GEM Double Edge Blades

Just wondering if anyone has any ideas when they were made, and how hard they would be to obtain?

To clarify, are these double edge blades made to fit Gem (nominally single edge at a time) razors?

- Chris

Chris, based on the insert in the box with the Gem Micromatic, it appears that GEM, at least for a period, made a double edge blade.

Here's why I think that it's not a Gillette style double edge:

View attachment 61260

It certainly looks like these are the blades that would go in this razor.

I've seen these on ebay. Apparently they are made to be used in single edge razors. The user would shave with one edge until dull then switch it around to the second edge. I don't believe they would fit a DE razor.

Yep, only made for the micromatic SE razor, not for a DE razor.

Here's a view of the actual blade:

Thanks!

82R100 said:

Here's a view of the actual blade:

Click to expand...

That ad is very interesting:

A) They are pretty much saying that their newest blade outperforms their current blade, basically that their old product is inferior to the newest one.

I thought only Gillette used those form of marketing tactics!

B) "The first razor so confident of it's perfection that well's mail a trail set, with a single, and double edge blade, and the exact gold-plated frame included in Gem's regular $1 outfits for $.25 cents."

Wow!! $.25 cents to sample all of the Gem goodness, remind me again why they didn't have a higher market share?

I guess even Gem was participating in the "give the razor away for free, so we can make our profits on the blades" style of marketing.

I personally believe that their key advantage lay in the 4,840 separate stroppings!

One thing to note: They came out with the double edge blade to counter Gillette's claim that you got two shaving surfaces with their blades vs. one with the Gem. The Gem double edge blades would only have worked well with the Micromatic model, since the others (1912's, etc.) press against the spine of the blade to hold it and would thus dull the hidden edge while the first one was being used.

looks like the main difference here is the slotting on the gem de vs. the slot/pinning on the gillette style de.

The main difference is that the blade is still the same thickness as a SE blade and not flexible like a DE blade is.

pablo_h said:

The main difference is that the blade is still the same thickness as a SE blade and not flexible like a DE blade is.

Click to expand...

that too.

michiganlover said:

That ad is very interesting:

A) They are pretty much saying that their newest blade outperforms their current blade, basically that their old product is inferior to the newest one.

I thought only Gillette used those form of marketing tactics!

Click to expand...

Every company does that with "new and improved" - would you buy the reformulation if the ads said, "lowered the quality to increase our profit margin"?

michiganlover said:

B) "The first razor so confident of it's perfection that well's mail a trail set, with a single, and double edge blade, and the exact gold-plated frame included in Gem's regular $1 outfits for $.25 cents."

Wow!! $.25 cents to sample all of the Gem goodness, remind me again why they didn't have a higher market share?

Click to expand...

Gillette advertising. They managed to convince a nation of shavers back then, just like they are doing today, that Gillette is best.

michiganlover said:

I guess even Gem was participating in the "give the razor away for free, so we can make our profits on the blades" style of marketing.

Click to expand...

Not a bad approach, unless you get greedy with the profit margin on the blades.

These only work with the newer Micromatic razors with the nubs. The provide the lift that the spine provides on the single edge blade.