Help identifying two SEs (1912s)

Pretty sure the razor on the left is a GEM Featherweight. On the right a Star 1912. Sorry not an expert, so don't know their heritage. May be Paul @pjgh may be able to help.

The Featherweight looks in reasonable nick. Nice handle.
 
Featherweight on the left with the earlier heavy flat top cap rather than the later, more lightweight cap. I can't see which brand it is under, but they came as Gem, Ever Ready & Star. On the right, it's a Star 1912. If it says "Brooklyn" inside, it's made in the USA, "Safety Razor" I think is British made for the French market. I like the Star 1912s.

I hope you enjoy them.
 
Glen_Lee said:
Pretty sure the razor on the left is a GEM Featherweight. On the right a Star 1912. Sorry not an expert, so don't know their heritage. May be Paul @pjgh may be able to help.

The Featherweight looks in reasonable nick. Nice handle.
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Thanks for that! I've been speaking to another expert on SEs on private and he thought the one on the left was a featherweight as well. They are my first foray into the SE world so I really hope they are both useable!

I'll definitely post more pics when they arrive to try and fathom it out with you lovely bunch.
Looney12345 said:
Hi guys,

I've just won't these on eBay and am wondering what makes exactly they are before they turn up! If the pictures aren't detailed enough I'll post some more when I receive them.

Hope I'm allowed to link to this;

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/182184547161
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pjgh said:
Featherweight on the left with the earlier heavy flat top cap rather than the later, more lightweight cap. I can't see which brand it is under, but they came as Gem, Ever Ready & Star. On the right, it's a Star 1912. If it says "Brooklyn" inside, it's made in the USA, "Safety Razor" I think is British made for the French market. I like the Star 1912s.

I hope you enjoy them.
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Thanks for that, really insightful! Are the featherweights good razors? I've never actually heard of them before when researching SEs.

I'll post some pics of the inside when they arrive, hoping for a US model as have read they seem more refined... not that there's much chance of me being able to tell the difference!
 
Ah, the blurb tells us it's an Ever Ready (the Featherweight), so likely it's British. Personally, I'd say quite the contrary about how refined the razors are - British were generally of a better and more consistent standard.

While we refer to the one on the left as a Featherweight, on the British market I believe the moniker Natural Angle was applied to the all metal razor which preceded it as well as those razors. In America, the preceding razor was called the Heavy Flat Top (sometimes, G Bar) and the lighter, plastic handled version the Featherweight. It's just marketing nomenclature.

Yeah, the Featherweight is a sound razor. It's not lightweight when it comes to shaving!
 
pjgh said:
Ah, the blurb tells us it's an Ever Ready (the Featherweight), so likely it's British. Personally, I'd say quite the contrary about how refined the razors are - British were generally of a better and more consistent standard.

While we refer to the one on the left as a Featherweight, on the British market I believe the moniker Natural Angle was applied to the all metal razor which preceded it as well as those razors. In America, the preceding razor was called the Heavy Flat Top (sometimes, G Bar) and the lighter, plastic handled version the Featherweight. It's just marketing nomenclature.

Yeah, the Featherweight is a sound razor. It's not lightweight when it comes to shaving!
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As promised here are two pics of the insides of each razor... as expected you were correct!

Featherweight Ever Ready GB

http://cloud.tapatalk.com/s/577d4cfea9654/IMG_20160706_192120.jpg


STAR USA

http://cloud.tapatalk.com/s/577d4d1fa9d94/IMG_20160706_192235.jpg
 
As Paul said the Featherweight is a Nice SE..Its on the Milder Side of the Spectrum but Not DE Kinda Mild..The Star 1912 is Kinda Moderately Aggressive..The Featherweight is a Smooth Shaver as it was Designed for Current Gem Blades..The 1912 was Designed for a Stropping Blade..Gem Blades work in them but it Wont be as Smooth as the Featherweight..:D

Billy
 
Thanks both of you! I'm trying the 1914 tonight from the pass around. Then the 24 also from the pass around... will then try the featherweight and then the STAR.

Will look to shim the STAR... assuming the Featherweight doesn't require a shim if it's designed to take modern GEMs @Fergiebilly?
 
In practice, what you get from shimming the older razors (like the 1912, 1914, 1924 ...) is that the shave is smoothed somewhat as the angle of the cutting edge is adjusted ever so slightly and the gap closed up just a smidge. It's worth doing ... I don't always, but I do always notice when I do.

