I'm kinda curious as if to most of you get more of a kick shaving with old restored razors, or newly produced razors?
dw
Printable View
I'm kinda curious as if to most of you get more of a kick shaving with old restored razors, or newly produced razors?
dw
Vintage....it's a cool feeling when you know you've just used a 100+ year old piece of steel to shave with! That's not to say that I don't like my new straights, but I've always been a fan of "antiques"......
I say vintage..its got a story to tell
well i like vintage blades but i also buy new ones... if we don't dovo and ti will stop making them ... then it will be a dead art
I voted vintage, because all but a handful of my straights are just that.
That said, I'll use a new razor just as fast as an old one, but with prices rising as they are, the new razors become more of a luxury to me than anything.
Especially considering the time involved and the workmanship of the old razors is often the same or in many cases better than the new stuff coming out.
Just my opinion, of course.
John P.
Vintage.. I like bringing something old back to usefullness.. and it is a fun little hobby where I can while away the hours instead of doing evil.
Definitely Vintage it has history.....
But I do own a few new ones too, I gotta agree if we don't buy a few, we wont have any to buy....
Had to vote vintage as all but 2 of mine are old blades
Vintage for me.
My razor collection is tiny, but my favourite is the single vintage I own - and it's nothing extraordinary. I just love having something old that is just as effective as any new replacement would be - a reaction to today's throw away tendencies I suppose.
Granted - old can have history and style. Old can also be pretty average.
i voted new, but would like to clarify; Not factory new - Custom new. i have some outstanding old razors and a few new factory razors - the new are just like any mass produced item. Give me a custom by a master and that would have to be the leading edge. :D
Adam
Most of my blades are vintage but I voted for 'New'! This is because I like both as much as each other and wanted to give the @new' a fair chance!
Rick
I like vintage blades but also have a number of new ones. So, basicly my RAD has no limits.
One of the reasons I really enjoy straights is the idea that I can take a vintage razor that, in most cases, was disgarded or unused for decades and make it useable again.
I think the "newest" razor I have is a NOS Friodur; best guess is it's from the 60's.
I have nothing against the new steel; I'm excited that they are in production. I just like the idea of taking somthing from trash to treasure.....
v/r
Allen
I only have "vintage" razors, so far. I think the youngest is the best part of a hundred years old.
A Kropp I have, is what would have been considered at the time 'mass-produced', but it does the job really well. I think as long as it's not deformed, well designed and made of the right type of steel it is a good razor.
I'd love to have a custom razor or a good modern factory razor, but I can't really afford a custom and doubt the factory razors would be any better than a tidy vintage blade, but cost more!
I thought about this also in favor of Vintage razors....
The availability of CHOICE!!!!
If you look at what yer favorite razor type is....
For instance my absolute favorite razor type, is an 11/16 Spike point Full hollow ground razor...
Not many of those available when it comes to new, in fact not many spike points at all out there...
Also I love the flashy scales I admit it!!! some of the old celluloid scales are just damn pretty, they don't add a thing to the shave but hey I like them.....
I've never shaved with a new razor, and there are a few reasons.
Price, variety, grind, and quality.
There are tons of good deals on quality vintage razors, whereas a new one will set you back about $100 (Dovo Special). There are tons of vintage razors out there from various makers in various countries with various types of steel in various grinds at various widths with various scales etc. I also prefer heavier blades, and most of the new ones seem to be full hollow. Sure there are some large half hollows, but see reason 1. Then there's the quality. A new razor should not be warped or ground unevenly. And yet lots are. Nuff said.
I didn't vote because I really have no preference. Most of my razors are vintage but I'm really happy with anything that shaves really well.
I've been at this since early January. I still have not really decided with the 40+ str8's I've collected with the RAD. This included old, new, shavette's, and Japanese. It seems that the size and configuration is makes the difference. The two different WAPI's are new/old and shave gr8. The Jos Herder 15/16 is a massive and beautiful shaver. The 2 Boker's are just OK. The Henkels SS can touch the whiskers off. The W&B and Wostenholm (Pipes and IXL) are warm and seem to melt the beard off. The other Sheffields are also very nice. The multiple American made and German are all great. The Chinese Double Arrow do a comfortable job.
I am still looking and deciding what to keep. You know, the shavette's do a great job with a very light touch-however they aren't really true str8's.
I am not really sure what the fuss is about the Japanese, the Tosuke is scary sharp but it is a PITA to use(even though it is exotic). I have Iwasaki on order and it should get here in a few weeks. I am #9 and they are expecting 12 in from Japan soon. At that time I'll have that experience to compare. I'll probably offer up the Tosuke on this forum at that time.
I do love them all and will likely filter down to a dozen or so to keep and then pass the other's on for others to try. There is something really special about using an antique tool. It is soothing. I am particularly pleased to use my father's old str8. I have taken it out and used it on his birthday, father's day, and the anniversary of his death. There is a great feeling of connection that comes along with this. I hope to provide this to my son. I have gotten him into method shaving with the DE's I've collected. He is not quite ready to move into st8 shaving yet.
JMHO
Sorry- got kinda long winded as I started this reply.:w
Headdoc
I love them both, so why dont I get to vote?";"
I really like my Mastro Livi razors but when it comes to value, quality, shave quality and ability to take and hold an edge, I'll take my vintage Sheffield razors. Love those razors from the 1800's. I have ten and looking for more.
The only new razor I have is a Double Arrow that I bought in a lot of 5 Straights. Set the bevel & went up through 16K hones & this is a pretty good razor but my go to #1 razor is a 1850's Wade & butcher. I am up to around 50 straights & only 1 new one.
