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The Cult of Streamline - Streamline & Jewel owners

Excited to finally be able to contribute to this amazing thread, and if any of my collection was sourced from one of you that let one go, THANKS! Mine stated with a strop set missing strop and papers. Shortly after getting it another set came up, that while it looked like it got some mildew moisture exposure, looked unused and in overall great condition. It arrived yesterday and truly in excellent condition, and complete, paper and all. Mine are a notch back with thin profile handle and non-notch with the thick handle.
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Ron R

I survived a lathey foreman
Excited to finally be able to contribute to this amazing thread, and if any of my collection was sourced from one of you that let one go, THANKS! Mine stated with a strop set missing strop and papers. Shortly after getting it another set came up, that while it looked like it got some mildew moisture exposure, looked unused and in overall great condition. It arrived yesterday and truly in excellent condition, and complete, paper and all. Mine are a notch back with thin profile handle and non-notch with the thick handle.
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Very nice Streamlines, 1st & 2nd generation razors. Have some great shaves with those nice looking razors.
Nice to see the Instructions with the Streamlines, Thanks for sharing.
 
Hi everyone.

I have finally started shaving with my streamline & am struggling to dial in the angle.

I know with other gem models for example some were designed to ride the cap others to hold a halfway angle between guard/cap. Have never seen instructions about riding the guard but maybe some were designed that way.

Anyway what is the designed/designated angle to use the streamline is there any instructions?

Thanks
 

Ron R

I survived a lathey foreman
Hi everyone.

I have finally started shaving with my streamline & am struggling to dial in the angle.

I know with other gem models for example some were designed to ride the cap others to hold a halfway angle between guard/cap. Have never seen instructions about riding the guard but maybe some were designed that way.

Anyway what is the designed/designated angle to use the streamline is there any instructions?

Thanks
I believe the ER Streamline razor is a mid upper range razor IMO.
I would suggest Audio feedback, also depends on what Generation of Streamline version you have. 1st Generation was a little more aggressive from my understanding. I have the 2nd Generation that resembles a closed comb more with the slits protruding. It took me also a while to figure it out. I also took a used aluminum spline or elastic spacer and placed it underneath the blade spline being used to mock a blade from that era and it calmed it down nicely so it is pointing downwards a little towards the skin side to be shaved. Use short strokes with a light touch and it becomes a nicer razor to work with. Some fellows like it the way it is for a coarse beard & get stellar results. I can crank out some very close shaves lately, not the best razor to learn how to shave with for Newbies who have never used a SE or DE razor for much time IMO.
.........1st Generation & 2nd Generation models........Spacers you can buy on Etsy..........A elastic spacer, spent spline works also.
Click on to enlarge photo's.
ER_Streamline 1 (2).png
Adapter (2).JPG
Back of shimmed spine just snug as a bug in a rug (2).jpg

Have some great shaves! Stay and think safe in these times!
 
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I believe the ER Streamline razor is a mid upper range razor IMO.
I would suggest Audio feedback, also depends on what Generation of Streamline version you have. 1st Generation was a little more aggressive from my understanding. I have the 2nd Generation that resembles a closed comb more with the slits protruding. It took me also a while to figure it out. I also took a used aluminum spline or elastic spacer and placed it underneath the blade spline being used to mock a blade from that era and it calmed it down nicely so it is pointing downwards a little towards the skin side to be shaved. Use short strokes with a light touch and it becomes a nicer razor to work with. Some fellows like it the way it is for a coarse beard & get stellar results. I can crank out some very close shaves lately, not the best razor to learn how shave with for Newbies who have never used a SE or DE razor for much time IMO.
.........1st Generation & 2nd Generation models........Spacers you can buy on Etsy..........A elastic spacer, spent spline works also.
Click on to enlarge photo's.
View attachment 1216563 View attachment 1216565 View attachment 1216566
Have some great shaves! Stay and think safe in these times!

I don't suppose you have an Etsy link for that plastic spacer?
I tried a Google search but it didn't really pull anything up. Perhaps I need quite specific terminology...
 
I believe the ER Streamline razor is a mid upper range razor IMO.
I would suggest Audio feedback, also depends on what Generation of Streamline version you have. 1st Generation was a little more aggressive from my understanding. I have the 2nd Generation that resembles a closed comb more with the slits protruding. It took me also a while to figure it out. I also took a used aluminum spline or elastic spacer and placed it underneath the blade spline being used to mock a blade from that era and it calmed it down nicely so it is pointing downwards a little towards the skin side to be shaved. Use short strokes with a light touch and it becomes a nicer razor to work with. Some fellows like it the way it is for a coarse beard & get stellar results. I can crank out some very close shaves lately, not the best razor to learn how to shave with for Newbies who have never used a SE or DE razor for much time IMO.
.........1st Generation & 2nd Generation models........Spacers you can buy on Etsy..........A elastic spacer, spent spline works also.
Click on to enlarge photo's.
View attachment 1216563 View attachment 1216565 View attachment 1216566
Have some great shaves! Stay and think safe in these times!

