Newbie questions regarding Eveready 1912

[SixCats!]

Hi all,

I'm a bit confused. I had my first ever vintage shave the other night using my recently acquired Gillette 1930's Ball End LC "NEW" using Personna Platinum (Israel) DE Blades. I took my time and I could not believe the wonderful shave I received (perhaps the best/smoothest shave of my life). I just love the looks/style/history/simple design (and performance) of both the NEW (and I suspect the OLD) Gillette's of that time period. That being said, I recently acquired an excellent condition/vintage Ever-Ready 1912's Single Edge Blade Razor that I soon plan to try (once I order some GEM blades). So, here's where I'm confused......when shaving with the "NEW" am I not only shaving with ONE side of ONE blade (albeit a double edged blade) and/or shaving using ONE blade SIDE at a time ? So, how does this differ from using a dedicated Single edge Razor ? Also, can one expect a good/close/clean shave using such a vintage single edge Razor such as the Ever-Ready 1912 ? I read some threads here at B&B that have made me a little nervous about using a Single Edge Razor (pressure/angles issues and such) but then I figure, what the heck, I made out perfectly fine shaving with the Gillette "NEW". So, shouldn't I be able to do the same with the Ever-Ready 1912 (as long as I take my time) ?

Oooh, is there a big difference between the Ever-Ready 1912 and a GEM Micromatic shaving wise ? I have a lead on a GEM Micromatic however, I'm thinking it might be redundant owning three (more or less) of the same type 1912's ?

Thank you for any help/thoughts/suggestions/recommendations.

SixCats!

 

[DCP]

Hi all,

I'm a bit confused. I had my first ever vintage shave the other night using my recently acquired Gillette 1930's Ball End LC "NEW" using Personna Platinum (Israel) DE Blades. I took my time and I could not believe the wonderful shave I received (perhaps the best/smoothest shave of my life). I just love the looks/style/history/simple design (and performance) of both the NEW (and I suspect the OLD) Gillette's of that time period. That being said, I recently acquired an excellent condition/vintage Ever-Ready 1912's Single Edge Blade Razor that I soon plan to try (once I order some GEM blades). So, here's where I'm confused......when shaving with the "NEW" am I not only shaving with ONE side of ONE blade (albeit a double edged blade) and/or shaving using ONE blade SIDE at a time ? So, how does this differ from using a dedicated Single edge Razor ? Also, can one expect a good/close/clean shave using such a vintage single edge Razor such as the Ever-Ready 1912 ? I read some threads here at B&B that have made me a little nervous about using a Single Edge Razor (pressure/angles issues and such) but then I figure, what the heck, I made out perfectly fine shaving with the Gillette "NEW". So, shouldn't I be able to do the same with the Ever-Ready 1912 (as long as I take my time) ?

Oooh, is there a big difference between the Ever-Ready 1912 and a GEM Micromatic shaving wise ? I have a lead on a GEM Micromatic however, I'm thinking it might be redundant owning three (more or less) of the same type 1912's ?

Thank you for any help/thoughts/suggestions/recommendations.

SixCats!

Be careful...You are knocking on the door of a deep rabbit hole. A rabbit hole leading you down the path of SE shaving. SE razors are great, so definitely try them.

Regarding the blades, SE blades are thicker and more rigid, and therefore tend to provide clean, smooth, comfortable shaves.



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[Ron R]

Oooh, is there a big difference between the Ever-Ready 1912 and a GEM Micromatic shaving wise ? I have a lead on a GEM Micromatic however, I'm thinking it might be redundant owning three (more or less) of the same type 1912's ?

They are very similar in appearance and they should be similar in shaving quality. The Everready razor might be slightly more aggressive but not much. Gems tend to be not as aggressive IMO. I have the New Gillette LC and with the ball handle and really get some great shaves with it. I really like my GEM razors and the 1912 is part of the ASR brand names.(Everready1912, Star 1912, Gem 1912, ) You should know that after 1919 merger of GEM & Everready that became ASR(American safey razor company)& Everready adopted the 1912 stamp at the base of the razor were the handle screws in. So you know your razor is older than 1919 for sure. The first few shaves take a little adjustment than a Gillette style razor and the GEM Personna coated blades are very good and sharp, carbon steel Gem blades can be a little smoother but do not last as long and can rust if not dried after each use. Try using shorter strokes of the razor until your more comfortable and that should also help IMO.

Hope this helps you and enjoy your new razor when your Gem blades arrive.
Have some great shaves!

 

[SixCats!]

