Are the new DE's pretty much junk compared to vintage Gillette's?

[nsl]

First, all I have are vintage Gillette's. None of them are pretty, but they shave good, and they have been around for 50 or so years. I was thinking of getting something like an EJ 89l to have a nice, new razor. I've read that some people are haveing problems with them stripping out threads and such because they are cheap potmetal instead of brass like the old stuff.

Aside from buying the high dollar stuff like Ikon or the Feather SS model, am I better to stick with my vintage razors?

 

[demaro]

Aside from the real high priced ss razors , the type of metal used in vintae Gillettes is far superior to that of Merkur , EJ ,,etc. I have seen posts on plating issues on these razors that are only a couple years old. The vintae Gillettes are built like tanks. Most of my gillettes are 50 and 60 yeas old ad older , and no plating issues .

 

[InfernoOrangeSS]

I wouldn't call them junk, but all I own are vintage Gillettes. My favorite at the moment is a Single Ring. (I should qualify this post by saying I am an admitted vintage Gillette snob.)

 

[Graybeard57]

I have had an EJ DE89 since May, used it daily for 4-5 months, dropped it onto a wooden floor once, and it still is pristine. Granted, that is not a great deal of time, but it is a sturdy instrument with a nice heft. I like the vintage Gillettes too, but have no reservations about recommending the EJ. Both will give you great shaves.

 

[Dalejr]

I shave only with Gillette....

 

[Deano]

I have a DE87 and its a fine razor. I use it in rotation with my OC's and Red Tip. I actually like it better than any TTO ive tried, including the Red Tip.

 

[Dozer]

I have only a Muhle R41 in addition to my Gillettes (which I have quite a few). Being the most aggressive modern DE, it's hard to compare. I've only had it for a little while, so it seems really well made. It's not as heavy as I'd like, though. I guess I could always get an Ikon handle. I have heard of some issues with plating as mentioned above, but the manufacturers are quick to remedy that, from what I've heard.

 

[Mick]

I have a few Gillette razors that are nearing (or have passed) the century mark and all look and work as good as the day they were manufactured.

Only time will tell if the razors made today will even be around 100 years from now.

 

[shyrlock]

I have had a Merkur Futur for a little over 12 years now. It an absolutely first rate shaver.
During the same period of time I have probably has 20-30 vintage Gillettes, 8 or 9 straights (I do like straight razor shaving, but it is a little too much maintenance for me right now) a Tradere OC, Feather ASD1, Ikon S3S and new OCC.
To tell you the truth, the Futur shave as well or better than any of them.
Mechanically the Futur is as sound as the day I bought it and has only very light cosmetic hwear from years of use.
I like my ball end techs, my Aristocrat, my Double Duck, British Rocket etc., but if I could only have one shaving tool it would be my Futur.

 

[Galhatz]

Cadets are made of brass. Mine is an open comb.
Frankly, as much as I like the NEW, I like the Cadet better.
I own over a dozen Gillette TTOs.
I caught the bug with them. They are very mild and forgiving, to a point that I developed poor technique.
After getting comfortable with my Traders SB,
I find them all too mild, with the exception of the Red Tip, which is an ok shaver.
But at first I thought that the SB and the Cadet were too aggressive.
If I had to rate my top 5 razors, I would say:

1st tier: Traders SB,
2nd : Cadet OC, Weber,
3rd: Schick Krona, Red Tip

As always, YMMV.

 

[Elder Scrolls]

All I have now are vintage razors (gillettes , schicks, hoffritz), some of them dont look pretty but they've performed like champs.

 

[JeffE]

Most vintage razors are very competent, and some are shockingly good, but you owe it to yourself to try a few of the better new razors:

1. Merkur Futur
2. Merkur Progress
3. Feather AS D1
4. Joris/Fatip
5. Muhle R41
6. Pils

There's nothing like any of these new razors in the vintage Gillette lineup, and while not everyone is going to love each one on the list, there's a good chance that at least one or two of these will end up on your list of permanent "favorites."

 

[z3driver]

modern razors are not junk. Most are very well made and should last several lifetimes, even the low end modern razors. Several vintage Gillettes have had problems. Almost all my vintage ballend OC and Tuckaways have cracks in the handle. I've also rarely come across a gold plated Gillette that has held up well. These flaws in early Gilletes don't take away from their charm. Today's modern razors will be our grand kids vintage razors...

 

[john shea]

I keep both vintage and contemporary razors in my DE rotation. Many contemporary razors shave very well, are reasonable in cost, and should last for years, maybe decades. Unfortunatley, they are not usually made of plated brass like vintage Gillettes. Some Gillettes have not stood up well and some are not great shavers. Gillette sold their razors at near cost to promote the sale of their blades where they made their profit. I do not know what a plated brass razor would have to sell for today, with DE blades being so inexpensive.

Although I wish I could get contemporary razors made of stainless or plated brass, Merkur non-adjustable razors made from plated alloy sell for about the same cost as a package of some disposible razor cartridges and can be expected to last much longer. Stainless razors are available, but far more costly. Modern razors can be considered a very good deal, if they are thought to be disposable at some point in their future rather than as a lifetime acquisition.

 

[Fourcooks]

I just received a Red tip in a trade from a generous forum member and I love it. More aggressive than my flair tip. That being said my Tradere SB is my favorite razor. The Red Tip may displace my Webers though. Love the idea of shaving with a razor that is 50+ years old.

 

[mission of burma shave]

i would say the ej89 compares very well with vintage gillette. the problem with buying vintage is it's often a matter of buying 4 or 5 to find the one you want, then having to sell back the ones that didn't measure up.

 

[celestino]

If you want a very good quality razor that shaves similar to some of the vintages, you could consider the Webers. Great value for a stainless steel razor!

 

[cernel_joson]

Fatip/Joris are made of brass as far as I know, which is another reason why they're the only modern DE's I'm interested in. I'll take a vintage Gillette over anything new 9/10 times.

 

[wrm2012]

The hype about what the base metel is is very over blown. Brass is also a zink metel btw. I know the sound of pot metel makes it sound like junk. There really is different grades of metels even in the same metel class. Heck a well done coated potmetel thing will very likly outlast some cheap stainless thing with a poor heat treatment. You know it wasn't that llong ago that most thought stainless was junk steel. With that said I really don't know of a modern razor that is cheaply made heat treated or is wrongly coated. Don't let the pot metel thing scare you off from trying a new razor there are some great ones out there.

 

[dpmtherrien]

I have 3 Merkur's, and an R41, all bought new, and I've not had any problem at all with any of them.