Which do you Prefer, Old or New?

matt321 · Post by **matt321** » Wed Sep 15, 2010 9:11 pm

Assuming you have some experience with both old and new razors, which do you prefer? I bought an old Shumate and an old Torrey on ebay. I am impressed with how easy they were to hone and how well they shave. My newer razors are not as user friendly.

Post by **drmoss_ca** » Thu Sep 16, 2010 1:39 am

Razors from the heyday of Sheffield were made with softer steel than modern razors and were definitely easier to hone. Sadly, they also lost that edge sooner than the harder steels.

Chris

ferroburak · Post by **ferroburak** » Thu Sep 16, 2010 10:33 am

I believe there are harder steel types now (some Swedish steels)that were not available then. But they still don't see much use, I guess silver steel is still the preferrred steel.

Damascus steel is an exception on this matter. It is very, very old. But I haven't seem them used in vintage razors. I believe in terms of craftsmanship current razors cannot match razors made in the 19th century. (It would be probably more correct if several craftsman of today are excluded)

ZethLent · Post by **ZethLent** » Thu Sep 16, 2010 10:37 pm

I would take one of the new Thiers Issard Carbonsong 135 razors over any vintage one. The steel and edge retention is fantastic. The edge also hones up to such a sweet level, it is velvet!

loueedacat1 · Post by **loueedacat1** » Sat Sep 18, 2010 6:11 pm

ZethLent wrote:I would take one of the new Thiers Issard Carbonsong 135 razors over any vintage one. The steel and edge retention is fantastic. The edge also hones up to such a sweet level, it is velvet!

ARe the AOS TI blades the carbonsong 135, or just the silverwings?

matt321 · Post by **matt321** » Sun Sep 19, 2010 5:30 pm

If it has the vertical bars on both sides of the tang and a single large letter stamped on the back side then it is C135.

brothers · Post by **brothers** » Mon Sep 20, 2010 4:46 am

It's too soon for me to offer an opinion. My SR shaving and sharpening has been learned (up to now) on old rough (cheap) razors from previous centuries. In keeping with my DE razor selection process, (start with old stuff and move into current production stuff) I've just placed an order for two brand new SRs. A Dovo and a Thiers Issard. They're coming from Vintage Blades and should arrive sometime this week. As you can imagine, I'm excited to have taken this step forward. Obviously, it will take months before I can form an opinion about new v. old SRs.

shavedhead · Post by **shavedhead** » Fri Sep 24, 2010 9:44 am

i prefer carbon steels so old is in for me

matt321 · Post by **matt321** » Thu Sep 30, 2010 9:14 pm

ZethLent wrote:I would take one of the new Thiers Issard Carbonsong 135 razors over any vintage one. The steel and edge retention is fantastic. The edge also hones up to such a sweet level, it is velvet!

OK, so how do you hone and maintain yours to that level of velvet sweetness?

loueedacat1 · Post by **loueedacat1** » Sat Oct 02, 2010 2:27 pm

I got the AOS TI razor - it is carbonsong 135 - even has a little sticker on the box saying so! Shaved this morning - nice stiff blade, nice smooth shave. Spent a little more time on my escher this morning and will try again tommorrow.

matt321 · Post by **matt321** » Wed Oct 20, 2010 8:52 am

The vintage razors have a history. When I shave with a 100-year old razor and contemplate the lives of the previous owners it adds to the experience. Also, there is the idea that I rescued the vintage ones from the scrap heap and gave them a new, useful life.

Post by **drmoss_ca** » Wed Oct 20, 2010 9:20 am

matt321 wrote:The vintage razors have a history. When I shave with a 100-year old razor and contemplate the lives of the previous owners it adds to the experience.

Especially if said owner had syphilis and scrofula and never bothered to wipe the blade....

Chris

matt321 · Post by **matt321** » Wed Oct 20, 2010 11:01 am

Gee Chris, it sounds bad when you say it like that.

Post by **drmoss_ca** » Wed Oct 20, 2010 12:57 pm

Nah - what's life without a little variety?

Chris

matt321 · Post by **matt321** » Wed Nov 03, 2010 10:46 am

Got a haircut at a barbershop in my new home town. I noticed the barbers there use shavettes to trim behind the ears and such. So I mentioned to the guy cutting my hair that I have been shaving exclusively with a straight razor for a few years. He said, "Oh, you must have an old one then cuz the new ones are all crap. They won't hold an edge. Bad steel!"

Guess that is one more vote for vintage over new!!!!

shavedhead · Post by **shavedhead** » Fri Dec 17, 2010 7:27 pm

i am fond of carbon steels so old school for me

brothers · Post by **brothers** » Fri Dec 17, 2010 7:35 pm

As of right now - I'm with the old.

Dave_D · Post by **Dave_D** » Sat Dec 18, 2010 5:37 pm

Another one for vintage carbon steel razors. It could be my marginal honing skills but carbon steel just seems to take a better edge for me, I also like the old school workmanship.

Utopian · Post by **Utopian** » Fri Dec 31, 2010 8:33 pm

Since I've had limited success in finding $5 to $10 new razors, I prefer the old ones!

Post by **drmoss_ca** » Sun Jan 02, 2011 9:22 am

Unless you spring for a new Hart, Zowada custom, Buddel custom, Livi, several other custom makers or other modern production from TI or Dovo. Actually, vintage razors are interesting and sometimes make good bargains, but this is increasingly rare. But there are brand new razors out there that will knock your socks off, and if you don't know that, you shouldn't post about it.

My nephew showed me a Boker King Cutter his brother gave him from eBay as a Christmas present. Flat shoulders from much over-honing, and a smile from being over-honed with a finger on the tip (ie a lop-sided smile, where most of the edge was straight and the that near the tip curved right up). A very nice addition to your wall of shame, but barely worth the effort of trying to get into shaving shape. I have about six King Cutters in the same shape, and I shan't waste my time on them. Now this nephew is hooked on the straight shave, and has many perfectly functional razors I have given him, including a Friodur and a Livi. If he wants to remain ostensibly sane he could buy just one more custom razor to his preferences, or he could give in to the madness and start to collect a mixture of vintage and new razors, all the while tormented by the ideal that he searches for but never reaches. He is young and smart, and has a life to live and a career to follow. I would suggest he buys the best custom he can afford and spends most of his time thinking about his career and his wife. I can keep him supplied with soaps, creams and brushes if he likes, but shaving should not occupy his whole day.
I guess the message is that there aren't so many super vintage bargains out there any more, so you must trim your cloth according to your purse. The resurgence of interest in straight razors has had the predictable and inevitable effect on the supply. Better to have one superb razor made exactly to your specifications by Tim, Gabor, Lido or others than to go insane looking for the unobtainable.

Chris
All my razors will be for sale eventually. The ones I don't use will be for sale when I retire and move to our small house in Sackville, NB. The ones I do use will require a sad event that I am not able to predict in advance.