The Supply SE Single Edge Razor May Not Be What You Expect!

[Updated April, 2024] Supply recently launched their “SE” razor, a follow-on to their popular “2.0” razor, with some really interesting design and performance enhancements. Plus a discount!

Some Background

Sharpologist has a long history with Supply Co. I have covered Supply from their original crowdfunding campaign, through the evolution of their “2.0” razor, and even met with the company founders. Sharpologist is a member of the Supply affiliate program. I think that long relationship has given me some insights into Supply’s philosophy.

The Supply Single Edge SE Razor Background And Specs

From the Supply website:

Putting the “Safe” in Safety Razor

• NickStop Technology reduces nicks and cuts by 75%
• The fins guide hair to the blade for a smooth shave.
• The easiest safety razor for beginners.
• A safe shave everywhere: head, legs, and everywhere in between.
• Stops razor burn no matter your skin type.
• Use our blades, or the other guys’. They’re non-proprietary.

What’s Included:

Single Edge SE: Engineered to be the safe, easy Single Edge shave you’ve been searching for. Easy for beginners. Suitable for all skin types. Available in multiple Alloy finishes.

Nickstop™ Technology: Constructed with 16 prescision fins perfectly placed along the safety bar, this new setting protects your skin from nicks and cuts while providing a close, comfortable shave.

Black Label Blade Pack: Injector Pack loaded with 8 super sharp blades. Easy to change, safe to handle. Each pack is about a 90-day supply — 8-10 shaves per blade.

Nicks and cuts are caused by skin getting trapped underneath the blades. Our patent-pending Nickstop™ Technology is here to make that a thing of the past. Driven by 16 precision fins perfectly placed along the safety bar, only hair reaches the samurai sword sharp blade.

Specifications

Razor dimensions are not listed on Supply’s web page but my “kitchen table” measurements say the razor is about 110mm long and weighs about 90 grams.

For The “2.0” Razor User

Customers of Supply’s previous razor, the “2.0,” can get an SE base plate that can be “swapped in” for their current plate.

My Experience With The Supply SE Razor – My Supply Razor Review

Note: Supply links are affiliate. I was involved with testing prototypes of this razor. A Supply SE was sent to me by Supply as thanks for my effort. However my views expressed here are my own and have not been reviewed or approved by Supply.]

Prototypes

I tested several prototypes of this razor. The shaves were decent but nowhere near as good as the final product–it really surprised me how much better the final product turned out to be. Supply Shaving obviously took all of the tester’s feedback seriously.

Presentation And First Impressions

The Supply SE razor arrives nicely packaged, reminding me of the experience of a mid-to-upper tier smart phone. A magazine of blades is in a compartment under the razor.

The “look” of the razor to me is reminiscent of a mix of Supply’s previous “2.0” razor and an open comb (OC) double edge (DE) razor. However the Supply SE’s “fins” perform quite differently for me in comparison to an OC DE. As near as I can tell comparing the heads up close it looks like the SE “fins” act on two planes between the head and the skin, while an OC DE razor acts on only one plane.

The razor is solidly-built and hefty but well-balanced: it feels virtually the same as Supply’s previous “2.0” razor in my hand. The finish of the razor is smooth but there still is enough grip for the razor to feel secure in my hand. I have the black matte finish. I don’t know if the other finish options feel differently but for those looking for an extra measure of safety Supply offers a silicon grip that slides over the handle.

Inserting an Injector blade (Supply’s “Black Label” blades or other Injector-style blades) is easy and smooth. Unlike most double edge razors and blades it is largely a “hands off” process.

I admit I was a bit startled with the first blade load, though. Visually it looks like there is a ton of blade exposure! Much more than Supply’s previous razors, and other Injector-style razors as well. However in actual use the razor/blade combo is actually fairly mild (though still quite efficient). More on that later.

The “Black Label” Blades (And Alternatives)

Like Supply’s previous razors, the SE uses “Injector” style razor blades. These are non-proprietary blades originally meant for use with the Schick (and later PAL) razors popular up to about 1970 or so, until fading with the introduction of multi-blade razor cartridges.

Up to now there were two manufacturing facilities that make Injector blades, one in China and one in the U.S. (both marketing the blades under several brands).

Supply partnered with a facility in Japan to offer a new alternative to those two other sources. Admittedly, blades (of all types) are a very “your mileage may vary” experience–there are many different manufacturing specifications and parameters for blades (grinding, edge bevel, coatings, etc.)–and a brand that works well for one person may be terrible for another. But in my experience the “Black Label” Injector blades work noticeably better for me than other Injector-style blades.

I’m getting 10-12 shaves out of these blades.

The Supply SE’s design can also accommodate “shaper” blades, more common in “barber straight” or “Shavette” razors. Those blades have a different magazine than Injector blades, and are slightly longer as well, so it takes a little more work to load. But it is possible.

So, bottom line, you have some blade choice with this razor.

My Shaves With The Supply SE Razor

All this information is great, but I hear you asking, “OK but how does the Supply SE razor shave?” Here is my Supply SE razor review:

Related Post: Supply Ultra Lather Shave Cream And Healing Post Shave Review

A shave enthusiast who is familiar with things like open combs and blade exposure might assume the Supply SE would be an very aggressive razor.