With the much older wedge holders, I often use a couple of full spines underneath - that's four halves, where a 1912 needs just one half of a spine.
 
So just had my first SE shave and it was with the 1914...

All speick products, hot towel prep;

First pass it felt quite pulley. I had a couple of days growth but it didn't feel like it was cutting through cleanly. The blade also felt like it had a "flex" almost like it was bending compared to the rigidity I'm used to with a DE.

Second and third passes were much smoother and I started to get into the rhythm a bit more. I've ended up with near BBS on my face, but my neck (which I'm having difficulty with anyway and already had some irritation) didn't like me. I didn't go ATG on my neck, just across twice, but I've ended up with quite a red neck in the usual spots and a couple of tiny nicks.

Enjoyed my first experience though I'm hoping for better going forward... I still need to sort out my neck technique or hope that my neck gets used to it being shaved! Lol
 
Good! Good! Curious comments about flex, as it is the rigidity of single edge blades over double edge that is one of the most startling differences. No micro-chatter with a single edge blade. It might be a surety of hand - you're used to very light touches with a DE, same with an SE razor, but you'll hold your wrist more firmly perhaps.

Good! Good, though ...
 
pjgh said:
Good! Good! Curious comments about flex, as it is the rigidity of single edge blades over double edge that is one of the most startling differences. No micro-chatter with a single edge blade. It might be a surety of hand - you're used to very light touches with a DE, same with an SE razor, but you'll hold your wrist more firmly perhaps.

Good! Good, though ...
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Indeed, I think I may have been a little tentative with the first pass, which was probably the worst time to be tentative with a couple of days growth and what I think are quite tough barbs. It was an odd feeling with the blade, it was definitely seated straight, it just didn't feel right on the first pass. I think I was more confident with the second and third so I didn't get that feeling for those. My neck is quite red this morning in the usual areas, but face is still very smooth so I've obviously got a good shave out of it. My neck is also smoother than it would be normally considering I don't go ATG on my neck, but the irritation is more than usual.

I'll be persevering with SE though for sure... I think once I improve my technique generally and hopefully my neck gets used to it, I could well be an SE convert. Hopefully the two SE's I've bought off the bay will be enough to keep me ticking over until RAD kicks in again!!

Looking forward to trying the shim on the STAR
 
Looney12345 said:
Indeed, I think I may have been a little tentative with the first pass, which was probably the worst time to be tentative with a couple of days growth and what I think are quite tough barbs. It was an odd feeling with the blade, it was definitely seated straight, it just didn't feel right on the first pass. I think I was more confident with the second and third so I didn't get that feeling for those. My neck is quite red this morning in the usual areas, but face is still very smooth so I've obviously got a good shave out of it. My neck is also smoother than it would be normally considering I don't go ATG on my neck, but the irritation is more than usual.

I'll be persevering with SE though for sure... I think once I improve my technique generally and hopefully my neck gets used to it, I could well be an SE convert. Hopefully the two SE's I've bought off the bay will be enough to keep me ticking over until RAD kicks in again!!

Looking forward to trying the shim on the STAR
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A 1914 is an Aggressive SE..There is a Lot of Blade Exposure in this Particular Razor..If the Angle isn't Spot On the Blade will Kinda Catch & Flex..That's because these Current Gem Blades are No Where as Near as Rigid as the Original Stropping Blades..:)

They Do Require a Light Touch & Most Folks will End Up with a Sore Face & or Irritation on the 1st Outing with One of these SEs..I Did & I know Others have as Well..See this Thread of Mine on Shaving with the Original Stropping Blades..These Older SEs Shave Differently with the Original Blades as Intended..They are Far More Forgiving & Smooth + Smooth & More Efficient..They Mow Down the Whiskers like a Steam Train..o_O

Most Folks Wont Go the Bother of Using them..Their Loss because they will Never Know the True Potential or Ever Feel the Genuine 1914 or SE Article in All its Glory..;)

The Ironic thing is that its Easy Peasy to Maintain these Old Stropping Blades..It take More Skill However than 1st Meets the Eye..:D
http://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rc...9VUNHBSccPpI9eOv6qLs8A&bvm=bv.126130881,d.d2s


Billy
 
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