What sort of blade are you using in your SE?

I need to get schooled up on the world of blades for the SE's. My perception to this point is DE has highly evolved blades that are specifically engineered for facial shaving while SE's are essentially designed to use blades that are more geared to non-shaving tasks such as construction and the like.

I'm looking at some of these SE's for sale but wondering if I got one, what sort of blade would give comparable levels of smoothness to something like the Gillette Silver Blue?

Thanks!

Nearly all the SE blades available today are manufactured by American Safety Razor Co. They produce blades for industrial use as well as blades that are still intended specifically for shaving.

Carbon steel blades for shaving are marketed under the Gem, Pal and Treet brand names, as well as "house brand" blades sold by CVS and Rite-Aid, and stainless steel blades are marketed under the Gem brand.

In addition, there are blades that are not marketed specifically for shaving but rather for applications that require a shaving quality edge, primarily in the medical field. These are sold in bulk under the Gem brand and are perfectly suitable for shaving.

With the blades intended for shaving, the edge of the thicker more rigid SE blade is, in my opinion, sharper than most DE blades and produces a superior shave while also lasting longer. I found this to be true to the point that I now use single edge razors exclusively and no longer own any DE's. Of course, YMMV.

--Bob

I can't add anything to what Bob said, except that I prefer the Stainless Steel coated blades. They have a Teflon-type coating which, to me, makes them smoother to shave with.

Extremely informative, thanks gents!

I use the GEM stainless blades from my local CVS.

I use Treet right now, because it is what I have, but they perform the same as the Gem's I've used in the past. Both had 009 RD on the spine.

No one mentioned the SE Artist Club blades that are used in the Mongoose razor. These blades are considered to the sharpest blades available by many guys me included. I get the smoothest shave from these blades, much smoother than a GEM blade, IMO.

I'm getting a month or so from a GEM PTFE - bought 100 from Connaught in Feb for $24 or so.

I've bought the 200 pack of GEM blades from Ted Pella for the past few years. Costs under $40, and I use one blade per week. If you enjoy SE shaving, it's a good investment.