What exactly do I have here?

[CharlieFoxtrot]

I bought this GEM a while back and rediscovered it recently. What exactly is it? I bought it for $15 shipped and it's in great shape. I went to CVS to get some blades and I'll try shaving with it later today for the first time.



The images are a little rough. My apologies, but I didn't feel like looking for my good camera. It's one of those days.

 

[CharlieFoxtrot]

I was looking for make/model info if you gents have it. I'm pretty clueless in the SE department.

 

[The Kiwi]

Although I'm no expert, it looks like a 1912. I have two, one silver & tarnished, and one a pale brass / gold color. Stamped in a circle on the flange where the handle screws on it, mine say "Pat. 1912", as an identification.

Don't be in much of a "hurry" in here. So far, the SE enthusiasts are a relatively small minority among B&B's members, so answers aren't likely to be posted with any great rapidity in here.

I have four SEs, three Injectors, and maybe ten DEs. I don't count the plastic razors with the others.

 

[Cicatero]

Take a gander at this thread:http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php/291735-A-Gem-of-a-Friend


This one discusses your Gem Triumph even more extensively:http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php/246419-1912-Gem-Chrome-Classy-Case

 

[CharlieFoxtrot]

Take a gander at this thread:http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php/291735-A-Gem-of-a-Friend

Thanks for the link. I think it's time to try this razor out. I'll post my thoughts later tonight.

 

[MacDaddy]

 

[CharlieFoxtrot]

So I have one shave under my belt. It was interesting for sure. GEM's are a different animal, way different feel than a DE. At times it was reminiscent of a straight razor. The blade angles are about the same. I started the shave in DE mode and within a few strokes I switched to straight mode. Once I changed methods, the shave went smoother but still had some issues on my chin and under my nose. I'm not sure if I dig it enough to stick with it but I have 9 more blades to figure it out.

 

[ERVARGASNY]

Nice Congrats, Really kool looking set

 

[Cicatero]

I'm not sure if I dig it enough to stick with it but I have 9 more blades to figure it out.

Remember to remove and dry-off the carbon steel blade after use so it doesn't transmute into a little pile of rust overnight.

 

[InsecureSpike]

looks a sweet set mate

 

[Haggises]

9 razors might last you 8 weeks. Should be enough time to assess

 

[duokun]

I found the gem 1912 to be very nice on my neck, a usual problem spot for me. The first full face shave left me with the impression that I needed to figure out exactly how to shave under my nose, cause I didn't do a great job. Give it time though, it's a great little razor.

 

[woodfluter]

The "American Cutler" ad seems to match - thanks Porter!

In any case, please do try this with various angles of attack, and beyond that, give yourself time to figure this out. First impressions are notoriously unreliable. I like both DE and SE razors, but you have to adjust to the differences and you could easily shortchange yourself if you give up too early. The 1912 design IMHO is one of the classics and paired with a suitable blade, will give you as good and painless a shave as anything new or old. With the right technique.

 

[CWX]

Glad I found this thread. I just picked up one of these on eBay and was going to post here asking what it was. It's a really cool little set and feels much more substantial than it looks - that handle has some good weight to it. My experience with SE shaving is woefully lacking but it looks like this razor will deliver a great shave.

 

[ackvil]

Porter, I wonder where you get all of this info from. Just fantastic.

 

[Sledgehammer39]

Sweet looking little razor!

 

[MacDaddy]

Porter, I wonder where you get all of this info from. Just fantastic.

Thanks, Jim. That particular one just came out of a Google Books search. You can click through the image to see it in its original context, too. Google has a good number of periodicals scanned and OCR'ed for searching (although their OCR isn't always reliable), and most works older than the mid-1920s are available in full view having lapsed into the public domain.