Old DE Razors vs. New ones

[tlentz]

I recently was fortunate enough to win a birth year Gillette Slim Adjustable and having never used a VINTAGE razor before I had no idea what to expect. I had been using a EJagger de89 which is a nice razor, a gift from my in-laws via an Amazon gift card. Man the Gillette is a solid razor, this thing shave like it is brand new and it is 47 years old. I have a hard time believing that the modern day ones will still be in as good a condition as these.

Is it me or are these old ones superior razors?

 

[Foyle]

A lot of the vintage razors are definitely built with superior materials. They were usually made from brass as opposed to zinc which is what most modern razors are made from. The brass will not rot away if the plating is worn off the razor. A zinc razor becomes almost useless when the plating wears away. The zinc razors are more prone to being broken if dropped on the floor as well.

If you take really good care of your EJ89 it should last many years, but something like an old Tech will probably outlast any modern razor.

 

[ackvil]

My FB and Slim have been in constant use since when I bought them when they were new. Solid razors.

 

[D E Windsor]

I like the EJ but I keep going back to my Gillette long black-handle adjustable. With an Astra SP blade and that razor I can get just about the cleanest most comfortable shave out of all my razors. Set on "9" it will really clean up the tough to get spots like nothing.

 

[jamesspo]

I doubt my modern zinc alloy razors will last as long as vintage brass Gillettes. At some point the plating will wear through, and the razor will go downhill quickly after that happens - probably failing at stress points like where the cap screws are attached to the cap. The same happens on vintage razors, but brass tends not to corrode nearly as quickly, and generally maintains structural integrity despite surface corrosion. I love my 2011 R41, but I don't have any illusion that it's going to be around for the (very) long term. It'll be an interesting experiment to see how long it does last.

 

[NingYupOwaDat]

This is making me want to buy a few back up's of my EJ...

 

[Panama]

This is making me want to buy a few back up's of my EJ...

or just get a Weber stainless and not worry about the EJ gong bad or breaking easily.

 

[Joe_Karp]

I prefer modern Merkurs. But my older Gillettes, Slim...Fatboy...and Superspeeds see regular use. Like a well-tuned vintage car, these older nickel plated brass razors have history and nothing can duplicate their feel while shaving IMO.

 

[Kilroy6644]

I guess I don't have much to add to the discussion that hasn't already been said. I'm a Gillette loyalist for the most part, so the only modern DE razors I've used are the cheap plastic ones you get from India and Russia. There's no illusions about them lasting. From what I've read about most other modern razors (no first-hand experience) once the plating goes, the razor isn't far behind, and the metal tends to be more succeptable to breaking than brass. So I'd say that yes, old razors are better, in my unqualified opinion.

 

[Ollie4ISU]

I don't own any modern DEs, but I find it really hard to believe they are going to last like a brass Gillette. Here is a 1919 Single Ring that I found a few days ago. The plating was gone and the teeth aren't straight. I decided to clean and polish as best I could by hand. Here are the results with a couple loooong hot water and Dawn soaks and an hour with some Flitz, an old cloth and some Q-tips. The teeth all bend down or in. Using a light touch, it shaves just fine at 94 and I think it could easily go another 94.

 

[chongo gordo]

Is it me or are these old ones superior razors?

Next time you see one of those extreme close ups of a Gillette Open Comb Razor take a good look at the teeth. Gillettes were milled out of brass with precision, the workmanship is excellent. I've seen what the shaving boutiques are offering; modern DE razors, by contrast, look as though the were cast from a jelly mold. The quality just isn't there. The modern stainless DEs look to be the exception, again, those are milled rather than cast.

In terms of shaving, you have to figure that out for yourself.

 

[Chadao]

I loved my EJs, but because of their fragility, I bought a Weber, and love it. Then I decided to try OC so bought an iKon and LOVE it. Now I have an iKon Slant Head on the way. Regardless, all three razors will certainly outlast me and wind up selling on eBay somewhere around the year 2424.

This is making me want to buy a few back up's of my EJ...

 

[rotto66]

I thought my EJ89 was a good razor when it was all I had, but I haven't used it once since I got my first Super Speed. For me the old Gillettes work best and it doesn't hurt that I only paid a little more for all 15 of my Gillettes combined as I did for the EJ89.

 

[shoulderpet]

I recently was fortunate enough to win a birth year Gillette Slim Adjustable and having never used a VINTAGE razor before I had no idea what to expect. I had been using a EJagger de89 which is a nice razor, a gift from my in-laws via an Amazon gift card. Man the Gillette is a solid razor, this thing shave like it is brand new and it is 47 years old. I have a hard time believing that the modern day ones will still be in as good a condition as these.

Is it me or are these old ones superior razors?

Its unfortunate but the fact is that if you want a modern razor that will last as long as the vintage gillettes you really have to be prepared to pay a premium, most of the modern razors are made of cheap pot metal and quality control on a lot of modern razors is not great, imho vintage razors will give you much better value for money. This being said I enjoy both vintage and modern

 

[cottontop]

This concept is true with many things mechanical. I only use and wear vintage hand wind and automatic watches, I only carry a vintage Barlow pocket knife, I fish with only vintage fiberglass and bamboo flyrods and only use vintage 1:1 single action fly reels, and I will never again use a crappy throw away plastic razor. If I could afford one, I would only drive a 50's or 60's car. So, the answer is an overwhelming YES. The vintage DE razors of our father's and grandfather's era are the only way to go.
cottontop