Gem Junior question

Discussion in 'Safety Razors' started by Mr. Droid, Nov 19, 2014.

  1. Mr. Droid

    Mr. Droid Well-Known Member

    So I just got a nice gold Gem Junior in the mail. It appears unused, but the box is pretty beat. My question is this. The construction of the head of the Junior appears to be very, very similar to the regular 1912 models I have. But, the head is canted at a much more drastic forward angle. It doesn't appear bent... unless you compare it to the other 2 Gems I have. So. Easy enough. But wait! There's more!
    [​IMG]

    I happen to have another Gem Junior. It was a freebie thrown in with a quite nice black handle super speed. It looks like it was excavated from the earth. It also looks like it was smashed. Note the flattened push tab... But- the angle closely matched the angle of the new junior. In fact, is angle is a little less drastic. It would put the matter at a cozy, logically solvable tie at 2 to 2, but the relic Junior is just so abused, that I can't trust it. So, SE experts, is my new Gem Junior flattened, or is this angle just how they look? Or, should it be bent out to match the 1912s?
    [​IMG]
     
    Last edited: Nov 19, 2014
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  2. HUF

    HUF Active Member

  3. Mr. Droid

    Mr. Droid Well-Known Member

    Thank you. That is what I needed to know... time for some careful bending.
     
  4. HoosierTrooper

    HoosierTrooper Steve-less in Indiana

    First off that is a 1912, I have no idea why ASR decided to put the "Junior" designation on some of them and not others. Junior was first added to GEM razors in 1906 as a way to differentiate the new models that were made to use the then new rib-back wafer style blades and not the older wedge blades, it makes no sense why decades later they stamped it on some and not others when the wedge blade was obsolete.

    Now, as to the different angles of the frames. I have some that are like yours and can't explain it. It might be different manufacturing techniques that were used, or maybe previous owners "tinkered" with them, who knows. Keep in mind the 1912 was manufactured for several decades and it's likely that ASR changed tolerances or maybe decided a different angle worked better so they adjusted it. It shouldn't make any real difference on how they perform, you may just have to adjust how you hold them, or just gently bend them to an angle you're happy with.
     
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  5. Darkbulb

    Darkbulb Cookie Hoarder

    They may or may not be bent...but I still don't see why you would not be able to shave with them just by adjusting how you hold/angle the razor.
     
  6. HUF

    HUF Active Member

    When I said you could not shave with the bent one, I meant you would find the grip uncomfortable.
     
  7. Mr. Droid

    Mr. Droid Well-Known Member

    When it first came out of the box, and the angle was immediately apparent, I 'mock' shaved. No blade, no soap, just the movement... basically to see if it caused my muscle memory to cry foul. It didn't. With the angle Gem recommended their razors to be used, it did not feel the last bit weird. That is what confused me. It didn't look the same as my other 1912s, the metal didn't appear warped, stressed or unevenly bent. And even at this angle, it felt right. Then my examples didn't exactly help solve the case... my other junior is clearly bent. The metal is visibly torqued, the comb is warped, the thumb button is bent back. Looks like it was stepped on.
    In any case, the new Gem Junior has been carefully adjusted to match my other 1912 models.
     
    macaronus likes this.
  8. Darkbulb

    Darkbulb Cookie Hoarder

    All's well that ends well.
     
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