SharpSpine
Master Shaver
My Flavor Sabre
Posts: 1,151
|
Post by SharpSpine on Dec 26, 2015 15:34:10 GMT -6
December 26, 2015 -- A GEM Experiment Until OneBlade hit the market the Feather spineless blades were practically unheard of here in the USA. Only the most passionate SE enthusiasts would track them down to use in their Valet AutoStrop razors. Others who found the price of these blades off putting decided to make do with what they already had plenty of for their other SE razors; GEM SS PTFE blades. With a simple pair of pliers or nippers one can easily remove the spine of the blade. A little more effort is needed to cut down the blade in order for it to fit in one of the Valet versions. Now with OneBlade coming onto the scene in the last year with their entire platform built around these blades we are seeing more people carrying them. However, their price is still about 3x that of their GEM cousin when bought in bulk (more on this in a little while). So this now begs the question if the cheaper GEM blade (which also seems to have many more fans in the SE universe compared to Feather) can be used without a spine in the OneBlade razor. I showed in a video the other day how easily the de-spined GEM fits into the head of the OneBlade. While the blade went in easily, it does not fit around the nubs which are machined into the head to lock the Feather blade in. The GEM blade does have some cutouts, but they are not the same size, nor are they quite in the same place as the Feather spineless blade. It then became decision time. Is it worth the risk to try shaving with a blade that doesn't completely fit as designed? I was initially hesitant as I am very vulnerable to a moving blade. Cobra razors never shaved me safely due to the moving blade bed. So would this blade be too unstable for me resting on top of the blade nubs rather than being secured by them? I figured that my risk was low given the inherent rigidity of the blade and that if the blade were to move, then it would move back & away from my skin. View showing GEM blade installed The shave this morning was fantastic. I had zero issues during the shave & never once felt nor noticed the blade move away from the stops. I achieved a 2-pass BBS result with no nicks, weepers, or irritation. The audible feedback was much louder & I suspect that is due to the blade being less locked down than the Feather. For all other purposes it was a typical OneBlade shave; mild & efficient. I can't rightly compare this shave to my Feather as my memory of that first shave a week ago isn't clear. My initial thought is that these blades will shave & feel pretty similar when both are fresh, but that the GEM blades are capable of delivering many more quality shaves before a new blade is needed. In the SE universe the GEM blades are more beloved and deliver more shaves per blade for most (nearly all) people. Most SE aficionados are quick to dismiss the OneBlade based on the use of the Feather blade alone. So,this experiment was unavoidable to me when you consider a possibly better performing blade, with much better longevity, & at a third of the cost. Let's now evaluate the blade options and their costs from the vendors that I'm aware of, outside of OneBlade themselves. BullGoose: Feather: $6.50 for 10 (65¢ each) $128.50 for 240 (54¢ each) GEM: $5.75 for 10 (58¢ each) Razor Blades & More: Unable to get pricing as website was unavailable when I was researching earlier today. Connaught: Today's £:$ exchange rate 1.48:1 Feather: £5.00 for 10 (£0.50 each) $7.42 (74¢ each) £24 for 60 (£0.40 each) $35.61 (59¢ each) £42 for 120 (£0.35 each) $62.32 (52¢ each) £72 for 240 (£0.30 each) $106.83 (45¢ each) GEM: £2.50 for 10 (£0.25 each) $3.71 (37¢ each) £4.00 for 20 (£0.20 each) $5.94 (30¢ each) £5.40 for 30 (£0.18 each) $8.01 (27¢ each) £8.50 for 50 (£0.17 each) $12.61 (25¢ each) £12 for 100 (£0.12 each) $17.81 (18¢ each) £20 for 200 (£0.10 each) $29.68 (15¢ each) I will be returning back to the Feather blade and riding it out to see how many quality shaves I can get from it. From there I plan on using another Feather blade, but this time without sabotaging my own technique and without interruption like this current blade has been through. The result of today's experiment will definitely find me performing more de-spined GEM shaves down the road. Disclaimer: I do not advise others to do this as it is not how the razor was designed to function.
|
|
|
Post by mjclark on Dec 26, 2015 17:01:26 GMT -6
Wooh! Great experiment - so now we have a modern SE that takes GEM blades!! Phenomenal!!
