Single edge razor of the day.

There is actually a material difference @TobyC - it was @gthe who first spotted it here: https://www.theshavingroom.co.uk/community/threads/ever-ready-1912-us-vs-uk.55348/ 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.
 
Last edited:
Sunday 24th October

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Ganders Goat Soap w/Hop, Sage & Birch
TFS Traditional Line (Yellow) Shaving Soap
Coronet (Vulfix) w/Blonde Boar 20mm
AutoStrop Valet VC1
GEM by Personna (7) De-spined
Denim (Vintage) Aftershave
 
pjgh said:
There is actually a material difference @TobyC - it was @gthe who first spotted it here: https://www.theshavingroom.co.uk/community/threads/ever-ready-1912-us-vs-uk.55348/ 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.
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Interesting. I've never noticed any difference in opening any of them. What about the Treet models, they are certainly later, and different, but I doubt I could tell a difference in a blind test. I don't have any aluminum handled ones, is that mostly where the differences are found? How does any of this relate to the shim discussion?
 
TobyC said:
How does any of this relate to the shim discussion?
Click to expand...

... that the later ones don't need a shim as the geometry is sufficiently different to make a shim counter-productive. The earlier ones don't "need" a shim but modern blades (with a slimmer spine) are dramatically (yes, dramatically) improved by a shim. Ergo, blade angle is affected by the thickness of the spine.
 
vates said:
You find it necessary to shim the blades even for the later 1914s?
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Using a shim on any of these is NOT necessary at all as they give superb shaves regardless and part of the 1914 charm is how openly aggressive it is - just relax onto good technique, light touch and it's always a wonderful shave. No, I was simply trying it out and it made a HUGE difference to the shave, taking all of the bite and the sting out of it - literally, it went from tiger to pusscat. Most importantly, no loss of capability and I pulled off a super single pass shave.

Regarding shimming, generally, yes the theory is to give the modern slim spined blades the same geometry and therefore angle relationship in the razor to the blades that were available at the time ... thicker spined.The 1914s, even well into the 1920s would still be using thicker spined blades. Regardless of whether Ever-Ready actively changed the geometry of the razor (say, the 1912 which went all the way from 1919 to certainly well into the 1950s and was produced across both thick and thin spined blades), the later models (known to be made in the 1950s) are almost unusable with a shim and perfom without in the same way as shimmed earlier models. There is a difference.

What I do need to try out is removing the spine from one of the older blades and popping it onto a new blade and see how the shave feels ...

Summary: You don't need to shim. If you do, you'll find the older models chatter less and you'll find the shave milder, but no less capable. Whether that's good, bad or even desireable is and entirely personal thing.
 
Thanks! I know the theory behind the process but always though the results were more pronounced on earlier 1912s.
I've got an earlier 1914 (no 'hooks') and like it as is. But I'm going to shim it for the next shave now :)
 
The great thing about flip-top razors is, it is so much easier to flick open, pop the shim in, out, whatever, do a few strokes, compare, contrast and finish off the way you want to with the shim in or out. Quite a fiddle with a three-piece DE, not least all the blade alignment faffing.

Yeah, give it a go and see if YOU like it. There's always those days when you might feel that the 1914 is a bit too much and you reach for a milder razor - with a shim, you can enjoy your first choice and have a milder shave with it.
 
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