Comparing various pre-Depression era Gem/E-R SEs

[Zagnut]

Perfect example of the difficulty in dating old razors. The "lined" 1912 (which, to add to the confusion, I've also heard referred to as a Gem 1924, unrelated to the Ever-ready "Shovelhead" 1924, etc.) has the short "Brooklyn" frame and the stampings of a normal "Brooklyn", but the curved cover.

Your lined-handle Damaskeene is a Damaskeene and is probably one of the last ones off the line before they were replaced with the "Brooklyn", around 1920 or so. (I believe this coincides with the discontinuation of the Damaskeene series of blades, replaced with something else...maybe Micromatic.)

 

[neatokino]

Thanks for the info, Zagnut. So, are you going to start doing comparisons of Mircomatics, G-Bars, featherweights, etc? Gem/Ever ready made such great razors over the years, with lots of subtle variety as far as I can tell... would love to find out about them from someone who really knows....

 

[Zagnut]

I'd like to do a MM throwdown. The G-Bar, Feather Weight, Push-Button, Contours, etc aren't really a comparison since they all have the same head dimensions, and they are all very, very mild. I think SE people generally prefer a more aggressive razor.

The only other major models within the Gem/Star/Ever-ready pantheon would be the Jewel/Streamline (which I'm not paying for. I had one and sold it.), the 1914 and the various lather catchers.

Beyond that it would be wedge-blade razors or other SE razors like Injectors or European razors like the Henckels.

 

[neatokino]

Zagnut's remarks about the Junior ("GEM Junior was the real surprise in offering a far more Damaskeene-like shave and a far less 1912-like shave than a lot of people would expect") piqued my interest, so I got myself a Junior, the one with the thinner black bakelite handle, and gave it a shot. Wow. Surprisingly, it shaved as easily and as close as my Damaskeene and my aforementioned Brooklyn. And it felt nice in my hand. Based on my experience with this one, and I've used it now for 5 no-stress, no nick truly BBS shaves, I'd highly recommend the Junior, especially to first time SE users who may not want to spend the few extra bucks for a Damaskeene.

 

[Teppanyaki]

I realize that this may be an older thread, but I am interested in finding one of the "lined handle" 1912's with the curved head like the Damaskeene. Do all of the "lined handle" models have the Damaskeene styled curve to the head?

 

[Be-Bop]

Among those five razors, the patented 1924 is the most effective SE razor....

Another person singing the praises of the ER'24 here...I just got my first one 1 1/2 wks ago and I wasn't expecting the sensational shave it gave first time out the gate...I hadn't shaved in 2 days and this one gave an effortless BBS in 1 pass with touch-ups...I was shocked, since then I've been doing shave offs between this and the ER'14 and Gem Cutlery Co. Damaskeene and the ER'24 continues to amaze...I haven't had blade loading problems and haven't even noticed any water retension...Between the sound and tactile feedback, it is so easy to obtain results bordering on amazing...and it doesn't just remove whiskers it overwhelms them. It is so efficient that one does need to be 'in the moment' with this one but if you stay on top of your technique it delievers effortless and irritation free results. I would compare it to the OCMM except for me it is much smoother...

I can find nothing about this razor not to love...ymmv of course...

Great thread BTW...Nice job Zagnut...

 

[jrtaster]

Late to the party, but truly an informative thread... thanks so much!

 

[Rschan]

Nice write-up...


Subscribed.

 

[olschoolsteel]

This thread was written before I jumped both feet into the SE world. I don't know why I didn't take the plunge earlier. I will agree with the OP's assessment of the CC Demaskeene. I really enjoyed mine. The few times I used it I would ensure the house was dead silent when I used it. This was to fully appreciate the audible feedback the razor gives. I was adopted by a new father on BST and is always welcome to come back home with me.

I did keep the Gem black/silver push button and a OC MM. I also agree that the pushbutton is very mild and that why I kept it. I hope its obvious that I enjoy shaving. So an extra pass or two to reach BBS is fine with me. I want to perfect adding an extra pass or two without razor burn, like a DE would. The OC MM is the heavy hitter that demands respect. That will be in my den when my skill level increases.