Ever ready 1912 US vs UK

[gthe]

Hi all,

One week after my first ER 1912, i got my second one (Rabit hole i am coming ...). My first one was a "made in England" with the chain-patterned heavier handle. Its shaving nice and efficiently. The second one i bought is a "made in USA" with the same chain-patterned heavier handle. I bought it more as a backup. The only difference i could see before shaving with it was that the base of the head is missing the "PATD 1912" (apart from mentioning "made in USA" inside the head), so i thought they will shave the same.

But they are not ... the US one is milder that the UK. Later i checked closer the heads with a blade loaded in both and i actually find out that the UK cap is a tad shorter leaving more blade exposed. That's the only difference i can see.

Can this be just a factory variation or a different era design of the 2 razors?

 

[pjgh]

I'm going say look again, George ...

Okay, so comparison of my pre-1930 design American 1912s with British 1912s and I'm finding the top cap to be the same length. Yes, the British 1912 top cap is a tad shorter than the post-1930 American 1912s.

So, what's this swing date around 1930?

Well, the American model changed shape ... and that's why I said look again. Look at the comb. I'll wager your American 1912 has a smoother comb at the corners, where the British 1912 sticks out at the corners. That's the main material change before and after 1930 for the American 1912s. It's not that the British 1912 has a shorter cap, it's that the post-1930 American 1912s had a longer cap and the reshaped comb. Pre-1930 American and British 1912s are the same; the British model did not get the reshaped comb.

In 1930, ASR relaunched the GEM 1912 in the US as the GEM Junior, and the Ever-Ready & Star brands gained the same design. British Star (largely for the French market) and GEM (made for the Australian market) after 1930 retained the pre-1930 design.

 

[pjgh]

The other change was, I think, 1921 ... when the older curved caps gained straight caps. Certainly the Ever-Ready in the US was rebranded as the "New Improved".

Fun also to note that the "1912" was infact released in 1919 and named so in reference to the patent awarded to the Gem Damaskeene. Prior to this the razor was always marketed as the "Gem Damaskeene".

I have the No.7 (single) and the No.25 (Combination Set) ... and the No.1 (Gem DeLuxe Set). I keep my eyes peeled for a Lady Gem < I have the razor, just not the case.

 

[pjgh]

So, material differences?

Gem Damaskeene (1911? 1912) - Curved cap < yes, there's the open comb with no drain holes in the base (circa 1910), but short lived
1919 - Launch of the "1912" with curved cap ... there's also a "shorty" with a squat cap < the back is maybe 5mm or so shorter
1921 - Launch of the "New Improved" switching to straight cap ... "squat caps", too with the straight cap
1930 - Launch of the "GEM Junior" with the reshaped comb and the slightly longer top cap

... throughout which, the British models remained as per the 1921. I'm hazy on this, so perhaps a patent spotter like @riverrun might know, but British production strikes me as probably a late 1920s perhaps into the 1930s kinda thing. Certainly what we tend to think of as 1930s British were actually more likely 1940s. I don't have anything concrete as to production dates in Britain.

I think the only thing to note for the British 1912s is that end of the 1940s and into the 1950s we started to see lightweight aluminium handles, certainly standard into the 1950s. By the very end of the run, handles became round (as seen on the 'Peerless' and 'Bathroom Set' models).

 

[pjgh]

Curved caps were the Daimlers to the straight cap Jaguars. Streamlines are the Rolls Royces. To continued the analogy, 1914s are the Land Rovers while the 1924s form the Range Rover.

I love talking 1912s ... you can tell

 

[gthe]

No digital caliper at home but I checked again. (maybe in the name of the science I should drive quickly to our lab at work and grab one ).

I can see a tiny difference in the depth of the comb and the UK comb is deeper. Apart from, I cannot see a difference.

 

[pjgh]

Ah, no ... that's a pre-1930 American. Okay then, we'll chalk that up to manufacturing variance.