Slawmeister:rock:
I voted vintage as I find the steel is better I have restored a few vintage cars and the steel is a lot better than modern just the way I think bare 70 year old steel takes a lot longer to form rust than modern steel and somewhere I read old steel can go glass hard through time.
So my way of thinking it should hold an edge on a razor better.
My way of thinking could be totally wrong.
I also went vintage, they must have a story........maybe good.....maybe not
But either way they are just much better in my opinion. I have one new razor, possibly will buy a couple more.
For my personal taste, I like new razors. I have two vintage razors that were inherited from an uncle. They are both 5/8 blades. I use them, but I prefer shaving with larger blades. If I locate a near-mint condition, fully hollow ground, 6/8 or 7/8 blade at the right price, I might consider it. Until then, I purchase new razors.
My collection has more vintage but I really have no preference. A good razor is a good razor. I use them each equally.
This is a resurrected thread that may fall into the vintage category itself :rofl2:
Since I wasn't a member back then I am glad that it has been brought back to life.
It seems that most people prefer vintage. I wonder if that's perhaps because they have had a hand in bringing them back into a usable condition.
I have to say that I started out with new ones, but having got one vintage one I now want more that said, I am also quite partial to custom razors too. My collection is still very small by comparison to most but slowly growing and I wonder if I get the kit to restore vintage razors and acquire the necessary skills then perhaps my collection could grow more rapidly.
I like old razors. Like many have said, they have a story. I also like new customs. I have several of those and their story just started. For example, I have a Max custom that has a pink wedge because my daughter was sitting with me when I ordered it and thought it would be cool.
Pretty cool.
Attachment 257360
Attachment 257361
I voted vintage even if only 2 of my 22 razors are vintage. I think that i will create such a bond with the Jerry Starks damascus custom that i ordered. It is due next month, i hope. We will see.
To tell you the truth i really like my Ralph Aust, probably because it is in the first pic you see when you open SRD. BUT!, i REALLY love that 1850 (or so) Wade and Butcher that i break rotation for. The same happens with a Geneva Pyramid that sixguns restored. They make me think of Clint Eastwood, shaving with a bowie knife and a small mirror in his hand in the middle of the desert...
i like both. if i had to decide, it is vintage, with a hint of nostalgia...
Ah nostalgia. I have a soft spots for safety razors, and it is 100% nostalgia: when my brother and me were kids, grandpa used to take out the blade of whatever safety razor (with butterfly doors) he had and give it to us. He also gave us a can of gooo, and let us play with them. Ohhh... those were the best of times. we ´shaved´, pretending we were men... I bet that grandpa secretly had a ball, showing the way to his little boys. For that alone one day that i was in Walgreens, i saw a Van Der Hagen DE with butterfly doors, and bought it not interested in its price ($20) or its quality (it is actually a pretty good shaver). From then on i bought every and all high end machined stainless steel safety razor in the market (to shave my head, my face i shave with my straights). Don't worry, they are not that many. Everything has its story. That is why i voted vintage.
I say vintage for sure, I enjoy the history of them plus I always think when I use them. I wonder what was the guy that owned this 100+ yrs ago like, what was he thinking while using this razor, was he possibly famous? Just a lot of mystery to the old razors.
I have a couple new ones and they are nice but I prefer my old ones.
If we try to stay apart of historical or any emotional aspects, and concentrate just on a shaving quality along with ease of maintenance, would you go with an old razor or with a modern custom one?
I wouldn't have any idea what it is like to use a new SR. I'm retired and on a fixed income, so buying a razor of my desire ain't gonna happen for me'es. I would dearly love to but I figure at my age and paying $300 to $600 for a new SR doesn't have any long term benefit for me, so-o-o, it will be the really cheap antiques for me. Most I have paid for an old SR is about $25.00. I have three German made, Solingen blades that came from a seven day set. They are decorated and colored stain embossed on the steels and the edges have the days embossed on them.
Nice read. I empathize with your thoughts and feelings. I have been using SR's for nigh on 40 years. All those years, up into 2016 when I stumbled onto this site I was completely illiterate to SR's, and still am. Since being here I have improved my honing skills and restoration skills. The W&B I own, blade only as scales were trash, I have been working of getting it sharp, hasn't been easy. I have some deer horn I would like to manipulate to make scales for the W&B blade. I just need to discover how best to sharpen this thing. The cutting edge is straight as an arrow as if it had never been sharpened before and yet I have a rough time getting this thing to the proper cutting edge. I know, I know, send it off and have it done. Nah! Can't do that. Wanna do it myself. Stubborn ol goat. Yep. Thas me'es. I will get it. I am getting inspired to go get it and start. I am thinking start with 1000 Norton water stone. Been using nothing but 4000 and 8000. Oh well. I'll shut my yap an say guh da.
If your anecdotal statement is accurate this might be the very reason I am having a hard time getting an edge on my W&B. Come back with a thought!?
I would hate to spend $300 to $600 and get a sour blade. What recourse does one have when your get one like that?
This is a great point Adam G. Custom. Huh! Just never struck me when speaking of new. When I think of buying a new SR, I think of custom rather than machine manufactured. wonder how much real difference there is outside of personal bias.
The ease of maintenance part belongs to the new ones. Carbon fiber and g-10 scales and more advanced steel (let alone finishes) are modern. They last longer and don't need that much attention.
Shaving quality? Well, a pro honer told me that vintage American steel is a lot better than vintage Sheffield, Solingen and Thiers. And better than common moderns. Customs? I don't know. I interpreted that to get that vintage American quality you have to get the very best moderns.
Does finer grain translates a better edges and and better edge retention? YES. That is why that Pensilvania vintage steel is the best. The iron ore was more pure, so they got finer grained steel to begin with.
Are we talking about straights? Jajaja. Safety razors? Stainless steel + Cnc machines = better razors.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk