Gem Razor Models

[Medivh]

What's with the Damaskeene models and their high prices? I was recently looking to find one, but it seems that most of them are way more expensive compared to pretty much any other GEM or Ever Ready model I've seen and some are even on pair with the Streamline. Are they really that rare and/or special?

 

[Ron R]

What's with the Damaskeene models and their high prices? I was recently looking to find one, but it seems that most of them are way more expensive compared to pretty much any other GEM or Ever Ready model I've seen and some are even on pair with the Streamline. Are they really that rare and/or special?

Check antique stores in your area, or if on the big Auction house type "Razor lot" and some times they are there.
@Jim99 has posted on buy and sell or trade on the forum Aug12 two different Damaskeene razors, he looks after his gear well from what I have seen. He has a rare open comb 1912 open comb and a closed comb.

 

[Medivh]

Check antique stores in your area, or if on the big Auction house type "Razor lot" and some times they are there.
@Jim99 has posted on buy and sell or trade on the forum Aug12 two different Damaskeene razors, he looks after his gear well from what I have seen. He has a rare open comb 1912 open comb and a closed comb.

Are they very different in terms of shaving compared to a regular GEM or Ever Ready 1912?

 

[Ron R]

The Gem 1912 Damaskeene open comb is what started this well used razor and all other models had slight improvements or different handles and millions of variants where made afterwards. My open comb Damaskeene is a mild to tame mid range for shaving, nice razor to own and was surprized Jim is selling his. He has been down sizing his collection over the years.
Is there a difference in the shave from a 1912 Damaskeene to a Gem 1912 model not a lot IMO, was your question.

 

[Medivh]

The Gem 1912 Damaskeene open comb is what started this well used razor and all other models had slight improvements or different handles and millions of variants where made afterwards. My open comb Damaskeene is a mild to tame mid range for shaving, nice razor to own and was surprized Jim is selling his. He has been down sizing his collection over the years.
Is there a difference in the shave from a 1912 Damaskeene to a Gem 1912 model not a lot IMO, was your question.

I see. How do you compare the Streamline to any of the Ever Ready 1912? I've recently found one along with a couple of other Ever Ready razors, most of which are different 1912 models.

 

[Ron R]

I see. How do you compare the Streamline to any of the Ever Ready 1912? I've recently found one along with a couple of other Ever Ready razors, most of which are different 1912 models.


View attachment 1515933

Streamline razor is eye candy to myself & is more aggressive than the 1912 models you have and was designed with the thicker shim for it's time period.
I like to put a removed spent spline folded together tight and place it underneath the Gem modern blade spline in my 2nd Generation streamline to mock a old thicker spline and it smooths it out a little IMO. The razor to the far right is a Gem Featherweight and that is a nice smooth razor that works well with the modern blades because it has been designed that way.
The tilt of the blade decreases gap slightly and smooths out the shave, I have been shimming my Everready Streamline for years and know it works better. The Streamline will give a close shave when mastered with good technique IMO.

Have some great shaves!

 

[Medivh]

Streamline razor is eye candy to myself & is more aggressive than the 1912 models you have and was designed with the thicker shim for it's time period.
I like to put a removed spent spline folded together tight and place it underneath the Gem modern blade spline in my 2nd Generation streamline to mock a old thicker spline and it smooths it out a little IMO. The razor to the far right is a Gem Featherweight and that is a nice smooth razor that works well with the modern blades because it has been designed that way.
The tilt of the blade decreases gap slightly and smooths out the shave, I have been shimming my Everready Streamline for years and know it works better. The Streamline will give a close shave when mastered with good technique IMO.
View attachment 1515958
Have some great shaves!

Thanks for the info. Btw, is there any difference between the two 1912 Every Ready razors between the Streamline and the Peerless? I have the Peerless with the aluminium handle and it's not as efficient as the MMOC and MMCP, but much more comfortable and forgiving.

 

[Jim99]

The Gem 1912 Damaskeene open comb is what started this well used razor and all other models had slight improvements or different handles and millions of variants where made afterwards. My open comb Damaskeene is a mild to tame mid range for shaving, nice razor to own and was surprized Jim is selling his. He has been down sizing his collection over the years.
Is there a difference in the shave from a 1912 Damaskeene to a Gem 1912 model not a lot IMO, was your question.

I agree that the open comb Damaskeene is a mild yet effective razor. I find it shaves differently than the “closed” comb Damaskeene.

I have sold my open comb and I’m still in shock that I did as it was my favorite Gem and one of my favorite all-time razors.

Due to health issues, I figured it was better to get the bulk of my razors into the hands of shavers that would appreciate them. My fear is that when I’m gone, my wife and kids will toss them all out.


I still have the other “closed” comb Damaskeene available and it’s another fine razor. I might rate it as mild-aggressive.

