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Gem Razor Models

Pic the Gem you like shaving with. Multiple choices allowed!

  • Gem lather catcher

    Votes: 44 17.5%
  • Gem Junior

    Votes: 65 25.9%
  • Gem 1912 Damaskeene

    Votes: 91 36.3%
  • Gem Mico Matic Clog proof

    Votes: 79 31.5%
  • Gem Micro Matic Bullet handle(Flying wing)

    Votes: 56 22.3%
  • Gem Micro Matic Open Comb

    Votes: 99 39.4%
  • Gem Push button

    Votes: 36 14.3%
  • Gem G-Bar

    Votes: 64 25.5%
  • Gem Feather Weight

    Votes: 43 17.1%
  • Gem Contour

    Votes: 9 3.6%

  • Total voters
    251

Old Hippie

Somewhere between 61 and dead
Found this advertisement on a razor box, we have to remember that in 1938 the Great Depression is still on with a deflation rate of -2.08% so prices are still dropping...

The Clog-Pruf I have on the BST came originally with five blades in a box for 50 cents. Probably about the same vintage.

O.H.
 

Ron R

I survived a lathey foreman
GEM Junior Parade 1912 MFG 1938 Gem JR Parade Mfg 1938 (2).jpg

Weight: 1.5 oz (44 grams)
Blade Gap : .021 thousands of a inch (.533 mm)
Blade Exposure: Positive
Blade : GEM Personna SS PTFE (5)
Material : Brass, Plastic handle (handles can come with brass, brass nickel coated or a smaller version of Bakelite.)
Handling : Very nice in the hand with the the Tapered Parade handle. Installing blades and removing are very easy. No blade overhang is a great feature.
Shave #2 went well, no nick or weepers, Alum block indicated not much irritation and the final results were CCS,DFS,BBS
Shave #3 I have a lot of confidence with this razor & soap so I put the razor into some GEM slides, J hooking and Buffing with excellent results. No weepers,nicks also no irritation according to the post shave with the Alum block. End result CCS,DFS,BBS on a blade with 8 uses.
Shave #6 went well and I installed a new blade and it was a little rougher than normal because they are one of the sharpest blades made and it takes a shave or 2 to get very comfortable, 1 weeper from a blemish bump. End result as a CCS,DFS,BbS, Alum block indicated some irritation but a reasonable shave.
Shave #7 went great & did some J hooking in a troubled spot. Used some Tabac soap for my final shave of the week of 7 consecutive daily shaves with GEM Junior.(Experience Test Complete)
Conclusion : GEM Junior parade is just a great razor to own or at least the Gem Junior that comes in different handles if this one does not fancy your hand feel or appearance.
This razor performed J hooking , buffing and the GEM slide maneuvers flawlessly because there are times you might have to use it on those tough whiskers.
The GEM Junior can be easlily used as a daily driver for a Person with a Medium beard growth and not so sensitive skin like myself.
As for the handle I found it great in my hand and also makes its own stand for convenience.
If you are looking for a mid range aggressive and highly efficient razor I would recommend this one and enjoy some great shaves like I did.
Review of Gem Junior Parade (2).jpg


For folks who bought used razors with no user manuals & some other great information on shaving- how Gem grinds their blades!
Gem instruction manual (2).jpg Gem procedure (2).jpg Blade review Revision #5 Dec14-2018.jpg GEM blade grind angles.jpg blade_angle-se-de.gif

Have some great shaves!
 

Ron R

I survived a lathey foreman
Every once in a while I bring a sort of index forward for folks looking for a certain razor & there is a lot of other great information on other pages for the curious.
If you are looking for a Specific GEM model we have covered you will find it on these Post #'s.

