Educate Me On "Lather-Catchers"

I possess a couple of SE razors. They are the GEM Micromatic Open Comb and a Star Pat. 1912. I enjoy the Star, have not yet used the Micromatic, but am now drawn to eventually acquiring a "lather-catcher".

Which companies manufactured these razors, and in particular, which ones are suitable for the use of the modern SE blade? Is the 1914 "mini lather-catcher" a true example of this type of razor?

If there is a compendium/wiki on this topic? I welcome being pointed in the right direction.

Any help and feedback is most welcome.

Warmest Regards,

David

There are several Members much more knowledgeable than I, but some (at least one) are away from computers. I own a few., and will see if I can give some answers.

These typically have a large open area on the head under the blade, which forms a sort of "scoop" that catches the lather as a pass is made (hence the nickname). They were made by Gem, Star, Ever Ready and possibly others.

One clue to look for showing they will take an SE blade (as opposed to a wedge) is to look for a rounded tab at the rear of the head (this is flipped forward to retain the blade).

Here's an example of a Gem Junior Bar from 1908 (great shaver, some feel these are the best there is).



(Note the tab in the forward position in this shot).




A 1910 example of the same model









Here is a similar Star from 1910 (I call it my Star Bar, due to it's similarity with the Gem Junior Bar).








This Ever Ready (circa 1906) fits the bill, haven't tried it yet.










Here's the Star Bar (right) again, with a couple of 1902 Star razors. Not sure if the other Star's qualify as "Lather Catchers", as the opening under the blade is much more shallow in height. These two will take either wedge or standard SE blades.





HTH some.

Thanks, T Rick, for the very informative reply, including photos. The tab that you mentioned gives me an idea of what to look for.

How about the 1914? Is it a "Lather-Catcher"?

Thanks again,

David

Well, it's not a true lather catcher, people on forums will not refer to it as a lather catcher, but yes. It could be called a lather catcher.
Usually, the term "lather catcher" is reserved for the pre 1912 razors.

(as I get it)

napoleon said:

Well, it's not a true lather catcher, people on forums will not refer to it as a lather catcher, but yes. It could be called a lather catcher.
Usually, the term "lather catcher" is reserved for the pre 1912 razors.

(as I get it)

Click to expand...

I prefer to call the 1914 the Little Lather Catcher, or the Little LC for short! It indeed catches the lather quite nicely and I feel it should qualify as an LC.

Nice thread folks - good job Rick!

Thanks for the pics! Those sure are some beautiful razors. I love the ornate designs!

I saw one just like this in an antique store but passed it by... shipper and all. What's a fair price for a set like that?

There are a couple of Gem 1900/1901 razors on EBay right now. Another has a cracked woden handle. Are these shave capable with SE blades? one appears to the the model shown here with the dot-ribbed handle.
I don't know how these will price out but I am watching them closely. Hopefully somebody more knowledgeable than I can post some reviews without compromise.
Dave

FormerDATT said:

There are a couple of Gem 1900/1901 razors on EBay right now. Another has a cracked woden handle. Are these shave capable with SE blades? one appears to the the model shown here with the dot-ribbed handle.
I don't know how these will price out but I am watching them closely. Hopefully somebody more knowledgeable than I can post some reviews without compromise.
Dave

Click to expand...

They shave pretty much the same as the 1912s. I Like them better for two reasons:

1) Lighter weight.
2) Much cooler looking.

They do cost quite a bit more as they are harder to find, especially in good condition.

EDIT: You do need to be careful when buying since some of the older ones will only take the wedge blades and not todays SE blades.

**Bingo_Bob** said:

I saw one just like this in an antique store but passed it by... shipper and all. What's a fair price for a set like that?

Click to expand...

Hard to say what a fair price is on this one (so few come up). I can tell you I think I got a SUPER deal on it. There were only two bidders, it opened at $4.95 with shipping of only $1.80. I expected it to go much higher than it did (really thought I'd be out bid IIRC). My max bid was $25.55, but it seems it wasn't on anyone's radar. The Seller also used a very small bid increment, which had there been more bidders, would still have worked to the buyers advantage I think. My winning bid? $8.11, so under $10 shipped! I was rather stoked .

FormerDATT said:

There are a couple of Gem 1900/1901 razors on EBay right now. Another has a cracked woden handle. Are these shave capable with SE blades? one appears to the the model shown here with the dot-ribbed handle.
I don't know how these will price out but I am watching them closely. Hopefully somebody more knowledgeable than I can post some reviews without compromise.
Dave

Click to expand...

Those models take the modern SE and are quite popular (I'm gonna get nailed by fans of these for praising them, they're not real common and are gaining popularity, some say they're the best shavers Gem ever made). The wood handle models seem to bring somewhat of a premium, though the longer more shapely handle is higher. The real dollars get involved with the beautiful Ivorite handled ones though (don't have one yet, I will some day!).

The cracked handle one has a fair bit of interest already. It'll be interesting to see where it lands. Haven't yet decided myself if I'm in the hunt, or watching from the sidelines.

T Rick, very nice collection. I really like the looks of those "lather catchers"

After trying, over the years, many dozens of different DE's, SE's, injectors and cartridge razor models, I thought I had found the ultimate shave when I tried the 1912 Gem . . . that is, until Dave Irving convinced me to try the 1900/1901 patent, Gem Jr. Bar Razor.

Once I started shaving with the Gem Jr. Bar, I really can't convince myself to try any further razors. I've been wet shaving for over 55 years and I truly believe that the ultimate in safety razor design was achieved about 110 years ago with this razor.

Regards,
Tom

T Rick - geez Louise! Beautiful. I love those Stars. Dave Irving is one of our gurus on single edge shaving and I was delighted to see he created a website dedicated to SE shaving. Have fun

http://www.theoriginalsafety.com/

Dave's a great guy. Any dates I have on these have come from him. Seems I messed up my chance to meet him over the holidays . But I'm familiar with the site, in fact all my SE's are posted there before here as a rule. Some great info over there, with more to come no doubt .

Does anyone know if any lather catcher varieties were manufactured after 1920?

Bertilak said:

They shave pretty much the same as the 1912s. I Like them better for two reasons:

1) Lighter weight.
2) Much cooler looking.

They do cost quite a bit more as they are harder to find, especially in good condition.

EDIT: You do need to be careful when buying since some of the older ones will only take the wedge blades and not todays SE blades.

Click to expand...

Not sure what you mean when you're referring to "wedge" bladles. Can you explain? Thanks.

swcarter said:

Not sure what you mean when you're referring to "wedge" bladles. Can you explain? Thanks.

Click to expand...

The older lather catchers were made to use permanent wedge blades like the ones pictured below from an old Star ad. The later ones had blade stops in the front of the razor and could also use thinner, disposable single-edge blades. But those older ones used the taper of the blade itself to stop it from sliding forward in the frame.