Gem 1912 & the Poor Boy's Gem Junior?

[FormerDATT]

My SO thinks I am really obsessing on my new Gem experience and I am getting worse. For today's shave I had out the Ever-Ready and the Gem. Now as all know they are the same head/razor. I also had on the sink the Gem Junior which also has the same head. Now I have some early control problems with the two smaller razors, they make the Gillette Tech seem huge in comparison. My hands were slippery so I wound up shaving with the Junior. That got me thinking - why did they manufacture the Junior? It ain't pretty but it handles well.
I have looked at the first two razors on EBay, this forum, and local antique shops and notice they all have really nice packaging in common. I have seen velvet lined boxes, finely crafted wooden boxes, and tiny chrome boxes - all holding the razor head, the handle, and a blade case. However, in contrast, the Gem Junior looks like a cross between a poor boy's razor head (brass) with a marital aide for a handle. The cardboard box mine came in was marked .25 cents for sale in black crayon. Can it be that the manufacturer realized a market gap for a good razor but without the frills of a fancy container? Hence, the cheaper version for the common man?
I donno but I really like all three with the Gem Junior winning the ease in handling prize.
Dave

 

[82R100]

Here's my stab at it:

I suspect that the earliest of the razors were a more special product. As time went by and the competition got more fierce, the price point dropped and it became less about the razor and more about a vehicle for selling blades.

Although they share a patent year, your razors probably span three or more decades of production.

- Chris

 

[FormerDATT]

Thank you! I have had no luck finding a "MR Razor" site like the one for Gillette. When were the fat handled Juniors made? The cases/boxes for the chrome plated Gems appear 1930's if not earlier. Any thoughts?
Dave

 

[Klopstick]

Just curious, but how are you holding the GEM? I always have my hands wet and lathery and I never have trouble with it being slippery. Are you pinching it up in the necked down portion like you should, letting the rest of the handle sorta float in your fingers? That seems to work really well.

 

[Shave Cat]

Did you know that Dave Irving has his own website devoted to single edge razors?

-Clarke

 

[D.Irving79]

Did you know that Dave Irving has his own website devoted to single edge razors?

-Clarke

if i think i know what youre talking about, thats the parade model which was made in the 40s during wartime, which would explain a lot of things.

as far as juniors go, they had been making them long before that particular model.

 

[FormerDATT]

Thanks Dave!
I see you are working on a web page for all this. I got lucky with older posts and find much to my interest. The Bakelite handles, rubber marital aid as I described earlier, are WWII production then? I guess with the march of time after the war the older cased sets went away. These razors are all great and I look forward to your progress on your site. Thanks again!
Dave

 

[MrGuy]

Did you know that Dave Irving has his own website devoted to single edge razors?

-Clarke

How did I miss this?
Bookmarked!

 

[D.Irving79]

Thanks Dave!
I see you are working on a web page for all this. I got lucky with older posts and find much to my interest. The Bakelite handles, rubber marital aid as I described earlier, are WWII production then? I guess with the march of time after the war the older cased sets went away. These razors are all great and I look forward to your progress on your site. Thanks again!
Dave

the fat handles are a bit before the war. the latter are WW2. asylumguido has a real nice example of one.

and youre welcome

How did I miss this?
Bookmarked!

yeah i was wondering where the hell you were