperiance with SE safety razors.. Question is... Do you guys have any recommendations for brand and style to use on the GEM razor? Thanks for any responses, Scott

Personna? Blades. I think you can still get them at Walgreens and a few places. Be sure the little tabs that are in the front of the razor that holds the blade in place at the edge are still there. An easy thing to over-look.

I will check for those.. Thank you Gasman. I read some guys talking about Personna on another sight too.. Must have some merit and I have a few other supplies l need to order so I'll buy a few packs of those with it... thank you

I'd highly recommend specifically the Personna GEM stainless steel PTFE coated blades. Personna makes other SE blades but these are very, very good. You'd have to order them in but are worth the effort. One place they are available from is https://bullgooseshaving.com/product...es-pack-of-100 but there are also others.

Bob

Can't remember the blades I got, but those gem razors are top notch.
As close to a straight shave as you can get, far superior to any de IMHO.

Yes, I was surprised at how good those GEM razors were/are when I first tried them. It also took me a razor burned shave or two to figure out that the Gem razors shave with the top cap damn near flat on the face and not you typical DE shave angle. Man, you don't forget those lessons.

Bob

The angle does get some taking used to that's for sure. Gillette beat them out with superior marketing and cheap blades back in the day.

I have a 1930s Gem Micromatic that I love. I use the Gem Blue Star blades because they are available at my local drug store. They shave great, BUT, they are carbon steel and will rust very quickly unless you take the blade out and dry it clean after use. I only use my Gem once a week as part of a rotation, so I change blades every shave. Not cost effective. I recommend the stainless blades as mentioned earlier and avoid the Gem Blue Star blades.

Often I found that the Blue Star blades were rusted in the pack. The Personna,s PTFE blades and shave blade angle, above are a prescription for a great shave. You already know what good lather is, and that is where the blade meets the skin..
Enjoy!
~Richard

Thanks for the info.. I appreciate it. I'm going to order the box of 100 Personna's from Bullgoose Shaving (thx BobH). If anyone has interest in trying these blades out please PM me and I'll send you a few of them. It will take me years to go through 100 of these so don't hesitate to get a hold of me...

I only use a DE when I travel, maybe once a year. I've considered a SE before but never committed. Cost wise, the GEM is trivial compared to one of the myriad new machined SS SE razors. Are the shave results different enough to justify a modern?

JMO, the blade is the thing. Blade angle is king..
I have a lot of razors over the last century and the Gem is second to none. Some are prettier than others. TTO types are solid. New ones are lighter and about the only changed over the later years is the handles.
JMO
~Richard

The only advantage to me in a stainless steel DE is that the rust problem is virtually cured as is the plating loss issue. I get as good a shave with my modern stainless steel DE as I do with my vintage ones. It is up to the individual to draw a conclusion as to what justifies a modern and most times expensive stainless steel DE razor just for occasional use.

Bob

Quote:

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Originally Posted by BobH

The only advantage to me in a stainless steel DE is that the rust problem is virtually cured as is the plating loss issue. I get as good a shave with my modern stainless steel DE as I do with my vintage ones. It is up to the individual to draw a conclusion as to what justifies a modern and most times expensive stainless steel DE razor just for occasional use.

Bob

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Agree. The shave I get from my Merkur are just as good as or better than the shaves I get from my more expensive Rockwell. The Rockwell is heavier in the hand and feels more substantial, but really does not improve the final result. I’ve tried all kinds of blades in both, but have yet to find a combination that makes the Rockwell a better shaver.