Just bought a GEM Junior 1912. Looks to be in very nice shape....why, why do I do this? I was just fine with ONE razor for 25 years before this February...now I have 8 !
Gem Jr se
- Thread starter gainiacster
- Start date
The Gem G-Bar is my favorite SE razor.
The GEM G Bar is a great shaver.....Of the later GEM Models, I find the shaving angle of the G Bar/Heavy Flat Top very different from all three of the GEM Micromatic Models........The G Bar has a definitive shaving angle away from the face as per GEM instructions......The Micromatic models shave very close to the face as per GEM instructions.......
As mentioned above, there is no definitive shaving angle for an SE, and that includes older models like the 1912 and 1914.....
Moreover, the older type razors were not designed for Modern SE Blades which have a thinner spine than Older SE Blades that were meant for stropping.......Thus, the true shaving angle of many of the older SEs can only be replicated by modifying the spines of Modern SE Blades towards Older SE blades.......
As mentioned above, there is no definitive shaving angle for an SE, and that includes older models like the 1912 and 1914.....
Moreover, the older type razors were not designed for Modern SE Blades which have a thinner spine than Older SE Blades that were meant for stropping.......Thus, the true shaving angle of many of the older SEs can only be replicated by modifying the spines of Modern SE Blades towards Older SE blades.......
The GEM G Bar is a great shaver.....Of the later GEM Models, I find the shaving angle of the G Bar/Heavy Flat Top very different from all three of the GEM Micromatic Models........The G Bar has a definitive shaving angle away from the face as per GEM instructions......The Micromatic models shave very close to the face as per GEM instructions.......
As mentioned above, there is no definitive shaving angle for an SE, and that includes older models like the 1912 and 1914.....
Moreover, the older type razors were not designed for Modern SE Blades which have a thinner spine than Older SE Blades that were meant for stropping.......Thus, the true shaving angle of many of the older SEs can only be replicated by modifying the spines of Modern SE Blades towards Older SE blades.......
Wow! I did not know that...think you could put some masking tape or something on a modern spine to replicate the originals and tilt that blade angle down a bit?
Sure,
I am now using a modified GEM blade with all my early razors with the exception of the 1924 and the Streamline .....In my experience this modification transforms the razors shaving ability more towards where the manufactures intended......
I am using a Modern Alloy GEM spine......Two seconds prises one from a GEM blade......
I cut the spine into two half's using a sharp thin bladed knife on a chopping board (Don't saw it with the knife.....Slice it clean through like cutting a cake)
You now have two SHIMS
File any rough edges with a women's nail file
(NOTE)....The two half's of the spine will have a slightly rounded edge where you have made the cut......LEAVE THEM....DO NOT file them off......as they help to locate the SHIM.....
Load the GEM blade into razor as usual and slip your shim under the spine.........(Optional) you can use a SMALL DOT of super glue to locate the spine before hand........
Job done........
With this simple modification you may find a new perspective on the shaving abilities of a 1912 and older SEs which are magnificently designed and some of this perfection are lost when using modern blades designed for later models.
Read more: http://theoriginalsafetytoo.com/thread/1751/shaving-origanal-blade-1912#ixzz3XhzQzYWy
I am now using a modified GEM blade with all my early razors with the exception of the 1924 and the Streamline .....In my experience this modification transforms the razors shaving ability more towards where the manufactures intended......
I am using a Modern Alloy GEM spine......Two seconds prises one from a GEM blade......
I cut the spine into two half's using a sharp thin bladed knife on a chopping board (Don't saw it with the knife.....Slice it clean through like cutting a cake)
You now have two SHIMS
File any rough edges with a women's nail file
(NOTE)....The two half's of the spine will have a slightly rounded edge where you have made the cut......LEAVE THEM....DO NOT file them off......as they help to locate the SHIM.....
Load the GEM blade into razor as usual and slip your shim under the spine.........(Optional) you can use a SMALL DOT of super glue to locate the spine before hand........
Job done........
With this simple modification you may find a new perspective on the shaving abilities of a 1912 and older SEs which are magnificently designed and some of this perfection are lost when using modern blades designed for later models.
Read more: http://theoriginalsafetytoo.com/thread/1751/shaving-origanal-blade-1912#ixzz3XhzQzYWy
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Awesome, Scooby!
I'm going to do this. I'll have 2 shims, one for the G-Bar and one for the Gem Jr. 1912 that arrives next Monday.
But for clarity's sake, is the G-Bar designed for the modern SE blade, or do I need to shim only the Gem Jr?
Thanks for the tip!
I'm going to do this. I'll have 2 shims, one for the G-Bar and one for the Gem Jr. 1912 that arrives next Monday.
But for clarity's sake, is the G-Bar designed for the modern SE blade, or do I need to shim only the Gem Jr?
Thanks for the tip!