I've got a second generation streamline. its come in recently and yet to try it.

Question 1: your technique of adding a "spine shim" if I may say so, to change the angle of the blade downwards- is it applicable to all gem style razors from that time like the ER1924, 1918 etc, gem junior and others ?

Question 2 :Most posts on this thread claim the ER streamline to be the best shaver amongst all other gem style razors. Is this claim true with modern ptfe blades where the newer blades change the attack angle?

Both my questions are asking- are modern gem PTFE blades and thickness of its spine making vintage gem style razors shave differently than the original gem blades because of changed geometry ?
 
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Ron R

I survived a lathey foreman
I've got a second generation streamline. its come in recently and yet to try it.

Question 1: your technique of adding a "spine shim" if I may say so, to change the angle of the blade downwards- is it applicable to all gem style razors too from that time like the ER1924, 1918 etc, gem junior and others ?

Question 2 :Also most posts on this thread claim the ER streamline to be the best shaver amongst all other gem style razors. Is this claimed with modern ptfe blades where the newer blades change the attack angle?

Both my questions are asking- are modern gem PTFE blades and thickness of its spine making vintage gem style razors shave differently than the original gem blades because of changed geometry ?
Question 1- well the engineers who designed and tested those great razors used a thicker spline back then and even used a wedge blade that is a lot thicker. I was learning & figuring out why my 2nd Gen Streamline seemed aggressive while other's claimed theirs were smoother. So I reversed thought what the folks were using back in the day when they were introduced and concluded to shim the spline which is nothing new to some old timers. When I bought my Streamline from the UK(England) it came with a nice strop tool so I thought they were still stropping blades back then in the 1950's. The earlier razor designers wanted the blade pointed downwards slightly from my conclusion to smooth out the shave possibly, plus the Gem Personna SS PTFE blade is a sharper blade I'm thinking then what was available then in the 1950's(they were not even using surgical Stainless back then).

Question #2 - I kind of briefed my thoughts on some of that question already and I'm not a expert but more a curious Streamline owner who finally gets good shaves with my Everready Streamline now. It could be my stubbornness and technique improved enough over the years to calm it down. I do know that using many of the different Gem razors are easier to learn and master for myself. I have some older Gem 1912 razors were the top cap spring is all the way forward in the slot when using a modern Gem blade with the Aluminum spline and when you put in a old 1920's blade the spring is indicating spring load in the top cap slot.

Gem 1912 with new and old blades under spring tension..jpg
(L)shows new Gem blade barely under spring load, (R) older blade that came with this NOS razor built in the 1920's under spring load. So you can see the engineering was for a older thick spline blade.

Gem blades on the (Left,below picture) & Star wedge blade and a Everready splined blade(R), some old blades I had around when collecting vintage razors. They sure built a awesome heavy splined blade back then(The wedge blade was from a Star bar #4 model lather Cather 1921)
Comparing spline thickness 1.jpg
Comparing spline thickness 2.1.jpg


Another thing that I just noticed is Gem MFG gave the operator a lot more safety bar front edge to edge of blade in the 1912 model than my 2nd generation Streamliner blade edge to front of safety bar. So you can see a little different shave than a Gem with less forgiveness in a error by operator with the Streamline. If your hand technique is good you can get a nice shave with the Streamline.(It is not a ideal razor for a Newbie IMO)
Comparing Gem 1912 to a Everready streamline razor blade to safety bar..jpg


Have some great shaves! Stay and Think safe in these times!
 
Question 1- well the engineers who designed and tested those great razors used a thicker spline back then and even used a wedge blade that is a lot thicker. I was learning & figuring out why my 2nd Gen Streamline seemed aggressive while other's claimed theirs were smoother. So I reversed thought what the folks were using back in the day when they were introduced and concluded to shim the spline which is nothing new to some old timers. When I bought my Streamline from the UK(England) it came with a nice strop tool so I thought they were still stropping blades back then in the 1950's. The earlier razor designers wanted the blade pointed downwards slightly from my conclusion to smooth out the shave possibly, plus the Gem Personna SS PTFE blade is a sharper blade I'm thinking then what was available then in the 1950's(they were not even using surgical Stainless back then).

