SharpSpine
Master Shaver
My Flavor Sabre
Posts: 1,151
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Post by SharpSpine on Jul 14, 2017 23:10:29 GMT -6
With the razor in hand I can now fully understand how the blade is secured and why no blade stops are necessary. Rather than blade stops, the head is designed with a spine stop. I still need to experiment with the Feather blade since there is no spine. I presume that the setscrew will hold the blade in place. With the GEM though, there is practically no wiggle room front to back so no significant blade exposure issues like I was concerned with initially. I will update in this thread with my experience over the next week. First shave will be in the morning. Definitely not my favorite looking razor but I'll have 3 days of growth to test its performance.
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Post by wchnu on Jul 15, 2017 7:10:27 GMT -6
I think it is smart to not try the Feather.
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SharpSpine
Master Shaver
My Flavor Sabre
Posts: 1,151
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Post by SharpSpine on Jul 15, 2017 8:56:35 GMT -6
• Rocnel SE-G • • GEM PTFE (1) • • Plisson synth • • Barrister's Reserve Cool • While I don't find this razor easy on the eyes, I must admit that it is a workhorse. The SE-G easily wiped away 3 days of growth in 2 passes plus some minor touch-ups; no nicks or weepers. There was some very minor irritation which most likely was the result of my tinkering with the angles. To my eyes the razor looks unbalanced. Surprisingly though, it felt quite comfortable in use. It was easy to find the best angle and maintain it all along my face & neck. Keeping the head of the razor on my skin is what worked best for me. As soon as I would drop the handle and raise the head off my skin I would start to feel the blade edge much more. I would call the shave smooth but with some aggressive feel. Bringing the head of the razor off of the skin greatly amps up the harshness of the shave. With the head flat you can still feel the blade some, but the cutting action is much smoother. While I'm not a fan of having the spine of the blade exposed, I think there is a benefit to it. The head of the razor is smaller so there is less metal to drag across your skin. Perhaps this aids in the smoothness of the shave. I now look forward to seeing how this mid-aggressive razor performs on back to back days. It's clear how well it does on a lot of growth so I hope it remains efficient yet gentle enough to be a daily driver. Not as aggressive as an OCMM, but more so than the Clog Pruf. It is not a completely quiet shaver, nor is it a singer. So far, I'm pleasantly surprised.
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pj3r
Lather Catcher
Posts: 842
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Post by pj3r on Jul 15, 2017 9:03:48 GMT -6
Nice, nice... Very interesting observations SharpSpine
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Post by GarnerPW on Jul 15, 2017 9:06:01 GMT -6
To me it has the looks(outline) of a hand axe. I like the looks. I looked at Rocnel web site, I didn't see the SE-G.
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Post by wchnu on Jul 16, 2017 4:32:28 GMT -6
Sounds interesting for folks that like newer stuff. I can see how it can be compared to micro matics.
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SharpSpine
Master Shaver
My Flavor Sabre
Posts: 1,151
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Post by SharpSpine on Jul 18, 2017 6:40:11 GMT -6
Third shave on the Rocnel SE-G this morning; this time on 2-days of growth. Each shave has resulted in an excellently close shave. I'm very pleased with the efficiency of this razor. However, each shave has also led to an increase in skin irritation. It seems that the aggression (blade feel) is too much for my skin on a regular basis. I certainly couldn't use this as a daily shaver. I could see this being in my den though for those times, like special occasions, when I need an exceptionally close and easy shave. I would need to make sure it didn't get used too often though.
Tomorrow I will use the Blackland Sabre again to give some comparisons. Before the Rocnel arrived for the pass around I was getting the same close shaves but without the buildup of skin irritation. It did take me a few shaves to dial in the proper angle for the Sabre, whereas I was able to find the right angle with the Rocnel straightaway.
I still think that from my experience the best vintage SEs I can compare the SE-G to are the two more aggressive MicroMatics; the OCMM & Clog Pruf. The SE-G is not as harsh & aggressive as the OCMM, but it is definitely a couple notches higher than the Clog Pruf. If you've used both of these razors & have wished for something in between, then Rocnel have grated that wish for you.
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SharpSpine
Master Shaver
My Flavor Sabre
Posts: 1,151
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Post by SharpSpine on Jul 19, 2017 11:30:55 GMT -6
So today I went back to the Blackland Sabre and used the same blade that I had been using with the SE-G. There was an immediate difference noticed. I felt much less of the blade on my skin with the Sabre which allowed me to have less irritation after this shave while still having an amazingly close shave. This just reiterates to me how both of these modern GEM razors are quite capable of giving you a close shave while feeling very different in the process. My skin is admittedly quite sensitive while also have coarse stubble. This precludes me to finding a sweet spot with razors to be in the mild, yet efficient category. The Rocnel SE-G is an excellent razor, and like the Blackland Sabre I believe that Rocnel has accomplished exactly what they wanted to with their effort. This will be a perfect razor for those who enjoy the blade feel of a more aggressive razor.
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ShadowsDad
Gem Star
None boring shaver!!
"It's not the bow, it's the Indian"
Posts: 4,534
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Post by ShadowsDad on Jul 20, 2017 0:46:28 GMT -6
Interesting! Thanks!
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SharpSpine
Master Shaver
My Flavor Sabre
Posts: 1,151
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Post by SharpSpine on Jul 21, 2017 7:20:39 GMT -6
If the razor sang Brian, I would unreservedly tell you to buy it immediately. However, I don't think it's quite loud enough for your enjoyment.
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ShadowsDad
Gem Star
None boring shaver!!
"It's not the bow, it's the Indian"
Posts: 4,534
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Post by ShadowsDad on Jul 21, 2017 7:52:03 GMT -6
Thanks Brian.
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jamie
Blade King
Posts: 301
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Post by jamie on Oct 17, 2017 12:39:12 GMT -6
I love the look of this razor, I found it for sale lightly used and shaved with it last night. I had my typical one day growth. I read reviews with people have issues sliding the blade in and alligning the blade. Took me a few trys to master it, but easily loaded my blade the carbon PAL with even gap and no edges hanging out. Awesome shave, the heavy handle was a nice change of pace, it felt like a more aggressive OCMM. I read some bad reviews and was overly cautious, but I had zero issues and a great shave!
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Post by wchnu on Oct 17, 2017 15:54:57 GMT -6
I love the look of this razor, I found it for sale lightly used and shaved with it last night. I had my typical one day growth. I read reviews with people have issues sliding the blade in and alligning the blade. Took me a few trys to master it, but easily loaded my blade the carbon PAL with even gap and no edges hanging out. Awesome shave, the heavy handle was a nice change of pace, it felt like a more aggressive OCMM. I read some bad reviews and was overly cautious, but I had zero issues and a great shave! That looks awesome. Thanks for the shave report on that one.
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jamie
Blade King
Posts: 301
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Post by jamie on Oct 25, 2017 13:49:44 GMT -6
I love the look of this razor, I found it for sale lightly used and shaved with it last night. I had my typical one day growth. I read reviews with people have issues sliding the blade in and alligning the blade. Took me a few trys to master it, but easily loaded my blade the carbon PAL with even gap and no edges hanging out. Awesome shave, the heavy handle was a nice change of pace, it felt like a more aggressive OCMM. I read some bad reviews and was overly cautious, but I had zero issues and a great shave! That looks awesome. Thanks for the shave report on that one. looks great - but not sure its worth the money - jury still out.. but I cant deny the beauty and its a OPEN COMB
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