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The GEM G BAR is absolutely spot on with a Modern SE Blade.......As are the Micromatics......There is a marked improvement with the GEM Junior 1912 with the Blade Modification in my experience......I wouldn't dream of using any 1912 variant without the Modification with the exception of the Ever Ready Streamline which only looks aesthetically like a 1912 and there it ends......
The Blade Modification actually offers more of a gap between the comb and the blade......The problem with modern blades in older SEs is twofold......
1. The blade angle has changed and sits closer to the comb (often touching the comb) than the manufactures intended ...... This prevents the comb from playing a leading role on protecting the skin from the blade exposure........
2. The user unwittingly alters the shaving angle of the razor head to compensate and the blade can be a tad rough for the first few shaves with a new blade........
THERE HAS BEEN A LOT OF COMMENTS ON FORUMS ABOUT THE DESCRPENCY BETWEEN THE MANUFACTURES SHAVING ANGLE INSTRUCTIONS WITH OLDER SEs......THERE IS NO DESCRPENCY .......THE DESCRPENCY IS IN THE MODERN BLADE ANGLE THAT CHANGES THE USERS SHAVING ANGLE TO COMPENSATE ........
With the Modification, you will find that the shaving angle of these older razors is closer to the face as per the manufactures instructions and that the comb is leading and smoothing and stretching the skin whilst offering protection from the blade exposure.....The razor becomes markedly more aggressive cutter on the whiskers whilst being more smoother and efficient shaver even with a new blade......
PLEASE NOTE; Your shaving angle needs to be spot on with the Modification.....If its not you will experience some blade chatter due to the fact that modern blades are thinner than the older stropping blades as you now have the correct gap which is wider between the blade and comb......This can happen anyway when your shaving angle is off course with modern SE blades in older razors without the Modification......NOTE....In my experience this never happens with more modern SEs
I had my first shave with an Ever Ready 1914 last week and I didn't even bother to try to shave with it with an Unmodified Blade......I took one look at the gap between the Comb and the blade and it was almost non existent so I decided to use a Modified Blade......
I had the shave of my life..... My Ever Ready 1914 will never see an Unmodified blade.....
Hope this helps to clarify things
The Blade Modification actually offers more of a gap between the comb and the blade......The problem with modern blades in older SEs is twofold......
1. The blade angle has changed and sits closer to the comb (often touching the comb) than the manufactures intended ...... This prevents the comb from playing a leading role on protecting the skin from the blade exposure........
2. The user unwittingly alters the shaving angle of the razor head to compensate and the blade can be a tad rough for the first few shaves with a new blade........
THERE HAS BEEN A LOT OF COMMENTS ON FORUMS ABOUT THE DESCRPENCY BETWEEN THE MANUFACTURES SHAVING ANGLE INSTRUCTIONS WITH OLDER SEs......THERE IS NO DESCRPENCY .......THE DESCRPENCY IS IN THE MODERN BLADE ANGLE THAT CHANGES THE USERS SHAVING ANGLE TO COMPENSATE ........
With the Modification, you will find that the shaving angle of these older razors is closer to the face as per the manufactures instructions and that the comb is leading and smoothing and stretching the skin whilst offering protection from the blade exposure.....The razor becomes markedly more aggressive cutter on the whiskers whilst being more smoother and efficient shaver even with a new blade......
PLEASE NOTE; Your shaving angle needs to be spot on with the Modification.....If its not you will experience some blade chatter due to the fact that modern blades are thinner than the older stropping blades as you now have the correct gap which is wider between the blade and comb......This can happen anyway when your shaving angle is off course with modern SE blades in older razors without the Modification......NOTE....In my experience this never happens with more modern SEs
I had my first shave with an Ever Ready 1914 last week and I didn't even bother to try to shave with it with an Unmodified Blade......I took one look at the gap between the Comb and the blade and it was almost non existent so I decided to use a Modified Blade......
I had the shave of my life..... My Ever Ready 1914 will never see an Unmodified blade.....
Hope this helps to clarify things
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Do you usually do the optional gluing of shim to the modern spine? Seems it could shift (though I know it probably snaps shut pretty tight).
I use a tad of super glue to locate the spine under the original spine before hand for 1912 models because of the way they open and close......Its too fiddly otherwise and hard to tell if its not moved......
I only use one small touch of in the middle of the spine and press it down until dry.......Only takes a few seconds......On other models for example....STAR 1914, GEM Junior Lather Catcher, Ever Ready 1914 and the 1924 if you wanted to use it there's no problem for me anyway because of the way they load........ But, I am used to doing it now .....
I only use one small touch of in the middle of the spine and press it down until dry.......Only takes a few seconds......On other models for example....STAR 1914, GEM Junior Lather Catcher, Ever Ready 1914 and the 1924 if you wanted to use it there's no problem for me anyway because of the way they load........ But, I am used to doing it now .....
