SharpSpine's OneBlade Journal (now w/ CORE)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n3vtaMJguog

A de-spined GEM SS PTFE blade will fit in the OneBlade razor. However, it does NOT lock into place as the cutouts on the side aren't large enough.

I may shave with one to see if it it works or if it's dangerous. I need to give my Feather blade another run before I try this though to make sure that blade is still good like I think it is.

Christmas 2015 -- Shave #6

[Image: Gkawoup.jpg]

Back to proper SE technique and the shave was much smoother than yesterday. I'm not sure if my bad technique yesterday wore the blade down faster or if 6-7 shaves might be the max for me. I really am striving for at least 10 shaves from this blade, but only if they are great. It's never worth risking your face for one more shave. Technique though is a crucial component to getting the maximum blade life.

Tomorrow I will experiment with the GEM spineless blade I made yesterday. The cutouts don't match the machined nubs within the OneBlade's head so while the blade is seated nicely against the front stops I don't know if it will stay there or slip backwards in use. Since it should theoretically only go backward I don't think I'm endangering myself too much, but I still plan on being quite careful. At this time it will only be a 1 shave experiment as I want to get back to this original blade and see just how many shaves I can coax out of it.

It's been a terrific Christmas for my family and I. I truly hope you have also enjoyed your day with those that matter most to you and to whom you matter the most.

Shave On & Be Well.

Until the next OneBlade Shave...

Interesting about the GEM blade... Looking forward to reading more about your findings.

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.

Sounds like an untapped market for anyone who makes a sheet-metal stamp for stamping GEMs into Feather compatibles, mass stamping and resales.

Well executed gig, Brian. Onward, ever onward...

I think the ability to use a standard GEM blade certainly broadens the market for the oneblade razor..

SharpSpine, Ted Pella has the GEM PTFE SS blades for $34.95/200 ($.17 per blade). might not hurt to throw those numbers up there.

SharpSpine, Ted Pella has the GEM PTFE SS blades for $34.95/200 ($.17 per blade). might not hurt to throw those numbers up there.

I did forget about Ted Pella. The GEM SS PTFE blade is item code 121-3 there. The last I remember about Pella (this was a few years ago) was that the shipping was ridiculous unless you could ship to a business address.

SharpSpine, Ted Pella has the GEM PTFE SS blades for $34.95/200 ($.17 per blade).  might not hurt to throw those numbers up there.

I ordered those for my Micromatic