Question #2 - I kind of briefed my thoughts on some of that question already and I'm not a expert but more a curious Streamline owner who finally gets good shaves with my Everready Streamline now. It could be my stubbornness and technique improved enough over the years to calm it down. I do know that using many of the different Gem razors are easier to learn and master for myself. I have some older Gem 1912 razors were the top cap spring is all the way forward in the slot when using a modern Gem blade with the Aluminum spline and when you put in a old 1920's blade the spring is indicating spring load in the top cap slot.

View attachment 1216937 (L)shows new Gem blade barely under spring load, (R) older blade that came with this NOS razor built in the 1920's under spring load. So you can see the engineering was for a older thick spline blade.

Gem blades on the (Left,below picture) & Star wedge blade and a Everready splined blade(R), some old blades I had around when collecting vintage razors. They sure built a awesome heavy splined blade back then(The wedge blade was from a Star bar #4 model lather Cather 1921)
View attachment 1216910 View attachment 1216911

Another thing that I just noticed is Gem MFG gave the operator a lot more safety bar front edge to edge of blade in the 1912 model than my 2nd generation Streamliner blade edge to front of safety bar. So you can see a little different shave than a Gem with less forgiveness in a error by operator with the Streamline. If your hand technique is good you can get a nice shave with the Streamline.(It is not a ideal razor for a Newbie IMO)
View attachment 1216952

Have some great shaves! Stay and Think safe in these times!
Thank you for such an exhaustive response and graphics. This belongs in a wiki :)
 
What I said in the fifth post of this thread 9 years ago still stands today, in my not so humble opinion!
Glad you are still enjoying that razor Tom! Congrats on retiring; I retired in summer 2018. I'm still using mine every so often. Funny, but since back then I never saw another with a low enough price to tempt me. Best, Richard (formerly Natchez)

Seems I used mine last during Arko August:

IMG_20200821_105630 (1).jpg
 
Glad you are still enjoying that razor Tom! Congrats on retiring; I retired in summer 2018. I'm still using mine every so often. Funny, but since back then I never saw another with a low enough price to tempt me. Best, Richard (formerly Natchez)

Seems I used mine last during Arko August:

View attachment 1217114
Hey, nice to see you again! Having to go by an alias now, huh? Yeah, you did me a solid on that Streamline and I still appreciate it! And thanks and congratulations on your retirement!
 

Ron R

I survived a lathey foreman
SOTD, Tue, Feb 2nd 2021- A.S.R Tuesday with my 2nd Generation Streamline razor. Took a while to figure it out over the last 2 years but best results with my Streamline are short shallow strokes work best for my self. Steep approach does not work for myself at all.

Razor: Everready Streamline 2nd generation-MFG 1949-53, great razor, upper mid range, one of the best looking ASR razors IMO.
Blade: Gem Personna SS PTFE (6) excellent blade, Very sharp, smooths out nicely, great longevity & predictable.
Soap: Razorock Lavender- Excellent manly scent with excellent lather qualities.
Brush: Yaqi Chianti's 24mm knot- excellent lather Generator, cloud like soft tips with some back bone for a nice gentle scrub and great lather painter.
Pre shave: Brush wash my whole face with CeraVe hand bar cleanser + a dollop of clear Aloe Vera gel on my cleaned beard area.
Prep: Cold water rinse after each pass of 2 + pickups. WTG + ATG + pickups,
Post shave: Razorock King Louis Lavender with witch hazel + a dollop of Nivea balm.
Results: CCS,DFS,BBs + no irritation + 1 small blemish weeper = :a17:Excellent shave with my 2nd Gen streamline with a coated Gem blade.

SOTD, Tue. Feb 2nd 2021.jpg


Have some great shaves! Stay & think safe in these times!
 
Here's mine, got it off of our very own member, natchez. This is one of a very small number of razors that I would gladly give up all of the others for and use exclusivley, they are truly great razors.

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What I said in the fifth post of this thread 9 years ago still stands today, in my not so humble opinion!

I have to really have a go at my streamline now. To shim or not to shim that is the question!
 
Never quite understood why hobbyist lump all the different models of the E.R. 'chromium razor' into one model, "Streamline" when you had the Strop Set, Ambassador, E.R. Jewel Combination Set and then the Streamline. Oh and it seems to be the same for the Gem, always called the Jewel. The below photo is an actual Streamline, with out the correct packaging everything else is just a 'chromium razor'
 

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