Gem SE Blade- First shaves-Eureka moment!

[mpf9ret]

Like many shavers new to SE shaving, I started off with an ER 1912 [ UK ], and used a standard Gem S/S coated [ from Connaughts ]. I found the first shaves with a new blade quite harsh, and then they got smoother.

As I acquired a few more razors, I always used a blade that had been worn in on a 1912, especially on the 1924/1914. I have more recently started to use a range of Gems , and adopted the same practice.

Today, after achieving 10 acceptable shaves from one blade , decided it was time to use a new one. Decided to try it in a Gem G Bar[ knew it was mild shaver ], the result was a great smooth & comfortable shave.

This might well be my choice for breaking in Blades in the Future , but may try a Clog Pruf/ Bullet Tip.

 

[fancontroller]

I do the same. From my SE lineup I've found my 1912 Damaskeene to be the mildest razor and my 1924 the harshest. So I start a new blade off with the Damaskeene which is very forgiving, smooth shaver but doesn't get quite as close as other razors. I think it's because the cutting angle has to be just right and if it's off then it doesn't cut, therefore less chance of scraping at an uncomfortable angle.

Having said that I recently started a new blade (Gem for Connaught's as usual) in my new Clog Pruf which I assumed would be mild - but it felt rough/aggressive. Today I used my Damaskeene on this blade's 4th shave and it still feels rough. Either I've got a super-sharp blade that needs half a dozen uses before it's ok or I have a duff blade.
I've had the same experience before and found it was a duff blade.
It's tempting to persevere with this blade to find out but it's no fun having harsh shaves so I might just bin it and try another.

 

[Fergiebilly]

Yeah, I have the same experience......as a lot of other folks!......:angel:

I am currently using the GEM Stainless Steel blade from Connaughts. I just find them a tad rough in a 1912 for the first couple of shaves.........I am sending away for some SE feather blades and I am going to use a spine from a GEM blade just out of curiosity and experimentation......

I am now rotating a blade from my GEM G Bar after a couple of shaves into the 1912 and this works fine for me......:icon_rolleyes:

Like yourself I have also observed that the shaving angle of the modern blades differs in various razors.......

I had my first shave the other day with a 1924 and had a fantastic smooth close shave with a brand new blade from Connaughts........Why ?:huh:

I have observed that the shaving angle of a modern blade in a 1924 is by far more closer to what it was intended to be with an older original blade.......The 1924 has a blade holder (tray) very much like the GEM G Bar that was designed to perform with modern blades.......The 1924 in my experience is more compatible with modern GEM blades........

In fact, I am going to push the boat out and say that Its a more refined razor in every way.......The design is so elegant and the razor is deceptively aggressive, because it delivers a really smooth shave......I would suggest that the shaving angle of the 1924 is more precise than the 1912 and takes a particular listening skills to find the correct shaving angle......:idea:

The modern 1912 is sensitive to modern blades because the shaving angle with modern blades is way outside the intended working tolerances in my humble opinion......

We must remember that Ever Ready did not start to produce the modern 1912 until 1930.......They continued with their 1914/1924 line of razors.......They were finally forced into making mass easier to produce so called new improved 1912s by GEM after the Micromatic family of razors had taken over.......The modern 1912 was easier to produce because its cheaper to make than earlier models that took more machining time.

I have recently modified the shaving angle of a modern blade in a 1912 with excellent results by shimming the bottom half of the spine.........

I have, thus far, came to the conclusion that the Modern 1912 is the least compatible razor with modern blades without some sort of tweaking such as blade rotations and or altering the shaving angle of modern blades.......:angel:

Regards

Billy

 

[fancontroller]

...
I have recently modified the shaving angle of a modern blade in a 1912 with excellent results by shimming the bottom half of the spine.........
...

Regards

Billy

Thanks Billy, that was an interesting read. I might have to try out out some of those ideas.
I think I understand you about shimming the bottom half of the spine. Do you mean placing a second shim blade/spine under the actual blade? Do you have any photos to share to better describe your experimentation?

 

[pjgh]

Super! It's a razor that often gets looked over, but aside from the 1912 which had a long run, the design of that G Bar is an inheritance from the Micromatic and continued through the Featherweight, Pushbutton and onto the Contour. It's a design of head that does seem to like to be almost flat on your face.

I'm rather partial to the Contour, of all things, having shaved with one just last night - an excellent daily shaver for someone like me who likes a shave every other day; mild, not too close, just right. I also like the Feathweight, which is very close to the G Bar in design, finding it anything but a featherweight when it comes to mowing away a fews days of growth.

