It's been years since I've looked at shaving forums (probably 8-10?) and, unless I remember wrong, it seemed like most guys if they didn't buy a Muehe or Jaggar, preferred vintage razors. Now, I keep reading of new razors that I've never heard of and various plates that offer different gaps and people spend hundreds of dollars for them. I do have a Jagger DE89 from about 10-12 years ago and a Feather AS-D2 from5-6 years ago but everything else is vintage Gillette (Super Speeds, Techs, 195, Slim, and an Aristocrat). Curious to hear from you new razor buyers why you prefer them (assuming you do) over vintage products?
Have modern DE razors become more popular than vintage?
- Thread starter CCS
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A lot of the newbies fall for the fallacy that a new razor, especially a spendy one will shave better then an 80-100 year old vintage razor. In my decades of practical experience, many of my cheaper Vintage razors shave much better than some overpriced modern model.
I only buy cheap, cruddy & corroded old junk vintatge razors to replate. I recently got a $10 ball end Old Type that looks stunning after replating.
Even with the cost of plating, it's cheaper than a pristine example, plus the actual plating will outlast Gillette's original thin & cheap gold wash. A $20 Goodwill #175 Special is now on the way to get replated at Backroads Gold. There aren't any cracks in the Ball End handle.
I have a pristine gold example that has the obligatory handle crack. One day I'll buy an old handle without the crack, and have it gold plated.
Many Ball End handles crack at the very end of the handle where the handle end is press fit into the tube. Tension from the handle end spreads the crack. Look for one of these handles. Relieve the tension on the crack by reducing the diameter of the handle end so that it doesn't spread the crack. The crack can be soldered, or if small enough, left alone. When the handle pieces are all replated, the crack will not be visible. The handle end can be fit in without any tension to spread the crack and secured with JB Weld, Epoxy or even cyanoacrylate glue.
I love my old razors, the history and the thought of shaving with a razor that is from 1920 etc, I even enjoy the restoring part. But I can understand why you want to buy a new razor, obviously you can skip the restoring, you get a guarantee and all the packaging. Plus as with all things these days items can be called elite, luxury, limited runs etc and a price to match. I have found that you can pick up a razor for under £10 which shaves just as good as something 10 times as much, but people believe that the expensive razor will do a far better job. Its easy to pick up a vintage razor, but it will only appeal to those wanting to do so.
My opinion, old razors have soul and nostalgia on their side. Modern razors look better, feel better in the hand, are made with better materials, have better precision, and deliver great shaves straight out of the box. Lastly, they display better in a modern bathroom than a razor missing half its plating or one looking like it belongs in the junk drawer.
I had a large collection of mainly vintage razors which I eventually sold off. The one I kept was a 30's New Long Comb which is one of the best razors I have. The rest are pretty much modern razors which I now prefer because of design, materials and efficiency coupled with non-irritation mildness.
I think the proliferation on new DEs has suppressed the demand for vintage razors. However, the price point and soul of vintage razors surely beats new razors.
A lot of people in every hobby have an unshakeable belief that old things were better than new things. It’s funny, but this seems to apply to everything, and not just razors. Though when those old things were still made, nobody was particularly excited about them - they were just ordinary, everyday objects. They still are ordinary, they just have more rust and wear now, or ‘character’ if you prefer.
I think we must acknowledge that there is a large spoonful of nostalgia added to people’s opinions of these objects.
I think we must acknowledge that there is a large spoonful of nostalgia added to people’s opinions of these objects.
- Thread starter
- #12
Interesting comments all. For someone like me who was no skills past a nylon scrub brush and dish soap, I've only bought clean (not mint) vintage razors that do not need further attention. But as to Mr. Shavington's comment about nostalgia, absolutely. I can say without a doubt that my AS-D2 razor is the best quality I own and gives me the best shaves too. But only by a hair compared to my two ball end Techs which were $20-25 when I bought them.
Anyway, I don't have a dog in this hunt, am just curious if more new shavers have gone the way of new and more money = better?
Anyway, I don't have a dog in this hunt, am just curious if more new shavers have gone the way of new and more money = better?
I am sure new razors have always been far more popular than vintage. I don’t think that has changed. It may just seem like vintage razors are popular because they are talked about a lot on shaving forums like this - because it is where people who buy vintage razors would go.
I think what has changed - a lot - is the prices of some modern artisan razors. It was only a few years ago when anything over $100 was the super-elite level. Now similar CNC machined stainless steel razors can be $500 or more. Add another 30% for titanium (which I feel is an inferior material to steel, but people want it).
