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Safety Razor Of the Week, 12/21-12/27 The 1911 Rib Back Gem Jr.

The 1911 Rib Back Gem Jr.



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This week I would like to take a look at and discuss a very beautiful version of the Gem Jr.
I was not able to find much in the way of information about these razors but I can say it is one of my favorite razors and it is very easy on the look at.



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The Gem Junior Bar Traveler Lather catcher U.S.A. 1911 Rib back Gem Cutlery Co. New York American patent No. 657010 28 Aug 1900 filed 29 Dec 1899. American patent No. 686143 5 Nov 1901 filed 6 Jun 1901. Both patents August W. Scheuber, New York, NY assigned to Mary Zinn, New York, NY
The Frame is an open Guard - fixed, pierced G and curly pattern. The Locking system is a push button, bar across top of blade type. This razor used single edge blades which can still be found today.


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While I was tooling around looking for more information about this awesome razor I came across this short video on how to load a lather catcher type razor so I decided to toss it as an extra this week.

[YOUTUBE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XAJ2zYM3D2w[/YOUTUBE]​


Any and all information about this razor is more than welcomed.

Back to Safety Razor of the Week.
 
That is a beautiful razor. I have the version with the metal handle, IMHO it is the best shaving SE razor of all. :biggrin: It will also use the Feather SE blade with no modification, doesn't need a spine installed on blade.:smile:
 
Oh, I have been looking and wishing, have no fear of that. :biggrin: Just a beautiful set, congrats! I was just waiting for the more knowledgeable folks to chime in with the info.
 
Ray, I'm just reading this now for the first time. Dave (our own DIrving) completely enamored me with the SEs and now I am a huge fan. I have a variation on your beauty, which it indeed is, fabulous, gorgeous. Mine, is an EverReady, with the same beautiful open work where the blade rests and similar scrollwork on the back. My handle, however, is black wood, and made for a mini-hand. Its about 2 inches long and thin as a pencil. So thank you Ray, as always, for posting this. One of our members found a wonderful old Gem booklet from the Duke University library. Here's the link. http://library.duke.edu/digitalcollections/eaa.A0651/pg.1/
 
I'm wondering why our Hollywood star hasn't weighed in? He either must be recording a new video or eating Christmas Goose and wassailing!! David where are you??
 
Ray, another very nice review. This one hits me close to home . . . I use a Gem Junior Bar Razor most mornings. I've got several of them, including a couple with the same exact head as you show here, but I still haven't been able to find one with the gold bar and that beautiful handle like yours. I believe that one is called the "Gem Junior Elite" and it has what they called an "Ivorite" handle. I'm jealous!

Personally, I don't feel that any razor manufactured in the last hundred years shaves any better than these old lather catcher Gems. I have a couple of favorite DE's but I still find myself using one of these Juniors more often than any other razor.

That little booklet that Darjeeling linked to is really great. When Windwalker first gave us that link last week, I studied that booklet for an hour or so.

Thanks again for a really enjoyable series of posts.

Regards,
Tom
 
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