I got one of my two remaining gotta-have-it razors just this month, and have been shaving with it the past few days. The razor is the Ever-Ready Streamline, upper right in the picture below. The other device is the stropper that came with it in the case. The razor is just another example of why I like SE razors so much. Perhaps a bit more aggressive than a Gem 1912, it's almost equally easy to use. This one is British made, very solidly built, not that I have any reason to think that the US version would have been worse. It has a nice heft to it without being ridiculously heavy. About that stropping device. I've had no luck at all with stropping Valet blades, or modified modern SE blades in a Valet Auto-Strop razor, and would not expect this to be any different. I had to try it once anyway, just to see the stropper in action; the blade flops nicely back and forth as I change direction, and might work with the correct blade. In fact, I do have some vintage Ever-Ready blades still in the wrappers, but I'd probably have to hone them before stropping, and I don't think I'll bother. The razor will be for use, the stropper is for display. That's a Valet strop with it, by the way. There must have been an Ever-Ready one originally, but what I actually got with it was a Wilkinson one in horrible shape, big gouges out of the sides. I'll keep the Valet one with the set, and put the Wilkinson in my scraps box.
That is a beautiful set. The Streamline is one of the very few razors that I would gladly use every day for the rest of my life, it is a wondeful razor. With your permission here is a shot of mine, no case or stropping handle, just the razor.
They are fine looking razors, aren't they? Your picture shows it from a good angle. I would have been happy just to get one of the razors, but when this set came up, I didn't want to pass it by.
Slivovitz I think I was bidding on that one as well. I was going to put the Wilky Strop with my Wilkinson's Empir razor. Here is the one that I did get, no strop:
Those streamline razors are awesome. I have never shaved with that type of razor. Is there any difference with the shave compared to DE?
Yes. Very different and well worth any time and effort put into trying them. Will they be the best thing for you? Who knows? Only you will if you try them. Don't be afraid of the original safety razor... the SE.
Despite the great look and feel of these razors, I personally find them a little cumbersome and heavy to handle. For driving an SE blade I find the lighter, earlier razors suit me better.
You've prompted me to make a quick measurement with my cheap digital kitchen scale. Weights without blades. Gem Junior Bar with wood handle: 24g Gem 1912, one of many varieties, grabbed at random: 61g Gem Open Comb Micromatic: 65g Ever-Ready Streamline: 73g Of course, it's not just the total weight, but the balance. I hold all of these fairly close to the heads.
I have one on the way. I can't wait to get it here. It's a Streamline in metal case with purple interior. The anticipation is driving me crazy!
