I think balance is important. I like the razor to balance just forward of the pivot on the tang. I use my finger to check for balance when making scales for a razor. Nothing fancy as a balance point. The finger works fine. The blade is typically at 9 0'clock and the scales at 1 0'clock when holding the razor to shave. I dislike a razor that is scale heavy as the weight tends to pull the blade away from my face. I find I am very conscious of a scale heavy razor when shaving and dislike having to compensate for it. If I shaved with only a couple of razors I'm sure my muscle memory would learn to compensate and I would not notice. I shave with a different razor most everyday so a razor that is either slightly blade heavy or balances at the tang provides the best feel for me. I cannot recall handling a vintage razor that was scale heavy. As Glen said the old timers had it right.