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To use or not to use vintage razor blades?

Recently fell into a lot of nos vintage razor blades.

Are they worth using? I have stainless steel and blue steel blades, they are from around the 1940's to 1960's. Close to 500 between brands.
Guessing blade use was about like it is today, every one searching for the perfect shave and blade if they could afford to do so.
Not really a collector in the sense it sits on a shelf to be admired, I generally use every weird thing I bring home.

So do I try a few blades of each and see how it goes? A good shave and keep them? Or just pass them down to my boys?
Just curious what some folks would do?
 
Recently fell into a lot of nos vintage razor blades.

Are they worth using? I have stainless steel and blue steel blades, they are from around the 1940's to 1960's. Close to 500 between brands.
Guessing blade use was about like it is today, every one searching for the perfect shave and blade if they could afford to do so.
Not really a collector in the sense it sits on a shelf to be admired, I generally use every weird thing I bring home.

So do I try a few blades of each and see how it goes? A good shave and keep them? Or just pass them down to my boys?
Just curious what some folks would do?
You could try a few, but I wouldn't expect much. Especially the old carbon steel blades. In my experience they were never nearly as good as modern stainless steel blades, and the passage of time would not have improved them. :frown2:
 

garyg

B&B membership has its percs
I find some vintage Stainless Blades (Plus Platinums, Personna 74's, Gillette Spoilers) to be way better than any presently produced blades, in both DE and Injector (no Spoilers though in Injector). But old carbon blades haven't worked, though I tried a couple that looked fine ..
 

lasta

Blade Biter
Stainless blades should hold up well.

Spoilers, Super Silver, Nacets, Platinum Plus are all very good blades.

But none are decidedly superior to modern.

If 10 years down the road Gillette Silver Blues become vintage, I'd pay for them rather than ones before the 90's.

It's good to have and try though. One day, I'll make a wall hanging from all the blades and tucks etc.
 

garyg

B&B membership has its percs
I think the biggest difference for the vintage SS blades is in their longevity - two or three times the life of modern blades is often reported by those who use them. Of course that's my guess as to why they were discontinued by the manufacturers'
 
I used some of those old vintage blades when they were still new (the carbon steel types). I think today's modern blades are much better. I've got some old Gillette Blue Blades but I haven't felt compelled to use any of them.
 

ajkel64

Check Out Chick
Staff member
I wouldn’t try the Carbon Steel blades but I would be tempted to try the others if I were you. There are members here that only use Vintage Blades to shave with.
 
Thanks for this thread. Years ago- probably 15 or so- I bought a Gillettle Travel Tech. It's probably from the 70's and came in the little leather pouch that holds the razor and came with a pack of NOS blades stuck in the blade holder. I've never opened the pack and just stuck it on a shelf. I may have to open it one day and see how they work. I don't even remember what they are called now...
 
Just like with modern blades, the vintage blades can range from ''perfect''/fantastic to a total garbage. Most vintage blades are sought after by collectors, but some of them like the vintage Gillette Blue blades and pretty much any other carbon steel blades are for display only, while blades like the legendary Personna 74 and Personna Platinum, various stainless steel Gillette blades made from the 60's till the late 90's, vintage Wilkinson Sword from England, Wizamet and Polsilver and many more.
 
Use them.

Once got a pack of blue coated Gillette blades in a blue metal case. Best shave with a DE ever.
 
You could try a few, but I wouldn't expect much. Especially the old carbon steel blades. In my experience they were never nearly as good as modern stainless steel blades, and the passage of time would not have improved them. :frown2:
I have not tried this but I wonder… when a suitable honing device is available, as with a knife, I always find carbon steel a superior quality to stainless steel. I can always get a better edge with a good quality carbon. Of course that’s the rub, the carbon quality and carbon rusts and if there is too much rust it would be very difficult to hone a thin blade.
 
I have not tried this but I wonder… when a suitable honing device is available, as with a knife, I always find carbon steel a superior quality to stainless steel. I can always get a better edge with a good quality carbon. Of course that’s the rub, the carbon quality and carbon rusts and if there is too much rust it would be very difficult to hone a thin blade.
I totally agree with you friend, when it comes to knives. The knife that I use almost daily around the place is a relatively inexpensive Mercator with a carbon steel blade. Unlike stainless steel, it will take a keen edge with just a few strokes. True, it may not hold the edge as long as stainless, but achieving an edge takes a lot less effort. At least, that has been my experience. :)
 
As a vintage blade user would love to see photos. Carbon keep them on the shelf, stainless should be usable depending on storage conditions over the years.
 
As a vintage blade user would love to see photos. Carbon keep them on the shelf, stainless should be usable depending on storage conditions over the years.
These are the stainless. I have two shaves on the first blade so far. I find it compatible with my personna reds, shaves just as good as them. With my whiskers I usually get three to four shaves with the personna's on a good week. Will see what these will do.
One thing I noticed right away is these are thinner than the personna blades. And on a good clean pass they seem to make a sound, like rubbing sandpaper? if that makes sense?

B41F6BB7-D796-4BC3-8399-5F88256E799D.jpeg
 
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