First shave with a GEM Damaskeene

[8thWVInfantry]

After a few weeks of exclusive straight razor shaving, I decided to take a stropping break and use one of my GEM single-edge razors this morning. I chose a GEM Damaskeene since I hadn't used one before. I loaded up a Walgeens GEM blade into the Damaskeene, wet my face, made some lather in my shaving mug, applied it to my face, and then started shaving.

Wow! I've never experienced such a smooth, easy shave with such little effort. I enjoy my GEM Micromatics, but the Damaskeene easily outpaces them for smoothness and simplicity. I cannot believe how smooth this shave was, with no nicks or weepers, and a complete BBS.

The Damaskeene will definitely remain at the top of my razor list.

Does anyone else agree with me about how wonderful this old safety razor is?

[Snargle]

Does anyone else agree with me about how wonderful this old safety razor is?

No argument from me...it's a great shaver!

[turtle]

SE is a real eye opener isn't it

My fave SE is the GEM micromatic bullet knob (Flying wing)

[HoosierTrooper]

I'm on record as saying the 1912 Gem Damaskeene is the best of the best.

[retturn2blades]

I'm on record as saying the 1912 Gem Damaskeene is the best of the best.

+1

[Alucard73]

I'm on record as saying the 1912 Gem Damaskeene is the best of the best.

+2

[fcdiscus]

I'm on record as saying the 1912 Gem Damaskeene is the best of the best.

I am in total agreement-my go to razor!

[spinyeel]

Can't argue here. Certainly one of my my top 3 razors.

[jjfar]

+3 Just shaved with my Damaskeene and a vintage (1955) gem blade on
it's fifth shave.outstandig BBS in two passes with Mama Bear soap.
This is The Best of the Best!

[willyb]

I doubt you find an argument here, if the D isn't near the top, and for a great many myself included...it IS without question the Best SE ever made. Most other razors don't hold a candle to it. I have one for use, 1 to show and admire, and 1 so rare it doesn't see daylight.

[cryhavoc]

I love my 1912, anyone want to lone me a 1912 Damaskeene to test drive?

[retturn2blades]

My only small complaint about Damaskeenes is the knurling on the handles gets rusty and is hard to get rid of. The rarer handles with the vertical lines seem better concerning rust or corrosion.

[Snargle]

My only small complaint about Damaskeenes is the knurling on the handles gets rusty and is hard to get rid of. The rarer handles with the vertical lines seem better concerning rust or corrosion.

+1 I've had 4 different Damaskeenes and they all have the rusty knurling problem.

[woodfluter]

The rusting is due to the handles being cast steel, apparently. I was lucky and got one that looked like it had been carefully stored for close to a century after being used once or twice, so no rust thus far.

OK, I'll bet Tom can clear this up - he's the king of info on Damaskeenes and much other SE arcana.

How many kinds of razors might properly be called Damaskeene?
And do they shave differently?

Mine says "Gem Cutlery Co, New York, USA" on the back and "Use Only With Gem Damaskeene Blades" inside.
Knurled plated steel handle.
IIRC, Tom indicated a late teens-early 20s vintage for this kind?

It is possibly the most truly aggressive razor I possess, no matter how I use it. Nothing is bent or seems out of alignment - just has a very large blade gap and other aspects of the geometry that sort of seem to explain why. In contrast, the standard 1912 model seems to be one of the easiest razors to shave with that I've ever encountered. No less close, just easy to use. Quite a contrast here.

So since some are raving about the Damaskeene, I'm wondering if we are talking apples and apples?
This ad was recently posted on another thread, and the razor seems quite different...even has stropping holder in handle like earlier Gems and Stars:
http://books.google.com/books?id=qb9...%2C1282&edge=0

I wonder whether there are variants that actually perform differently.

[retturn2blades]

The rusting is due to the handles being cast steel, apparently. I was lucky and got one that looked like it had been carefully stored for close to a century after being used once or twice, so no rust thus far.

OK, I'll bet Tom can clear this up - he's the king of info on Damaskeenes and much other SE arcana.

How many kinds of razors might properly be called Damaskeene?
And do they shave differently?

Mine says "Gem Cutlery Co, New York, USA" on the back and "Use Only With Gem Damaskeene Blades" inside.
Knurled plated steel handle.
IIRC, Tom indicated a late teens-early 20s vintage for this kind?