After using the Artist Club razors and Mongoose, I've started to understand razors as blade delivery systems - I put a GEM spine on the Feather SE and NOS Valet blades to use in my Streamline along with the GEM blades.
So how does the OneBlade compare as a delivery system for these blades? I can use the Feather SEs with a spine in the ER 1912, 1914, 1924 and Streamline - does the OneBlade bring something new to the party? Perhaps the pivoting head makes a crucial difference?
|
|
SharpSpine
Master Shaver
My Flavor Sabre
Posts: 1,151
|
Post by SharpSpine on Dec 27, 2015 18:07:47 GMT -6
Wooh! Great experiment - so now we have a modern SE that takes GEM blades!! Phenomenal!! After using the Artist Club razors and Mongoose, I've started to understand razors as blade delivery systems - I put a GEM spine on the Feather SE and NOS Valet blades to use in my Streamline along with the GEM blades. So how does the OneBlade compare as a delivery system for these blades? I can use the Feather SEs with a spine in the ER 1912, 1914, 1924 and Streamline - does the OneBlade bring something new to the party? Perhaps the pivoting head makes a crucial difference? The OneBlade delivery system is quite unique if only you consider the pivoting head. Add in their claims on the research that went into the perfect amount of blade gap, blade exposure, and cutting angle and you have a pretty good delivery system. My favorite vintage SEs by far are the GEM Clog Pruf & EverReady 1914. The Streamline was ok but that huge guard bar really got in the way for me.
|
|
SharpSpine
Master Shaver
My Flavor Sabre
Posts: 1,151
|
Post by SharpSpine on Dec 27, 2015 18:08:13 GMT -6
December 27, 2015 -- #7 Seventh shave on this Feather blade, and eighth overall on the OneBlade. Despite my coarse beard I have not had any trouble using this mild razor and the Feather spineless blades. Even on its seventh use this blade still delivered a BBS shave. I did need some slight touch-ups for the first time to get to BBS after my usual two passes. So the keen edge of the blade is losing some of its sharpness, but it is by no means done cutting. It is just at a point now where I can feel it cutting without it risking my skin to weepers, nicks, cuts, or irritation. Imagine taking a hot knife through a stick of butter. It glides through effortlessly. Now take that same stick of butter and cut it with a cold knife. I'm pretty sure you'll still be able to slice through the butter, but you are going to feel the slicing action more. This is the difference between a fresh SE blade (hot knife) & a broken in blade (cold knife). I don't push blade longevity to save money. I actually find the extra feedback to contribute to my woosah of shaving. When the blade is so sharp to slice without feedback I feel like I'm missing something in my shave. It will take a seriously quick degradation of the steel for this blade not to last 10 shaves. I'm feeling really good about both this blade and the razor too. This is a well thought out and executed shaving system despite its many detractors. If you have the means, then I highly suggest you give this razor a try. If it is out of your budget, then please feel free to message me and I'll be glad to discuss other SE options for you. Until my next OneBlade shave...
|
|
SharpSpine
Master Shaver
My Flavor Sabre
Posts: 1,151
|
Post by SharpSpine on Dec 28, 2015 20:03:02 GMT -6
December 28, 2015 I was wrong. The blade seemed to degrade overnight. This morning's shave was ok, neither bad nor great. I had a hard time getting my stubble just below my nose during the ATG pass. This is usually a tell tale sign for a dull blade for me. I also had some razor bumps on my super sensitive lower neck which is a first for me in quite some time. So while this blade didn't reach my goal of 10, I still have faith that this FHS blade can get to 10 and even more. I was pretty harsh on this blade and still got 8 shaves (6 great ones, 1 purposefully sabotaged, and then the last one not so great). Next up I plan on using the de-spined GEM blade for 2 more shaves (3 total), followed by the next 3 shaves using a fresh Feather Hi-Stainless. Before this though I'm going to take a short break to reset my senses by using my AlumiGoose for a couple shaves (& hopefully adding on to my Mongoose journal since I'm obviously in the journaling frame of mind). Until my next OneBlade shave...
|
|
SharpSpine
Master Shaver
My Flavor Sabre
Posts: 1,151
|
Post by SharpSpine on Dec 30, 2015 20:57:21 GMT -6
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...
|
|
|
Post by michaeld on Dec 31, 2015 8:06:53 GMT -6
This has been very enlightening for me. I thought when these razors came out they would be just another high priced "boutique" item. Your journal is proving my thought wrong. Now if the price would just come down.
|
|
SharpSpine
Master Shaver
My Flavor Sabre
Posts: 1,151
|
Post by SharpSpine on Jan 1, 2016 12:50:59 GMT -6
December 31, 2015 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.
|
|
SharpSpine
Master Shaver
My Flavor Sabre
Posts: 1,151
|
Post by SharpSpine on Jan 1, 2016 18:22:31 GMT -6
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...
|
|
SharpSpine
Master Shaver
My Flavor Sabre
Posts: 1,151
|
Post by SharpSpine on Jan 3, 2016 15:56:13 GMT -6
January 3, 2016 -- A rough shave Today's shave was an eye opener. It was the first time using the OneBlade on multiple days of growth; 2 1/2 days. During the first pass I felt more resistance & feedback than ever using a OneBlade razor. This was practically gone on the second pass, but the damage was already done; a nick on my lower right neck & just under my jaw on the left. More touch-up was also needed to get completely smooth. Perhaps the mildness of this razor was finally overwhelmed by my stubble once it grew out some more. My Mongoose razors have never had this much trouble cutting down multiple days of growth. Since the second pass & touch-ups were better than the first pass I suspect the blade will perform just fine tomorrow morning when I use it again. So at this point it seems that while the OneBlade is an amazing razor for me when used on a daily basis, it doesn't appear to have enough umph to take down more than that. I will most likely use a Mongoose razor on days where there is more growth & keep the OneBlade for all the daily shaves. I will be sure to try shaving multiple days of growth with the de-spined GEM blade to determine if this is a blade issue or a razor geometry issue. Until my next OneBlade shave...
|
|
SharpSpine
Master Shaver
My Flavor Sabre
Posts: 1,151
|
Post by SharpSpine on Jan 4, 2016 23:13:36 GMT -6
January 04, 2016 Most disappointing shave to date from OneBlade. Did my 2+ days of growth yesterday really destroy the leading edge of the Feather blade this bad? I thought for sure the shave today would be better but now find myself planning on taking tomorrow off and really looking forward to getting back to the GEM blade on Wednesday. I know that the GEM blade can handle my stubble even on 4-5 days of growth in other SE razors. If it doesn't perform well on Wednesday then I know it is due to the razor head geometry and not the blade. My current thought though is that the GEM blade will shave just fine. Until my next (hopefully better) OneBlade shave...
|
|
SharpSpine
Master Shaver
My Flavor Sabre
Posts: 1,151
|
Post by SharpSpine on Jan 6, 2016 22:45:37 GMT -6
January 6, 2016 -- Oh Yeah! My blade experiment came much closer to completion today. Less than a week ago I used a Feather Hi-Stainless blade to shave 2 days of my growth. It was a less than stellar shave, and the following shave on much less stubble was even worse. That was only the 2nd & 3rd use on that blade. Today, I shaved 2 days of growth effortlessly using a de-spined GEM SS PTFE blade on its 4th use. If my shave in the morning is also really good, then I will undoubtedly be done comparing these two blades. If a GEM blade can perform better on shaves 4 & 5 than a Feather can on 2 & 3, then to me it's pretty obvious which is the better performer. After the disastrous results with the Feather blade on my 2 day old stubble I can now only summise that Feather sacrifices blade longevity for blade sharpness via a thinner keen edge, or leading edge as OneBlade likes to refer to it. The performance of the GEM today confirms that the razor head geometry can handle my extra growth just fine. The Feather blade, however, not so much. On a different topic I think I can now understand better why my DE wielding brethren like a razor head that fully covers the tabs on the blade. Take a look below at how much of the Feather Hi-Stainless blade sticks out of the back of the razor head. Feather Hi-Stainless blade loaded Now take a look at how much sleeker the razor head is with the GEM blade loaded. No blade is hanging out of the back to catch on anything. If only the nubs inside the head were shaped to fully accept this blade. GEM SS PTFE blade loaded Really looking forward to my next OneBlade shave...