 

[Fergiebilly]

...
I have recently modified the shaving angle of a modern blade in a 1912 with excellent results by shimming the bottom half of the spine.........
...

Regards

Billy

Thanks Billy, that was an interesting read. I might have to try out out some of those ideas.
I think I understand you about shimming the bottom half of the spine. Do you mean placing a second shim blade/spine under the actual blade? Do you have any photos to share to better describe your experimentation?

Yes ! I am placing a shim of thin metal under the spine of the original blade .....The shim should be the same width a length of the SPINE ONLY .......I have not measured these tolerances scientifically as yet......Still to come as I haven't a micro meter.....

It doesn't take much.....:icon_rolleyes:.

I used a RIZLA cardboard cover from their paper packet as a template as a starting point replicated the width of the paper ......I am sending away for ENGINEERING METAL SHIMMING TAPE ......for a more precise tolerances.......But as one does not need a strobe light to set the ignition timing on an engine once you have learned the listening skills......you don't need engineering skills to shim your blade ......Go by listening and feeling......:angel:

This shimming method changes the angle of the blade in the 1912.....so that their is an even gap (space) between the comb and blade.........It can be seen by the naked eye and felt with the new shaving experience even with a new blade.....




I will post some photos.......later......:idea:

Regards

Billy

 

[UKRob]

This suggests that the spine on the modern Gem is thinner than, say, a Corrux blade. Why not try swapping the spines over and see if it has the same effect.

 

[Norfolkdick]

Greetings

I think the chances of getting a duff blade in a box of 100 quite possible, I am less than sure that the quality control on GEM Stainless coated blades is that great. I have personally had a blade with no spine at all and another that had no edge ground on it so 'duffers' can and do occasionally happen.

York Neil on this forum got a whole box of 100 that were all awful dull as could be (Neil sent me a couple to try) Connaughts to their absolute credit unhesitantly changed them for him.

A small but relevant point when experimenting with Feather SE blades in razors other than Valets is to remember that the Feather blades are nearly a sixteenth of an inch deeper than the GEM blades (with a spine added or comparing both blades spineless) therefore you need to take it real steady when closing the flip top of the razor, if it feels really tight, do not carry on or you will knacker the top cover spring.

Some models accept the Feather blades without a problem on others they are just too tight, there is quite a bit of variation between models and even within the same model eg old well worn 1912's where the spring has already been compressed a bit will normally accept them without a problem.

You cannot of course fit them in any of the Micromatic range because of the side blade location lugs.

Regards
Dick.

 

[fancontroller]

Yes ! I am placing a shim of thin metal under the spine of the original blade .....The shim should be the same width a length of the SPINE ONLY .......I have not measured these tolerances scientifically as yet......Still to come as I haven't a micro meter.....

It doesn't take much.....:icon_rolleyes:.

I used a RIZLA cardboard cover from their paper packet as a template as a starting point replicated the width of the paper ......I am sending away for ENGINEERING METAL SHIMMING TAPE ......for a more precise tolerances.......But as one does not need a strobe light to set the ignition timing on an engine once you have learned the listening skills......you don't need engineering skills to shim your blade ......Go by listening and feeling......:angel:

This shimming method changes the angle of the blade in the 1912.....so that their is an even gap (space) between the comb and blade.........It can be seen by the naked eye and felt with the new shaving experience even with a new blade.....

I will post some photos.......later......:idea:

Regards

Billy

Here's an idea - what about using a strip of that flexible magnetic tape/plastic they use for fridge magnets and notepads etc? If it were available thin enough, I guess we're talking only a mm or so. It would just stick to the razor spine and once in the razor would be held in place anyway.

Does that amount of shimming really affect the blade angle that much? I can see it only making a fraction of a degree angle difference at the cutting edge. Also wouldn't modern SE blades flex a little which would defect the object?
I've tried checking out how the blade is held in my razors when the cap is closed and it does seem that the force pushing the blade against the comb-stops may flex the blade a little.

Anyhow, I suppose if you've already experimented and can feel a difference then that proves that it must work.

 

[Fergiebilly]

Yes ! I am placing a shim of thin metal under the spine of the original blade .....The shim should be the same width a length of the SPINE ONLY .......I have not measured these tolerances scientifically as yet......Still to come as I haven't a micro meter.....

It doesn't take much.....:icon_rolleyes:.

