Results 21 to 30 of 38
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12-08-2009, 06:38 PM #21
- Join Date
- Oct 2009
- Posts
- 91
Thanked: 12Vintage razors have great history....two I picked up at an estate auctions for $10 each:
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12-08-2009, 07:21 PM #22
I think you make a great point. No one is saying that new razors aren't still great shavers- they have to be to make it in the market. I also think it is a really good place to start, esp. with a shave ready set up from one of our many great vendors, but for the cash strapped people like me, razors offer a lot of extra value. I started with a $10 POS that a member honed for me, and it is still in my rotation.
If I had infinite amounts of money, I probably would have a lot of production razors (I almost bought the dovo ebony because I personally think it is elegant, and it is also cheaper, but then lo and behold I snagged my Hess off the bay for not cheap, and certainly not in my normal bid range, but at <$50 I feel it was totally worth it) but for now I'll lurk and make do with vintage. :-P
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12-08-2009, 07:35 PM #23
- Join Date
- Mar 2009
- Location
- Sussex, UK
- Posts
- 1,710
Thanked: 234Well, you kinda just have to take it on merit that way back when, people just didn't bother to make a piece of crap. It would have taken just as long to make a piece of crap razor as a good one, expect no one would have bought it because it wouldn't have shaved in the shop.
On topic, I only have one new razor. It was at least third hand when I got it.
There is no way I could justify paying out for a spanking new razor. I couldn't really justify paying out for a 'popular' vintage brand or a restored vintage either though.
That is, my razors generally don't look much, because i haven't spent the time to make them look much, but if you're paying 50 bucks for a shinny razor and I'm paying 5 for a dull one, is that so different from someone spending a hundred bucks on a new razor and you spending 50 on a shinny vintage?
I don't know. I guess you should buy what ever offers you the best value for money and be done with it.
That Tally-Ho is stunning.
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12-08-2009, 07:37 PM #24
- Join Date
- Aug 2009
- Location
- Waynesboro, PA
- Posts
- 997
- Blog Entries
- 6
Thanked: 199If you want someone's opinion on arazor you see on ebay, don't be afraid to ask any of the more experienced guys (especially resto guys) if they think it might be ok. Of course just seeing pics doesn't always tell you the whole story, but you can get a good idea if you know what to look for.
PM one of the guys, or log into the IRC chat room and ask if anyone would be willing to take a look at a razor for you. I'm sure someone would be glad to take a look if you give them the auction number
Just about everyone here is very nice and helpful, so don't be afraid to ask for help!
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12-08-2009, 08:05 PM #25
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12-08-2009, 09:59 PM #26
That was youuu! I had my eye on those but it went a little out of my price range. Gorgeous set, Jimmy -- to me, the razors alone are worth more than what you paid and the box looks damn sweet.
I managed to get a nice eBay lot to further Chris' point. $56 for these beauties:
Boxes don't match. Razor on the left is a Morley (which I'm fond of), then the right column from top-to-bottom are: Mellgren Swedish, an excellent looking Weltmeister, my first Wade & Butcher, a New Century German, and lastly another Morley. I was really just bidding for the Weltmeister. The Morleys and W&B are bonus and I'm interested to check out the two unknowns.
I love the age and history (even if I'll never know specifics) of these razors and the fact that vintage ones are tried and true. Don't see myself spending the money on a new razor anytime soon, but perhaps eventually as a treat and to see if I can tell any difference.
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12-08-2009, 10:08 PM #27
Everyone used to own and use straight razors, which is why there are so many around, which is why vintage prices are reasonable, which is why we straight razor users are very lucky indeed!
Ever tried to read to the light of a vintage Aladdin lamp?
Do you know of any other antique that is so relatively cheap?
I see a lot of straight razor boxes stamped $3. (There must have been world-wide price-setting collusion.) Taking that as the selling price when new, adjusting for inflation, even factoring in the fact that it is now used, I suspect when we buy vintage we are getting a more than great deal!
Also, you have to consider the fact that many vintage razors haven't noticeably deteriorated in quality.
So, that is my long-winded way of agreeing with the original post!
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12-08-2009, 11:59 PM #28
if you stop and think when these razors wer made people wer working for .50 cents a day or is some places 5.00 dollars a week so the price of 3.00 is quite a bit. my first paying job was a 1.00 a hour and was making 60.to 70. dollars a week and going to highscool wasent much time to get in any trouble and if i did what i got when i got home wasent nice.
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12-09-2009, 03:24 AM #29
I agree. However, many things, I would argue straight razors included, diminish in value from new until age ("antique"), rarity and/or demand reverse that process. Clearly, as you can tell by my post, I'm amazed that vintage razors in excellent condition, almost regardless of make are bought and sold for their consistently low prices in relation to new. Excellent condition vintage razors are undervalued and oftentimes dramatically so. That's the bees knees if you're a buyer and I personally love the fact that sellers such as most antique dealers don't have a clue. As a seller though (I've only sold a small number of razors to date), the undervalued vintage razor factor has definitely kept razors in my stable that under different circumstances I'd most likely have sold off over time. The concept of excellent condition vintage razors regardless of make consistently going for MORE than typical new razors (say $200 on up) seems foreign and unreal. It actually surprises me that that's not the case. I still wonder why that is.
Chris L"Blues fallin' down like hail." Robert Johnson
"Aw, Pretty Boy, can't you show me nuthin but surrender?" Patti Smith
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12-09-2009, 09:59 PM #30
I agree. It amazes me vintage razors are so inexpensive. Shhhhhh....
Actually, considering the cost of a crappy plastic disposable handle and a years worth of disposable blades, the modern hand crafted straights are a real deal too. This may be one of the last places where you can get such high quality products for so little! And, looking at the Dovo manufacturing video, it appears that even the new ones are still primarily made by hand with a whole lot of individual steps (although if they were truly honed to "shave ready" they would have to be considerably more $).