It seems like all the GEM's on eBay are the older, aggressive type. I've thougth about getting back into using a GEM occasionally but I'd rather use the newer type like the Contour. Did ASR cut back on GEM production as the years advanced?
why are late-models GEM's hard to find?
- Thread starter FireDragon76
- Start date
Aggressiveness is subjective. I do not find the GEM Jr., Damaskeene, nor the Cog-Pruf aggressive for me. I find them to be perfect razors.
I have a Contour, it's a big step down from the Pushbutton in my estimation. The Contour II was almost all plastic which probably explains why there aren't many left.
I see Pushbuttons on the bay all the time going for cheap, very comfortable shaver.
I see Pushbuttons on the bay all the time going for cheap, very comfortable shaver.
I have a couple of Contours. It appears that ASR's primary motivation with the Contour design was to cut production costs. They fill out my collection, but I don't use them much.
If you're looking for a mild shaving Gem, consider the Featherweight. They are quite plentiful, dirt cheap, and great little shavers.
--Bob
If you're looking for a mild shaving Gem, consider the Featherweight. They are quite plentiful, dirt cheap, and great little shavers.
--Bob
Look for a GEM Bullet-Tip if you want a nice milder SE that's built to last, and looks darn cool as well. As Pepin stated, Damaskeene and Clog-Pruf are super smooth and easy to find as well, but more aggressive than the Bullet Tip.
I'd like to add the Contours to my collection too, but not at the prices I see them going for.
The late models Gems don't seem all that spectcular so I'm not expecting much shave wise, but still it would be nice to see for myself how they shave.
On my list but not something I just gotta have at all costs.
The late models Gems don't seem all that spectcular so I'm not expecting much shave wise, but still it would be nice to see for myself how they shave.
On my list but not something I just gotta have at all costs.
They are mild, but shave fine.
Sounds like a typical late model Gem.
The head and cover on a Contour look identical to a Push-Button.
The head and cover on a Contour look identical to a Push-Button.
I would have to guess there are/were two factors as to why there are not many late model GEM's.
1. End of an era, GEM was ending their SE razor production.
2. Plastic, they look like disposables, so they must be disposable. I would guess a great many were thrown away because the look like cheap disposable razors.
Its also hard to find Gillette DE razors from the late 70's and 80's
If SE was a popular as DE I would imagine that Contours would be as high priced as Fatboy's. Keep searching the "Bay" I found my Contours for under $20 ea. with shipping. They are still out there but for how long?
1. End of an era, GEM was ending their SE razor production.
2. Plastic, they look like disposables, so they must be disposable. I would guess a great many were thrown away because the look like cheap disposable razors.
Its also hard to find Gillette DE razors from the late 70's and 80's
If SE was a popular as DE I would imagine that Contours would be as high priced as Fatboy's. Keep searching the "Bay" I found my Contours for under $20 ea. with shipping. They are still out there but for how long?
There actually is a push button gem contour. Some parts of the earlier contours are also steel I think so it has that going for it. I don't have one handy right now because I gave it away for someone to start wetshaving, but it was good....
Once they had the g bar, they didn't deviate tremendously in shaving characteristics from there on out. I think at most they just made the angle the door enforced slightly different.
Now I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong but the Contour is a push-button style and the Contour II is the flip-up style.
I can say that my Contour is Push, and my II is Fliptop.
Yeah, contour is push, II was flip and then the poorly made plastic part one.
At one time, I owned every type of GEM single edged razor except for the mythical Jewel. I started minimalizing my den a few years back, selling most and keeping only a few of my favorite GEM SE razors I knew I would rotate and shave with.
I kept: Clog-Pruf Micromatic, Open Comb Micromatic, and the Pushbutton. I then bought a second pushbutton in order to always have an extra, if something happened to the first. That is how much the Push Button has impressed me. It is the lightest and most streamlined of the GEM razors, which helps to control and articulate the shave for me.
I kept: Clog-Pruf Micromatic, Open Comb Micromatic, and the Pushbutton. I then bought a second pushbutton in order to always have an extra, if something happened to the first. That is how much the Push Button has impressed me. It is the lightest and most streamlined of the GEM razors, which helps to control and articulate the shave for me.
I wish this thread had pictures.
-jim
-jim