I used a RIZLA cardboard cover from their paper packet as a template as a starting point replicated the width of the paper ......I am sending away for ENGINEERING METAL SHIMMING TAPE ......for a more precise tolerances.......But as one does not need a strobe light to set the ignition timing on an engine once you have learned the listening skills......you don't need engineering skills to shim your blade ......Go by listening and feeling......:angel:

This shimming method changes the angle of the blade in the 1912.....so that their is an even gap (space) between the comb and blade.........It can be seen by the naked eye and felt with the new shaving experience even with a new blade.....

I will post some photos.......later......:idea:

Regards

Billy

Here's an idea - what about using a strip of that flexible magnetic tape/plastic they use for fridge magnets and notepads etc? If it were available thin enough, I guess we're talking only a mm or so. It would just stick to the razor spine and once in the razor would be held in place anyway.

Does that amount of shimming really affect the blade angle that much? I can see it only making a fraction of a degree angle difference at the cutting edge. Also wouldn't modern SE blades flex a little which would defect the object?

I've tried checking out how the blade is held in my razors when the cap is closed and it does seem that the force pushing the blade against the comb-stops may flex the blade a little.

Anyhow, I suppose if you've already experimented and can feel a difference then that proves that it must work.

Hi Mike

Never thought of the magnet strips.....Not sure if we will get them thin enough. Nothing like a millimetre, I am using a 0.28 mm shim at the moment.........we are working with small tolerances here......The angle of the blade does get altered significantly.......And yes the blade does flex by a small amount, however, I have observed that the Old Original Blades flex to what appears to me by the naked eye equally as well.......

I found this an interesting observation....... As both the MODERN/OLD ORIGINAL BLADES are under the same pressure from the rear spring and forward blade stoppers.....

In theory the flexing should be equal due to the equal length and width of the blades under equal pressure.....I have come to the conclusions that this is indeed the case......Surprisingly !

This modification and change of angle of the blade and changes the working tolerance's of the blade and razor more to where the Manufactures intended with original blades........

I have attempted to use the spines from an Old Blade's which are thicker than Modern blades by around 0.28 mm ........

I found that the modern blade sits deeper into the old thicker spine and therefore shortens the length of the blade......

This is an easy modification !

Regards

Billy

---

Greetings

I think the chances of getting a duff blade in a box of 100 quite possible, I am less than sure that the quality control on GEM Stainless coated blades is that great. I have personally had a blade with no spine at all and another that had no edge ground on it so 'duffers' can and do occasionally happen.

York Neil on this forum got a whole box of 100 that were all awful dull as could be (Neil sent me a couple to try) Connaughts to their absolute credit unhesitantly changed them for him.

A small but relevant point when experimenting with Feather SE blades in razors other than Valets is to remember that the Feather blades are nearly a sixteenth of an inch deeper than the GEM blades (with a spine added or comparing both blades spineless) therefore you need to take it real steady when closing the flip top of the razor, if it feels really tight, do not carry on or you will knacker the top cover spring.

Some models accept the Feather blades without a problem on others they are just too tight, there is quite a bit of variation between models and even within the same model eg old well worn 1912's where the spring has already been compressed a bit will normally accept them without a problem.

You cannot of course fit them in any of the Micromatic range because of the side blade location lugs.

Regards
Dick.

Hi Dick

Thank you once again for your guidance on these blades !

Regards

Billy

---

Super! It's a razor that often gets looked over, but aside from the 1912 which had a long run, the design of that G Bar is an inheritance from the Micromatic and continued through the Featherweight, Pushbutton and onto the Contour. It's a design of head that does seem to like to be almost flat on your face.

I'm rather partial to the Contour, of all things, having shaved with one just last night - an excellent daily shaver for someone like me who likes a shave every other day; mild, not too close, just right. I also like the Feathweight, which is very close to the G Bar in design, finding it anything but a featherweight when it comes to mowing away a fews days of growth.

Aye Paul

The GEM G BAR is an excellent shave ......If someone sentenced me to having to shave every day........

The G BAR would be my salvation from a sentence of daily shaving ! :icon_razz:

Billy

---

This suggests that the spine on the modern Gem is thinner than, say, a Corrux blade. Why not try swapping the spines over and see if it has the same effect.

Hi Bob

The spine on the modern Gem is thinner than a Corrux blade. I have swapped the spines, but the modern blades seats deeper into the thicker spine and shortens the working length of the blade.....

I can get around this for a one off shave, but its not practical for regular use as the old spine would get damaged quickly and they are not easy to prise off from the old blade either. In fact, it could be decidedly unhealthy ! MMMMMMmmmmmmm:icon_rolleyes: