Thread: Vintage razors are a great deal at almost any cost.

Vintage razors have great history....two I picked up at an estate auctions for $10 each:

Originally Posted by TheBaron

Well I have no experience yet shaving with a vintage razor, but I agree with everything that's been said. Don't get me wrong, I'm very happy with my Dovo in ebony scales, I like the idea that I'm the first owner and I think it is a very pretty razor.

Yet, even though I have never used a vintage razor to shave with, this site has so many that rave about their vintage blades and talk about that feel of a tool with history and the craftsmanship of the razors that it encouraged me to start restoring so I could make use of some of those vintage finds. I get those same feelings when restoring a razor to the point that I accept as fact everything said in this thread without any experience shaving vintage.

Granted the few I have restored will be sharpened soon and I honestly can't wait, but I don't think my Dovo will leave my rotation any time soon either.

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

Originally Posted by jcw122

but how do I know this random brand that is no longer around isn't some piece of crap?

Well, 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.

Originally Posted by jcw122

My biggest concern, at least as a newbie to razors, is not knowing what to look for. Sure I can find eBay auctions that say they are selling wonderful vintage razors, but how do I know this random brand that is no longer around isn't some piece of crap?

I'd love to have a vintage razor, but I'm scared away by the idea that there are razors out on eBay that are a waste of my time and money.

If 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!

Originally Posted by avatar1999

If 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!

Good idea avatar, I'll be sure to do that! Thanks!

Originally Posted by JimmyHAD

$98.00 USD shipped priority mail. A pair of near mint C.V. Heljestrand ivory scaled 5/8 and 6/8 razors in their original case. Going to the hones tonight or tomorrow.

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.

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!

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.

Originally Posted by thebigspendur

Its really pretty much that way with everything. New items sell at a premium and used go for much less with the exception of things that are highly sought after. It has nothing to do with the quality whether the vintage is far superior to the new or not. That's why savy people will buy say a car that's a year or so old or a watch thats also maybe a year old. No different with razors.

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

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 $).