Gem/Ever Ready Razor Guru's - Timeline?

Anyone have a link to Gem razor info like there is for Schick and Gillettes?

I have a few Gems now and have no idea what era they are from let alone a year.

Gem Junior, seems to be solid brass - not sure.
Gem Micromatic, came in a green marble looking plastic case.
Gem G-Bar I guess it's called, came in a red case with clear top.
Ever Ready, resembles the Gem Junior - are they cousins?

Any help is greatly appreciated.

Pictures:

This is the best link I can offer:
link

I'll give it a shot.

gem junior - 1912 - late 1920s

micromatic - if it has the bullet shaped TTO knob, 1930 - mid 1940s i think

g-bar - late 1940s - mid 1950s

ER - same dates as the gem junior. you could call it the gems "sister ship"

The Zook said:

Anyone have a link to Gem razor info like there is for Schick and Gillettes?

I have a few Gems now and have no idea what era they are from let alone a year.

Gem Junior, seems to be solid brass - not sure.
Gem Micromatic, came in a green marble looking plastic case.
Gem G-Bar I guess it's called, came in a red case with clear top.
Ever Ready, resembles the Gem Junior - are they cousins?

Any help is greatly appreciated.

Pictures:

Click to expand...

It worked!

Thank you very much Dave, really appreciate the reply.

not a problem

rodd said:

This is the best link I can offer:
link

Click to expand...

Hysterical.

rodd said:

This is the best link I can offer:
link

Click to expand...

... Dang you Rodd, I just spued coffee on my keyboard...

i just realized what that was linked to. and nearly choked on my turkey sub

I just woke up the dog. She is laying on the couch next to the laptop and gave me a *** look after that one.... love the link

This reminds me I need to try out my micromatic....been hooked on my Jrs lately

Good luck with your Micromatic, I hope it is kind to you. The MM was the only razor that actually hurt my face when I used it. But maybe it will work for you.

The Gem Jr is just the best razor ever made.

homh said:

Good luck with your Micromatic, I hope it is kind to you. The MM was the only razor that actually hurt my face when I used it. But maybe it will work for you.

The Gem Jr is just the best razor ever made.

Click to expand...

So far, I have to agree. I've got 3 Brass (gold) Jr's with the black (bakelite?) handles, and one w/ a gold/brass handle. Then another 1912 in chrome that seems to be almost the same but a different handle.

The 1912's are great but, I suggest you go a little further back in Gem history and try one of the lather catcher models with the 1900/1901 patent dates. These still uses "modern" single edge blades. They made them with various types of handles including both metal and wooden ones, but other than that, they all look pretty much like the ones pictured below.

The two razors pictured are both Gem Jrs. There are also Star and Ever-Ready versions. Just be sure it has the hinged bar to hold down the blade. The older models that looked similar but were designed for a wedge blade don't have the bar, rather, they have a couple of cleats that the blade slides under.

I felt the 1912 was the best razor I had used until I tried the 1900/1901. Now I shave with one of these every day. It's hard to believe that razor design reached it's epedimy over a hundred years ago, but I believe it did.

Regards,
Tom

It seems that the best we can do to date Gems is through the use of old magazine advertisements. That's how I found that the bullet Micromatic was being sold in the late 40s and early 50s. The Featherweight was being advertised in 1953. I also ran across a 1958 ad introducing the "new" Push Button Gem. However, I still haven't seen an ad for the G Bar or the last two models Gem produced, the Contour and Contour II.

-Clarke

Shave Cat said:

It seems that the best we can do to date Gems is through the use of old magazine advertisements. That's how I found that the bullet Micromatic was being sold in the late 40s and early 50s. The Featherweight was being advertised in 1953. I also ran across a 1958 ad introducing the "new" Push Button Gem. However, I still haven't seen an ad for the G Bar or the last two models Gem produced, the Contour and Contour II.

-Clarke

Click to expand...

1934 ad for a Micromatic

http://www.adclassix.com/ads/34gem.htm

1937 ad

http://www.adclassix.com/a3/37gemrazorblades.htm

Ontario said:

1934 ad for a Micromatic

http://www.adclassix.com/ads/34gem.htm

1937 ad

http://www.adclassix.com/a3/37gemrazorblades.htm

Click to expand...

OK, there you are! Two ads showing the Micromatic with the straight knob. Anyone find some showing different models?

I was going to reply that I've read all the Ads I could find, for dating these, too.

Bullet knob Micromatic --first I've seen is '48.
Open Comb Micromatic --'26. Three different styles of handle and/or throat.
First Clog Pruf Micromatic --'33 or so, then with different Ads, up to WWII.
1912 style Juniors, into the '20s, then WWII GI production, then post-war as the 'Parade' model and the 'Peerless' model up to '50.
Push-button Flip Top --'58 in both Gold and Nickel.
G-bar, Featherweight, both Contours --don't recall seeing any ads.

Add these to the list/wiki.

-- John Gehman

john, the gbar and featherweights were in the 1950s as well.

Its a sickness. I have all these razors, but just reading the threads, I want to get a few more. The shaves are great, no question, but for me its the design, architecture, and sheer beauty of the Gems and Ever Readys that I find so compelling. Looking at the ad from 1937 above, and here

1937 ad

http://www.adclassix.com/a3/37gemrazorblades.htm

It reminded me of the old Ripley Believe It Or Not, pulp magazines. Remember those?