GEM G Bar MFG 1955-58 -post #109

Gem 1912 MFG 1921-30 -post #124

GEM Push button Mfg 1958-65- post # 165
Gem MMOC Mfg 1930-41 -post #147

GEM MMBT Flying wing Mfg 1947-50- post #183
GEM MMCP Clog Pruf Mfg 1940-46- post #217

GEM Feather weight Mfg 1950-55 - post #250
GEM Streamline Jewel 2nd Gen Mfg 1949-53- post #390


GEM Junior Bar MFG 1906-11- post #433
GEM Damaskeene OC Mfg 1912-15 - post #454

Gem Junior Parade 1912 MFg 1938- post # 562
Gem JR Parade Mfg 1938 (2).jpg

Gem Time line - post #526,#543 + Many thanks to @mata_66 for his research on timelines.

gem-razor-cluster-review-2019-2-jpg.1007040

For folks who bought used Gems with out manuals and other interesting information.
GEM blade grind angles.jpg
Have some great shaves!
 

Ron R

I survived a lathey foreman
Learned & Found something interesting today about the Gem Junior Parade. The Gem Junior Parade came in different handle model variants but came in the same cardboard case in 1943. They also made a black metal handle for armed services for that time line.
GEM Junior with Tapered handle paton (2).jpg Gem Junior  with slim Bakelite Parade handle (2).jpg Gem Junior with Metal (2).jpg Have some great shaves!
 

Ron R

I survived a lathey foreman
Here's my example of what I've assumed was the Armed Forces iteration of the Junior that Ron references - based on the legend on the blades, the shipper I found this one with doesn't have any printing that indicates military only.

View attachment 1045976
Thanks for sharing that, first time I have seen one because it very rare IMO.
 
I've become a sudden fan of the GEM jr. 1938

20191226_183216.jpg


it 6:33 and I barely have any stubble still. problem areas are maybe one cleanup pass with what I believe is called J Hooking.

just when I thought it couldn't get any better than my merkur open comb.

i know what I'm shaving with in the morn!!!!!

camo
 
I haven't had success with gem razors yet. Except a Featherweight, which I had a few months on loan. Just missed a Featherweight on the Bst last week, but I did buy a g-bar, which I look forward to trying.
 
I'll be honest changed my vote to the Damaskeene.......although the poll is not very fair......

should have been a "all of them" option........because I love the bars and LC's.......and well......all of them.

camo
 
I'll be honest changed my vote to the Damaskeene.......although the poll is not very fair......

should have been a "all of them" option........because I love the bars and LC's.......and well......all of them.

camo

You actually can vote for multiple razors.
 

Ron R

I survived a lathey foreman
Well I found out today some interesting facts about the Gem Featherweight top cap. @Droo78 came across some Gem Featherweights that seem to shave differently and so he took some pictures to illustrate differences(Thanks Andrew for letting me use your photo's). I remember reading some folks recently thinking the Featherweight is over rated and it stumped me why, now we might have the reasoning to their thoughts. When the Gem Featherweight Generation #1 was ending its life cycle it seems that the G-bar and later on the in the late 1970's the Contour flip top models came out they used a deeper type of top cap Generation #2 to give a milder shave. More than likely the transition phase when the new model G-bar was coming on line they switched the caps from the original featherweight to reduce their inventory and saving some money.
Most folks would of not known unless they had both models 1st & 2nd Generations of Gem featherweight razors and in those days they did not have the internet to compare these small changes. I went on line at _Bay and sure enough there are 2nd Generation Featherweights for sale.( you might want 1st generation Featherweights that are a little more aggressive IMO)
From my shaving observations I have concluded that the G-bar & Contour were milder than the 1st Generation of Feather weights and other 's who had the Contour razor mentioned they are very mild for them to use.

Generation #2 Gem Featherweight on the left has grooves on the flip tab-Generation #1 on the right has the smooth flip tab.
GEM Cap Styles 1 (2).JPG


Generation #2 Gem Featherweight on the left with the deeper top cap--Generation #1 Gem Featherweight on the right with the narrow top cap.
GEM Cap Styles 2 (2).JPG

As we can see the the milder Generation #2 top caps were used on different models over the decades. So for me I enjoy Generation #1 and recommend it.
Picture below Gem Featherweight generation #2........Gem G-bar.............Gem Contour flip top. They also made a Contour push button model!
GEM Cap Styles 3 (2).JPG

So there we have some more facts on the Gem Featherweight we all enjoy. Generation #1 Featherweight on chart below.
Final Gem review Jan21-2019 (2).jpg

Have some great shaves!
 
