Repairing a GEM 1912 Junior

[Fat Larry]

I recently acquired a new old stock 1912 from the forties which i was super happy with. It had a slight bend down on the back right corner of the top plate which i tried to straighten. However that attempt has actually made the rest of the head develop bends and warps all over the place (used the wrong tool and didn't detach it first..) and now it's a bit of a mess.

Anyone got any tips for setting it right? Tools/techniques etc?

Thanks

 

[Flintstone65]

I'm not the most mechanical guy; but I would suggest posting some pics if you're able.

 

[L.A. Jones]

I would acquire another old stock 1912 from the forties.

 

[Jim99]

+1 to both responses.

Definitely post some pictures so we can see the damage. It could be repairable. I have a 1912 that required a bit of tweaking to be usable. With some gentle persuasion, I managed to get my 1912 back to being a very good razor.

The Gem 1912 razors are so plentiful and cheap, why not just purchase another one? Even if you manage to bend yours back into shape, a backup is always a good thing.

 

[Old Hippie]

I'd love to find a set of dies for them sitting in a junkyard somewhere. But probably they got turned into fenders for a Pinto back in the '70s. Hmmm. There's a rabbit hole there, I just know it. That's the problem with knowing a little about how they used to make things...you start asking, "What would it take..." and that gets expensive in a hurry.

Take it apart gently, then see what you can do to correct the problem. You'll have to do a little tweak, look it over, see if it's going in the right direction, and tweak some more. The advice to get another one is good -- keeps you from getting in a rush because you can still shave.

Having another that you think is good to compare to is also a good guide.

O.H.

 

[Fat Larry]

Thanks guys. I'll put up some pics soon. It's usable and i used it today, it shaves fine but looks a little mangled. This was my third shave with a GEM, I get really remarkably smooth shaves from these. So nice.

Are all the GEMs like this? I'd like to get one of the gold coloured Art Deco looking versions.

 

[Jim99]

Gem razors go from mild to wild, and they’re all excellent razors. You’ll see many of the models being mentioned on this forum every day. Damaskeene, lather catcher, micromatic open comb, flying wing, push button, g-bar, feather weight, etc. I’ll go as far as saying that I get better shaves from my Gems than I do from my DEs.

 

[Fat Larry]

I've only had three shaves with a Gem but it may be going that way for me as well. The shave i got today was just fantastic and certainly more efficient than the shave i've been getting from my Goodfella that i've been using for the last few weeks.

Is there a comprehensive list of Gems with pictures lurking somewhere?

 

[Old Hippie]

Are all the GEMs like this? I'd like to get one of the gold coloured Art Deco looking versions.

There's some excellent research done by our colleagues here into Gem and other model razors. I think that's Ron's work, though I may be dramatically wrong. (If so, apologies!) It's been posted in a number of threads, so it should be easy to find.

O.H.

 

[boo909]

I’ll go as far as saying that I get better shaves from my Gems than I do from my DEs.

You're not the only one, if I want a quick very good shave, I'll use a Gem, if I want a fun, take your time really close shave, I'll use a Gem, if I want to work at an enjoyable decent or close shave, that will make me go "Wow, Gems really are fantastic" when I get my 1912 or MMOC out again, I'll use a DE, everything needs something to compare it to. The only exception is my thin cap Old Style which is easily on a par with the Gems (the later, thicker capped one, not so much).

 

[Old Hippie]

There's some excellent research done by our colleagues here into Gem and other model razors. I think that's Ron's work...

And you'll find it here, as well as other places...

O.H.

 

[Jim99]

You're not the only one, if I want a quick very good shave, I'll use a Gem, if I want a fun, take your time really close shave, I'll use a Gem, if I want to work at an enjoyable decent or close shave, that will make me go "Wow, Gems really are fantastic" when I get my 1912 or MMOC out again, I'll use a DE, everything needs something to compare it to. The only exception is my thin cap Old Style which is easily on a par with the Gems (the later, thicker capped one, not so much).

Excellent post!

 

[Ron R]

I've only had three shaves with a Gem but it may be going that way for me as well. The shave i got today was just fantastic and certainly more efficient than the shave i've been getting from my Goodfella that i've been using for the last few weeks.

Is there a comprehensive list of Gems with pictures lurking somewhere?

I'm still having some enjoyment compiling information on Gem razors and this might help you out for your quest to find a model you might want to try. GEM was a part of the umbrella of company's that A.S.R(American Safety Razor) empire and parts of it still exists to this day!
Gem Razor Models
Have some great shaves!

 

[Fat Larry]

Awesome thank you.