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Alright, Scooby Doo. Thanks for this valuable information!
Your welcome Sir.....
+1
Man Speaks the thruth
Man Speaks the thruth
Interesting. Out of curiosity I gathered up some vintage blades I had lying around and measured the spines using a caliper and feeler gauges. While not as accurate as a micrometer (which I don't have), I repeated each measurement several times and believe them to be at least in the ballpark.
Left to right, top to bottom:
Ever-Ready (curved spine): .080"
Ever-Ready (flat spine): .072"
Gem Double Life: .070"
Gem Damaskeene: .070"
Micro-Edge: .055"
Modern Gem Stainless: .040"
So, vintage blade spines are indeed thicker than modern ones, there was some variation, and Scooby's spine mod should realistically re-create the original shaving experience with vintage razors.
I will leave the dating of these blades to someone more knowledgeable than myself.
--Bob
Left to right, top to bottom:
Ever-Ready (curved spine): .080"
Ever-Ready (flat spine): .072"
Gem Double Life: .070"
Gem Damaskeene: .070"
Micro-Edge: .055"
Modern Gem Stainless: .040"
So, vintage blade spines are indeed thicker than modern ones, there was some variation, and Scooby's spine mod should realistically re-create the original shaving experience with vintage razors.
I will leave the dating of these blades to someone more knowledgeable than myself.
--Bob
Well that is certainly interesting.
I'll have to try that little trick.
Just to add to spidey's list I checked a Micromatic spine.....
.046"
I'll have to try that little trick.
Just to add to spidey's list I checked a Micromatic spine.....
.046"
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That's correct Bob, you are spot on......
Yeah you are also spot on Sir, ..... The Modern blades are very close in terms of tolerance's to the original Micromatic blades.......That's why Micromatics are aggressive whilst being very smooth shavers with Modern blades.....They were designed for them....
On forums I always here time and time again that say a GEM Junior Lather Catcher/Ever Ready Lather Catcher were always meant for Modern Blades..
Well that not incorrect, but its not correct either as it only tells us that these older SEs will accept Modern Blades......But as you have highlighted these older SEs were meant to take Older Stropping Blades which were the same size with different tolerances..... .080"/.072" to .040" is marked difference that alters the shaving angle between the blade and combs of these older SEs .....
Yeah you are also spot on Sir, .....
The Modern blades are very close in terms of tolerance's to the original Micromatic blades.......That's why Micromatics are aggressive whilst being very smooth shavers with Modern blades.....They were designed for them....On forums I always here time and time again that say a GEM Junior Lather Catcher/Ever Ready Lather Catcher were always meant for Modern Blades..
Well that not incorrect, but its not correct either as it only tells us that these older SEs will accept Modern Blades......But as you have highlighted these older SEs were meant to take Older Stropping Blades which were the same size with different tolerances..... .080"/.072" to .040" is marked difference that alters the shaving angle between the blade and combs of these older SEs .....
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What we have here is sloppy semantics. 
When it is said that the Gem Jr/Ever-Ready Lather Catchers were designed for "modern" blades, what is actually meant is that these razors were designed to use flat blades with a spine, as opposed to the older style wedge blades, which resemble a section of a hollow-ground straight razor blade.
It seems "modern" is a relative thing.
--Bob
When it is said that the Gem Jr/Ever-Ready Lather Catchers were designed for "modern" blades, what is actually meant is that these razors were designed to use flat blades with a spine, as opposed to the older style wedge blades, which resemble a section of a hollow-ground straight razor blade.
It seems "modern" is a relative thing.
--Bob
Sure is !...
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Thank you for the information. I will try that and see how it works.
I get very close shaves now with my SE's, if it gets closer I will be skipping a day of shaving.
Would you also use the shim in a Damaskeene?
I get very close shaves now with my SE's, if it gets closer I will be skipping a day of shaving.
Would you also use the shim in a Damaskeene?
+1
I get such a great shave from 1912 style razors with "modern" blades that it's hard to imagine that it's gonna make that much difference.
Still I'll have to try it.
Yeah, I own a Closed Comb Damaskeene and although, I personally find it smoother than later 1912 models I still find an improvement on how it performs with a Modified Blade......
The Blade Modification doesn't offer a closer shave in my experience, but I find it does fine tune these older razors towards being smoother and more efficient .......Its like blue printing a classic Harley Davidson Motorcycle engine, it doesn't necessary mean its going to be faster, but it will make the engine run more efficiently........We are talking about subtle and fine tuning here ......
The Blade Modification doesn't offer a closer shave in my experience, but I find it does fine tune these older razors towards being smoother and more efficient .......Its like blue printing a classic Harley Davidson Motorcycle engine, it doesn't necessary mean its going to be faster, but it will make the engine run more efficiently........We are talking about subtle and fine tuning here ......
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