I also feel (and I guess this is what you are alluding to) that the gap in quality and performance between modern and vintage razors is increasing, and some of the recent modern razors in the last year or two are quite a step forward. But this is probably less of an issue for the vintage razor market (which is sustained by nostalgia and value, not quality) and more of an issue for established modern razor brands who will have to improve to keep their market.
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- Thread starter
- #14
Those sort of prices are way out of my world view. I've seen a couple DE razors in the $700+ range! I don't see their worth compared to other $500-700 items (like a nice Sig or a nice Chris Reeve knife (the latter of which is also outside of my pricing world view - I make do with Benchmade). Cool for the guys that feel there's value in those razors but they aren't for me. I mean, I'm still guilty about the AS-D2 and that was only $120 when I bought it new.
It is irrational to spend $500 for a tool that cuts facial hair. That’s not to say some of those razors aren’t worth the money - you just don’t need to spend anything like it to get a good shave.Those sort of prices are way out of my world view. I've seen a couple DE razors in the $700+ range! I don't see their worth compared to other $500-700 items (like a nice Sig or a nice Chris Reeve knife (the latter of which is also outside of my pricing world view - I make do with Benchmade). Cool for the guys that feel there's value in those razors but they aren't for me. I mean, I'm still guilty about the AS-D2 and that was only $120 when I bought it new.
Don’t forget, though, that some vintage razors sell for that kind of money and even much more.
I use both vintage and modern and I also enjoy both. I do agree that well made modern razors are slightly better than most vintage, but it also depends on which models we're talking about. When I buy a vintage razor and I find that the shave is ok or meh, I'm not really disappointed, since I have a thing for collecting vintage razors, but if a modern razor (especially if it's pricey) isn't performing the way I want to, then I'm getting rid of that razor right on the spot. Besides, vintage razors when bought for what they are worth or slightly less can always be sold for the same price and I basically have my money, while with most modern razors that's just not possible, unless of course a razor gets discontinued and people go nuts.
The other thing is that most of the modern razor manufacturers are well aware that mostly razor addicts spend more than $100 on a razor and that they own or used to own countless other razors and that they would buy anything no matter how expensive it is and those manufacturers will milk the whales and the cash cows for as long as they can.
I'm really enjoying my Blackbird and I find it to be amongst the best modern razors that I've ever used, but I've got mine for a lot less than it's original price and I would never buy the titanium version no matter how much others are praising it, since I refuse to believe that using the same razor, but in another type of metal is going to make it shave even better.
No matter how popular the modern razors become, you won't be able to find any ''rare'' or uncommon vintage razor that is highly sought after and in mint, NOS or pristine condition anytime soon, especially on the internet. I wish I can get a Bottom Dial Fatboy or a 40's Techmatic (and countless others) for just a few $, but that's never going to happen.
The other thing is that most of the modern razor manufacturers are well aware that mostly razor addicts spend more than $100 on a razor and that they own or used to own countless other razors and that they would buy anything no matter how expensive it is and those manufacturers will milk the whales and the cash cows for as long as they can.
I'm really enjoying my Blackbird and I find it to be amongst the best modern razors that I've ever used, but I've got mine for a lot less than it's original price and I would never buy the titanium version no matter how much others are praising it, since I refuse to believe that using the same razor, but in another type of metal is going to make it shave even better.
No matter how popular the modern razors become, you won't be able to find any ''rare'' or uncommon vintage razor that is highly sought after and in mint, NOS or pristine condition anytime soon, especially on the internet. I wish I can get a Bottom Dial Fatboy or a 40's Techmatic (and countless others) for just a few $, but that's never going to happen.
In 50 years, our current SS and/or Titanium razors will be "vintage" and will likely be in better shape than the vast majority of vintage razors available now, unless you pay a premium for them.
That's true, but the thing is that back in the day, Gillette and other shaving companies were making millions of razors and many of them ended up in the garbage or were destroyed. While I highly doubt that many titanium or stainless steel razors are going to be destroyed, I still think that many of them will end up in the garbage, because not everyone will find them valuable and since most of those razors were made in the thousands at best and I highly doubt that many will survive. I'm sure they will be very sought after and the prices will be high.
Well, I plan to leave a note behind... where to sell my shaving stuff if no one wants it... B&B. join up... make some posts... wait 45 days and get pretty close what I paid for everything.
I was thinking the same thing! I'm afraid that when my days have come to an end, my family will either sell my whole collection for next to nothing or just throw it away and just the though of it makes me sick. I'm also planning to leave some notes about the names and models of the razors I have and how much they go for.
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