What did I find? One for Tom

Cicatero said:

"Why do people collect these old Gems?" Because they're crazy.

"Do you shave with them?" Only crazy people.

"Are they increasing in value?" No, they're cheap because only contrary, crazy coots use them.

"Saw a few yesterday at some junk shops but didn't bite on any of 'em because I didn't have enough knowledge to know the value." Offer t'ree-fiddy and the proprietor will probably accede after awhile because nobody else has ever bought one of the damned things.

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I haven't shaved with this one yet, but I will try it. It takes modern blades, and I'm a sucker for a challenge. I shave with SE Gems regularly. I like the shave, especially the Open Comb Micro Matic. If you have never driven one, give one a spin.

Cicatero said:

"Why do people collect these old Gems?" Because they're crazy.

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If you're a member of B&B, you've already admitted that you're crazy!

Cicatero said:

"Do you shave with them?" Only crazy people.

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That would be us.

Cicatero said:

"Are they increasing in value?" No, they're cheap because only contrary, crazy coots use them.

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Shhh...don't talk about them and drive the price up!

Cicatero said:

"Saw a few yesterday at some junk shops but didn't bite on any of 'em because I didn't have enough knowledge to know the value." Offer t'ree-fiddy and the proprietor will probably accede after awhile because nobody else has ever bought one of the damned things.

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As you make your offer, make some snide comments like "Only crazy people shave with them" and "I'll bet they'd bring 20 cents if you melted them down for scrap."

jbradley said:

I haven't shaved with this one yet, but I will try it. It takes modern blades, and I'm a sucker for a challenge. I shave with SE Gems regularly. I like the shave, especially the Open Comb Micro Matic. If you have never driven one, give one a spin.

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I was just being facetious, I've been using an OCMM recently to great effect and my great-grandfather's 1912 is even better!

I misunderstood. Oh well, that's not the first time, sure it won't be the last! I do have to try it though. The only razor I have that I won't try is my Kewtie, and it is TINY. As in 1/2 long. I'd be there forever.

HoosierTrooper said:

Disposable maybe wasn't the correct term, but the new blades could be tossed out and replaced by a fresh one when it got dull if the customer chose. I'm curious how many men stropped the blades to keep them going and how many just replaced them as they got dull.

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I couldn't give you any hard-core first-hand evidence, but the sheer volume of honing and stropping devices that are out there for these sorts of blades would seem to be a pretty strong indicator that people really were trying to get everything they possibly could out of them before they got rid of them. I'm not saying that the blades weren't ultimately disposable -- it's more that people weren't yet in the "disposable" habit in general.

Also, just like Gillette was doing at the time, GEM offered money back for returned blades. Here's an ad from 1907 for a similar "pre-bar" GEM Junior set, and you can see down near the bottom that they'll give you 7 new blades for 25¢ with the return of 7 used blades. On their own a new 7-pack would have been 50¢ at the time.

Parallax said:

Why do people collect these old Gems? Do you shave with them? Are they increasing in value? Saw a few yesterday at some junk shops but didn't bite on any of 'em because I didn't have enough knowledge to know the value.

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The GEM Junior Bar is actually my personal favorite SE out of any that I've tried -- and there isn't an ASR model that I know of that takes modern blades that I haven't tried.

While we're at it, here's another great ad from the June 1908 issue of The Railway Conductor announcing GEM's new Bar. (Click to view it in context.) I love that they'd send you a new frame with "the Bar" for a quarter, and you didn't even have to send them your old one.

Very nice. This is becoming a very warm history walk-through.

hutchster said:

sweet, congrats

i picked up a gem junior that's pretty close to that, the case is identical except mine says gem junior on the cross band, not gem cutlery co.

what does your instruction sheet say ?

mine only has a sales slip and a "favor" card that reads(the bold is bolded on the card) :

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Mine says:

READ DIRECTIONS ON WRAPPER
Any blade not found absolutely satisfactory will be exchanged free of charge if returned direct to us.
For 7 old blades and 25 cents in coin or stamps we return, post paid, 7 keen blades. Additional new blades can be bought from your dealer at $1.50 per dozen. Look for the "Gem Junior" Trademark.
GEM CUTLERY CO., 34 Reade St., NY

Love those old ads.

jbradley said:

Mine says:

READ DIRECTIONS ON WRAPPER
Any blade not found absolutely satisfactory will be exchanged free of charge if returned direct to us.
For 7 old blades and 25 cents in coin or stamps we return, post paid, 7 keen blades. Additional new blades can be bought from your dealer at $1.50 per dozen. Look for the "Gem Junior" Trademark.
GEM CUTLERY CO., 34 Reade St., NY

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See if the warranty is still good. Send the blades.

Krona Kruiser said:

See if the warranty is still good. Send the blades.

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I should! It doesn't say limited anywhere! LOL

Simply beautiful Johnnie. Nice score. Looks like art.

jbradley said:

I misunderstood. Oh well, that's not the first time, sure it won't be the last! I do have to try it though. The only razor I have that I won't try is my Kewtie, and it is TINY. As in 1/2 long. I'd be there forever.

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What's wrong with a 112 pass shave? LOL! One way to get rid of a stubborn tub of soap....

Sweet Looking razor!

MacDaddy said:

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I dig the not so subtle imagery of the Gem razor, standing triumphally over the sad, toppled barber pole.

What a nifty score! I found a lather catcher in a store a month or so ago, but certainly not in a case, nor with any paraphernalia, and the handle was so bent that I was afraid to shave with it. I'd have snapped up this beauty, too.

I found it in Aberdeen Dan. The lady there said she picks DE razors up pretty regularly.

"You can first catch your train or boat, and THEN" shave, says the ad. I don't get it.

blader said:

"You can first catch your train or boat, and THEN" shave, says the ad. I don't get it.

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That paragraph has a heading "A Vacation Necessity" and then says "it makes you independent of the country barber."

They're pushing this as a travel razor. Back then, a lot of men didn't shave themselves, but were shaved by their local barber a few times a week. Since men on vacation would be away from their regular barber, this razor frees them of the need to find a "country barber" to take care of their grooming needs.