I agree, I dont think many people care that much about how long a thing lasts and they'd just as soon buy a new one when the original goes boing.

A straight razor does (and probably did back in the day) cost more than a Gilette DE handle or something, so I'd imagine that the manufacturers intended to make a product that was high quality enough that people thought they were getting value for money.

Straight razors are designed to last a long time. You have one blade that you resharpen many times over the life of the razor rather than a blade that you chuck as soon as it gets dull, so I guess makers would ensure that the razor would last.