Single Edge Blades (GEM Personna, Treet, PAL, BlueStar)

I put up a post about single edge blades in the BST Forum and it has made me a little curious. Where do you find your single edge blades? Specifically which store carries a specific blade?

For me I can find these SE blades locally:
GEM Personna stainless steel (in dispenser) - Walgreens


Treet Super (in dispenser) - Rite Aid


We don't have CVS on the West Coast, but they did purchase Long's Drugs. Unfortunately Long's does not carry SE blades, only DE's and Injectors. I still cannot find the PAL or GEM BlueStar blades locally.

Gabe,

Although I do shave with SEs on occasion, I don't feel I use them oftem enough to warrant a bulk purchase from Ted Pella. He sells Gem stainless in large quantities, as I'm sure you're aware. Like you, I can find Gem stainless at Walgreens. We don't have any Rite Aids nearby, but CVS Is currently sellling their store brand SE blades. They used to stock the Treets, which I can now buy through a local independent grocer. I don't know about the West Coast, but around here there is a discount chain called Family Dollar. They sell Pal blued SE blades in a cardboard pack of 5. And, yes, they are shaving blades, not paint scraper blades, available in the small shaving section of the store. I found some Korean SE blades at another grocery, and tried them. I didn't even complete a shave with one. And that's coming from a guy who can shave with just about any blade in a DE. I haven't tried the Korean SE blades from K-Mart.

-Clarke

There is but one place that all these blades are readily available. That is on the web. Unfortunately the guy who sells them is not welcome on the forum. If you would go to Shave My Face or The Shave Den sites and ask this same question you could find out where these are available.

The blades from Ted Pella that many of us tend to use are stainless steel, platinum coated Gem branded blades made by ASR. The blades sold in some stores under the "Gem by Personna" trademark and identified on the packaging as stainless steel and platinum coated are, as far as I can see after using several of both, the same blade.

Of the blades I've tried, these blades, are as good or better than anything else that I've been able to find. Some of the ASR carbon steel blades sold as Gem Blue Stars seem to me to give an equivilant shave but they don't seem to last as long.

As far as the various store brands, I suspect that if they say they are stainless steel and platinum coated and made in U.S.A. they are likely to be the same ASR blades that I am getting from Pella.

ASR does, however, make both stainless and carbon blades and both coated and uncoated blades, so just because they are made by ASR doesn't necessarily mean they are all the same. I suspect ASR will sell whichever version of the blade a chain store wants to pay for and will brand name it for them.

Regards,
Tom

The hardware store up my street carries Treet, Pal, and Proline. Treet and Pal are .89 a pack and Proline is .20 a pack.

I see more single edge blades at small mom&pop hardware stores than I do at chain stores.

The walgreens GEM blades are the stainless steel pellas, but I have not seen platinum coated ones, which arem ore expensive.

Is the PTFE coatign necessary, for shavem longevity?

I've found Treets and blue stars on ebay and will try.

In my earlier post here I mis-spoke in describing the Gem blades. They are stainless steel coated blades but they are PTFE coated, not platinum coated.

My appologies if I mislead anyone about what blades they might want to be looking for. Reading Roman's post jogged me back to reality when he mentioned the PTFE.

Regards,
Tom

OneRand said:

The walgreens GEM blades are the stainless steel pellas, but I have not seen platinum coated ones, which arem ore expensive.

Is the PTFE coatign necessary, for shavem longevity?I've found Treets and blue stars on ebay and will try.

Click to expand...

The coatings are necessary in order to make the stainless blades "sharper". Actually, the best edge that can be put on a stainless blade is inherently not as sharp as can be applied to a carbon steel blade. This is the case due to the different grain structure of the two materials. The coatings, whether they are PTFE, silicone, platinum or something else are applied to "fill in" the microscopic uneven areas of the edge creating the effect of being sharper than the original uncoated edge would be.

The main reason to use stainless steel for a blade is that, although the edge that can be put on a carbon steel blade is sharper than the stainless one, it will dull faster than the stainless blade. The coated stainless blade gives you the sharpness due to the coating, and the inherent longer life of the stainless material.

Regards,
Tom

I have tried Pellas (still have about 15 left). They shave just the same as a GEM Personna blade. They look identical as well. That side both the Pella and GEM Personna stainless blades suck in my opinion. I can't seem to get reliable shaves out of them.

I have just started using a carbon Treet blade. So far the results are far better than the Pella/GEM blades. Much sharper edge from what I can tell.

tom myers said:

The coatings are necessary in order to make the stainless blades "sharper". Actually, the best edge that can be put on a stainless blade is inherently not as sharp as can be applied to a carbon steel blade. This is the case due to the different grain structure of the two materials. The coatings, whether they are PTFE, silicone, platinum or something else are applied to "fill in" the microscopic uneven areas of the edge creating the effect of being sharper than the original uncoated edge would be.

The main reason to use stainless steel for a blade is that, although the edge that can be put on a carbon steel blade is sharper than the stainless one, it will dull faster than the stainless blade. The coated stainless blade gives you the sharpness due to the coating, and the inherent longer life of the stainless material.

Regards,
Tom

Click to expand...

Thank you for the explanation, Tom.

I actually meant to write PTFE as well, not platinum. This is interesting because my GEM personna pack from walgreens does not mention anything about "PTFE" or "Coated."

Hence I figured they were the 121-2 blades or the 121-22 blades, which are more expensive.

