My GEM Junior. Advertisement 1907

[Jayaruh]

I got this advertisement for the GEM Junior. Fuzzy over on TOST3 gave me my first lather catcher, and it was the GEM Junior. I love it.

The ad includes the following testimonial letter.

Just One of Hundreds of Unsolicited Letters Received Every Week:

THE BROWN PALACE HOTEL, Denver, Colo., Nov. 10, 1906
GEM CUTLERY CO. --- Gentlemen: After having tried every well-known make of Safety Razor and meeting with poor success, I was prevailed upon to try your Gem Junior Dollar Razor. I am happy to say that the results were very gratifying, and I shall not hesitate to recommend the article to any gentleman wishing a smooth and comfortable shave.
Wishing you success, I am very truly yours, C. H. CHURCHILL, Chief Clerk, The New Brown Hotel Company



Here is my GEM Junior, complete with stropper an seven vintage blades.

 

[Vittoria]

I got this advertisement for the GEM Junior. Fuzzy over on TOST3 gave me my first lather catcher, and it was the GEM Junior. I love it.

The ad includes the following testimonial letter.

Just One of Hundreds of Unsolicited Letters Received Every Week:

THE BROWN PALACE HOTEL, Denver, Colo., Nov. 10, 1906
GEM CUTLERY CO. --- Gentlemen: After having tried every well-known make of Safety Razor and meeting with poor success, I was prevailed upon to try your Gem Junior Dollar Razor. I am happy to say that the results were very gratifying, and I shall not hesitate to recommend the article to any gentleman wishing a smooth and comfortable shave.
Wishing you success, I am very truly yours, C. H. CHURCHILL, Chief Clerk, The New Brown Hotel Company

View attachment 308

Here is my GEM Junior, complete with stropper an seven vintage blades.
View attachment 309 View attachment 310

Now that is really cool @Jayaruh .
All the better with that vintage ad and letter
That is genuine shaving history mate. What a find.
Have been able to get the blades shave ready?
I know it’s a totally different thing, but I have had an interest for quite awhile in the old Valet razors and have a few good examples. I’ve also over the years had quite a few good shapes out of them. It did take me awhile to perfect the stroping technique with the included strop.
Great to see it mate
Cheers.

 

[Jayaruh]

Now that is really cool @Jayaruh .
All the better with that vintage ad and letter
That is genuine shaving history mate. What a find.
Have been able to get the blades shave ready?
I know it’s a totally different thing, but I have had an interest for quite awhile in the old Valet razors and have a few good examples. I’ve also over the years had quite a few good shapes out of them. It did take me awhile to perfect the stroping technique with the included strop.
Great to see it mate
Cheers.

@twhite sharpened the old GEM blades for me. I have used them, but now I use modern GEM blades in it.
I have a bunch of AutoStrop and Valet razors. I use modified Gem blades in the older ones. I can use Feather SE blades in some of the Valets. Maybe I will make an AutoStrop thread. I like using my A1, A2, B1, and B2.
I have a Frankenrazor with a VC3 head that has stamped on it "Gillette Safety Razor Co." and "AutoStrop Division." This is when Henry Gaisman's Probak and AutoStrop merged with Gillette after the settlement of a suit over the "NEW" blade by Gillette. Gaisman beat Gillette to the Patents table with its design for a new blade.

By the way, on this Frankenrazor, someone put a Gem handle that made the AutoStrop head useless by depressing the open comb. I replaced the Gem handle with an AutoStrop handle and it was restored to usefulness.

Wrong handle, bad razor.


Right handle, happy razor.