But I find the Supply SE razor to be forgiving, drama-free and very effective.

I have used the previous razors (both the Stainless Steel model and the Alloy model) that have three base plates to choose from (“Sensitive,” “Classic,” and “Aggressive”). I think the aggressiveness of the SE is somewhere between the “Sensitive” and “Classic” settings (probably closer to “Classic”). However that’s made a little ambiguous because there is essentially no “blade feel” with the SE. I simply don’t feel the blade’s cutting edge across my skin.

That lack of feel has its advantages and disadvantages. The biggest disadvantage that I see is that it’s more likely for a shaver (particularly one used to a more aggressive razor) to press down a bit more on the SE. That could cause problems with irritation or even a nick.

However if the shaver uses good shave technique–letting the weight of the razor do the work–these types of problems shouldn’t be an issue.

The ‘advantage’ side of the coin is that the Supply SE razor is very comfortable on the skin. Combined with a very generous blade angle window (Supply suggests a 15 degree angle but I’ve found just about any “natural” angle on the razor–like you might have with a mass-market cartridge razor–works fine) the Supply borders on the “stupid easy” and it’s almost like I’m just wiping away the stubble.

Speaking of stubble, I’ve used the SE with a week’s worth of growth and a day’s worth of growth and it has worked with equal aplomb.

As most other reviewers have said, I find the Supply SE razor to be efficient and exceptionally comfortable. I’m getting Baby’s Butt Smooth (BBS) shaves from the Supply SE.

What Other Reviewers Are Saying About The Supply SE Razor

As the new Supply SE razor is new to the market there are only a few “independent” reviews right now. Here is a sampling of Supply razor reviews.

Here is a comment off one of the wet shaving discussion forums:

“Well done, this is an incredibly well-built razor! You’re right – built like a tank, corners like a sports car. This is my first time ever using an injector. I’ve mainly shaved with cartridges, electric, and a little bit of double-edge. It is important to know this is a very big change. The angle one uses for any injector is markedly different. I am training myself to hold the razor very high, but it is not familiar to me yet. That is not Supply’s fault, all injectors are like this and I need to learn a new method. My advice to Supply would be to give much more detailed advice for first-time injector shavers – videos, pictures, slow-motion, zoom-in, etc.. There isn’t enough info out there and if you want to convert cartridge/other users, make it easier for them to switch to the Supply.

“Some folks say that one can’t cut themselves with it, I am living proof that is simply not true at all. It is very easy for me to get nicks if I let the angle drop and start to hold it like a double-edge. Experienced SE shavers probably don’t remember the initial challenge. I’m up to the challenge of learning and excited to do so, especially with the Supply razor! We just need to know it is quite a bit different.” [LINK]

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I found a couple good Supply SE razor some reviews on Youtube. Here’s a summary of some quotes of what Mark Szorady had to say in his video:

That is incredibly, incredibly smooth. I cannot believe how smooth that is.

That’s a beautiful shave that really is, that’s smooth, that’s close, that’s efficient, has a beautiful, mild efficiency, mild quality and very, very efficient.

That is really an intuitive. I daresay this is. Anybody is going to be able to shave with this and have a successful shave right off the bat.

I also like the fact that you can open it up and clean it out, dry it out like that, because if I’m wanting to use this for several shaves and then I want to move on to a double edge razor, I like the fact that I have the ability to open this up, take out that blade, clean it out, maybe hit it with a little bit of alcohol, that sort of thing, close it back up and then put it on the shelf until I want to use it again in a week, two weeks, whatever it is.

Full video:

And Mark has a head shaving video with the SE HERE. Note that Supply designed the SE to shave any part of the body equally well.

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“Brian The Floridian” echoed many of Mark’s thoughts but added some additional insight:

The blade angle was really easy for this Supply razor to learn. Like you said, put your face right against that to plate and you are pretty much in business there. The 16 little fins actually keep you from feeling the blade, which I don’t feel at all, but definitely pretty cool.

So I think [I got] a little nick toward [the end of the] shave. But I think, because I was pushing down on the razor…because I didn’t feel the blade, which is very, very odd because I don’t feel a blade at all on this razor.

If you guys are on the fence about this, I would say get this razor because it’s great. If you want to get into single edge razor shaving, this is a great razor to definitely start out with.

Full video:

Summing Up

I think the Supply SE razor is aimed squarely at the wider consumer razor market and might be the best razor for men who are unhappy with mass-market, multi-blade razors but also a little reluctant to dive head-first into niche’ safety razors because they’ve been lead to believe they require more “work” and are less “safe.”

The Supply SE razor is quite suitable for a good, drama-free shave, whether you’re a consumer-oriented type of shaver or a “enthusiast” type of shaver.

There is also a SE Starter Set that includes the razor, a pack of blades, a shave brush, shave cream, and aftershave.

Get a 10% discount on your first order when you use code SHARPOLOGIST at checkout!

Have you tried the new Supply SE razor? What do you think of it? Leave a comment below!