Jayaruh Shaving: Single-Edged Shaving

My first experience with single-edged shaving was with the Schick injector razor. I started using the Schick SE in about 1965 as recommended by my good friend Pat Cox. He convinced me that the thicker blades would last longer. I used the Schick through my time in the Army and then I started experimenting with various blade types that were supposed to be improvements. I had never used the Gem razor because my mother used that to shave her legs. That was a girl's razor to me.

In 2010 I got my father's Schick injector razor (series E) and added it into my rotation of DE razors. I was surprised how well it shaved.

I have since become intrigued with the Gem/Ever-Ready razors. I have five that I have gotten from eBay auctions at reasonable prices.

These razors are really different from my experience with DE shaving and even my Schick experience. I did a lot of reading about these razors before I bought one. They do an excellent job. It is just plain fun to shave with a razor that was designed in 1912. The Gem, Gem Junior, and Ever-Ready have the same head and open comb. The Gem Micromatic is a TTO with an open comb, and the Gem Pushbutton has a closed bar. The trick to shaving with these razors is using a low angle of attack. Original instructions were to shave with the head flat on the face, but an angle of about 10 degrees is acceptable. I get great shaves, and I have yet to nick, cut, or suffer razor burn. I owe my good fortune to reading other bloggers first. If you try to shave with a steeper angle, you run a good risk of blood-letting.