RE: GEM Damaskene loaner
Greetings
Tony is quite right the Damskeene does seem to present to the face differently to all the other 1912's.
True that on most models the top cover is curved rather than having a bevel at the blade end but apart from this it is just impossible to put your finger on as to why the Damskeene shaves better than all the other models of 1912's.
Just about all SE users agree that a Damaskeene is the best shaver of all the 1912's an opinion I completely agree with. You can compare this razor to other 1912's and poke feeler gauges in it and measure different parts of the razor but apart from the top cover everything seems the same but it just shaves better, there are all sorts of fanciful reasons given for this, many of which you can read on B&B and IMHO none of them (at least to me) make much sense, it's just one of lifes minor mysteries.
I also have an open comb Damaskeene which IMHO does not shave quite as well as the more often seen standard model like this one.
Anybody interested in SE's should jump at the chance of trying this razor they are by the way not aggressive and ultra easy to shave with but cut whiskers better than many razors twice as aggressive.
Regards
Dick.