As I built up my razor collection I have come across these two razors at reasonable prices, yet they are hardly mentioned on the forums it seems. Who still uses these two razors? I have recently purchase a ER 1914 (Little lather catcher) almost like new, I also have a ER1924 (Shovel head) almost like new so that might indicate they were well cared for or not used that much & some other razors at the time became the rave and were forgotten because that is the way guys are with cars....... I have not used the ER 1914 and will be the first one to enjoy my shave experience of the two, the ER 1924 I have used a few times. I will use both razors continuous of daily shaving for a week each & give my opinion at the end of a week of use of that particular razor performance and rating IMO.
1st shave with this older Everready 1914 razor was great and looking forward to a week of use. Result so far CCS,DFS,BBS and the Alum block indicated no issues of irritation. The blade I'm using is a Gem Personna SS PTFE (3rd use). The razor is smooth, forgiving and indicating a great razor already. Have some great shaves!
I'm watching this very closely due that I have a beautiful Gem 1912 and blades, but haven't used yet. As for the Ever Ready razors sets .... I've seen ALOT in amazing condition, cheaper than dirt.
I have used both, when I was in my SE phase but preferred the 1924 "ShovelHead. I don't even remember why, both shaved well, but as I remember it the 1924 was a bit closer, gentler and had a much easier blade change. Either one is a good choice however.
There are 2 different 1914 ER's, a type 1 and type 2. The difference between the 2 is in the tab on the comb used for holding the blade.
The one I posted is the 1st generation blade stops (Type 1) the second generation (type 2)has a better blade stop for holding blades and when removing blades the blade stays put better when lifting the lid. I have had no problems with this 1st generation blade stops after opening closing 6 consecutive times with not a issue. 1st generation type 2nd generation type Have some great shaves!
I always like looking at old advertisements from the day they were razor of choice. The competition was stiff and so they were into blade sales to keep their business models going from what I understand. I did some research into what a 1 US dollar was in 1916 comparing 2019 dollar(103 yrs later) would be the equivalent of $24.39 adjusted for inflation when these were just being introduced to the public & very popular no doubt. I found this picture from a another forum thread I belong to. Sometimes the ads can tell us what coatings they used and nickel seems to be the choice of the day. Eveready 1914 had a healthy budget for advertising in those golden days of safety razors were the 1924 the advertising budget seems to me a little skimpier because there hardly is none to be found! Have some great shaves!
The only national ad for the 1924 I find is this one which appears 1927-1928. Sent from my Pixel 2 using Tapatalk
Great find @jmudrick , We seem to count on you to find these important great advertisements if your a Vintage type shaver. Thanks again. Have some great shaves!
Everready 1914 (Little lather catcher, LLC ) mfg 1914-17 Weight: 1.8 oz (52 grams) Blade Gap: .017 thousands of a inch (.432 mm) Blade Exposure: Positive Blade used: GEM Personna SS PTFE Material: Brass head coated with Nickel alloy + steel handle with Nickel alloy coating. Handling: One of the easiest razors to use possibly that uses a GEM blade IMO. Results were stellar and smooth with very little irritation and that is a bonus for most of us. I never really felt threatened at all while into the 1st shave. Shave #2 , I liked this razor right from Shave #1 and decided to put it right a way into the E.R slide maneuver 3 or 4 times, tried some buffing with no problems and “J” hooking maneuver was pleasant. Results CCS,DFS,BBS + Alum block indicated no irritation. Shave #3, I decided to try adding a little more pressure to razor while stroking my face (A NO,NO for some) and it still gave enough protection also to give me a CCS,DFS,BBS with buffing the troubled areas with no issues. Alum block indicated no irritation and after a few minutes of skin rest looked like my normal complexion. Shave #4, Good all a round shave with nothing dramatic. I find this razor excellent for buffing. Results CCS,DFS,BBS & Alum block indicating minimal irritation. Shave #5 was a easy going shave, I find the razor will take a little pressure with out biting and smoothness is excellent. Results CCS,DFS,BBS & alum block indicated minimal irritation. Razor is indicating a excellent daily driver potential. Shave #6, this razor for it time period must of been a hot seller in sales because it performs well with a modern Gem blade with the thinner spline, Everready were promoting their blades like Corrux & Radio blades with much thicker splines for the time period. Just great Audio feed back as if cuts whiskers that can be used to make slight adjustments as the shave proceeds making another positive for the razor. Results CCS,DFS,BBS & Alum block indicates minimal irritation. Shave #7 is the last shave before I start using the ER 1924 shovel head model for another 7 consecutive shaves of daily shaving. I will install a new blade to see how it behaves for 1st shave. Gem blades are one of the sharpest blades on the planet and 1st have can be a little rough sometimes. The shave went well and no big surprizes and I felt I knew the chartristics of this razor well and just did a routine great shave with a new blade installed. Results: CCS,DFS,BBS + Alum block indicating a minor irritation around the chin area today = Conclusion : The Everready 1914 LLC is a great razor and will give the operator a smooth and close shave with reasonable hand technique. ER 1914 razor is also a excellent daily driver that is a important characteristic to some of us. The quality of the razor is very high and coatings are excellent and thick to stand the test of time.(over 100 yr old razor) This razor has no blade overhang that is another plus and for trapping water inside the head when rinsing was not a issue for myself or tens of thousands of others. Installing and removing blades was not a issue, just hold it flat and level and slowly raise the cap to release spring pressure on the blade. Audio feed back is good and some like that- myself included because it signals possible clean up areas or missed areas. Expect shaves to be CCS,DFS,BBS range with reasonable hand technique with minimal irritation to make your shaving a great experience. I’m very happy to add this ER 1914 to my razor rotation and look forward to using it when I pick the ER 1914 up for another shave in the future. Some information for folks who have no Everready owner manuals and a little extra information on the Gem blade grind ....... Have some great shaves!
Started my second part of the ER1914 LLC vs ER 1924 Shovel head,shave comparisons. This 1st shave will be the start of 7 consecutive days of daily shaving. The blade is on it's 2nd use and should be in prime condition for it's testing. The ER 1924 gave me a reasonable shave and had one blemish weeper on the chin area and had some irritation indicated from the Alum block test. Results: CCS,DFS,BBS + Alum block indicated some irritation around one side of the neck= I found the ER1924 handle a little to small & swapped for a ER Streamline strop handle and like that arrangement better. (This ER 1924 could of been the travel variant because of the small handle!?) Have some great shaves!
The Everready 1924 was more than likely conceived before the 1914 model, in their Everready factory in Great Britain or UK by a engineer by the name of J Bueno De Mesquita who designed a model called the THE NEW 1909. They did Mfg in a limited quantity or a balloon trials for this interesting modern razor for it's time period. As you will notice not a whole lot of difference between the 1909 and later model 1924. They are great razors and have a unique appearance IMO. You can see the Pat # date on the above photo! That is a great looking razor called THE NEW 1909 and shaves good . Have some great shaves!
Today's shave was excellent and hit my sweet spot of closeness and all is good. I have this razor dialed in nicely and the results are in my aimed range desired. 1st few shaves I was applying to much razor pressure is my conclusion, very light pressure or just a little more than razor weight gives me great results. Razor: Everready 1924 shovel head mfg 1924-33 Blade : Gem Personna SS PTFE (6) Soap : Razorock Lavender Brush: Razorock Plissoft Pre shave: wet the face + Aloe Vera gel Post shave: Alum block + cold water rinse Post shave: Nivea refreshing AS + Nivea balm Results: CCS,DFS,BbS + Alum block indicated no irritation= Have some great shaves!