Well I found out today some interesting facts about the Gem Featherweight top cap. @Droo78 came across some Gem Featherweights that seem to shave differently and so he took some pictures to illustrate differences(Thanks Andrew for letting me use your photo's). I remember reading some folks recently thinking the Featherweight is over rated and it stumped me why, now we might have the reasoning to their thoughts. When the Gem Featherweight Generation #1 was ending its life cycle it seems that the G-bar and later on the in the late 1970's the Contour flip top models came out they used a deeper type of top cap Generation #2 to give a milder shave. More than likely the transition phase when the new model G-bar was coming on line they switched the caps from the original featherweight to reduce their inventory and saving some money.
Most folks would of not known unless they had both models 1st & 2nd Generations of Gem featherweight razors and in those days they did not have the internet to compare these small changes. I went on line at _Bay and sure enough there are 2nd Generation Featherweights for sale.( you might want 1st generation Featherweights that are a little more aggressive IMO)
From my shaving observations I have concluded that the G-bar & Contour were milder than the 1st Generation of Feather weights and other 's who had the Contour razor mentioned they are very mild for them to use.

Generation #2 Gem Featherweight on the left has grooves on the flip tab-Generation #1 on the right has the smooth flip tab.
View attachment 1091843

Generation #2 Gem Featherweight on the left with the deeper top cap--Generation #1 Gem Featherweight on the right with the narrow top cap.
View attachment 1091845
As we can see the the milder Generation #2 top caps were used on different models over the decades. So for me I enjoy Generation #1 and recommend it.
Picture below Gem Featherweight generation #2........Gem G-bar.............Gem Contour flip top. They also made a Contour push button model!
View attachment 1091846
So there we have some more facts on the Gem Featherweight we all enjoy. Generation #1 Featherweight on chart below.
View attachment 1091847
Have some great shaves!

that would explain why I didnt see a whole lot of difference between my FW and G Bar. both have lines on the push tab.

now I have to scrutinize photos more. good detective work mr. poirot!!!!

camo
 
Well I found out today some interesting facts about the Gem Featherweight top cap. @Droo78 came across some Gem Featherweights that seem to shave differently and so he took some pictures to illustrate differences(Thanks Andrew for letting me use your photo's). I remember reading some folks recently thinking the Featherweight is over rated and it stumped me why, now we might have the reasoning to their thoughts. When the Gem Featherweight Generation #1 was ending its life cycle it seems that the G-bar and later on the in the late 1970's the Contour flip top models came out they used a deeper type of top cap Generation #2 to give a milder shave. More than likely the transition phase when the new model G-bar was coming on line they switched the caps from the original featherweight to reduce their inventory and saving some money.
Most folks would of not known unless they had both models 1st & 2nd Generations of Gem featherweight razors and in those days they did not have the internet to compare these small changes. I went on line at _Bay and sure enough there are 2nd Generation Featherweights for sale.( you might want 1st generation Featherweights that are a little more aggressive IMO)
From my shaving observations I have concluded that the G-bar & Contour were milder than the 1st Generation of Feather weights and other 's who had the Contour razor mentioned they are very mild for them to use.

Generation #2 Gem Featherweight on the left has grooves on the flip tab-Generation #1 on the right has the smooth flip tab.
View attachment 1091843

Generation #2 Gem Featherweight on the left with the deeper top cap--Generation #1 Gem Featherweight on the right with the narrow top cap.
View attachment 1091845
As we can see the the milder Generation #2 top caps were used on different models over the decades. So for me I enjoy Generation #1 and recommend it.
Picture below Gem Featherweight generation #2........Gem G-bar.............Gem Contour flip top. They also made a Contour push button model!
View attachment 1091846
So there we have some more facts on the Gem Featherweight we all enjoy. Generation #1 Featherweight on chart below.
View attachment 1091847
Have some great shaves!

Do we happen to know if there are any gap differences?

camo
 
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