SharpSpine's OneBlade Journal (now w/ CORE)

Trying again!

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After using a single GEM PTFE blade for the entire month of June I decided to give the Feather FHS-10 another try. I did receive a close & smooth shave with very little tactile feedback. Unfortunately, I also had more weepers & razor burn in this one shave than I had the entire month of June on a single blade. I had 5 small weepers & 1 large one today while not having any last month. I also felt more burn from my alcohol splash than I thought possible.

I purposefully used a light touch & followed my normal shave routine that I've been using with the OneBlade for the last 6+ months. This experiment concluded without a shadow of a doubt that my skin does not get along well with these spineless blades from Feather. After reading the latest email from OneBlade I felt like this blade deserved another chance. I do think it's a quality blade that just doesn't match well to my skin. I may continue to use a single GEM blade per month, but more than likely I'll end up switching to a fresh blade halfway through the month.

Now, I wonder if anyone here will be adding a collector's edition razor before the price doubles in a few days?

Happy OneBlade shaves y'all!

Something Special

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OneBlade
GEM SS PTFE
Plisson Pearly Gray
B&M LE Grand Chypre
Creed Himalaya EdP

I achieved something special this morning; a gloss shave with no weepers, no irritation, and no blade feel or tactile feedback throughout the shave. This was the smoothest shaving experience I've ever had. I didn't want the shave to end. However, when it did there was the slightest burn from the aftershave to indicate that it is alcohol based. Then I indulged with the Creed fragrance Himalaya.

This is going to be a great day.

SharpSpine thanks for the feedback on the blades. I've been using Feathers exclusively in my DEs, and have used nothing but the Feather in the OneBlade. I will shave twice with one blade, flipping it for the second shave. I've not had any nicks, weepers or irritation save for one shave.

I did one shave last week where I actually tried to get irritation, many passes, excessive touchup, pushing it to see how it would go. Almost succeeded-I would never shave like that normally, and I did get some redness and a few tiny bumps. Back to normal now, and the typical OB shave with the Feather is extremely comfortable for me.

Another experiment I did was to put an Alum block to the face a few times after shaving with the Feather. No strong burning sensation, just a feeling of bracing.

So, I guess the Feather and I get along, and I just put in a supply of them, but like the typical enthusiast, not willing to let good enough alone, I'm intrigued by your experience with the Gem blades.

I've got some coming to go along with an old Gem Clog Pruf and  G Bar also on the way, and I've never despined a blade before. I saw a video where a pair of pliers was used to remove the protective piece-is that all there is to it? Does one then insert the blade in the same way as the Feather?

Last question: The Collector's Edition is doubling in price? I didn't get that email! I haven't shaved with mine yet, it's still in the box, and if there is a price increase, it may stay there for awhile.

Thanks again.

CORE

The new approach from OneBlade arrived yesterday (along with a few new goodies from B&M) so I put it through its maiden shave this morning.

I used the new Barrister's Reserve soap and just moved my de-spined GEM blade from my v1 Stainless OneBlade into the CORE.

The lather was amazing but the CORE just seemed to glide on top of the lather rather than slicing through it. A different technique/angle is definitely needed with the CORE.

The gliding sensation carried throughout the Shave which was nice, albeit a kind of odd feeling. Even with the modified angle it didn't seem like this razor was very efficient. Even after 2.5 passes, which is my normal for a BBS shave, I still had several patches of stubble. Some places were decently close, but it seems like the areas where my beard is the most coarse didn't fare well with the CORE.

I know that I'm not using the razor as designed so I will definitely try the Feather FHS blade in the razor next to see if there is a difference. The GEM stayed in place and seemed ok other than the lackluster results.

So, this razor definitely needs a different approach and will take some getting used to. Whether or not it can perform well for me is yet to be seen.

SharpSpine Brian thanks for taking the time to post your initial thoughts on the core. It will be interesting to see the thoughts of those with no previous OneBlade experience.

Brian, as always, your honest opinions about your entire One Blade odyssey, from the original to the CORE, have been excellent.  I have to wonder why the shave with the CORE is so different when the concept looks basically the same.  Inasmuch as the despined GEM works in the CORE, it doesn't seem as if the head was modified in any way so that it accepts only Feathers.  Is the blade gap different between the stainless model and the CORE?  Granted, the CORE is plastic but it is weighted through the handle so there should not be a need for a lot of pressure.  Even mantic59's review was lukewarm so I have to wonder where the loss in shave quality is.

Thanks Freddy. I'll look at the two razors side by side sometime soon. Hopefully that will help us figure some of this out.

CORE Shave #2

After my lackluster shave with the CORE yesterday I needed to make some adjustments. Today I changed my angle by lowering the handle enough to keep most of the head just off the surface of my skin. No "riding the pivot" on this one like I do on the v1 stainless.

I also went back to the Feather FHS "spineless" SE blade which the OneBlade razors are designed around. As I'm starting my first pass I realize that my GEM blade is sitting right there so why not do a side by side test. So I completed the left side of my face with the Feather and then switched to the GEM for the right side.

The different angle made an immediate impact on the efficiency of the razor. This was noticeable with both the Feather & GEM blades. Despite my well known love of the GEM blade I must admit that the Feather blade worked better today in the CORE.

It's disappointing to hear so many people receiving defective units; things like heads falling off and springs popping out. Thankfully mine has none of those issues and functions well. I definitely feel like I have to be a bit more kid gloves like around the head as it feels so flimsy compared to the weight of the handle. The balance of this razor is very odd but I don't think this is a surprise to anyone. It is what it is.

After yesterday's shave I was considering returning the CORE and getting my money back. Today's shave has given me pause and I will use it a few more times before making that decision.

CORE Shave #3

I am almost really impressed now with the CORE. Once I see how many shaves I can get out of the Feather blade & then I revisit a GEM blade I'll be ready to post some final thoughts. Right now though I'm surprised at how great my skin is feeling after using a Feather blade for 2 shaves in a row. Typically Feather blades leave me with some irritation, even if the shave was stellar in every other regard.

If things keep going like this I will have to revisit the Feathers in my v1 Stainless OneBlade. Then I'll be able to tell if this "floating blade" technology they introduced in the v2 OneBlade really has some merit.

CORE Shave #4

No picture this morning but the setup was the same as my last shave except for the blade. I popped in a fresh GEM blade to see if the different angle and a fresh blade would perform better than my first CORE shave.

Today's shave was definitely better, but still not great. I'd say a DFS shave but certainly not BBS. Plus, it took a full 3 passes plus several buffing touch-ups to get decent results, especially under my nose and along my jawline/chin. I generally perform 2 passes with some slight touch-up along the jawline.

I'll wait a couple days and see how shave #3 on the Feather goes. At this point I think it's clear to me that the Feather blade performs better in the CORE than the GEM. It's hard for me to even say that as I much prefer the GEM blade in every other razor that I've tried both blades in. Now I just hope I can get a good number of uses out of the Feather.