"Superior Safety Razor" Gem Jr. Bar style

[c0ry]

So, I won this eBay auction for a really, really rusty "Superior Safety Razor." I've been wanting a GEM Junior Bar for a while now, but I haven't wanted to shell out the dough for the pretty high prices I've been seeing them going for. Picked this up, ditched the old handle and stuck on a handle from another. Anyone ever hear of "Superior" safety razors and maybe know when this was manufactured?

Here's a link to the auction I won (you can see how it looked before I worked on it) and some pictures I took after I finished, with one "Before" pic.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=270551848433&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT

Before:

After:

The photos in the eBay listing are higher quality and you can read the text on the back of the head much easier there.

 

[D.Irving79]

its a 1908 and was possibly mfg. by gem cutlery co.

definitely an august scheuber design though.

 

[c0ry]

I assume it's one of the GEM type things--the handle I replaced it with was from a 1914 Ever-Ready, and my 1880/1 Kampfe-Star wedge safety razor handle fits in it just fine as well.

Btw, thanks for giving me a year!

 

[D.Irving79]

its not a common razor to come across. the 1908 and 1900 models are the ones that seem to come up the most on ebay.

 

[tom myers]

Despite what is inscribed on the back, I note that it still has the typical Gem "G" in the middle of the front of the head . . . Interesting. If Superior was a separate company from Gem Cutlery, why would they want that "G" in their head design? . . . Why would Gem let them? With the exception of the stamping on the back of the head, this particular model Superior looks just like a 1900/1901 Gem Jr. With Gem Cutlery, or ASR, holding the patents, why would a different company be making the very same razor?

It seems to me that there may have been more connection between Gem Cutlery and Superior Safety Razor Co. than meets the eye, but looking back from a 110 year perspective, it gets a little hard to understand.

Looking at what is shown under "Superior Safety Razor Co." in the Waits Compendium, it shows this same razor with the "G" as well as several other models that appear a little different. These other models seem to have the blade "shoes" rather than the retainer bar. Waites doesn't seem to shed any light on the connection between Gem and Superior however, other than describing that particular model as appearing like the Gem Jr. 1900/1901 patent model. The L-W price guide shows one Superior razor but it isn't the bar style model.

Dave, in all your research, have you found any reference that ties these two companies together?

Regards,
Tom

 

[c0ry]

You know, I hadn't even put those two thoughts together. Interesting... I'd like to hear more about the history behind this as well. Really, all of the New York based razor companies seemed suspiciously close in their designs, even before combining into ASR, if you ask me.

 

[Pioneer]

Pretty razor - can you click your flower icon in the camera (or zoom button) and close up in on it any better? That's a nice one-

 

[c0ry]

Pretty razor - can you click your flower icon in the camera (or zoom button) and close up in on it any better? That's a nice one-

My camera is pretty old (2.0 megapixels) and when I zoom in on anything it gets terribly blurry, unfortunately.

I'll take better pictures tomorrow morning using my laptop's webcam.

 

[D.Irving79]

Despite what is inscribed on the back, I note that it still has the typical Gem "G" in the middle of the front of the head . . . Interesting. If Superior was a separate company from Gem Cutlery, why would they want that "G" in their head design? . . . Why would Gem let them? With the exception of the stamping on the back of the head, this particular model Superior looks just like a 1900/1901 Gem Jr. With Gem Cutlery, or ASR, holding the patents, why would a different company be making the very same razor?

It seems to me that there may have been more connection between Gem Cutlery and Superior Safety Razor Co. than meets the eye, but looking back from a 110 year perspective, it gets a little hard to understand.

Looking at what is shown under "Superior Safety Razor Co." in the Waits Compendium, it shows this same razor with the "G" as well as several other models that appear a little different. These other models seem to have the blade "shoes" rather than the retainer bar. Waites doesn't seem to shed any light on the connection between Gem and Superior however, other than describing that particular model as appearing like the Gem Jr. 1900/1901 patent model. The L-W price guide shows one Superior razor but it isn't the bar style model.

Dave, in all your research, have you found any reference that ties these two companies together?

Regards,
Tom

i looked back and saw that scheuber had designed a couple of their razors, this being one of them. over the years reichard and scheuber have designed and made razors for other people (antiseptic ready shaver, john wanamaker), so all they did most likely was do it here for superior on 1908 gem heads.

 

[c0ry]

As requested, some better quality photos.

 

[D.Irving79]

to get a handle close to the original, a 1912 gem damaskeene is pretty much the same thing.

looks great though

 

[c0ry]

to get a handle close to the original, a 1912 gem damaskeene is pretty much the same thing.

looks great though

Yeah, the Damaskeene handle does look similar--but the handle from a 1912 didn't fit into this head. The only handles that fit were from the ever-ready 1914 (which is what I used) and other lather catchers.

By the way, just shaved with this razor. Pretty great shave, but of course it will take a few more shaves before I start feeling completely comfortable with it.

 

[Shave Cat]

Yeah, the Damaskeene handle does look similar--but the handle from a 1912 didn't fit into this head. The only handles that fit were from the ever-ready 1914 (which is what I used) and other lather catchers.

By the way, just shaved with this razor. Pretty great shave, but of course it will take a few more shaves before I start feeling completely comfortable with it.

My 1912 Damaskeene has smaller threads like the Ever-Ready 1914. The Damaskeene handle should fit. The handles from the newer 1912s will not fit except for the travel 1912s, but they're rather short.

-Clarke

 

[D.Irving79]

My 1912 Damaskeene has smaller threads like the Ever-Ready 1914. The Damaskeene handle should fit. The handles from the newer 1912s will not fit except for the travel 1912s, but they're rather short.

-Clarke

yeah thats the handle i meant

 

[gaj90027]

Nice Score!