A little help from the SE crowd, please

[kingfisher]

Picked up three GEMs at an antique store on vacation. One is a G-Bar, one a Pushbutton, and the third a 1912.

Is there any appreciable difference in the shaving characteristics of these three razors? I tried the G-bar yesterday and today; it seems almost overly mild. Are the pushbutton and the 1912 about the same?

Also, is any of these more valuable than the others?

Thanks in advance.

[eastomjac]

im fairly new to se myself,but i find that the 1912 is more agressive than the other two.i like my push button but i prefer the bullet tip more.if you can find one its worthwhile to try it.ymmv

[Wil Dorenbos]

i find that the 1912 is more agressive than the other two.

Yes.

[Nobody]

The 1912 is plenty aggressive, the pushbutton I can't say, and the G-Bar gives me as fine a shave as the 1912, but seems a heck of a lot smoother. Since you have razors & blades, let me suggest you load the 1912 up and do one half of your face and the other with the G-Bar and pushbutton in turn. It's a great way to compare.

As far as value goes, it's a relative thing. They all go for quite reasonable prices on the Bay. I'll happily trade you a 1912 for your pushbutton or G-Bar tho. lol The 1912 doesn't work quite as well for me, tho others rave. It's just a personal taste issue and you will likely find you favor one or the other too.

[natchez]

I have been trying a number these ASR offerings lately and have found that like the Gillette DEs, the Gems and ERs seem to get milder as they get newer after the 1930s-1940s. The earlier designs seem more aggressive to me. That is not to say the later razors shave badly, they don't, only that it seems IMO that the entire US razor industry, with some exceptions, seemed to start lightening the aggressiveness of many of their non-adjustable razors after WWII. The build quality also seemed to change over time as razors became more of a disposable item.

[HoosierTrooper]

Not much I can add to the above responses, they pretty much covered it, but what I try to do is use a brand new blade in the new models and then rotate it into the older ones that are a bit more aggressive as it gets a little age on it.

[buma]

as to values, the 3 razors you mention are usually all available for $10 or less, normally. There are a few rarer ones (like the Jewel / Streamline) that go for more, but for the most part, most SE's are rather affordable.

[alex2363]

1912 is way more aggressive but better.

[Sargon]

While different people prefer different SE razors, the 1912 has the largest following, and I certainly like mine for the occasional shave. it can bite you if you're careless, though.

[ThurstonHowellIII]

The G-Bar is more difficult to find than the 1912 or Pushbutton. Its an attractive razor too, with an interesting design. Some people really like it and it would be the most valuable of the three.

[santamariasteve]

I recently bought 3 Gem SE's: the 1912, the Micromatic, and the G bar. I find all 3 to be outstanding razors. I find no difference in the shaving performances.

If push came to shove, I think my favorite is the 1912. I like the "ancient" styling. Also I have noticed a very slight difference of the 3 models in the angles of the heads in relationship to the handles. The Micromatic is 45 degrees. The 1912 is slightly shallower, say 35 degrees. And the G-Bar is slighly wider, say 55 degrees. I prefer the shallower head to handle angle of the 1912, as it seem easier for me to do the proper shallow angle of the blade to the face, which should be about 15 degrees.

I have never had a closer shave from any safety razor than from the Gem SE's. One just has to shave a little slower, install a fresh blade every 3 or 4 days, and of course the mustache area requires only horizontal passes, or semi horizontal passes.