Gem SS PFTE Blades - On Average, How Many Shaves?

[Wchnu]

Since posting to this thread I’ve picked up several more GEM razors and have tested them out using the same blade. I got about five shaves in and I was having trouble getting a close shave. My last use was in a Shovelhead where I did the first WTG pass that barely removed any stubble. I also had a new to me G-bar so I put a new blade in it and finished the shave. I was pretty wary considering how badly my first go with a new blade was but this time it was fine. I had a decent but not great shave, probably because I was being a chicken.

So I guess my point is that I didn’t get as many shaves as I expected but I’m guessing at least part of the reason is that I was loading the blade into numerous unfamiliar razors and almost certainly dragged the edge.

I don't know how much difference it actually makes but I always flip the blade to the opposite side from what I used last time. So as with the Gem blades they say gem on one side of the spine and have some numbers on the opposite side. I do shaves 1,3,5,7 with Gem facing up and 2,4,6,8 with the numbers facing up. I read a long time ago that this was a good practice because when you shave the blade edge get slightly deformed. Flipping the blade every shave makes it bend back the opposite way and supposedly makes the blade last longer. Again I don't know how effective it really is but I seem to get a few more good shave per blade when I do it. I average 8 to 11 shaves per blade.

So your the one that started this blade flipping stuff this time. . As some might know I put this in the league of blooming soaps and bowl lathering. Just saying,  Useless.

The only way to correct a roll in the blade is to moce the blade edge in the opposite direction with a strop or a steel. Even if you flip the blade you are still pulling the blade in the same direction so any roll of the blade will get worse.