The post-1930 American caps are quite noticeably longer (like just over half a mm). Yours appear closer in difference with the bevelled part about the same - the angle of that final bevel is abit different on the post-1930s.

Lovely pair, mind.

 

[gthe]

Ah, no ... that's a pre-1930 American. Okay then, we'll chalk that up to manufacturing variance.

The post-1930 American caps are quite noticeably longer (like just over half a mm). Yours appear closer in difference with the bevelled part about the same - the angle of that final bevel is abit different on the post-1930s.

Lovely pair, mind.

Crap .... now this means that i have to search and buy a post 1930 American too, in the name of the science ...
Thanks a lot for the help. Both actually shave great. I quit my DEs for them (and also trying a PAL Injectomatic now ...)

 

[pjgh]

I quit my DEs ...

Yep! Filthy habit

The difference in comb is quite pronounced. Here's once of my GEM Juniors, which you can see has rounded corners on the comb. If you look from above on either of your 1912s, you can see the corners of the comb sticking out at the sides of the cap - with the post-1930, you don't.

Personally, I'd invest the effort into sourcing a much older model with the curved top cap. Remember, you've got the "Jaguar" ... look for the "Daimler" rather than the "(Mondeo)".

 

[riverrun]

... throughout which, the British models remained as per the 1921. I'm hazy on this, so perhaps a patent spotter like @riverrun might know, but British production strikes me as probably a late 1920s perhaps into the 1930s kinda thing. Certainly what we tend to think of as 1930s British were actually more likely 1940s. I don't have anything concrete as to production dates in Britain.

A patent spotter would be convinced they are all from 1912

 

[pjgh]

A patent spotter would be convinced they are all from 1912

Damn! They were very busy that year!

 

[pjgh]

Ah, no ... that's a pre-1930 American. Okay then, we'll chalk that up to manufacturing variance.

The post-1930 American caps are quite noticeably longer (like just over half a mm). Yours appear closer in difference with the bevelled part about the same - the angle of that final bevel is abit different on the post-1930s.

Lovely pair, mind.

I have resived my opinion on this @gthe ...

There is actually a material difference and I got ahead of myself with the answer and didn't consider the detail. At the time of replying, I was comparing what are known (older) 1940s British with American and not finding a difference, hence me chalking it up to manufacturing variance. Since then, I have re-checked and I am consistently finding that later 1912s have a shorter top cap than previous models.

It's not a GB/US thing. It is an older/newer thing ...

I have to put the change "some time in the 1950s" because models that I know are early 1950s (launched Christmas 1949, say the DeLuxe) do not exhibit this difference and models that I know are 1950s (like the flip-open case" https://www.theshavingroom.co.uk/community/threads/ever-ready-flip-open-c-1950s.55097/) do, or rather some do. Ones with heavier handles do not exhibit the difference while those with the lighter handles do), so I must conclude that there was a change in design and tooling at some point through the 1950s. Certainly, models from later in that decade (like the Bathroom Set and Peerless) show the difference.

Yes, there are one or two exceptions/anomalies, but there is a second and less apparent difference. Later models open easier. And that's about all I can say about it. Anomalies, like a lightweight handled model that does not show the difference has a head that is tighter to open. Either mismatched, as a lot of vintage becomes ... or just transitional sets.

So, your British example? What kinda handle does it have?

 

[gthe]

So, your British example? What kinda handle does it have?

Both my British and US razors have the chained pattern heavier handle. The US one has no sign to wrote 1912 pattern in the head too (if this helps go find the date estimation).

 

[TobyC]

Look at the stops, the Brit puts the blade farther forward on the comb, that's the difference in shave feel.

 

[TobyC]

Put a blade in both, close them, and take a pic with them nose to nose again.

 

[pjgh]

For this particular question, I'd agree - the British Made feels more aggressive due to the position of the blade further forward on the comb.