|
|
SharpSpine
Master Shaver
My Flavor Sabre
Posts: 1,151
|
Post by SharpSpine on Jan 7, 2016 21:14:34 GMT -6
January 7, 2016 Today's shave practically settles it for me. The GEM blades are an overall better blade for my face than the Feather Hi-Stainless blades. The ability to deliver BBS shaves without risk of tearing up my face as the blade dulls is what makes the big difference in my book. Next important blade characteristic is how fragile the edge of the Feather blade must be as it degraded almost instantly when tasked with removing multiple days of growth. While the Feather broke down in service, the GEM just plowed right through & left me smooth as silk. These results perfectly mirror my previous experience using the Feather Hi-Stainless blades in my vintage Valet AutoStrop razor. Even back then I took the time to not only de-spine a GEM blade, but I also trimmed it to fit the blade holder on my Valet. Even with all of that extra effort, the GEMs were still the easy choice for use in the Valet. The OneBlade shaves much better without doubt and I only need to remove the spine; no other blade modifications are required. Now to see how long this blade will last. I will use a fresh Feather blade on the next opportunity to shave 2+ days of growth to see if it can handle it brand new or not. Until my next OneBlade shave...
|
|
SharpSpine
Master Shaver
My Flavor Sabre
Posts: 1,151
|
Post by SharpSpine on Jan 9, 2016 14:16:19 GMT -6
January 8, 2016 Just a super shave to get ready for a second viewing of Star Wars VII The Force Awakens. January 9, 2016 -- Super Seventh Seven shaves down & this blade still feels like new. While I got 8 shaves on my first Feather Hi-Stainless blade, the seventh was the last good one & it was showing signs of slowing down. This GEM blade still feels like the first shave; smooth, easy, & efficient. OneBlade continues to impress me with how smooth it shaves me around the angles of my jaw and chin. ATG, on my lower neck has never been easier. I can only imagine that the precision of the razor head design along with the pivot are the difference makers here. While many people may be against a pivot simply because it reminds them of cartridge razors, allow me to say that this pivot is different, even backwards in comparison. But it works. It flat out works remarkably well especially on the sharp angles like the jaw and chin as well as the hollows of the lower neck. The longer I continue to use the OneBlade, the harder it gets to use something else. This razor has reminded just how great the GEM SS PTFE coated blades are and now I have a razor that can use them which not only feels great in hand but also looks classy as well. A great way to bring the vintage shaving gentleman into the future.
|
|
SharpSpine
Master Shaver
My Flavor Sabre
Posts: 1,151
|
Post by SharpSpine on Jan 11, 2016 20:40:04 GMT -6
January 11, 2016Feather blade. Good, not great. Day one on this blade was a challenge this morning. I wanted to see how a fresh Feather would handle my 2-day growth since a slightly used one failed miserably. Today's shave was decent, but not spectacular. I achieved a very smooth shave but not without a price. 4 weepers showed up, all around my lower neck, as well as some irritation. In 7 shaves on a GEM blade I've yet to see any blood or get any irritation. All while getting smooth & close shaves in only 2 passes and minimal touch-ups. I'm a little torn. I absolutely love the Feather Artist Club blades, but never got along with the Feather DE blades. The DE blades always seemed to give me irritation even on an easy shave with out any troubles. These Hi-Stainless blades from Feather remind me more of their DE counterparts rather than the supreme Artist Club blades. All in all, I am finding my preference to be for the GEM blade. The FHS blades aren't terrible, but I get better performance and longevity from the GEM SS PTFE blades.
|
|