I still get confused w/ the Gem and the Eveready. Some models look same. They are of a different manufacture right ?
all were under American Safety razor before it was all over I believe. They started out separate though.
I believe they started out separate, from the same person, though. I think Star, Ever Ready, Gem, and Kampfe were all started by the same dude... Where's Dave? Someone get him in here for this question....
Gem v. Gem Jr. I've been reading through this thread and find a couple of folks asking about the difference between the Gem and the Gem Jr. tradenames . . . Here is what I've observed on old razors and in old catalogs: Back around the turn of the last century, Gem Cutlery Co., which was later to be renamed American Safety Razor, was using the "GEM" name on their wedge blade razors. When they introduced the razor designed for the thin, rib backed blade, they refered to it as the "GEM JR.". In later years, they seemed to drop the "junior" name and simply called the various model razors "GEM". They then, in the late 1930's and 1940's, appear to have revived the "Gem Jr." name and used it for the fat handled version of the 1912 razor. Many of these same razors were also made under other trade names such as Star, Ever-Ready and others. Dave, in your studying of the old ASR literature, have you seen anything that would indicate any other exceptions to what I've outlined here? Regards, Tom
the juniors were still prevalent in the late 1910s - early 1920s, but as the mid 1920s came the nicer sets were labeled gem. the fat handled gems as you said were gem jr. one with black handle and gold head and one with a silver head and red handle. the junior name came to be b/c of the blade being smaller than the wedge blade, as in a father/son relationship.
I picked up a couple of fat handles NOS in boxes last week - anybody know the approximate date of this box?? (this is not my razor, pic off net, my boxes came with the fat handle jr 1912) thnx
I have that box with a fat handle one in it at home.. and one like the one pictured..that box and razor, on the way. I also have a razor like that in a brown slip top box on the way.
I picked one up just like that yesterday at a local antique shop. Didn't know what I was getting, so it's nice to be able to identify it. Thanks guys! Gonna fire it up for my Tuesday part of SE week tomorrow morning...
I have that medal handle one in the plastic box and all.. it is a nice shaving 1912. Glad you got a hold of one.
This thread, like the razors in it, just keeps going and going and going! Keep posting pictures, love to see and learn more. :signs154
So any new 1912 stories out there. waiting on another 1912 Damaskeene to come in. Then I am going to have a PIF with one included..
