spidey9
Lather Catcher
All SE all the time!
Posts: 641
|
Post by spidey9 on Apr 29, 2015 21:56:10 GMT -6
I'm not certain why I have this fascination with the Gem Featherweight, but I have acquired a few of them, this one being the latest. Instead of the usual cream or amber handle, this one looked black in the seller's picture. In reality it is a dark olive green, leaving me wondering if all the "black" featherweights I have seen pictured are in fact this color. Does anyone have a black handled Featherweight? Another angle: The second unusual thing about this razor is the finish on the cap. Instead of being nickle or chrome plated, it is a matte finish: At first I thought it might be some sort of corrosion, or perhaps someone had gotten overzealous with a buffing wheel. However, I think that it is too even for that, and was in fact made this way. It can also be seen that this is the version with the grooves on the opening tab and rear of the cap. The base plate has the usual glossy finish: Looking at the underside of the cap, the handle mounting bracket also has the matte finish. So I now have the two cap styles (the G-bar style with grooves like this one and the flat style), gold and chrome (nickle?) finishes, the handle with the gold cap on the bottom, and now this one. I know that there is a rare Ever-Ready version. Does anyone own or know of any other variants? I must have them all. --Bob
|
|
|
Post by Petrvs on Apr 29, 2015 23:04:12 GMT -6
We discussed the Featherweight models in another topic some months ago, but I don't remember anybody mentioning one in matte finish...actually I had never heard of it. I've seen some black handle FW being sold on the Bay but they all looked like chrome plating....and black (not dark green) handle, of course. I wonder if the actual color of the handle could be due to the slightly discoloring of the same with age.
Just for the record, the 3 versions I own are the following: 1) thicker head profile in chrome finish w/cream colored handle. Grooves on the opening tab. The baseplate reads "Made in USA - GEM" (same as yours). The head is exactly the same as my HFT. 2) flatter head profile in chrome finish w/cream colored handle. Smooth opening tab (no grooves). The baseplate reads "Made in USA - GEM RAZOR" (with a different lettering than the previous) 3) flatter head profile in gold finish w/cream colored handle and gold metal tip. No grooves on the openong tab. The baseplate reads "Made in USA - GEM RAZOR" (exactly as the chrome variant)
|
|
|
Post by PJGH on Apr 30, 2015 2:33:10 GMT -6
I have a black handled GEM, well, grey ... although I am profoundly colour-blind and know that olive green is something I simply cannot see, so it could well be olive green. As an aside, camouflage doesn't work on me - I can see camouflaged people in vegetation in a snap, where it takes others much longer to spot them. It's the Heavy Flat Top style head and a smooth comb, without any indentations on whatsoever, not horizontal or vertical. I think generally, it's safe to say that the comb is grooved laterally for Ever Ready (like Bob pictured) and Star variants, and slashed across the comb for GEM.
|
|
fergie
Shave Master
Posts: 122
|
Post by fergie on May 1, 2015 0:26:22 GMT -6
Hi Bob, I have came across a couple of Gem Featherweights on my EBay travels with the same Matt finish that you have displayed.....
|
|
|
Post by PJGH on May 1, 2015 2:35:07 GMT -6
Sorry, yes, I meant to also point out mine is has a matt finish.
|
|
|
Post by HoosierTrooper on May 6, 2015 14:18:14 GMT -6
I don't believe I've ever seen a black Feather Weight, but I do have one of the dark green ones with the matte finish and smooth bar. I've found that some have vertical grooves and some horizontal, here are two with the cream handle that have the two different groove patterns. I have a couple Contours that have the matte finish as well.
|
|
mlb549
Lather Catcher
Posts: 686
|
Post by mlb549 on Jun 17, 2016 11:02:10 GMT -6
I'm not certain why I have this fascination with the Gem Featherweight, but I have acquired a few of them, this one being the latest. Instead of the usual cream or amber handle, this one looked black in the seller's picture. In reality it is a dark olive green, leaving me wondering if all the "black" featherweights I have seen pictured are in fact this color. Does anyone have a black handled Featherweight? Another angle: The second unusual thing about this razor is the finish on the cap. Instead of being nickle or chrome plated, it is a matte finish: At first I thought it might be some sort of corrosion, or perhaps someone had gotten overzealous with a buffing wheel. However, I think that it is too even for that, and was in fact made this way. It can also be seen that this is the version with the grooves on the opening tab and rear of the cap. The base plate has the usual glossy finish: Looking at the underside of the cap, the handle mounting bracket also has the matte finish. So I now have the two cap styles (the G-bar style with grooves like this one and the flat style), gold and chrome (nickle?) finishes, the handle with the gold cap on the bottom, and now this one. I know that there is a rare Ever-Ready version. Does anyone own or know of any other variants? I must have them all. --Bob
|
|
mlb549
Lather Catcher
Posts: 686
|
Post by mlb549 on Jun 17, 2016 11:08:49 GMT -6
One of my featherweights has a black handle, same cap as above, with grooves on face bar and weighs in at 35 grams----one as above weighs in at 29 grams---my black handle model a British ER. The extra weight of the head makes this razor a dream to shave with. I have not seen any Gems with black handles-----not saying there is not any, with Gem brand, your guess is as good as mine.
|
|
|
Post by wchnu on Jun 21, 2016 5:40:46 GMT -6
I have a black handle FW that in new in package. Unfortunately it is part of the collection that is packed away in a tub in the back of the closet. I will try to get to it and see if it is actually black. I am pretty sure that it is though and it is a GEM as I recall. Those are some really great looking razors.
|
|
|
Post by jayaruh on Apr 8, 2017 18:45:21 GMT -6
I have only seen the cream colored ones. That is cool.
|
|
|
Post by wchnu on Apr 9, 2017 2:58:58 GMT -6
I have only seen the cream colored ones. That is cool. I also like the cream color with the gold trim. I never did check my NOS one that is in the package. I can do that later today.
|
|
|
Post by Petrvs on Apr 9, 2017 3:16:29 GMT -6
All of us affected with RAD have one of those boxes stored somewhere....I am one of those 😅
|
|
|
Post by wchnu on Apr 10, 2017 3:51:39 GMT -6
|
|
spidey9
Lather Catcher
All SE all the time!
Posts: 641
|
Post by spidey9 on Apr 10, 2017 10:55:01 GMT -6
It is a very dark olive green. The only way I can see for certain that mine is green is when I set it beside something that is a true black.
--Bob
|
|
|
Post by wchnu on Apr 10, 2017 18:13:25 GMT -6
It is a very dark olive green. The only way I can see for certain that mine is green is when I set it beside something that is a true black. --Bob Well that is better then boring black then. It looks like they made this one to go with the super stainless blades. Maybe like the Damaskeene and blades. Not sure though.
|
|