 

[Dave Deluxe]

I tried injectors - have a couple of Injectomatics to sell now. Too light for me, too short, wouldn't load B-20 Prolines without hassle, and in any case blades were much more expensive in the UK. In short not nearly so interesting as GEMs and Artist Clubs razors. I don't see the love for injectors at all. On the other hand, I'd recommend that all DE shavers try a SE razor like a cheap and amazing Ever-Ready 1912 or a more expensive Artist Club like an ATT SE1 with Proline P-30s. Those two alternate with my 6C and they're equally good if not better.

Take those unused injector blades and put them into your OC Micromatic. You'll get a shave very much like AC format shave & long lasting too.

 

[santamariasteve]

What's with the Damaskeene models and their high prices? I was recently looking to find one, but it seems that most of them are way more expensive compared to pretty much any other GEM or Ever Ready model I've seen and some are even on pair with the Streamline. Are they really that rare and/or special?

The Gem Damaskeene was made between 1912 and 1920. It has a high reputation. Many shavers consider it to be the best of the 1912 models. It has a slightly shorter blade exposure than its 1912 brethren, which in theory would make it slightly milder. It has a handle that is smaller in circumference, shorter in length, and is round. The Gem Damaskeene reminds me of the Ever-Ready 1914 with its smooth and outstanding performance and short round handle. However, I don't see the Damaskeene as a better razor than the regular Gem 1912 SE razor.

"Gem Cutlery" stamped on the frame makes it an early model, and later models (like mine) are stamped "Gem Safety Razor." The original Damaskeene had a convex-concave cover, but after the 1919 merger with the American Safety Razor Company the cover plate was made flat (like mine). Some shavers believe the rounded version is superior. I'm neutral on that, and I've had both models. While the Damaskeene is a good razor, the special things about it are its reputation, popularity, and inflated prices.

 

[Jim99]

The Gem Damaskeene was made between 1912 and 1920. It has a high reputation. Many shavers consider it to be the best of the 1912 models. It has a slightly shorter blade exposure than its 1912 brethren, which in theory would make it slightly milder. It has a handle that is smaller in circumference, shorter in length, and is round. The Gem Damaskeene reminds me of the Ever-Ready 1914 with its smooth and outstanding performance and short round handle. However, I don't see the Damaskeene as a better razor than the regular Gem 1912 SE razor.

"Gem Cutlery" stamped on the frame makes it an early model, and later models (like mine) are stamped "Gem Safety Razor." The original Damaskeene had a convex-concave cover, but after the 1919 merger with the American Safety Razor Company the cover plate was made flat (like mine). Some shavers believe the rounded version is superior. I'm neutral on that, and I've had both models. While the Damaskeene is a good razor, the special things about it are its reputation, popularity, and inflated prices.

Like many things in life, YMMV.

I find the Gem Cutlery damaskeene razors superior in shave quality to any of the later 1912 models and the Ever Ready versions that followed. That’s not to say that I don’t like the shaves from the later models as I feel they are excellent razors. The prices on the damaskeene razors might be higher than a later model 1912, but I feel that smoothness and closeness of the shave is worth a few extra bucks. Also, Gem damaskeene razors certainly are less common than the later models and that adds to the price. Note that I’ve gone through around 1/2 dozen damaskeenes and another 1/2 dozen later model 1912s and Ever Readys. Again, YMMV.

 

[Medivh]

Like many things in life, YMMV.

I find the Gem Cutlery damaskeene razors superior in shave quality to any of the later 1912 models and the Ever Ready versions that followed. That’s not to say that I don’t like the shaves from the later models as I feel they are excellent razors. The prices on the damaskeene razors might be higher than a later model 1912, but I feel that smoothness and closeness of the shave is worth a few extra bucks. Also, Gem damaskeene razors certainly are less common than the later models and that adds to the price. Note that I’ve gone through around 1/2 dozen damaskeenes and another 1/2 dozen later model 1912s and Ever Readys. Again, YMMV.

I will definitely grab one at some point, for the right price, of course .

 

[Ron R]

Every once in a while I like to bring forward some information that is stuck in back pages of this thread and a person might just want some quick reference information about Gem razors or ASR razor time lines if they come across one instead of going through the whole thread searching, there is a lot of interesting information for every one who likes AmericanSafetyRazor (aka ASR) .

This is just a quick reference of these common Gem razors if a person is curious on buying one or own one. Dates are not as accurate possibly but are in the ball park with charts(below) were made because there was not much information for the time lines when I made the photo charts so refer to chart above that @mata_66 put together for folks for Razor time lines that he has contributed for the forum to enjoy with lots of effort on this part and others.

Added the Ever-Ready Streamline razor to picture chart below also with the indicator pointer when a shim is added under the new modern blades for a little smoother shave!

Have some great shaves!

 

[Ron R]

Every once in a while I come across a nugget of information that is interesting to folks who collect and use ASR razors like myself, these are Star & Gem razors of the ASR family of company's. These might fall under the Kampfe brothers brothers 1914 patent or Gem 1912 Patents that Star and and Gem made proto types from similar razors to the 1914 LLC ER with out the top caps?
They are very rare and pop up every once in a while + there is very little information on them in catalogues or online sources. Some folks call them tester razors or proto types but they are usable razors minus top cap.
Here are some photo's courtesy of members @Buttercup & @pjgh of the B&B forum.

