Help educate a DE user?

[Titan2T2]

Good Day. I went to the antique store with my wife and found a couple of single edge razors for $3 and a little elbow grease. One was a GEM Junior (brass looks like). The other was a "Auto-Strop" in a metal case. We cleaned/oiled them but my question is kind of a silly one, how do I load them/what type blades do they use? The GEM it looks like you just push the button on back of the head and set a SE in lining it up with the notches, trouble is the blade won't stay still, I've looked at these online and best I can tell mine isn't missing any components. The auto-strop I'm lost on completely. Everything I see there involves actually stropping the blade??? I want to use these bad boys but can't figure them out Any help would be greatly appreciated. And I apologize if this is a "time-waster" of a question. Hope everyone has a great day/night!

 

[Teppanyaki]

I own a GEM Junior and love it. For a visual, I'd check out http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php/370637-Humor-how-not-to-load-a-Damaskeene. Do it the first way, where the comb projects in front of the blade. Do NOT try it the second way.

Basically, if you have both blade stops (those tiny projections of metal that prevent the blade from sliding forwards, should be at either end of the sharp edge of the blade), it shouldn't move. If it's moving, that makes me think that you're missing a blade stop or maybe the spring is broken?

Make sure to get only shaving-grade razor blades! Hardware grade and some drugstore grade will be much rougher and not shave well. I'd recommend GEM Personnas (stainless steel), or GEM ptfe-coated ones from Connaught Shaving.

To shave with it, I'd start by keeping the cap as close as possible to resting on your cheek (blade parallel to the skin that you're shaving). As you get comfortable with it, you can gradually increase the angle to, say, 10-30 degrees.

I am clueless regarding your Auto-Strop.

 

[Titan2T2]

Thank you very much for the reply and the link. Mine looks just like the one photo'ed and does have the stops, I was like the link said probably loading wrong. Man; you'd think using DE for all these years I could figure out a SE huh? Again thank you for the help.

 

[Mr. Flay]

I think in this case some pictures would help us keep this from being a time waster .

There are different configurations to the Auto Strops, which would require different blade loading instructions (and some configurations use proprietary blades that you most likely don't have on hand).

What blade are you putting into the Gem Junior? A standard Gem style single edge blade should sit rather snugly once place under the stops and the lid shut back down.

 

[Titan2T2]

Hope these are ok.

 

[Titan2T2]

 

[Mr. Flay]

Your Auto Strop is WWI era and has the most options for modern shaving. Auto Strop later moved to a design that required a proprietary blade. Yours takes a spineless single edge blade ala one of the following:

1. You can find a vintage "Auto Strop" or "Valet Auto Strop" blade. It will slip right into the holder (more about loading below). Unfortunately, my personal experience and of others on the forum is that the old blades are no longer up to the task and you won't get a satisfactory shave.

2. You can get the modern single edge blades made by Feather. These also fit the later "proprietary blade" models because after Gillette shut down the Valet (aka Auto Strop) division after WWII, feather obtained the rights and patents and began produce their own version of the razor into the 1960s. These blades are more expensive that Gem type blades, and some claim to only get a few satisfactory shaves out of them. I use a Valet razor and Feather blade combination about 4 times per week and get 7 or 8 quality shaves before replacing, so YMMV. The Feather blades have limited availability online. I know of two vendors:

http://www.razorbladesandmore.com/content/feather-single-edge-blades-40pcs

and

http://www.connaughtshaving.com/fhs5.html

With Connaught, buying in bulk makes these blades much more affordable.

3. Luckily, you can avoid the sub-par vintage blades and more expensive modern Feather blades (that some people don't like, but I love) because your Auto Strop can use them Gem type single edge blade you are trying to put in your Gem Junior. That is IF you are willing to modify the blade. The modification involves merely removing the metal spine from the back of the blades. To get the most precise fit, you can snip of the two metal tabs.

Here is an oft referenced video on making the modification:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y7Bq0nLygEg

At the end, the video also shows you how to load the blade. Be careful here. It's easy to cut yourself.

You may just want to forgo all of this and play around with your Gem Junior for awhile . That gets heavy play in my rotation as well.

 

[Teppanyaki]

If you like artistic handles, you can get an "ornate handle" pretty darn cheaply. Possibly my favorite handle of any DE or SE razor. Even more than the Empire variant of the ABC pocket razor, and that says a lot!

 

[DrumZalot]

Hello Titan2T2, as for modifying a modern razor blade for your Valet razor. I own a Valet VC1 model which can accommodate a modern
SE razor blade. I have modified blades for the Valet by using end nipper pliers to remove the spine & clip the tabs off the right and left side of a modern SE razor. The video Mr. Flay sent you the link for is a good reference video.

If you do try and modify a modern SE blade be careful not to leave jagged edges where you clipped the tabs off they can scrape the Valet's latch. After having modified blades for some time now I think it's far more convenient to purchase the Feather blades. I thought I would show you this picture for reference of how more or less the modified single edge razor blade looks.

 

[Mr. Flay]

Good write up, Joe. I was going to do something similar for my post, but I had too many other things going on and couldn't bring myself to do all the photo work. Oh, and SWIMBO was yelling at me to come to dinner as I was trying to finish up.

And to be honest, I'd rather use the Feathers.

 

[DrumZalot]

Kevin, I hear ya and I side with you it's better just to get the Feather blades.

 

[lordjohn]

The problem many find with the Feathers is that they only last for a couple of shaves. I find the despined Gem blades last significantly longer. Once you have done several despining procedures then the process becomes pretty easy as long as care is taken. I hold the blade with the light cardboard wrap that the blade is supplied with. I also always wear safety glasses just in case a clipping flies off..

 

[Titan2T2]

Thank you all for the great info. This has helped greatly.