Hello Gentleman,

Thank you both for all your help. Ron R, Oooh my God, I purchased my first vintage Razor (and joined B&B) only a week ago and I have already fallen down deep the Rabbit Hole! I guess when I really "latch" on to something I like (collecting) I tend to get a little crazy! In the last week alone, I've purchased the following (in order) :

Gillette D4 Fatboy
H. Boker & Co. "King Cutter" Straight Razor
Gillette LC Ball End "New"
Ever-Ready 1912
Durham Demonstrator Straight Razor
(a second) Ever-Ready 1912
Gillette (circa 48-50) Super Speed

All the above Razors are in very nice/usable condition. Thankfully (per John Rose suggestion) the one thing I do have (more or less) under control is I am NOT over paying for any one Razor. Thus far, the "KING CUTTER" Straight was my most expensive purchase at $23.00 (and I purchase that KC pretty much for it's "Cool Factor"). The "KC" is in near pristine condition. The least I paid for a Safety Razor is $3.00 for the Gillette 48-50 Super Speed. This Nickel coated DE Razor is in beautiful condition! That being said, yea, even still, this Hobby can add up quickly. At any rate, I'm having a lot of fun and I'm enjoying my new Razor collection/hobby and communicating with the find folks of B&B. My grand total outlay thus far is $75.75 (less blades).

Ron R,

Ooooh, THANK YOU Sir for posting such wonderful/useful information and History! I now feel a lot less apprehensive about trying my Single Edge Ever-Ready.

Regards,
SixCats!

 

[Twelvefret]

Micromatic Monday is an all things GEM razor thread where we meeting to shave on Monday and discuss the use and history of these fine shaving instruments. Please join!!

 

[SixCats!]

Thanks Twelve,

I will look into MM.

Regards,
SixCats!

 

[Salty O'Rourke]

The good news is, as a new DE shaver, you won't have developed a strong DE "muscle memory" to interfere with your SE technique. Finding the proper shave angle is easier/more intuitive with the GEM/Ever Ready razors in my experience.
If you are in the US, Tryablade.com can provide a few SE blades to use while you decide if SE is right for you. They also have the Personna Pathology blades that you'll need for your Durham Demonstrator. The standard advice re no pressure applies equally to DE and SE; if you had no issues with your DE technique you should be fine with SE, just keep the razor head almost flat to your face.

 

[SixCats!]

Thanks SO'R. I appreciate the information/help.

SixCats!

 

[troy]

There are 3 different versions of the Micromatic. The Open Comb, Clog pruf, and the Bullet Tip. There pretty cool razors and are the first one piece TTO razor, beating gillette by a couple of years. Like most razors they got more mild as time went by the OC was the first and can be a bit of a beast if not given the respect it deserves, but can be tamed to a very smooth shaver. Mostly by remembering no pressure and shallow angle. The CP is my favorite of the group and would be a little more aggressive than your '12. The bullet tip is the newest and mildest a little more mild than the '12. Bordering on too mild for me, but some guys really like them. I will say using a Schick twin blade in a BT makes for a very nice shave.

 

[troy]

They are very similar in appearance and they should be similar in shaving quality. The Everready razor might be slightly more aggressive but not much. Gems tend to be not as aggressive IMO. I have the New Gillette LC and with the ball handle and really get some great shaves with it. I really like my GEM razors and the 1912 is part of the ASR brand names.(Everready1912, Star 1912, Gem 1912, ) You should know that after 1919 merger of GEM & Everready that became ASR(American safey razor company)& Everready adopted the 1912 stamp at the base of the razor were the handle screws in. So you know your razor is older than 1919 for sure. The first few shaves take a little adjustment than a Gillette style razor and the GEM Personna coated blades are very good and sharp, carbon steel Gem blades can be a little smoother but do not last as long and can rust if not dried after each use. Try using shorter strokes of the razor until your more comfortable and that should also help IMO.
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Hope this helps you and enjoy your new razor when your Gem blades arrive.
Have some great shaves!

Agreed that the the ER is slightly more aggressive than the Gem '12 in most cases, but I've seen a few examples that don't follow the norm.

I'm not sure about your dates though. Just going by memory here, but I thought anything made in the teens would have still been a Damaskeene. Then the Gems were made through the 20, the ERs in the early 30s. I think the Radio, Star, and Eversharp were mid to late 30s. Ending with the Gem Jouniors in the 40s. In the 20s Ever Ready would have still been making the '14s and '24s, I believe as a separate company from Gem. Again just going by memory of old posts and timelines I've seen.

 

[SixCats!]

