Thread: New Razors vs. Old

Gents --

I'm relatively new to straights, have been using them for a couple of months, and enjoying the whole mess mightily. What was once drudgery is now a pastime I look forward to.

To this end, I've acquired several razors (I know, I know: incipient RAD). 'Til now, they've all been new DOVOs (I have a new TI being honed by Lynn). Until now: I just got an old (shave-ready) Double Duck Goldenedge from one of the members, and used it this morning for the first time.

Revelation! This was far and away the best shave I've had since I started in with straights. It was almost like not shaving at all. The blade passed over the face with scarcely a sensation of touching it. The former problem spots, no longer problems.

So this prompts my question (and apologies for my roundabout way of getting there): in your experience, is there an inherent superiority of the older makes of razors?

There are, to be sure, other possible factors: maybe the soap I used for the first time today was of a superior sort, maybe my proficiency took a quantum leap today. In any case, any of you who prefer your newer razors are welcome to sell me your old Double Ducks!

Thanks,

Roger
Sierra Madre, California

Being a noob, and knowing where my greatest weakness is, my first question is:

Who honed the new razors you've been shaving with? And did the Dubl Duck come "shave ready" from the member here from whom it was purchased?

I have had the same experience, after having bought something like 15 razors ...half of them new and professionally honed...and the other half "vintage razors" and got them professionally honed as well i have come to one conclusion..
The old razors give me a more comfortable , close shave....the metal just feels sharper and smoother.....
I like the look and feel of a new razor though...old razors just look...sad...and with loose pins and not so nice scales are kind of harder to hone and strop...but the shave is better...without any doubt.

Originally Posted by RAP-BIG-ICP1

Being a noob, and knowing where my greatest weakness is, my first question is:

Who honed the new razors you've been shaving with? And did the Dubl Duck come "shave ready" from the member here from whom it was purchased?

All the new razors I have are "Lynn-honed." The Dubl Duck (I note the "correct incorrect" spelling!) was honed by the member I bought it from, Amyn.

Consensus has it, and I can in my inexperience attest, that Lynn's honing is tops. The feel of the older razor is different. Your explanation here:




Roger

All I can say is:



But, that's fine by me (at least for now). I plan on getting my next couple from the folks selling on here. I'll save the "new" new for my request of gifts!! Christmas, B-Day, etc...

It kind of makes sense - sort of. I mean, I'm guessing the prep of the steel is similar, but a new blade is "fresh", where an older blade is "well worn". Kind of like a brand new baseball glove vs. one you've had for 8 or 10 years. The new one is shiny, and pretty, and still smells of new leather, but the old one is your baby... the one you can catch even the most impossible balls with. The one that's already molded to your hand.

While the older blade isn't necessarily "molded" to your face, it has been put to the test.

Make sense? feasible? Anything scientific to support it one way or the other?

I have a WWII era German razor and it's the best shaver I've had yet. I've used newer razors and, while nice, my german and I get along much better. I haven't used a brand new razor (unless you count a brand new 70's Wapi), but I doubt it gets any better. Properly honed and stropped, mine goes straight through any hair smoothly, almost like I'm running the spine over my face rather than the edge. BBS with more ease than a cartridge? Hell yeah

I don't think cold, hard steel gets "broken in" the way a leather baseball glove does. I think the quality of the shave would depend primarily on three factors: blade grind, honing quality and steel properties. Both grind and steel properties are quite different in many older razors, but I would doubt that "breaking in" has much to do with the equation, as a freshly honed edge is always new steel that has never touched a face. Age, on the other hand, might affect the quality of the steel to some degree.

yeah, I didn't think there was anything scientific to it... It just sounded good.

I start this post with "In My Honest Opinion" because there is no proof for the statements I will make now....
However I think one word sums it up the best, COMPETITION, there was as much if not more competition for the vintage $$$ on straight razors as there is now for that 5th blade and vibrating handle... I think that the scales of yesteryear shame the offerings now days (Custom makers excluded)... You would think with all of our techno crap we could make a blade that would shame the old makers now I will say that the new blades are sharp, wicked sharp in fact but they just don't feel the same, they are just sharp, they don't have the smoothness factor...
Now as some of you know I am a gunsmith, a rifle-smith to be more exact, and maybe razors are like rifles, they have to age (be used) a bit before they get that silky smoothness that we love so much!!!!!

I would imagine it be, because in the old days the smiths took their time and had to rely on doing things manually, thus producing high quality superior products.

Nowadays to make a knife or a razor, they get a chunk of steel, press it, then use like a cookie cutter for steel to get the knife or razor shape, grind, heat treat, polish and machine sharpen and voila.
If I remember correctly there are as little as 29 steps (maybe a few more) to produce the Victorinox (sp?) knives I am certain that in the older days it took much, much longer. Oh and I understand that a few people do still do it the old school way, there are some that don't.



DISCLAIMER: The thoughts and views expressed herein are that of myself, and may not be shared by others.