It is possibly the most truly aggressive razor I possess, no matter how I use it. Nothing is bent or seems out of alignment - just has a very large blade gap and other aspects of the geometry that sort of seem to explain why. In contrast, the standard 1912 model seems to be one of the easiest razors to shave with that I've ever encountered. No less close, just easy to use. Quite a contrast here.

So since some are raving about the Damaskeene, I'm wondering if we are talking apples and apples?
This ad was recently posted on another thread, and the razor seems quite different...even has stropping holder in handle like earlier Gems and Stars:
http://books.google.com/books?id=qb9...%2C1282&edge=0

I wonder whether there are variants that actually perform differently.

Thanks for the info on the steel handles, Bill!

Regarding Damaskeene variants, I just got a second one off the Bay for $6.50 shipped! It cleaned up nicely, just some brassing on the edges of the top lid. What's interesting about this one is it has different wording on both the inside plate and on the back of the razor.

Wording:
Inside: "GEM DAMASKEENE BLADES"
(Commonly found razor wording) "Use only with GEM DAMASKEENE BLADES"

Back: "GEM Brooklyn NY Made in USA"
(Commonly found razor wording) "GEM CUTLERY CO. NEW YORK USA"

The only physical differences I found were the less common model has a vertically lined handle (instead of the knurling) that is maybe a 1/4 inch longer than the other model; and to my eye the top lid has a bit more curvature to it than the commonly found razor. That may change the angle off the face and result in a somewhat different shave. I just got the new Damaskeene and plan to use it today, so I'll have some feedback on performance later.

[HoosierTrooper]

My opinion is that the only razors that can be called Damaskeenes are the models that GEM/ASR used that title for. The early ads clearly called them Damaskeenes, but the later ones were named by the set they came in, such as the Peerless, Wizard, Minute Man etc. Same razors, just different packages. The one rettrun2blades has isn't a true Damaskeene, in my opinion, because it wasn't referred to as such in ads that came out in the mid-20's with that handle. I have one that doesn't have the Damaskeene blade warning inside, but it does have the round cover plate that the Damaskeene's have (see pic). I have no idea why some came with the Damaskeene warning and others didn't.

Prior to the merger in 1919 they were known as the Gem Cutlery Company, after the merger they became known as the Gem Safety Razor Corporation, since yours says Gem Cutlery it was made before the merger. The Gem Safety razor models I have have a sbevel at the end of the cover plate, similar to the "standard" 1912, while the Gem Cutlery types don't have the bevel. It appears that after the merger they dropped the Damaskeene wording and went away from the round, knurled steel handle to the hexagon shape brass handle. In the mid-20's they did come out with a couple models with round handles.

This is only my opinion, I'd like to see if others agree or disagree.




Here's an ad from 1915, it's the earliest one I've found for the 1912 Damaskeene.



T

[MacDaddy]

Regarding Damaskeene variants, I just got a second one off the Bay for $6.50 shipped! It cleaned up nicely, just some brassing on the edges of the top lid. What's interesting about this one is it has different wording on both the inside plate and on the back of the razor.

I know you're not thinking that you're going to get out of here without posting some pics, Jeff.

Here's an ad from 1915, it's the earliest one I've found for the 1912 Damaskeene.

Here's one from the Sept. 20, 1913 issue of Collier's:



That same campaign also ran in the Oct. 11, 1913 Saturday Evening Post.

Of course, there's also the fact that it was the Gem Junior Bar that was the original Damaskeene razor (below is from the November 1912 issue of Outing), though we wouldn't really refer to it that way today.

[lt114]

I just picked up a cased Damaskeene in great shape from ebay for next to nothing. I'm using it tomorrow morning. I'm expecting great things from this razor.
It feels incredibly well balanced. Kind of the SE version of the Merkur 34C in terms of the size, weight, balance, etc.

[fcdiscus]

I just picked up a cased Damaskeene in great shape from ebay for next to nothing. I'm using it tomorrow morning. I'm expecting great things from this razor.
It feels incredibly well balanced. Kind of the SE version of the Merkur 38C in terms of the size, weight, balance, etc.

You must have gotten a monster sized Damaskeene to compare it to the 38C???

[lt114]

You must have gotten a monster sized Damaskeene to compare it to the 38C???

My mistake I meant the 34C. That would be a monster Damaskeene wouldn't it.