Hi Troy,

Thanks for the info. on the GEM's. Tomorrow, I plan on having a second (Closer) look at a couple of GEM's
(one being a 1912 which I don't really think I need at this point since I now have TWO Ever-Ready 1912's).
I am however very interested in taking a closer/second look at a GEM Micromatic (not sure which model) as well as a "Shake Sharp" Razor.
Uh oh......

I'm now also HOT TO TROT for a vintage 1920's Gillette Big Fellow Old Type. Ugggh.

SixCats!

 

[Ron R]

Agreed that the the ER is slightly more aggressive than the Gem '12 in most cases, but I've seen a few examples that don't follow the norm.

I'm not sure about your dates though. Just going by memory here, but I thought anything made in the teens would have still been a Damaskeene. Then the Gems were made through the 20, the ERs in the early 30s. I think the Radio, Star, and Eversharp were mid to late 30s. Ending with the Gem Jouniors in the 40s. In the 20s Ever Ready would have still been making the '14s and '24s, I believe as a separate company from Gem. Again just going by memory of old posts and timelines I've seen.

Keeping track of dates is not one of my strong points so I like to reference these charts that other folks have generated as a general reference and in the 1930's ER had the new improved 1912 according to the second chart.
Doing some research into Gems and came across this information from another form that would maybe interest some ASR Gem owners.

If you are more into reading than looking at a chart, here goes;

"
1911-1912 Gem de Luxe
1912 Gem Damaskeene (the "1912")
1914-1915 (ER) "1914" Marked "American Safety Razor Company New York" Patent Pending
1917-1919 (ER) "1914" Marked "Ever Ready" Patented March 24/14
1918 "Radio" trademark blade - just a point of interest being perhaps "Radio" predated "Ever Ready" on the razors that are marked "Radio"?
1919 Star became a subsiduary of ASR
1919 Gem "1912"
1919 (ER) Front Hinged Cap "Brooklyn New York USA" Patent Applied For (becomes the "1924")
1923 "Ever Ready" trademarked by ASR
1924 "GEM" trademark redesigned by ASR
1925 ER "1914" & "1924" produced hereafter marked "Ever Ready"
1930 Gem "Micromatic" (the Open Comb)
1930 The Improved Ever Ready ("1912") - what we call the Ever Ready "1912" finally coming into common production (see above, regarding "Radio")
1933 ER "E-Bar" - potentially earlier than the Gem offering of the same model? (Last use of "Ever Ready" in the US)
1930s "Star" - supercedes "Ever Ready" in the US (British market continues with "Every Ready") and duplicates "Gem" ("1912") ... perhaps simply becoming the "Junior"
1930s? Gem G-Bar (introduced after the cessation of the Ever Ready trademark in the US)
1940s? Gem "1912 Junior"
1941 Gem (Micromatic) "Clog Pruf"
1947 Gem (Micromatic) "Flying Wing"
1940s? (Late) ER "Streamline" (British - Ever Ready trademark picked up in Britain ... last used in US in 1933)
1950s ER Featherweight (British)
1950s Gem Featherweight/Pushbutton
1960s Gem Contour
1970s Gem Contour II

So, the Gem "1912" is only a 1912 if it's a Damaskeene, 1919 otherwise.
An Ever Ready "1912" is actually a 1930 and Star "1912" were made from 1933.

Ever Ready "1914" is a 1914 if "patent pending", 1917-1919 otherwise.

Ever Ready "1924" is a not a 1924 if "patent applied for" which makes it actually a 1919.

Pivotal years seem to be 1912 (Gem Damaskeene "1912" begins), 1919 (Star brought into ASR, Gem "1912" begins & Ever Ready "1924" comes into pre-patent production), 1923 (Ever Ready brand goes full blown) and 1930 (Ever Ready "1912" begins).
Have some great shaves!

 

[jmudrick]

Keeping track of dates is not one of my strong points so I like to reference these charts that other folks have generated as a general reference and in the 1930's ER had the new improved 1912 according to the second chart.
Doing some research into Gems and came across this information from another form that would maybe interest some ASR Gem owners.