121-2 Single Edge, Stainless Steel Gem® Blades
Uncoated, 3 facet stainless steel, aluminum back, single edge, individually protected. 2 boxes of 100 each.
Length: 38.9mm (1.53"); Cutting Edge Length: 38.8mm (1.527")
Width: 19.8mm (0.78")
Thickness: .229mm (.009")
box/200 each $28.00


121-22 GEM® Single Edge, Stainless Steel Blades

Uncoated stainless steel, steel back, single edge blades in 10 blade safety dispensers, pack of 5 dispensers. The GEM blades have a 3-facet edge with a steel back, and are degreased for clean room applications. Used blades can be stored in bottom part of dispenser for safe disposal. Both blade and back are made from low carbon 400 series stainless steel. The hardness range of the blade is 56-63 Rockwell "C".
Length: 39.6mm (1.56"); Cutting Edge Length: 39.6mm (1.56")
Width: 19.6mm (.77")
Thickness: .229mm (.009")
10 blade dispensers, pkg/5 dispensers (50 blades) each $16.90


Has anyone shaved with the Pella carbon steels? Is it even worth trying?

For the reason I stated in my earlier post, I believe an uncoated stainless blade, while fine for some of the industrial and labratory uses that many of Pella's customers have, would not be very satisfactory for shaving. The edge on a stainless blade simply isn't as sharp unless it is coated.

Regards,
Tom

Thank you, Tom.

tom myers said:

The edge on a stainless blade simply isn't as sharp unless it is coated.

Regards,
Tom

Click to expand...

I think the carbon steel blades are even sharper than the coated stainless blades. These Treets remind me of a Feather DE blade. Super sharp!

Maybe it is like straights, where you can get a sharp edge on a carbon steel str8 with less effort than a stainless steel str8.

VR6ofpain said:

I think the carbon steel blades are even sharper than the coated stainless blades. These Treets remind me of a Feather DE blade. Super sharp!

Maybe it is like straights, where you can get a sharp edge on a carbon steel str8 with less effort than a stainless steel str8.

Click to expand...

It is more than just a matter of less effort . . . whether it is a straight razor blade or a safety razor blade, a carbon steel blade can be brought to a keener edge than a stainless steel blade simply due to the inherent grain structure of the two materials.

The difference between the straight and the replaceable blade, is that the safety razor blade edge can be coated. These coatings can more or less "even out the playing field" between carbon steel and stainless, by filling in the microscopic irregularities in the blade edge.

It is entirely possible that a given brand of coated carbon steel blade may still seem sharper than a coated stainless blade. All other things being equal, however, the stainless blade will likely hold it's edge longer.

Regards,
Tom

Thread revival, since I have just obtained a GEM Featherweight. This looks like an appropriate one to ask my question.

The seller kindly threw in some Treet Super SE blades. From what I gather, these are the carbon steel kind -- i.e., I'll need to dip 'em in alcohol and/or dry them so they and the razor don't rust.

Confirmation, please?
[MENTION=29515]TheVez2[/MENTION] -- what do you favor when it comes to SE blades?

Thanks as always.

Yes, carbon steel blades will rust if left wet. I use GEM Stainless Steel blades.

So this thread (I know, it's old) has been educational with respect to carbon versus stainless. I ordered 10 Pal carbon steel SE blades but got shipped 10 GEM carbon steel blades instead. Oh well, it's only 3 bucks so I'm not sweating it, I'll get my hands on the Pal blades eventually.

Plan is to use one of these tomorrow morning for a test run in my Micromatic Clog-Pruf. The only carbon steel blades I've used previously have been DE and they were NOS Gillette's.

I'm happy to see this thread has been revived. In his latest Youtube video masterpiece, shaving luminary Kevy Shaves is using a vintage Gem single edge razor that was made in Great Britain with new Personna Gem blades. The blade he's using is a 3 facet aluminum back, stainless steel blade that is described in the latest Accutec/Personna medical catalog as either a "clean room product" catalogue or for industrial use in their specialty catalogue. Should these be used for shaving? Are they the same blades that are being sold in the 10 packs by Walgreens? The links and video follows. If you want to see larger images, right click on each, and copy and past the link in another browser window. B&B shrinks them. The same goes for the Youtube video as B&B doesn't allow for using the full screen option:

Blade pack used by Kevy in the video:
http://www.personnablades.com/Produ...=Gem+3+Facet+Coated+Aluminum+Back+SE+100+Pack

On page 21 of the Personna Specialty catalogue are the double edge razor blades:
https://issuu.com/moorecreative/docs/2016-specialty-final/23?e=1969360/34684417


On page 4 of the Personna Medical catalog under medical products are the DE med preps:
https://issuu.com/moorecreative/docs/final_2015_medical_catalog_/4


On page 6 of the Personna Medical catalog under "clean room products" are the blades used in the video:
https://issuu.com/moorecreative/docs/final_2015_medical_catalog_/6

Shaveathon said:

I'm happy to see this thread has been revived. In his latest Youtube video masterpiece, shaving luminary Kevy Shaves is using a vintage Gem single edge razor that was made in Great Britain with new Personna Gem blades. The blade he's using is a 3 facet aluminum back, stainless steel blade that is described in the latest Accutec/Personna medical catalog as either a "clean room product" catalogue or for industrial use in their specialty catalogue. Should these be used for shaving? Are they the same blades that are being sold in the 10 packs by Walgreens?

Click to expand...

62-0178 is what I shave with. They shave very well. I don't know if they are the same as the retail 10 pack blades.

ciderguy said:

62-0178 is what I shave with. They shave very well. I don't know if they are the same as the retail 10 pack blades.

Click to expand...

According to their catalogue, it doesn't appear that those blades are designed for shaving, unless the single edge blades in the retail chains are re-packs of those. Why wouldn't they indicate in their catalogue that it can be used for purposes other than cutting glass along with other industrial uses. The list several types. One is a 2 facet and the other is a 3 facet. I'm not sure of the difference.