Just bought a Vintage Gem Micro Matic open comb and was curious on what Gem models you like the best. Lot's of newbies & seasoned shavers would like to know more information on these razors that made lots of shavers happy. The Vintage razors are built strong and have lasted many decades(some Century's) and is part of the American shaving community legacy. If I missed some models sorry, they only allow so many on options, make sure you mention them! Some other models GEM Streamline (Eveready streamline & Gem merge?) + Gem 1924 travel model Some nice looking Gem Razors.
I'm just gonna have to go with "All of the above" Can't choose a favorite model. Too many options. I'm a single edge guy 1st and foremost. If you like these razors, come over and join us across the street. @wchnu
Any Gem is a good Gem. But some are better than others. I'm a huge fan of any flavor of micromatic. Featherweight and g-bar are not far behind.
I've owned them all, and for me the Micromatic Open Comb takes it by a mile. Once I learned the touch with this one it became a joy to use.
It's a toss up, like I said. There isn't a GEM model that I haven't at least tried. I am looking for a bullet weight, for a decent price, or trade. The MicroMatic series will always be in my den.
Just bought a group of 3 Gem razors off _Bay , A GEM gold push button, a GEM Feather weight along with a GEM G-bar. Amazing great looking and hardly used, could it be that merchants were not selling the GEM blades was the demise of GEM or A.S.R company. It seems up in northern Canada you can not buy even Double edge blades-and if they are handling in the bigger cities you pay big money at the drug stores for the only brand Wilkinson blades($15.00 Canadian for 10 blades or $12 US>Marketing elimination of a product line tactic?). Competition was fierce with Gillette, Schick, Merkur........ and still more competition with artisans making great razors also today. Thanks for all the great information from this GEM greenhorn, it will help other Newbies in the future who like vintage razors possibly.
I just bought 30 SS PTFE blades from Connaught to see if I will enjoy the new SE Gems, That is a good deal JIM@jmudrick with another Gem shaving buddy who is low on blades to buy 200 , Lots of Newbies might not of heard of Connaught or Ted Pella & Andrew's shave shop who also handles Personna Teflon coated Gem Blades. It's shipping rate costs that kills a lot of the sales no doubt in Canada and USA transactions. Lots of great deals out there for Vintage razors or brand new ones and blades are very reasonable to boot. I really like Personna DE blades and the GEM Personna teflon blades should be just fine. Thanks again!
Gem was a large razor company and they were trying to compete with different models on the drawing books, here is a glimpse of a proto type adjustable that went into a physical reality. To me they should of introduced a Generation 2 blade with a round hole in the center of the blade that still could of been used still in the older models and come out with a 3 pc razor that would of blown out new designs and made it easier for adjustable plates like the new DE razor artisans are pumping out left and right today. 3 pc razors are easy to clean and package, it was management that sat on their hands and held back the onslaught of Gillette and others to knock them out. Such a easy solution to come out with a adjustable IMO. Look at Blackland Sabre & PAA with their GEM models. Gem engineers had the brain power to make a 3PC adjustable but were influenced to turn the other way IMO!!Why? maybe a 3 pc razor were a thing of the past in their marketing view? https://theshaveden.com/forums/threads/a-very-rare-gem-razor.31431/
I know you know this but just for the record Gem wasn't a company, ASR was. the same razors could be branded as Gem or Ever-Ready depending on the market.
Or, maybe they viewed adjustables as gimmicky, and failure prone with the added complexity. Eventually even Gillette quit making them (to pursue other gimmicks.)
https://theshaveden.com/forums/threads/dating-chart-for-your-gem-ever-ready-star-razor.36657/ Here is a brief history of Gem / Star razor/ Ever-ready razor models= ASR MFG If you are more into reading than looking at a chart, here goes" 1911-1912 Gem de Luxe 1912 Gem Damaskeene (the "1912") 1914-1915 (ER) "1914" Marked "American Safety Razor Company New York" Patent Pending 1917-1919 (ER) "1914" Marked "Ever Ready" Patented March 24/14 1918 "Radio" trademark blade - just a point of interest being perhaps "Radio" predated "Ever Ready" on the razors that are marked "Radio"? 1919 Star became a subsiduary of ASR 1919 Gem "1912" 1919 (ER) Front Hinged Cap "Brooklyn New York USA" Patent Applied For (becomes the "1924") 1923 "Ever Ready" trademarked by ASR 1924 "GEM" trademark redesigned by ASR 1925 ER "1914" & "1924" produced hereafter marked "Ever Ready" 1930 Gem "Micromatic" (the Open Comb) 1930 The Improved Ever Ready ("1912") - what we call the Ever Ready "1912" finally coming into common production (see above, regarding "Radio") 1933 ER "E-Bar" - potentially earlier than the Gem offering of the same model? (Last use of "Ever Ready" in the US) 1930s "Star" - supercedes "Ever Ready" in the US (British market continues with "Every Ready") and duplicates "Gem" ("1912") ... perhaps simply becoming the "Junior" 1930s? Gem G-Bar (introduced after the cessation of the Ever Ready trademark in the US) 1940s? Gem "1912 Junior" 1941 Gem (Micromatic) "Clog Pruf" 1947 Gem (Micromatic) "Flying Wing" 1940s? (Late) ER "Streamline" (British - Ever Ready trademark picked up in Britain ... last used in US in 1933) 1950s ER Featherweight (British) 1950s Gem Featherweight/Pushbutton 1960s Gem Contour 1970s Gem Contour II So, the Gem "1912" is only a 1912 if it's a Damaskeene, 1919 otherwise. An Ever Ready "1912" is actually a 1930 and Star "1912" were made from 1933. Ever Ready "1914" is a 1914 if "patent pending", 1917-1919 otherwise. Ever Ready "1924" is a not a 1924 if "patent applied for" which makes it actually a 1919. Pivotal years seem to be 1912 (Gem Damaskeene "1912" begins), 1919 (Star brought into ASR, Gem "1912" begins & Ever Ready "1924" comes into pre-patent production), 1923 (Ever Ready brand goes full blown) and 1930 (Ever Ready "1912" begins). Here is a great time line for GEM & Everready razors that has been updated and some effort went into this by @mata_66 & others and we will all appreciate this reference and there could be a few changes if needed. (updated April 2 2019) Have some great shaves!
AFAIK all US Shovelheads say Patent Applied For regardless of production date. Happy to be corrected.
Something new I learned was the 2 bumps that are on most but not all Micromatic razors were for the double edge blade that was introduced. They were added to take some of the aggression off the blade because the spine was removed(Micomatic double edge blade)they were going to challenge Gillette double edge it seems to me with their double edge blade. ASR GEM probably found blade sales dropped off when introduced is my guess because you needed less of them over the year in a limited market?. View attachment 178837
