The Single Edge Gang

Just purchased my first injector razors from Andrew on the BST. Received them today. Wasn't able to find any blades here locally so ordered some of the Schick blades off of Amazon as they seemed to be favored over the Personna blades from my research. Just checked and it looks like they will be arriving tomorrow. Can't wait to try, now I just have to decide which one to use first.

Which ones did you get & what do you usually prefer? I bet we can help you find the best starting point.

I received a I1, J1, and M1 dial adjustable.  I'm pretty sure the only difference between the I1 and J1 are the handles and I wasn't sure which one I would like better so using the common recommendation of "get both"  I did.    I have never used a SE before only DE and carts.  I am leaning toward starting with the J1 first because I think If I go with the M1 I will be playing with different settings instead of just concentrating on the new angle etc.

Typically, the injectors get more mild as you move farther down the alphabet. So the I & J could be very similar. The adjustable is nice & that's probably where I would start so you can change the aggression as needed.

@iamsms, congratulations on your first SE! Blade choice and longevity is totally YMMV, but I have found that the GEM PTFE coated blades are by far the best. You can also get uncoated SS blades that are "okay". I wouldn't even mess around with the carbon steel ones. I have gotten up to 25 shaves on one PTFE coated blade used in a GEM Micromatic Bullet Tip. Usually for me they last around 10-12 shaves though before they start tugging.

As far as the razor goes, that is one of the few GEMs that I don't have so I can't comment on the aggressiveness. The head looks similar to others that I find to be fairly mild but very effective. I'm sure someone else with a G-Bar will chime in.

Good luck with the shaves and let us know how it goes!

The Heavy Flat Top (aka G-bar) is quite mild. The Pella blades could be PTFE coated or not. The SS PTFE blades are the best IME. I have personally had over 30 shaves from a single blade. Place the head flat on your skin & then drop the handle slightly.

Enjoy!

Picked up a Gem G Bar from our BST. Razor arrived today. This is my first foray into SE razors. So looking for some suggestions:

(I am well aware of YMMV, so I am not looking for words written on stone tablets, rather trying to reduce some variables before I start my journey)

1. Is gem G bar an aggressive or mild razor. Or does that vary with build year/razor to razor?
2. Which are some good blades to try with this razor? (The generous buyer threw in a few Ted Pella blades)
3. Usually how many shaves per blade,? (Again I will figure out my own numbers, just looking for a heads up)
4. Anything else I should keep in mind?

Thanks a lot guys. This wonderful thread had me pull the trigger on a SE.

The Gbar is one awesome razor! Very nice! Now we just need photos, or else it didn't happen

@"iamsms"

Congrats. If its the one that was just on BST this week it was a really great looking razor. Looking forward to see how it works out for you. So many razors so little time.

Picked up a Gem G Bar from our BST. Razor arrived today. This is my first foray into SE razors. So looking for some suggestions:

(I am well aware of YMMV, so I am not looking for words written on stone tablets, rather trying to reduce some variables before I start my journey)

1. Is gem G bar an aggressive or mild razor. Or does that vary with build year/razor to razor?
2. Which are some good blades to try with this razor? (The generous buyer threw in a few Ted Pella blades)
3. Usually how many shaves per blade,? (Again I will figure out my own numbers, just looking for a heads up)
4. Anything else I should keep in mind?

Thanks a lot guys. This wonderful thread had me pull the trigger on a SE.

@"iamsms"

Congrats. If its the one that was just on BST this week it was a really great looking razor. Looking forward to see how it works out for you. So many razors so little time.

I know, as soon as I saw that post I was going to buy it, but @iamsms was quicker on the draw!

Not to get off topic but I to tried for it as well. I was at work and I can't see any photos on the sight so I had to wait until I got home. Work is really starting to interfere with this newfound vintage acquisition disorder I may have picked up. Congrats again @"iamsms" great pickup.

@"iamsms"

Congrats.  If its the one that was just on BST this week it was a really great looking razor.  Looking forward to see how it works out for you. So many razors so little time.

I know, as soon as I saw that post I was going to buy it, but @iamsms was quicker on the draw!

Have a few questions for you guys:

1. Do you take the blade out and clean each time? As these blades last longer than DE, I would assume we have to do so, since there isn't any other way I can think of to get rid of all the water.

2. Is there any video or pictures showing the proper blade loading mechanism. Even after my first shave, I am not sure I loaded the blade properly. I found a video (Paul H), I think I loaded the blade correctly.

3. I saw that I can get 200 blades from Ted Pella. Is there any other place I can get those PTFE coated blades in a lower quantity? 200 is a big number.

Thanks

just sent you pm