Which do you Prefer, Old or New?
Which do you Prefer, Old or New?
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.
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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)
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)
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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.
Gary
SOTD 99%: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, soaps & creams, synthetic / badger brushes, Colonial General razor, Kai & Schick blades, straight razors any time, Superior 70 aftershave splash + menthol + 444
SOTD 99%: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, soaps & creams, synthetic / badger brushes, Colonial General razor, Kai & Schick blades, straight razors any time, Superior 70 aftershave splash + menthol + 444
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Especially if said owner had syphilis and scrofula and never bothered to wipe the blade....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.
Chris
"Je n'ai pas besoin de cette hypothèse."
Pierre-Simon de Laplace
Pierre-Simon de Laplace
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!!!!
Guess that is one more vote for vintage over new!!!!
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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.
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.
"Je n'ai pas besoin de cette hypothèse."
Pierre-Simon de Laplace
Pierre-Simon de Laplace