This is the only 3 hole blade I have. I haven't seen any posts of any DE blades being thicker than .006".
Modern vs Vintage
- Thread starter Carlos Da Noob
- Start date
This is the only 3 hole blade I have. I haven't seen any posts of any DE blades being thicker than .006".
I exclusively shave with vintage razors, and mostly the British Gillette Aristocrat Jr.
I get an excellent shave with these razors, and there is that intangible history and character of a vintage that in my opinion is hard to beat.
I can’t help but smile when I think that my razor is over 65 years old and it still delivers a brilliant shave. One just can’t say that about modern mass products
I get an excellent shave with these razors, and there is that intangible history and character of a vintage that in my opinion is hard to beat.
I can’t help but smile when I think that my razor is over 65 years old and it still delivers a brilliant shave. One just can’t say that about modern mass products
In re-reading my post I realised my last sentence could be misconstrued as a dig against modern razors. It was actually aimed at other mass produced household items. Of course a number of modern razors are exceedingly well constructed and will last generations, but they aren’t really mass produced like the Gillettes of yore.
Both vintage and modern razors can be equally effective and enjoyable. I find non Gillette vintage DEs far more interesting, so Cooper, Star, Shake Sharp, vintage slants I enjoy very much. I prefer aggressive razors because I find I can get to BBS on my head with less work. On the beard just about anything gets the job done. Modern DE razors manufactured in Taiwan, India, and China are as good shavers as any and given their low cost worth a try. Expensive hipster stainless steel and titanium I have no interest in, steel shaves no better than chromed Zamak (see Rockwell 6C). Vintage SE razors are great shavers and great value, one could easily acquire every Gem and Ever Ready model for less than you'd pay for a modern stainless. Similarly, vintage Schicks, especially the A-I models, are unique and marvelous shavers. Personally I don't like the width of AC blade razors for my head shave so don't use them.
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You pretty much have to go back to the '30s and '40s for that to be an issue. Its more a problem with razors like the Gillette Old Type and New Type.
You have to remember though that a thicker blade gives more of a blade gap because the cap and base plate are farther apart.
Im a big fan of a Zamak head with a stainless handle. You get the weight without the cost of a full stainless.
Those can be great. Maggard, for example, sells their V3 head with a stainless handle. It is a bit under twenty bucks. A replacement head is seven. Fine shaver. Of course, a vintage fan would say it lacks soul.
Comparing Vintage to Modern can be difficult, depending on the age and ideas of who you ask. As far as cost for a razor. When I bought my first razor set up in 1961(Gillette Slim), $5 was worth maybe $40 in todays money. Going to Quality, Many or much of vintage razors were Brass based coated with Nickle. Today i'm not sure of the metals used, I think Zarmak coated with some kind of chrome, but of the modern razors I have like Merkur, Parker and EJ are well made. Then there are the Stainless Steel razors, one of witch that I love (Weber PH).
It all boils down to what we think the better razor is, Modern or Vintage. What gives you the best shave and what make you feel good about your razor?
It all boils down to what we think the better razor is, Modern or Vintage. What gives you the best shave and what make you feel good about your razor?
+2! The blades largely determine what can be done IMO.
For some of us the so called "vintage razors" were the new razors when we bought them. There is one other factor involved. While there were high end razors sold as razors like the "Gillette Aristocrat" or the Gillette adjustables the low end razors like the basic Tech or Super Speed or Krona or Gem were sometimes included as free when you bought blades or mailed in a coupon with a quarter. (you actually taped coins to a post card and mailed it off). Since I needed blades and there was a package of blades and razor at the same price as blades alone I tended to accumulate razors in the 1950s and 1960s. Safety razors were also like fountain pens and mechanical watches; a common and safe gift. Every man used a safety razor, a fountain pen and wore a watch so if you needed a gift those three were very high on the lists of possibilities.
That's funny because I get the best shave from my Gillette OT from the 1920s
I don't know about soul, but it lacks rigidity!
I remember getting a Trac-ll razor with a bottle of Listerine.
Clayton
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Problem??? The Gillette OLD type is the best shaving device I have ever used, and I have boxes of razors. I don't shim any razor, I've tried with one and two shims on a few razors, and found that I get smoother shaves with none. The Gillette OLD type is the best razor ever made.
- Has shaving been nailed already or not yet? Gillette nailed it right out of the gate, The OLD type is the best razor ever made.
- Do you feel like the new products/systems add any kind of substantial value to the experience? Absolutely none.
- Are results any better with the modern stuff? No.
I started "retro" shaving because I wanted to shave with vintage razors. I enjoy using old things that have stood the test of time. I also use vintage handtools, the best handsaws were made in the 1870's ~ 1880's, although good users were available up to World War One.
For me:
- I think that shaving has been nailed back in the 1930's
- I do not think that new products/systems add any kind of substantial value to the experience. I have not noticed any "new" technology, just new materials like stainless.
- I get better results from my vintag e razors (Old type, New type, Superspeeds, Aristocrats than any of the modern razors I have tried - Merkur34C HD, Razorock Jaws. razorock Bazooka
I have been getting some of my best shaves lately with Treet Blue Special/Black Beauty blades in couple of Schick Kronas and a ball end Tech from the late 1940's. The Krona especially I feel I can toss around almost like a plastic razor and wind up with a DFS to near-BBS. I've tried a Treet Silver blade in these razors, but end up with more irritation and weepers. That said the price of vintage Schick Kronas has gone up since I acquired mine, so this fall I'm looking to try a cheaper Tech knockoff and a couple of other heads that would be easier to replace than a vintage Krona in good condition.
P.S.: I've tried a few vintage Gillette Blue blades that came with other acquisitions, and the results have been mixed. Some gave OK shaves, others tossable. Variations in decades of exposure to the elements accounts for that. Also, the edge on Treet Black Beauties, done with modern computer controlled equipment, is likely finer than that on Blue blades when they were new.
P.S.: I've tried a few vintage Gillette Blue blades that came with other acquisitions, and the results have been mixed. Some gave OK shaves, others tossable. Variations in decades of exposure to the elements accounts for that. Also, the edge on Treet Black Beauties, done with modern computer controlled equipment, is likely finer than that on Blue blades when they were new.