Gem and Star proto types, Year Mfg unknown!

Have some great shaves!

 

[Jim99]

Every once in a while I come across a nugget of information that is interesting to folks who collect and use ASR razors like myself, these are Star & Gem razors of the ASR family of company's. These might fall under the Kampfe brothers brothers 1914 patent or Gem 1912 Patents that Star and and Gem made proto types from similar razors to the 1914 LLC ER with out the top caps?
They are very rare and pop up every once in a while + there is very little information on them in catalogues or online sources. Some folks call them tester razors or proto types but they are usable razors minus top cap.
Here are some photo's courtesy of members @Buttercup & @pjgh of the B&B forum.
View attachment 1692872 View attachment 1692874

Gem and Star proto types, Year Mfg unknown!
View attachment 1692881
Have some great shaves!

@Ron R , thanks. This is very interesting information. I’ll be on the lookout for one of these.

 

[Buttercup]

These might fall under the Kampfe brothers brothers 1914 patent or Gem 1912 Patents that Star and and Gem made proto types from similar razors to the 1914 LLC ER with out the top caps?

My Star version has a 1914 patent date. Sorry, but couldn't get the phone to focus better on the head.

 

[Ron R]

My Star version has a 1914 patent date. Sorry, but couldn't get the phone to focus better on the head.

View attachment 1694071

I'm quite sure now it is a Ever-Ready patent for their 1914 Little Lather catcher(Mfg 1914-17) and they must of been experimenting with their other brand names to see what feed back they where going to receive from folks testing them.WW1 was in full stride and maybe the army wanted something lighter and cheaper for armed forces?? . It is a simpler razor to manufacture with out the top cap. The cap makes it more eye pleasing and safer to use IMO. Looks like they abandoned the simpler version with out the cap proto type. Razor manufactures are always looking for a new concept or model to appeal to certain customers.
(Some old archived photo's)

A old 1918 ad for the Gem Damaskeene razor during WW1 below!

Have some great shaves!

 

[Buttercup]

I'm quite sure know it is a Ever-Ready patent for their 1914 Little Lather catcher(Mfg 1914-17) and they must of been experimenting with their other brand names to see what feed back they where going to receive from folks testing them.WW1 was in full stride and maybe the army wanted something lighter and cheaper for armed forces?? . It is a simpler razor to manufacture with out the top cap. The cap makes it more eye pleasing and safer to use IMO. Looks like they abandoned the simpler version with out the cap proto type. Razor manufactures are always looking for a new concept or model to appeal to certain customers.
(Some old archived photo's)
View attachment 1694103 View attachment 1694104
A old ad for the Gem Damaskeene razor during WW1 below!
View attachment 1694105
Have some great shaves!

I love the old adverts, Ron! I agree with your assessment about the ER 1914 Little Lather Catcher, as when I got my Star Test Outfit I immediately got LLC vibes from it.

I'm not so sure about the WWI reference. Going off the ASR Dating Chart V 2.0, I'm seeing both the GEM and Star Test Outfit being listed as 1921. Looking at the Dating Chart, it is a bit odd that these two Test Outfit razors were produced well after both GEM and ER were cranking out razors with top caps.

When you responded to me on my journal, you called it a Star (ASR) salesman demonstrator model. If they only created these razors for this purpose, I guess that explains the rarity. I find it odd that the handle for this razor appears to be a one off and not used on any other model. I really like the handle for its grittiness and heft. Actually, it was the unique handle that tipped me off that this was something different on the auction listing.

 

[Ron R]

When you responded to me on my journal, you called it a Star (ASR) salesman demonstrator model. If they only created these razors for this purpose, I guess that explains the rarity.

I did mention that because one of the fellows over on Micromatic Monday Thread has one also and folks where wondering if it was demonstrator for traveling salesman promoting ASR type razors. With no internet in those days they used word of mouth to promote products as you are already aware and using visual props to explain things to retailers I'm thinking what I recall.

 

[GAW9576]

Every once in a while I come across a nugget of information that is interesting to folks who collect and use ASR razors like myself, these are Star & Gem razors of the ASR family of company's. These might fall under the Kampfe brothers brothers 1914 patent or Gem 1912 Patents that Star and and Gem made proto types from similar razors to the 1914 LLC ER with out the top caps?
They are very rare and pop up every once in a while + there is very little information on them in catalogues or online sources. Some folks call them tester razors or proto types but they are usable razors minus top cap.
Here are some photo's courtesy of members @Buttercup & @pjgh of the B&B forum.
View attachment 1692872 View attachment 1692874

Gem and Star proto types, Year Mfg unknown!
View attachment 1692881
Have some great shaves!

My Star Test Outfit came with a mostly intact box.