Another model of the Gem razor

Pauldog · Post by **Pauldog** » Thu Oct 20, 2005 12:36 am

I've never seen this Gem razor before:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... 5626659543

Bad picture, but it looks like a cross between the Contour II and the push button model. The usual push button model has more metal in the handle and a different color plastic.

I wish there was a list of all the models by year like safetyrazors.net has for the injectors.

Just to recap, what do we have now? The one I just found, Contour I, Contour II, the black-and-gold pushbutton, the all-chrome, the Feather Weight (or is it Feather Light?), several variations on the Micromatic (different guards and twist knobs, gold or silver), the 1912, the Ever-Ready flip-back, and then some ancient varieties.

At least RAD for this razor is pretty low budget!

Anyone else besides me and Themba find this of any interest?

stuff495 · Post by **stuff495** » Thu Oct 20, 2005 1:47 am

Pauldog wrote:Anyone else besides me and Themba find this of any interest?

No, I've never gotten good shaves out of Gem razors. Except for my upper lip; they can get under that big-ole nose of mine better then every other safety razor I've used so far.

You guys enjoy you're Gem's

. At some point they'll probably become "the thing" just like the injector is right now.

--Vincent

Hugo · Post by **Hugo** » Thu Oct 20, 2005 4:57 am

Paul,
I'm looking to pick one up on eBay soon. Need to find the right one -- and then bid on it. The blades are available everywhere here. Pretty cheap too.

themba · Post by **themba** » Thu Oct 20, 2005 7:40 am

I just checked my safety razor collection and I have about 14 GEM razors, 4 Gillette adjustables, and 30+ injectors. Where did things go so wrong?

Oh well, at least when I take a look at Dr. Moss straight razor collection, I feel completely normal again!

Anyways, Hugo, look for a Contour I or II, a Micromatic, push button or a Feather Weight. You can easily stay under $10, sometimes $5 and get an excellent condition GEM.

With GEMs its all about the shaving angle. That blade will take some chunks out of your mug if used incorrectly. I guess the same can be said for a straight or a DE. Also, I believe these are razors to be used with no added pressure, just the weight of the razor and the proper angle.

For upper lip shaving, GEM instructions I have seen recommend going Left to right or Right to left. Probably due to the size of the head. You will also be able to maintain the proper shaving angle this way.

themba · Post by **themba** » Thu Oct 20, 2005 7:56 am

You can view the auctions below to get an idea of what some of these razor look like.

This is an auction with two of the models I was refering to. The one on the left is a Push Button and the on the right is a Feather Weight.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Vintage-Gem-Safety- ... dZViewItem

This auction is for a Micromatic. You twist the bottom of the handle to open the head. A nice sturdy razor, made of all steel. The other one is Feather weight, with a scuffed up head plate. The Micromatic is in excellent shape and would clean up nicely though.

http://cgi.ebay.com/2-VINTAGE-GEM-HAND- ... dZViewItem

This one is another stlye of the Micromatic. Comes with instructions and original pack

http://cgi.ebay.com/Vintage-Gem-Safety- ... dZViewItem

Another Micromatic:

http://cgi.ebay.com/VINTAGE-GEM-MICROMA ... dZViewItem

reginald-van-gleason · Thu Oct 20, 2005 9:13 am

I'll be making my GEM shaving debut tommorrow morning, but I just wanted to double check with you GEM kings out there:

GEM "Personna" blades in the dark grey box-- meant for shaving, not boxcutters or windowscrapers, yes?

Didn't see anything about shaving on the packaging so I just wanted to be sure.

Thanks!

RVG

Pauldog · Post by **Pauldog** » Thu Oct 20, 2005 6:26 pm

The "Gem by Personna" stainless blades are made for shaving. Any of this kind of blade that's next to the other razor blades at the store should be fine. Just don't use blades from the hardware store.

You can use your dull Gem blades in your paint scraper, too.

reginald-van-gleason · Thu Oct 20, 2005 7:10 pm

Pauldog wrote:
You can use your dull Gem blades in your paint scraper, too.

Bonus! Thanks...

RVG

Joe Lerch · Post by **Joe Lerch** » Fri Oct 21, 2005 6:29 am

stuff495 wrote:No, I've never gotten good shaves out of Gem razors.

I had a similar experience when I first tried mine. I don't know if it's true with all of them, but on mine it was very easy for the blade to get into a bad position if you opened the razor to clean it and closed it again. I checked it when it felt rough and exactly that had happened.

When I readjusted the blade carefully, it smoothed out the shave and it's really close.

Joe Lerch · Post by **Joe Lerch** » Fri Oct 21, 2005 6:30 am

themba wrote:Oh well, at least when I take a look at Dr. Moss straight razor collection, I feel completely normal again!

That's not a word I would apply to our compulsion.

Pauldog · Post by **Pauldog** » Fri Oct 21, 2005 7:54 am

stuff495 wrote: At some point they'll probably become "the thing" just like the injector is right now.

I have my doubts. They fill more or less the same niche as the injector, which has a more appealing appearance (especially the last version) and is much better known. There's no way to "streamline" a single edge razor, because the blade is so big.

One question I still have - who is buying the Gem blades? What is driving their easy availability? They are as easy to get as injector blades.

themba · Post by **themba** » Sun Oct 23, 2005 8:02 pm

I still think there are other GEM razor blades that are exactly the same as the shaving kind, making it so easy for the manufacturer to simply repackage them and sell them as shaving blades. In any event there must me enough GEM/Injector/DE shavers out there to warrant a continued supply of these blade types.

Pauldog · Post by **Pauldog** » Sun Oct 23, 2005 10:41 pm

themba wrote:You can view the auctions below to get an idea of what some of these razor look like.

This is an auction with two of the models I was refering to. The one on the left is a Push Button and the on the right is a Feather Weight.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Vintage-Gem-Safety- ... dZViewItem

You left out the one in the middle, which is all-metal and the same size as the Contour models. I like them - they have a nice heft and no plastic.

Or maybe you don't have one of these yet?

Pauldog · Post by **Pauldog** » Thu Jan 07, 2010 11:11 pm

I found this ancient thread while searching for a reference to [Ever Ready] "Streamline," which someone mentioned recently and I hadn't heard of before.

This was back before almost anyone here had tried a single edge razor. I didn't realize that I was around here in 2005. That seems like the ancient past and only months ago, all at the same time.

Unfortunately, Themba hasn't been around here in a long time.

Pauldog · Post by **Pauldog** » Thu Jan 07, 2010 11:14 pm

Here's a picture of the Streamline:
http://www.collectorsencyclopedia.com/d ... dProd=0240

This old thread discussed it in 2006, which is where I found the reference to the picture:
http://www.shavemyface.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=10860

paperpundit · Post by **paperpundit** » Fri Jan 08, 2010 3:01 am

Breaking out the GEMs, eh?

Can I just stick with my Rolls Razor instead?

fallingwickets · Post by **fallingwickets** » Fri Jan 08, 2010 1:49 pm

off topic but on subject I caught a replay of Leatherheads last night.... significant gem advertising

clive

D.Irving79 · Post by **D.Irving79** » Sat Jan 09, 2010 12:33 am

fallingwickets wrote:off topic but on subject I caught a replay of Leatherheads last night.... significant gem advertising

clive

i know! and a bunch of other shaving stuff too. amazing.

SMF

Another model of the Gem razor

Another model of the Gem razor

GEM shaving blades or window scrapers?

Nostalgia...