AC/SE Razors- Tried them, Like/ Dislike your reasons ?

[MPF9]

Like many I was wary of the size of these Razors, but decided to give them a whirl.
I like the way they make short work of the Cheeks, and some are great at working against the grain.I personally find them more forgiving than DE, and have given up using DE altogether.
They all do not suit me and some I have passed on. I rather like the fact that there is a decent variety of blades on offer, and generally worked which one works best for me in the Razor I am using.
Wonder if those who have tried them are For/ Against. Especially would like to hear from those against.

 

[Cheesepiece]

Unlike the all or nothing world of DE and SE where you have literally hundreds to try (DE) or one type of blade Gem or Feather depending on your hardware (SE), AC offers a decent and manageable variety of choice which can be sampled quite easily in one piece of hardware over a short length of time.

 

[p.b]

Big fan here. The 1st gen Mongoose showed me what could be achieved with a very sharp blade and no chatter, if I could only use one type of blade it would be these.

 

[Masamune]

I'm all for them. Don't think I used any of my DEs since August... yes that includes the Wolfman and Tatara

I started using the AC format in September and now not sure I want to use DEs at all. I do own a couple of modern GEMs that I had been using alongside DEs - ATT G1 and Blackland Sabre which I like alot and definitely won't be selling. Think I will stick to AC and GEM going forward. I was wary of the width of the AC blade to start with and did prefer the GEM but now rotate between the two formats.

Negatives
-less razors to pick from (possibly a positive for some)
-that Wolfman GEM is going to be expensive
-wider blades may not suit everyone

Positives
-thicker blades and chatter free
-no wax on the blades
-easy angle for GEM style razors
-smooth shaves
-no irritation
-some of them look awesome
-safer blades to handle being single sided
-ability to adjust the shave with AC blade selection

 

[Deleted member 2936]

Like many I was wary of the size of these Razors, but decided to give them a whirl.
I like the way they make short work of the Cheeks, and some are great at working against the grain.I personally find them more forgiving than DE, and have given up using DE altogether.
They all do not suit me and some I have passed on. I rather like the fact that there is a decent variety of blades on offer, and generally worked which one works best for me in the Razor I am using.
Wonder if those who have tried them are For/ Against. Especially would like to hear from those against.

i like the fact when ATG the blades feel more rigid and solid but honestly looking back at my head shave with the hawk v2 and feather professionals
(i think off the top of my head) im not sure whether theyre more sharper then de blades

 

[slapo]

I have both likes and dislikes for AC blades.

I like:
- Thick, rigid blades.
- Wide blades are nice on flatter face/body areas.
- There are some really nice razors for the format (my favourites being Occam's razor and OC Hawk v3).
- Reasonable variety of blades.
- Guarded blades are fairly unique and the Kai and Feather variants are efficient and allow for more room for error.

I dislike:
- Wide blades can be rather difficult to manoeuvre (particularly on the neck and chin for me), although there are a few ways to make it easier.
- AC blades are relatively expensive (and the cheap ones from AliExpress that I'd tried are rather disappointing).
- Despite their reputation, I generally don't get more shaves per blade from an AC blade than the longest lasting DE blades.
- Feather Pro. always rough and get tuggy quite quickly.

Neither here nor there
- I rather like injector blades, as they're a nice in-between AC blades and DE blades.
- GEM blades seem to be sharper to me. It's quite likely just my own perception, though.

 

[MPF9]

I have both likes and dislikes for AC blades.

I like:
- Thick, rigid blades.
- Wide blades are nice on flatter face/body areas.
- There are some really nice razors for the format (my favourites being Occam's razor and OC Hawk v3).
- Reasonable variety of blades.
- Guarded blades are fairly unique and the Kai and Feather variants are efficient and allow for more room for error.

I dislike:
- Wide blades can be rather difficult to manoeuvre (particularly on the neck and chin for me), although there are a few ways to make it easier.
- AC blades are relatively expensive (and the cheap ones from AliExpress that I'd tried are rather disappointing).
- Despite their reputation, I generally don't get more shaves per blade from an AC blade than the longest lasting DE blades.
- Feather Pro. always rough and get tuggy quite quickly.

