Vintage vs modern straights?

[KarloT]

I'm quite new to this so forgive the noob question. This thread isn't meant to ask which one is better, but more what makes them different?

My first impressions are that modern razors would probably have better metallurgy, while vintage would likely possess better grinds and workmanship since more craftsmen were building razors back then.

Also, why do certain vintage brands enjoy such high demand? I noticed that Wade and Butcher commands both admiration and premium. Filarmonica seems to sell for a bit of money as well. I'm sure these are all slick shavers but is this a case of swelling demand meeting dwindling supply?

For the record, my first razor is a modern 6/8 but I have two vintage shavers in the mail (a 5/8 Williams Sheffield and a 6/8 Christensen).

[Kees]

Vintage for me. They keep their value if you treat them well.

[johnmrson]

Vintage. A much greater variety available.

[Deerhunter1995]

To answer Your question vintage razors are desired because quality went into there making and everyone likes holding a piece of history that has a storybehind it. Great starting razor s btw

[BobH]

I'm quite new to this so forgive the noob question. This thread isn't meant to ask which one is better, but more what makes them different?

My first impressions are that modern razors would probably have better metallurgy, while vintage would likely possess better grinds and workmanship since more craftsmen were building razors back then.

Also, why do certain vintage brands enjoy such high demand? I noticed that Wade and Butcher commands both admiration and premium. Filarmonica seems to sell for a bit of money as well. I'm sure these are all slick shavers but is this a case of swelling demand meeting dwindling supply?

For the record, my first razor is a modern 6/8 but I have two vintage shavers in the mail (a 5/8 Williams Sheffield and a 6/8 Christensen).

Yes, you would think modern razors would have better metallurgy but I think it is a draw on that. Now as then you need good quality steel not some special formula and they had the same good steel back then too. The edge might go to vintage because there were lots of workers with years of practice making and grinding razors but now there are few workers left at the old skill levels.

Some vintage razors demand much higher prices than others because they get talked up and are the flavour of the day if you are looking at pure shaving ability. A good razor is a good razor no matter the make imho. OTH rarer models in excellent to NOS condition are naturally in the premium price range.

Personally I like vintage razors because I enjoy putting them back into service and shaving with a piece of history. Enjoy your your new vintage razors.

Bob

[evnpar]

The vintage razors were new at one time. Heck, the Fat Boy and Slim that I started shaving with in 1962 are now considered vintage, which probably means that I'm also vintage. While I have several vintage razors that I love and wouldn't part with, I enjoy modern artisan straights as I can custom order a blade to my own personal specifications, and recently I had the pleasure of visiting two artisans as they were working on my razor. I don't think that it has to be an either/or situation, and I will continue to enjoy both vintage and modern straights.

[kn4wd]

you have rad setting in, the vintage razors have been weeded through and what remains are the best of the best. 150 or so yrs ago razors cost a lot of money in the day, if you got a rep for making a bad ones you wouldn't sell many if any. the old sheffields were a bit softer than the german steel but I love them best. imho my wade wedges, greaves, Rodgers, Elliot's, wosty's, and stentons have given me plenty of enjoyable shaves. I wouldn't trade a single one of them for a dozen of the newest finest razors out there. I do have a few hollows left, but in the process of replacing them with wedges. and as mentioned above the history. how do ypu know if you have a pre civil war razor you didn't have one ole honest abe didn't use? I don't know but I have wondered how many faces some of mine have shaved.

[Phrank]

I started with buying the new razors, and they are nice, expensive in most cases, and nothing wrong with them, think I bought 6 in total.

Now, antique and vintage all the way, IMO, they were better made by far and the shave I get from a vintage Filarmonica or antique Wade and Butcher Hollow ground razor is much better than most of the new production blades and far less expensive - far better bang for the buck and toss in the historical aspect as well.

[Siguy]

And you just can't beat the badassness of shaving with a tool that was crafted nearly 200 years ago.

Particularly, when you get to share the information when someone foreign to SR shaving asks "You said 'vintage'. How old is that razor?"

You can buy handfuls of vintages for the price of a modern straight. You just need to know what to look for and play the market(avoid the hot, high $$$ models because Phrank is buying all them).

[UKRob]

I think you have to distinguish the modern makers between 'volume' brands and artisans - there are probably far more artisans now than there were when razor making was at its heyday. Unfortunately some of the old brand names have been bought and used for less than stellar quality razors and some other well known brands appear to have variable quality. I'm thinking of the likes of Dovo, Thiers Issard and Wacker here, although I have examples of Dovo and Wacker that are extremely good razors.

The likes of Ralf Aust and Revisor get decent write-ups and of course there is Hart Razors in the US that tend to have their share of issues as well.

The thing to bear in mind is that a good blade will give you a good shave, regardless of its age. Personally, I don't believe I could tell the difference between old and new in a blind test.