norfolkdick
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Captain of the Razor Blades
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Post by norfolkdick on Dec 5, 2012 12:35:18 GMT -6
Greetings This razor turned up in the post today a recent e-bay purchase at a very reasonable price. Many of you I am sure have seen one before but as they turn up here only infrequently and 'Stateside' even less often I thought you might be interested to see it. It is simply a GEM HFT badged up as an Ever Ready and made in Great Britain. There are a few very tiny cosmetic differences but nothing that I can imagine would make the shave any different. The safety bar has lengthwise markings whereas the GEM has them vertically, the markings on the opening tab are slightly different, there is no 'G' on the handle, and the obvious one the makers name. The ER is nickel plated whilst the GEM is chromed. The instruction leaflet describes it as a Natural Angle razor called a Flat Top; as Tom has said in an earlier thread in relation to the GEM there is no mention of the word Heavy. I have been on the lookout for one for some time to go with my Ever Ready Featherweight, I believe these were the only two GEM's badged up as ER's and made in Britain. Regards Dick.
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SharpSpine
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My Flavor Sabre
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Post by SharpSpine on Dec 5, 2012 13:00:12 GMT -6
That looks great. But isn't the Streamline also a British EverReady version of a Gem. I've read that there is a Gem Jewel, but I've never seen one. Maybe the Streamline is strictly a British EverReady razor. Perhaps someone with Waites may chime in regarding the Gem Jewel and it's authenticity.
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Post by HoosierTrooper on Dec 5, 2012 14:01:09 GMT -6
That is a really cool, don't see many of the British versions. I don't want to derail this thread very far off track but since the Streamline came up I'll mention this. I have become fascinated with the Streamline /Jewel and have been trying to get a few pictures together and doing a little research and am only getting more confused. There just isn't a ton of data available on these razors. There is a GEM version of it, but I haven't found a picture yet that shows the word "Jewel", but here's a couple showing the GEM razor, and as you can see in the second picture it says British Made. And here's an Ever-Ready that has the word "Jewel" in the accompanying paperwork. And one with the word "Streamline" on the box.
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norfolkdick
Master Shaver
Captain of the Razor Blades
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Post by norfolkdick on Dec 5, 2012 14:33:08 GMT -6
Greetings
Seeing that picture of the Streamline/Jewel badged up as a GEM and then stamped British made has really thrown me, up until right now I did not know that there were any GEM's that were made in Britain and badged up as GEM!
I always thought that the Streamline was a Brit, razor and some were made in the USA under the GEM badge ie exactly the same in reverse as the HFT and the Featherweight.............clearly not!
Regards Dick.
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SharpSpine
Master Shaver
My Flavor Sabre
Posts: 1,151
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Post by SharpSpine on Dec 5, 2012 14:57:18 GMT -6
Thanks HT for the info. So it's possible that both are Jewel and both are Streamline. Good luck with getting more information as I'm very interested to know more.
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norfolkdick
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Captain of the Razor Blades
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Post by norfolkdick on Dec 5, 2012 15:17:29 GMT -6
Greetings
The whole business of the trans-atlantic collaboration between GEM USA and Ever Ready USA and Ever Ready Great Britain is of course at the bottom of what was labelled/badged up as whatever.
I know nothing about the companies merely a little about the products, just how much were the companies 'in bed' together or was it the case that the USA division owned wholly or in part ER Great Britain, it was after all around the war years and Britain was on it's knees looking westwards for some help!
It may be the case that parts were exchanged between the companies as the need arose.
A similar situation arises here now with white cargo vans known as Eurovans, they are badged up as Vauxhall and Ford and other makes whose names escape me but they are the same van with the same 'guts' in them.
Intriguing and bloody confusing!
Regards Dick.
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Post by HoosierTrooper on Dec 5, 2012 15:38:42 GMT -6
ASR owned the plant in England, there are a lot of Made in England GEM and Ever-Ready 1912's floating around. Here's one of mine that I bought from a guy in England.
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norfolkdick
Master Shaver
Captain of the Razor Blades
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Post by norfolkdick on Dec 5, 2012 16:01:23 GMT -6
ASR owned the plant in England, there are a lot of Made in England GEM and Ever-Ready 1912's floating around. Here's one of mine that I bought from a guy in England. Greetings You are quite correct that there are plenty of ER made in Great Britain razors around but GEM razors stamped 'Made in Great Britain or England are as rare as hens teeth this side of the pond. Those two that you have kindly posted pictures of today are the first I have ever seen. If you look on E bay UK for ER Razors made in Britain there are dozens, I would humbly suggest that three months of searching the listings would fail to turn up a single GEM razor stamped made in England or Britain. Regards Dick.
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Post by HoosierTrooper on Dec 5, 2012 16:12:17 GMT -6
Yeah, you're right, I just kind of lumped British made GEM and ER together. ER was definitely the predominant brand in England.
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Post by razorx on Dec 5, 2012 22:19:37 GMT -6
I didn't know there was an Ever-Ready version of the Heavyweight Flat Top or Flat Top.
Great acquisition Dick and the most interesting razor thread I've read today,but that's one of the reasons I like TOST.
A round of applause to Tom for the Streamline/Jewel info,I've been wondering about the enigmatic Jewel.
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Post by wchnu on Dec 6, 2012 22:26:56 GMT -6
I am jealous. I have been on the hunt for a british made FW and Flat Top. Beautiful razors and thanks for all the information.
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ShadowsDad
Gem Star
None boring shaver!!
"It's not the bow, it's the Indian"
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Post by ShadowsDad on Dec 7, 2012 0:00:36 GMT -6
Well, I haven't been on the hunt for either and I still find it interesting.
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Post by sleddog on Dec 8, 2012 14:46:29 GMT -6
Some very cool UK razors posted!! I have an aluminum handled Gem 1912 like Toms, nice razor but I like the heavier handles more. I used this one today..see SOTD
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