Now that the Squat head arrived it will be interesting to compare it to the "Minute man variant".....? or what ever they called the little beasty you and @rapidus came across. Gem must of had a name for that rare model you both came across your wondering s in the wild. Have some great GEM shaves!
Took my GEM Featherweight Generation #1 top cap out for a test drive and all went well and knocked off a CCS>DFS>Bbs and that's all a person can ask for first use. It seems every time I use a milder version of the Gem razors the handle seems awkward and then I settle in for some great shaves. (Like this razor for breaking in a new blade) Razor: Gem Feather weight 1 OZ , 1st generation top cap (31 grams) Blade: GEM Personna SS PTFE (1) Soap : Colonel Conk Bayrum Pre Shave: Warm wet towel + Aloe Vera Gel Post Shave: Alum + cold water rinse ( testing the shave quality= excellent) Post Shave: Proraso red sandlewood + Nivea balm The GEM Feather Weight Gen 1 is the same weight (1 oz) as my Schick E2 and the Schick G series injector razors, it more than likely was introduced to compete and satisfy content GEM owners from wondering over to Schick products IMO. Just in case you need a manual for a GEM with out a case and papers.
GEM Head designs do change outcomes of shave as it seems they look the same individually but when you clump them together you can relate better visual changes to the cap . The changes in the cap do make a difference as I'm testing the very impressive GEM featherweight 1st generation top cap shave end results. Have some great GEM shaves!
GEM 1950’s Featherweight SE Razor 1st generation top cap . Weight: 1 oz (30 grams) lightest of the GEM line I’m testing! Blade gap: .023 thousands of a inch (.58 mm) Blade exposure: positive Blade: Gem Personna SS PTFE blade (5) Material: plastic and Special alloyed brass? Handling: Very nimble and easy to shave with this light razor, this GEM Feather weight is all operator driven enjoyment. A person has to apply some pressure because of weight lacking making sure technique is dialed in and just let the razor talk to you as it snipes beard whiskers with smoothness galore for razor gliding & feeling non threatening. The blade is secured between top cap and base plate by a adequate spring pressure + blade has very good support by base plate bridging to safety bar that reduces chatter. The razor looks cheap but like the old saying goes “never judge a razor by its looks!” You might be pleasantly surprised by end results that this GEM Feather weight delivers for it’s weight design. I’m really enjoying this smooth little whisker slicing chopper disintegrater razor as I can easily treat my self to great shaves. Regular shaves , J hooking & buffing + GEM slide maneuvers can be handled with great ease and shaves are CCS>DFS>BBs . This razor is a pleasant daily driver shaver for my medium type beard and delivers good end results consistently and verified by the Alum block and cotton ball testing.(This razor was designed to compete against Schick E & G model series and other light variants and to keep GEM owners content IMO.) Some procedure manuals and blade review rating IMO YMMV. Have some great GEM shaves!
Today's shave (first time with this one). I thought all gold GEM MMOC razors had a flat base (without the two bumps that were meant for the DE GEM blades. I know hardly anything is "always or never" in this hobby. Anyway, great shave today as always with the GEM products!
The Gem razors without the bumps are the older models, when they introduced the double edge without the spline they needed the bumps to compensate the spline(shim). I have not been visiting the forums because the wife's health went kity bonkers here in Mexico.
Best to your wife Ron. I don't think we know how long the gold bumpless MMOC was in production. The double edge blade was introduced just a year after the MMOC itself (1932, 1931), and the number of gold bumpless razors out there suggests to me that production may have continued beyond that one year. Or they really made a lot of them in 1931.
All the best to your wife. Yours is the best explanation I have heard. My limited research shows GEM making DE blades for the MMOC in 1932. I suspect the dimples occurred with the manufacturing of the SE type blade.
True but per my comment above I think the production and distribution history may be more complicated than they just switched to all bumps in 1932. Remember that both blades were in production at the same time and most people would likely have been using the cheaper single edge spined blades with their new razor. And there are a lot of gold bumpless MMOC s floating around.
Okay, did not realize dual manufacturing of the blades. While I was washing off last weeks road chemicals/salt ????I thought about the switch to the splined blades would have increased the sales of blades. What's problematic is there are no ads/pictures of the MMOC open or the blades during the early '30's.
There are plenty of ads. Sets included a pack of single edge and one double edge blade sample. Mail in offer provided blades of both types.
Okay, you found one where the blades are shown. My research had been unproductive. Looks like in 1933 the two blade types were being produced. Do you think during this period the MMOC was being produced with and without the bumps?
I don't know, as dating the razors is extremely difficult. Even if we found a gold bumpless razor in a 1934 NRA emblem case we wouldn't know if it were produced in 1934 or just old stock.
Would it be fair to say GEM decided the bumps were necessary early in the production of the MMOC regardless of the blade used?
I think the reason for the bumps is as we've all speculated. It is possible that ASR thought the double sided blades would be more popular and thus biased the razors to work best with them. Obviously the bumps don't make that much of a difference or they wouldn't have continued to match the spined SE blades with them.
To me all flat cap GEMS esp MM onward shave identical. If you use the method that GEM marketed to push the cap flat into the face you get a smooth irritation free BBS shave. The only time the whole cap is not touching my face is some clean up around nostrils and edging in sideburns. To use it any other way you are really missing out on an effortless shave. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk