... and injectors...This stuff is confusing at first....There were basically 3 sorts of Single Edge blades..
1. Hollow Ground Blade SEs ...Early Lather Catchers & Hoe Razors..etc
2. SEs that took a stropping blade...Later lather catchers,1912, 1914, 1924.. etc
3 SEs that took a Modern Gem blade ...Micromatic Family and subsequent razors
My Humble Apologies my Friend...Yeah..Keep it simple...Just get an Almighty Injector..His Brains will be Scrambled Egg Now...... and injectors...
Lol, now I'm confused. I think I'll stick to the GEM SE blades.
Edit: do you have any more info on the type of blade that Paul is using in his 1912?
This stuff is confusing at first....There were basically 3 sorts of Single Edge blades..
1. Hollow Ground Blade SEs ...Early Lather Catchers & Hoe Razors..etc
2. SEs that took a stropping blade...Later lather catchers,1912, 1914, 1924.. etc
3 SEs that took a Modern Gem blade ...Micromatic Family and subsequent razors
That's it in a Nutshell..The 1912 you are using was designed for a Stropping blade...The modern Gem blade fits it cause its roughly the same size..The first SE that took the Modern Gem blade was the Gem Open Comb Micromatic on 1929/1930 and subsequent Gem Razors...Here is a link that shows the Older Stropping Blades...
http://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=3&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwj5sKfjxq_KAhWMWBQKHbz8B0IQFggoMAI&url=http://shavenook.com/showthread.php?tid=3330&usg=AFQjCNHzj6uomLEA2R-DSXej2oRRqmGIRQ
Billy
This was a good while ago ... I got the chance to use a very shave capable vintage Damaskeene blade. The blade was something like 100 years old, still VERY keen and I used it for 7 shaves stropping after each shave. I'll carry on with it in due course, because it is still very keen and raring to go.
Those older flip-top cap Ever Ready and GEM razors took that kind of blade, intended to be used and used and used, maintained with a strop. Those blades are thicker than modern GEM blades. As Billy lists, the blades like we use today came in some time in the '30s with the Micromatic razor. That is not to say that you should not use a modern GEM blade in, say, a 1912 or 1914, far from it ... carry on.
Check out 11th September 2015 SOTD onwards for my fun with that Damaskeene blade.
... where you'll see the answer to your other question: you use a stropper
Wilkinson Empire..Thanks Billy, now it makes sense.
Another newbie question - I've noticed some razors which use a stropping blade can be stropped with the blade in-situ inside the razor (e.g. Valet Autostrop). If I was to get a stropping blade for my 1912, how would I go about stropping it?
This is just a learning curve..They used the stropping method as I have shown..Later on there were more posh autostrops like Paul has just shown for the Rich...What you have to take on board is that the reason all sets didn't have strops is twofold...Firstly..The razor companies knew most folks would have had at least one..There was no point in selling strops in every set...Secondly..The SE Companies counter to popular opinion started using the term Disposable Blades..Not Gillette..That's a Myth..The SE Companies offered an exchange blade system where you exchanged your blades at the local shops for re stropped blades & or new ones..Thanks Billy. If you find that blade then I'll buy it.
I'm curious how people using those blades in their 1912's stropped them. Presumably they didn't all have stropping handles on hand so I'm guessing there must be another way. More research needed, me thinks.
Damaskeene Combination No.25 Set:
Sun Ray 1912 with stropper:
NO..The Modern Gem blade is not meant to be stropped..The Autostopper was just a newer invention that's all for the Older stropping blades..Most folks couldn't afford them.. The Posher Gillette Sets had them an all..Beautiful razors there, Paul.
I see. So the older, thicker stropping blades can be held in a stick-like implement to allow them to be stropped by hand, like a straight razor, using an ordinary strop; whereas to strop a modern, thinner SE blade, you'd use a machine like that GEM "auto stropper". Correct?
I'll try an old stropping blade in my 1912 but I can see myself getting a hollow ground SE razor too, in the not to distant future.
NO..The Modern Gem blade is not meant to be stropped..The Autostopper was just a newer invention that's all for the Older stropping blades..Most folks couldn't afford them.. The Posher Gillette Sets had them an all..
Billy
Chalk & Cheese is some respects..They can be far smoother..They can be a tad tuggy on the first pass then they just blow a Modern Gem blade away..Not for everyone I guess..Most folks just don't want the Hassle..Too Busy watchin East Enders or Football..Great stuff, cheers Billy.
How would you say the older, stropping blades shave when compared to modern SE blades?
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