Neither here nor there
- I rather like injector blades, as they're a nice in-between AC blades and DE blades.
- GEM blades seem to be sharper to me. It's quite likely just my own perception, though.

I get around 8 Shaves from an AC blade, 3 to 5 on a DE blade, the price differential is off set for me by the difference in the Shave. I personally get better quality trouble free Shaves with my AC Razors than I do with DE. The performance of AC/ SE compared with Vintage SE can be a close run thing at times, though generally AC format is more forgiving.
My recent Injector Shaves have been very good especially with a Twin, and they are very expensive.

 

[slapo]

I get around 8 Shaves from an AC blade, 3 to 5 on a DE blade, the price differential is off set for me by the difference in the Shave. I personally get better quality trouble free Shaves with my AC Razors than I do with DE. The performance of AC/ SE compared with Vintage SE can be a close run thing at times, though generally AC format is more forgiving.
My recent Injector Shaves have been very good especially with a Twin, and they are very expensive.

I think I get 2-3 from a Pro, 5-6 from a Schick Proline, Feather Pro Guard and Pro Super and up to 8 from a Kai Pink Mild. I would get 5-7 from an Astra SP and up to 8 from a Personna Platinum. I didn't find any of the AC blades more forgiving, though. About the same as DE blades or Personna injector blades. Having said that, I'm partial to a particular kind of DE razors, which might be why I find the three blade types to be anout the same for me in that regard.

 

[Gairdner]

I’m not having that a good experience with my ER1912. I don’t find the GEM blades smooth at all compared to a good DE. Very tuggy and much less manoeuvrable. I finding loading the ruddy thing more dangerous as the blade doesn’t lock into slots like a DE and because it’s more rigid, I feel like there’s no room for error in handling it or using the razor.

The 1912 is beautifully made with gorgeous thick and shiny plate but I just can’t take to it. It was cheap and it’ll go down as a cheap mistake.

I could try the AC style, I could try another GEM blade razor or I could just stick to what I know, enjoy and love. DE for me.

 

[Holyzeus]

First one I tried was the Mongoose, ended up owning three. Love the width, chatter free and longevity of the blades.

 

[Twelvefret]

I used a 12-14 use PTFE GEM blade today in a Micromatic that left my face feeling baby butt smooth.

For me, I can receive pretty much the same result with any razor or any type. I can’t explain how this might be true for others.

 

[1964geo]

Recently started with AC razors. The more I use them the better I'm liking them. I've been a de shaver 45 years but now it's in the balance whether I move over to AC full time. Just find the blades consistently smoother in use. Can vary the aggressiveness by just changing to a different blade.

 

[Zhang Doe]

I only have the RazoRock Hawk V3, and shaving with it was a revelation. At some point I'd like to move on some of my DE razors and pick up 1-2 more, with the rest of my collection being straight razors. The balance is always shifting, but AC blades are so good that I think I can really happily streamline down by DE razor collection.

 

[UKRob]

The big difference for me is how the blade leaves my face feeling when I’ve finished. It’s difficult to put into words, but the thicker SE blades leave a more comfortable feel than a thinner DE blade does. The shave is just as close with both blades but I do far fewer strokes with an SE - maybe that has something to do with it, although I don’t suffer from razor burn because two passes plus buffing is all I need.

 

[SweeneyTodd]

I like to "mix and match" my SE and DE razors, and sometimes have one pass with one and the second with the other. I started out with the Mongoose, then the Alumigoose, and now have rather too many (about a dozen) from different makers. Of these, I think that the Occam's Mk. 1 (not Oren) is perhaps my favourite.

Whilst I'm a "chuck after 3" with DE blades, I like the extended life of ACs (about 8-10, for me), and I think that I've tried almost every make and model of blade that I could get my hands on. For a while, it was possible to buy Kamisori AC blades, 24 to a dispenser, from someone in the UK, and these were very well-priced compared to the Kais etc. They are the only ones that have really disappointed me, both in sharpness and longevity, but that's not a problem nowadays, as I haven't seen them for a long while.