If you are more into reading than looking at a chart, here goes;

"
1911-1912 Gem de Luxe
1912 Gem Damaskeene (the "1912")
1914-1915 (ER) "1914" Marked "American Safety Razor Company New York" Patent Pending
1917-1919 (ER) "1914" Marked "Ever Ready" Patented March 24/14
1918 "Radio" trademark blade - just a point of interest being perhaps "Radio" predated "Ever Ready" on the razors that are marked "Radio"?
1919 Star became a subsiduary of ASR
1919 Gem "1912"
1919 (ER) Front Hinged Cap "Brooklyn New York USA" Patent Applied For (becomes the "1924")
1923 "Ever Ready" trademarked by ASR
1924 "GEM" trademark redesigned by ASR
1925 ER "1914" & "1924" produced hereafter marked "Ever Ready"
1930 Gem "Micromatic" (the Open Comb)
1930 The Improved Ever Ready ("1912") - what we call the Ever Ready "1912" finally coming into common production (see above, regarding "Radio")
1933 ER "E-Bar" - potentially earlier than the Gem offering of the same model? (Last use of "Ever Ready" in the US)
1930s "Star" - supercedes "Ever Ready" in the US (British market continues with "Every Ready") and duplicates "Gem" ("1912") ... perhaps simply becoming the "Junior"
1930s? Gem G-Bar (introduced after the cessation of the Ever Ready trademark in the US)
1940s? Gem "1912 Junior"
1941 Gem (Micromatic) "Clog Pruf"
1947 Gem (Micromatic) "Flying Wing"
1940s? (Late) ER "Streamline" (British - Ever Ready trademark picked up in Britain ... last used in US in 1933)
1950s ER Featherweight (British)
1950s Gem Featherweight/Pushbutton
1960s Gem Contour
1970s Gem Contour II

So, the Gem "1912" is only a 1912 if it's a Damaskeene, 1919 otherwise.
An Ever Ready "1912" is actually a 1930 and Star "1912" were made from 1933.

Ever Ready "1914" is a 1914 if "patent pending", 1917-1919 otherwise.

Ever Ready "1924" is a not a 1924 if "patent applied for" which makes it actually a 1919.

Pivotal years seem to be 1912 (Gem Damaskeene "1912" begins), 1919 (Star brought into ASR, Gem "1912" begins & Ever Ready "1924" comes into pre-patent production), 1923 (Ever Ready brand goes full blown) and 1930 (Ever Ready "1912" begins).
Have some great shaves!

As I've noted a few times the references to the E and G-Bar I believe to be way off. It's a 1950s issue in both cases. Here's the E bar in its proper plastic case which did not exist two decades earlier. First US appearance is 1955.

 

[SixCats!]

Hi Guys,

Holy Moly, this date stuff can get really confusing! Thanks for posting.
SixCats!

 

[troy]

They made many variations on the '12 over many years. Which proves it was a great design, but I don't know if anyone will ever really be able to definitively piece the time line together. They didn't seem to keep great records of them and I 'm sure no one making them expected us to be checking their work almost 100 years later.

 

[mata_66]

1918 "Radio" trademark blade - just a point of interest being perhaps "Radio" predated "Ever Ready" on the razors that are marked "Radio"?

What I believe is the few "Radio" and "Oxford" razor were promotional razors.
There were no Radio or Oxford companies producing the 1912 model like Star did in the 30's.

The Radio was a regular British made Gem promoting the Radio blades;
The Oxford was an Ever-Ready razor rebranded in order to promote a shaving soap.

Gem was an American company, still they produced some razors in England for the Commonwealth market, mainly Canada and Australia.

That is only based on my personal speculation and my research on the intricate ASR history.

As far as the E-Bar debate, I'm with @jmudrick
The G-bar has too much of a 50's Modern American style to be conceived in England a couple of decades before.
I believe it was introduced a couple of years after the Feather-weight (1953) and they share the same flat-top "frame" Gem also called "V-Slim". Maybe Gem responded to the complaint of customers who wanted a heftier handle, who knows...

For anybody intrepid enough to dive into the rabbit hole, here's one of the nicest Gem/Ever-Ready/Star collections known to B&B, courtesy of @pjgh.

 

[Twelvefret]

@jmudrick has put in the research time and his dating is backed up with period printed evidence.

 

[mata_66]

@jmudrick has put in the research time and his dating is backed up with period printed evidence.

Yes, I'm saying I think the same as @jmudrick. The G-Bar was introduced on the US Market in 1955, while the Feather-weight predated it by a couple of years. I don't believe a similar razor called "E-bar" ever existed in the 30's

 

[Twelvefret]

Yes, I'm saying I think the same as @jmudrick. The G-Bar was introduced on the US Market in 1955, while the Feather-weight predated it by a couple of years. I don't believe a similar razor called "E-bar" ever existed in the 30's

G Bar had other advertised names ...Flat Top and Heavy Flat Top according to ads @jmudrick dug up

 

[mata_66]

...and "Natural Angle" in Great Britain