GEM Damaskeene blade securement

[MikeTbass]

Hello to all, recently I have been getting into the groove of using SE style razors and have finally gotten to the point where I can get better shaves than with my DE. I have been trying to acquire good condition examples of every vintage GEM and Ever Ready razor and put them all through the paces. Recently I picked up a second GEM Damaskeene curved cap to have as a user and stash my cased example away as a backup/collection piece. However....

This second Damaskeene has seen a fair bit more use and has the telltale handle rust and some plating loss on the top cap. My biggest concern is the spring and top cap - the spring isn't nearly as strong as my cased example, even though it does function and snaps closed with enough pressure to push the blade towards the stops. Looking closer at how the blade sits there appears to be a gap between the lip of the top cap and the top of the blade:

I hope that the above cell phone picture illustrates the issue well enough. The actual blade gap (distance between blade edge and comb) falls in line with my cased Dammy at around .025" so I can feel confident that the "business end" of the razor is not out of alignment. All of my other SE razors clamp along the top of the blade with a good amount of pressure and no gap present between blade and cap lip. Is this topside gap a sign of damage to the razor? The outer edges of the top cap do touch the seated blade and it appears to be held firmly. My cased example has even pressure along the top side of the blade. This particular top cap appears to be curved along both axis of the top cap and I have not worked up the courage to shave with it yet.

Anyone have insight into this issue? Is this a "feature" or a damaged razor?

 

[Flintstone65]

I am not your guy, but I know a guy -- perhaps even 2.... @GAW9576 and @Ron R If they can't assist you, they may know someone who can. My understanding is that the GEM top cap "springs" are adjustable if you're handy or have some mechanical skills (alas, I am/have neither).

 

[Ron R]

More than likely showing signs of wear over the decades of times. It looks like your tension keeper on the top cap is all the way forward and there should be some gap on either side. You can put a spine blade shell or piece of credit card underneath the new blade to give more tension to the blade up against the stops. If the top cap has a little gap above the blade I would not worry to much because the razor could of been dropped accidently years ago as long as it shaves well. looking at the picture you gave it does not look that serious.
Some of the older blades had a thicker spline and the spring would hit the blade better to drive it towards the blade stops.
(L) new modern Gem Personna SS PTFE Blade...................................(R)Older thicker spline when first introduced. Notice were the blade tension keeper is on the top. (R) is correct tension IMO.

(L) below pictures show the differences in spine thickness between modern and vintage blades.

Have some great shaves!

 

[MikeTbass]

I spent some time trying to work out the issues on this razor. Using a rubber work mat, thumb strength, a bamboo skewer and a flat piece of wood I did the following:

1. Removed the top cap (which appears to have been pried off in the past) and bent the blade tension spring forward on a hard piece of wood. After a few tries at it the closing strength is much improved. It's not a "snapping turtle" like my British ER 1912 but it closes comparably to my other Damaskeene. Overall I would say this is much improved.

2. Looking at the scars on the razor it is apparent that someone in the past tried to re-tension the spring, likely with the top cap on, and marred not only the spring tab but bent the top cap itself. I used thumb strength and a hard piece of wood to straighten it the best I could. I am of the belief that once the factory geometry of a razor is lost there is no going back and I am simply reversing as much damage as possible.

3. I used a padded vise to square up the lobes on the cap as best I could. Between whatever previous damage may have occurred and my own installation and removal of the cap many times these lobes had flared out. I waited until I was satisfied with where I had gotten with things and gave it a gentle squeeze to set everything in place. There is some rather severe tool marring present on the sides of the cap which again tells me someone went at this thing with pliers at some point in the past.

As to the use of a shim (in my case a half blade spine) I have been doing so on all of my 1912 type razors for a few weeks now. The first excellent shave I had gotten from an SE was a 1912 baton handle with a shimmed PTFE blade and I have been doing it ever since. This Damaskeene is just a little tough for me to have in my collection because it will never shave the same as when it left the factory no matter what I do! At this point I will wait for a day that I am feeling brazen to give it a whirl with a well broken in blade but this razor will likely be relegated to my auction-box-of-shame while I contemplate it's future.

Any other advice or input is still very much welcome.

 

[GAW9576]

Sorry I'm late to the game. I've been occupied buy a rather annoying bedroom remodel. I can't even get to my razors right now.
Anyway looks like @Flintstone65 pointed you in the right direction as far as recommendation of @Ron R.he is a wealth of knowledge. I have repaired a few razors too. If you want to feel better about your razors abilitie to shave check this out. Extremely rare Schick injector slant razor!! - https://www.badgerandblade.com/forum/threads/extremely-rare-schick-injector-slant-razor.564714/
To me from your photos it looks like you did an excellent job fixing things. If the blade is held securely and the gaps are good I would shave with it. Yes I would start with a moderately used blad and a dose of extra care but I would definitely shave with it.

 

[GAW9576]

Also I almost forgot. These razors can actually function perfectly well without the top cap. A friend on another forum uses a 1912 razor without the top cap and I have a Star test razor (prototype) that is very similar in design that was made with no top cap. Here is are some pictures of the star.

 

[Whiterook]

Top cap?

 

[GAW9576]

Top cap?
View attachment 1295373View attachment 1295374

Exactly. I wasn't going as far back but the Lather catchers and hoe type didn't have top caps. And they shave superbly. I actually have a British Ever-Ready that has an issue with the blade tension. I may just go topples with it.

 

[GAW9576]

So I tried getting my British 1912 to go topless today but she wasn't up for it. The blade was still loose which leads me to believe that the blade stops are bent up a little allowing the blade to sit to far forward. I will have to do a little more comparisons with my good British 1912 and make some careful adjustments. I shaved with the good Brit today.

 

[MikeTbass]

So I tried getting my British 1912 to go topless today but she wasn't up for it. The blade was still loose which leads me to believe that the blade stops are bent up a little allowing the blade to sit to far forward. I will have to do a little more comparisons with my good British 1912 and make some careful adjustments. I shaved with the good Brit today.

I have two examples of the British 1912 as well and thankfully my user grade one suffers some plate loss but is mechanically sound. I can tell you that the springs on these things are very robust and your hunch that something else is amiss is likely spot on.

I have yet to shave with the Damaskeene that I fixed up in this thread, but after some pondering have decided that the only thing that the top cap curvature will effect is blade exposure. My feeling is that this razor will prove to be milder than my cased example but only the shave will tell me that.