Vintage or Modern ... What's your preference?

[JCainIII]

Today I went with my “feelz” and used my 1973 black handled Super Speed. It just seemed “right” and I really enjoy the loud sounds it makes as it does the needful.

Tomorrow it may be the utterly soulless Merkur Heavy Duty that I can fly around fast and unthinkingly with.

I hope by the end of the week I can try the BBS.

Yeah I'm waiting on my BBS to arrive. Looking forward to it.

Sent from my SM-G981U1 using Tapatalk

 

[mitotiani]

Could be. Vintage razors tend to be more mild but I always found that you can work around that by simply riding the cap.

Earlier tonight I found my 3 Fatboys that I forgot I stored in my shaving gear drawer several years ago. I decided to shave with the D-3 and a Rapira Platinum Lux after I showered and now I take back my previous comments on this thread about vintage razors. Dialed up to 9 for the left side of my face it gave me the best shave I have ever experienced, extremely efficient, yet deceptively smooth. This with no blade feel from the razor, no irritation or weepers. I was stunned! So, out of curiosity, I decided to try the G-1 Dialed to 9 as well on the right side of my face. This was even more efficient with some blade feel, which I like, yet still smooth. the shave from the G-1 was even better, not by a lot but I required fewer passes to achieve the same results as the D-3. I only do a 1 pass shave ATG with some buffing on my challenging areas like my Adams apple and jawline I have a BBS shave. I am still Surprised by the results and I now have a new favorite razor, a vintage razor.

 

[Trake]

I go with modern DEs and vintage straights.

 

[Tomo]

Modern

 

[Schnitzel52]

Vintage
If Gillette still made the Fat Handle Tech, it would be modern.

 

[ChiefHA]

Vintage with SE,DE, and straights. A 1966 slim is my most modern razor in my rotation.

 

[ckisgen]

Hate to be this guy .. but I can't pick just one. I love both for different reasons and love getting to choose between several nice moderns or from a handful of nice vintages every day.

To my surprise, after spending enough time with both - I find no obvious advantage in terms of the actual shave you can achieve with a modern vs vintage.

In other words, I can get just as good a shave out of my top vintage razors as I can with my best moderns. Pretty crazy how long some of these designs and workmanship have held up over the decades.

 

[JWCowboy]

Vintage of course (as if the guy with a Don Draper avatar/profile pic would say anything else )

But there are some very nice modern razors out there

 

[JWCowboy]

I suppose the moral of my story is that one can find a ‘desert island’ razor from the ranks of either vintage or modern. You might find it with the first razor you choose; you may need to try 100 before you find ‘it’; or you may discover that any razor, with technique, experience and synergy, can be that island.

Well said

 

[Quaznoid]

Strongly prefer vintage. Shaving w a 100 year old razor connects me with that time and place. And I marvel at the quality of the shaves. I believe there is nothing new under the sun and getting an effortless BBS from an ancient razor further proves that point. I have a few “modern” razors but they don’t connect me to anything like vintage does. For the most part, new razors exploit the innovation and invention of vintage manufacturers. Why have a copy when you can have the original?

 

[kingfisher]

I use and enjoy both.

Pils, ikon S3S, Mamba, ikon shavecraft 101 are my current modern favorites.

Hybrid Tech, Slim Twist, post-war Tech, flat-bottom Tech, flat-bottom New, Fatboy, Stahly are my favorite vintage DEs. I also have a bullet-tip Micromatic and a Gem junior that I enjoy.

 

[Zwiehander]

I have no vintage razors and have no interest in buying any. I would rather own a brand new razor that was made by an artisan working at this time and create my own history with it.

 

[hightechtech]

I love my vintage razors, especially Techs

 

[Wgg2017]

I prefer modern razors, specifically stainless steel or titanium. Current favorite razor is a titanium Timeless with both the .68 and .95 plates. I like the tight tolerances of these modern razors and the fact that they haven't been used previously.

 

[bjm]

Vintage. I have several modern razors and use them often, but none of them generate the emotions I get when using a razor that was manufactured the same year my father was born. I plan to pass on my razors to my grandson, but I will ensure he is aware of the sentimental value associated with a select group of vintage razors. I have already put together a kit of birth-year razors to include my father's, his paternal grandfather's, his father's, his, and mine.

 

[LostInCincy]

When I started, very few companies made new safety razors. They were all either bad or way too aggressive. The landscape has clearly changed, But here I am with a bunch of vintage razors.

 

[Hachet]

I use both a great deal but find myself using vintage razors more often on the whole.

 

[Cearball]

This is also why I believe Techs are such good shavers. I have a flat bottom Tech coming to add to the others and supposedly it is the thicker base that makes them even more smooth.

Although I like the flat bottom tech it is essential a flat bottom NEW LC with Safety bars. It probably has the least blade rigidity out of all the techs I have seen.

 

[bald baron]

Both for me. When I look at my Gillette collection I can see the design progression for DE's through the years and think about how shavers must have felt with each new development. That being said I find modern SS razors like the Rex Ambassador, Feather AsD2 and Rockwell 6s to be better quality, better feeling in the hand and deliver a great shave more easily. Of course modern manufacturers benefit from all that came before and can ask a price that will recoup their investment and garner a profit, where as vintage razors were made and for the most part sold to incite the sale of blades.
Still, shaving with a vintage razor gives me a feeling of connection. I also collect fire arms and appreciate modern designs, but get the most enjoyment from shooting single action revolvers and lever action rifles.
A middle ground would be an old design that has stood the test of time and is still produced today like Murkers 37C or progressive. Best of both worlds.
Just my observations from my experience with my collection. I have way too much time on hands.

Thank you for your attention.

 

[shark86x]

Both for me. When I look at my Gillette collection I can see the design progression for DE's through the years and think about how shavers must have felt with each new development. That being said I find modern SS razors like the Rex Ambassador, Feather AsD2 and Rockwell 6s to be better quality, better feeling in the hand and deliver a great shave more easily. Of course modern manufacturers benefit from all that came before and can ask a price that will recoup their investment and garner a profit, where as vintage razors were made and for the most part sold to incite the sale of blades.
Still, shaving with a vintage razor gives me a feeling of connection. I also collect fire arms and appreciate modern designs, but get the most enjoyment from shooting single action revolvers and lever action rifles.
A middle ground would be an old design that has stood the test of time and is still produced today like Murkers 37C or progressive. Best of both worlds.
Just my observations from my experience with my collection. I have way too much time on hands.

Thank you for your attention.

+1,000

Regarding firearms, I can hold my S&W 629 and be impressed with the manufacture and appearance, but when I hold my old civil war era Allen Thurber pepperbox, well, it's just a magical feeling to think about the craftsmanship and the history in that gun. I do the same with razors. So I go both ways, but generally prefer vintage.