Dating chart for your GEM/Ever-Ready/Star razor

Did anyone ever answer this for you? It's a G-Bar made in England, you see one every once in a while.

 

Does the E Bar look the same as the G Bar?

 

Exactly the same... I had an NOS one a couple of years ago and sold it because I couldn't bring myself to break the seal and wanted someone else to be able to enjoy it

 

@Darkbulb , I have a question that you may be able to answer...

What were the differences in the Damaskeene cases for these razors? I've seen a few with "made in the USA" and most without. It's just under the Gem logo on the inside lid. Which is older? When did they make the switch?

 

I wouldn't be the right man for that - but if you're a member over on TSR I would very much recomend sending Paul (PJGH) a message there as he will without a doubt have the answer

 

Or @Bird Lives here

 

Thanks Darkbulb. I'll send a note to Paul. I hate to sound silly, but what website is TSR?

@Bird Lives , would you have any info?

Thank,
Jim

 

http://www.theshavingroom.co.uk/community/index.php

 

On 1919 there was the Great Amalgamation or Merger of the Biggest Safety Razor Companies including Star, Ever Ready, Gem etc..This became the Star Safety Razor Corp & Gem Safety Razor Corp which became the Foundation of the American Safety Razor Company also known as ASR..

To My Knowledge..It was in 1919 or Shortly After that the Gem Damaskeene became Known as Such by Name..Before that Date the Damaskeene was Reference to the Blades Only..Hope that Helps..

Billy..

 

Billyfergie is the real expert around here....and 1919 was when GEM, Star, and Ever Ready became ASR Corp. like he said....and the Damaskeene was still made for a year or so...
But in 1910, GEM and Ever Ready became the ASR Co. and GEM when they first released the Open Comb Damaskeene, advertised it as a Damaskeene Razor...But MOST advertisements did just refer to the blades as Damaskeenes....But those first ads called both the razor and blades Damaskeenes...this ad was sent to me from @HoosierTrooper /Tom

Check out this advertisement...I'm not contradicting Billy, as he has forgotten more about these razors than I'll ever know...and most folks feel exactly as Billy said.....But the little known fact is....This is from a magazine from 1911.....The whole ad definitely uses the words GEM Damaskeene Razor...


The only Damaskeene Case I have, Is GEM Cutlery, and not ASR, BUT!! I believe it was released after 1919 because they continued to release the GEM Cutlery razors til they used up all the parts....My case has the made in USA under the GEM iron cross.....I don't know about the ones without the " made in the USA" but Paul and I both believe mine in a later case, probably marketed in 1919.

Notice the top of the case, of this one from 1911 advertisement....under the GEM Iron Cross there is no made in the USA....

Below a case from 1916:

 

But none of these things are carved in stone.....we know the 1924s were starting to be manufacted in 1919 but some were made before and some were made past 1925.....look at the joint that connects the handle to the head....The first ones made in 1919 had an elbow type joint that connected the handle to the head and later the handle screwed right into the head.....Some of these 1919 types came out in 1925....There was soooo much, whatever parts they had were what they used.....We know now that some pre 1919 Damaskeene GEM Cutlery models came out of the factory well into the 20's....months and even years after there was no GEM Cutlery.....

So these charts help.....but they are not carved in stone.....ha,ha!

We know the 1909 Shovelhead was first made by Yankee Razor and designed by JB de Mesquita....but in 1909, Yankee became Richard and Schueber (R&S razors) and then became Ever Ready...So the 1909 Shovelhead was the New Yankee, the 1909 R&S, and the "New Ever Ready" all in the same year....This was a time of change and things were changing fast.....and if in 1919 at the ASR Corp factory you saw a GEM Cutlery back with a 1912 flat blade cover and a 1912 travel handle....or a 1912 body and Damaskeene blade cover....so be it!

To the cat who said that his 1924 was made in 1919.....
First off....the 1924 patent had this way of connecting the handle..
If the handle screws directly in to the head....then thats the ER1925 pat'd.
Then you have the comb guards with flat tops or curved tops....Everyone lumps all the shovelheads into the 1924 pile....but there are alot of sub stratas....If yours looks like the one above it "could" have been made between 1919 and 1924....

There are a few things we do know.....one is....in 1930 GEM only produced Micromatics.....and Ever Ready only produced their new improved 1912.... Around 3 years later Star took over 1912 production....

 

Wow! What can I say? This is great information! I find the history around these products jus fascinating. This explains why I've seen so many variations in Gem razors, including the Damaskeene razors.

I think it's safe to say that the cases with "made in USA " on the inside lid would be from 1919 or later and still could have contained a Damaskeene with the Gem Cutlery name on it.

Were there specific cases for Damaskeene razors, or was there just one case used at the time? Did they continue to use the same case for the 1912, non Damaskeene, razors?

Thanks

 

I thought mine to be 1919-24

 

You thought right....}8^)) Yours is the earlier 1924.....most are the 1925, which actually came out earlier than '25 and ran til almost 1930....

I think all the shovelhead razors from the 1909 Yankee and New Ever Ready through the ER's of 1929 were all fabulous performers....and all were from pat'ds designed by JB deMesquita......talk about a genius...He pretty much nailed it with his first model.....and all the tweaks were small things like handles and stuff...but he documented everything and patented every little change....

 

Check Out this Thread on Damskeene Variants & Stamps..
http://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rc...kSYgmgZLESssE5uIg&sig2=PmcJTRa8MtCU0hRzNEEUIw
Also..Check Out..Waits..
https://books.google.co.uk/books?id...ved=0ahUKEwjyofbm3L3NAhWFnRoKHbbDDEAQ6AEIMzAD
The Later 1912s were the So Called New Improved Models..They were Effectively Cheap Made Clones & Came in all Sorts of Cases & Variation's..

Billy..

 

Excellent info Billie! There's so many variations of this razor.

 

I also see that there's a Damaskeene set with a stropping handle. Interestingly enough, I acquired a Damaskeene some time back and I was given a two piece stropping handle with the razor. I was under the impression that it might have belonged to some other razor. I see now that it was part of the Damaskeene set.

We're Damaskeene blades meant to be stropped?

 

Yes..These were Designed for Stropping Blades..

Billy..

 

Thanks Bird Lives and Billyfergie for this wealth of information. I love using these razors and it's great to have a sense of the history behind it.

 

I know what you mean.....The period from the turn of the Century til after WWII just kills me...When shaving went from Str8 shaving at home or from a barber, to "Self Shavers" who used the new "Safety Razors" daily....Up through the Injector Revolution....
There was so much designing talent in the same place at the sametime.....I think it would make a great Mini Series...
With names like, the Kampfe Bros, August Schueber, Reichard, the Zinns, de Mesquita, Joe Kaufman, Col. Schick, Octavious Rodrigues...are you kidding.....a great Netflix Series waiting to happen....