SE guys: can you get a bad razor?

so...i have a GEM 1912 SE razor with the chain link handle. it looks to be in beautiful condition but i have never gotten anything other than a mediocre shave with it. it cuts close...too close in most instances. i get more nicks and razor burn than with my DE's.

i try to stay mindful of keeping a good angle with light pressure...so i'm not sure why i'm having problems.

so gents...can you get a SE that is a dud? what on them can go wrong? to my eyes everything is as it should be....

I thought there was supposed to be no angle with a SE, other than 90?

You can get a bad razor, but if nothing is visibly wrong, it's more likely a blade issue. What blades are you using?
BTW, I have a 1924 model that is ever so slightly bent at the comb. I thought it would be slight enough not to effect the shave. Boy was I wrong! Tore me up something awful!

EDIT: I should also ask about the angle. Have you played with it? Even if you are careful about the angle, if it's wrong, it's wrong.

i've got the blade nearly parallel to the skin like they show in the GEM literature....

drandall said:

i've got the blade nearly parallel to the skin like they show in the GEM literature....

Click to expand...

That was my first attempt too, but with a micromatic. Awful shave. I came here and someone said tilt it up to about 10 degrees. Smooth sailing from there.

Unfortunately, I've gotten a couple of bad SE razors. In the beginning of my quest for a SE razor, I got a couple off of e-bay as a 2 for 1 sale. When I tried to load the blade into these razors I noticed that the blade stops, located in the corner of the razor and used to hold the blade in place, were missing. They must have been ground down or else knocked off the razor so the blade would not hold in place. I tried to return the items but it was a "no return" allowed. Those razors were dangerous to use since the blade would shift and become lopsided when used. They went into the trash fast. So you can get a bad SE razor if those stops in the corner of the razor down near the blade edge are missing. You gotta be careful and inspect the razor.

Cheers.

It is possible for a 1912 to be damaged. The damage should be fairly obvious, though. The razor's bottom plate/comb is made from stamped sheet metal and can be bent. One or both of the blade stops (hooks) can be partially closed, causing the blade to not seat correctly. The tab that pushes the blade forward can be weak as can the spring holding down the razor's cap.

Although not common, a bad blade is possible. Although I prefer Treet SEs, I remember when I ran out and put in a new Gem stainless blade. During the shave, I Noticed an unusual scratching sensation. Upon rinsing, I saw that my face looked like it had been attacked by our cat. Close inspection revealed a crack in the blade's edge.

Having said all that, the majority of the bad shaves I've had with a 1912 (and they've been few) have been technique related. The way my beard grows, I must do multiple passes to obtain a close shave. Therefore, I must prep and have a lather that is spot on. That is, my lather must be slippery, but not sticky. I must shave, not with light pressure, but with zero pressure. I find myself imagining I am a master barber lightly gliding the razor over a customer's face. Stretching my skin helps too. As you have said, I keep the razor's cap just off my skin. I'm not concerned with how the angle of the razor's handle compares to that of a DE. That's where a lot of guys run into problems. With different razor brands and models, the handle will be at a different angle. I do not shave an area without lathering, not even touch up. For whatever reason, my SEs seem to leave less lubrication behind than my DEs.

If I remember to follow my guidelines, and make passes as dictated by the direction of my beard growth, I am rewarded by an irritation free, close shave.

I wouldn't give up on SEs yet, but remember, we all have our razor preferences.

-Clarke

shamus said:

Unfortunately, I've gotten a couple of bad SE razors. In the beginning of my quest for a SE razor, I got a couple off of e-bay as a 2 for 1 sale. When I tried to load the blade into these razors I noticed that the blade stops, located in the corner of the razor and used to hold the blade in place, were missing. They must have been ground down or else knocked off the razor so the blade would not hold in place. I tried to return the items but it was a "no return" allowed. Those razors were dangerous to use since the blade would shift and become lopsided when used. They went into the trash fast. So you can get a bad SE razor if those stops in the corner of the razor down near the blade edge are missing. You gotta be careful and inspect the razor.

Cheers.

Click to expand...

There is an early version of the Ever Ready 1914 that doesn't have hooks for the blade to slide under. Rather, the metal sticks upward just slightly to stop the blade from sliding too far forward. This arrangement may have worked fine with the original SE blades, but certainly causes problems loading today's blades. Later 1914s have hooks like the 1912s. Although both Ever Ready and Gem were owned by ASR, the companies didn't always share razor designs.

-Clarke

I think the 1912's in particular are prone to some issues. While I have one or two now that are excellent shavers, I also have a few with issues. Some of the issues don't appear to impact the way they shave but make me uneasy nonetheless, other issues render the razor unusable.

The issue mentioned previously regarding missing blade stops is a major problem. The first 1912 I purchased was missing a stop, so I've learned to try to inspect the pics more closely before making a purchase. With a missing or non-functioning stop, the blade can move considerably while shaving and cause injury, so it's obviously best never to attempt to shave with a razor in this condition.

But I've also noticed that the 1912 design has some other issues. I have several razors in which the blade "settles into" a final position once shaving. With some, the blade just moves back the width of a hair or two, then doesn't move again, staying essentially straight relative to the head. I have one 1912 in which only one side of the blade moves back slightly leaving the blade to appear crooked relative to the head. I finished a shave before noticing this, and the shave was still comfortable, but I choose not to shave with this one anyway.

I've come across one with s slightly bent head (probably dropped at some point) which prevented the top from laying flat , and though I don't recommend it, I GENTLY bent it back into shape.

Don't get me wrong, I also have a few in which the blade doesn't move at all once loaded, but it seems to me that the 1912 design is prone to some issues. These are absolutely great razors, but if one is giving you a less than stellar shave, I'd say to try another. I've yet to pay more than $10 for one of these beauties, and when you find a good one, they give a VERY satisfying shave.

drandall said:

i've got the blade nearly parallel to the skin like they show in the GEM literature....

Click to expand...

amishmotorboat said:

That was my first attempt too, but with a micromatic. Awful shave. I came here and someone said tilt it up to about 10 degrees. Smooth sailing from there.

Click to expand...

I agree with amishmotorboat. Bring the back of the head a little closer to the face and you should notice much better results. It's more or less agreed by most SE users that Gem's directions weren't the best representation of proper angle. The sound and feel at the correct angle should be pretty noticeable.

I have a 1912 that the door doesn't close down tight enough on the blade. Needless to say, the blade moves backwards slightly when it is pulled down the face. It's in the parts drawer in case I ever need a spare handle.

Try other SEs, if you can. The '12 and the MM never agreed with me, either. Other SEs do.

I've been lucky and have gotten tip top shaves with the few SE's I've tried so far. I'm gonna bet it is the blades, there are several different types and some are defiantly NOT designed for shaving.

I've had a couple bad razors that looked and mechanically seemed perfect, but gave awful shaves. It wasn't until i found another like razor that i noticed a HUGE difference, shaved bbs. Never could figure out why one shave better than the other... sometimes it is, what it is.

Not sure if it was due to prep and technique but I had a SE blade yield 8+ shaves. I think the final count was around 13 IIRC. When I replaced it with another SE, I only got 3 decent shaves and 2 ok shaves from it. There are just too many variables involved. Definitely work on technique as SE and DE are quite different beasts. When in doubt, put a new blade in to see if it's the current blades giving you grief. Good luck!

well, i decided to give it one more try and bought an inexpensive featherweight. we'll see if the experience is any better.

if not, then i have my answer...