A long ramble.
This is obviously very much a matter of personal taste, but I've observed the following. For me the great Gillette razors from the 1940s to the early 70s were marked by elegance of design, convenience in use, and a mildness suitable for regular usage. Today's top products -- especially the AT&T or Wolfman -- seem to me geared towards enthusiasts and to men who want more aggressive shaves. Just look at how many try to experiment with razors like the devette to find an even more aggressive shaver. Or the fact that Merkur adjustables -- especially the big TTO -- are clunkier and much more aggressive at the top settings.
I think this is partly due to the fact that many people use these to shave off heavy growth. In contrast the Gillette's were designed for an era in which millions of men were expected to show up to work clean shaven, often shaved twice a day when going out at night, and would likely have been fired for trying the hipster look. I like to shave everyday, and only rarely skip a day. I also hate the idea of facial hair and agree with the 1960s view on this. At the same time men didn't have to go for BBS which was also consistent with shaving often.
In addition -- and this is very very subjective -- I find most modern designs to be inelegant, clunky things. I will pass over the Zamak compromises whoses head snap off with a simple drop. But even the AT&T is well finished but seems more working class -- "tool-like" than refined. The Slim or the Tech are more Cary Grant, Mad Men, and old IBM corporate. The new ones seem more like Ice Truckers meet How Things are Made. Super high grade products from people not at the cutting edge of design but proud of their manly tools which are big and heavy. Some of this is because the top razors are no longer backed by millions of dollars of R&D and tooling and industrial design. And as I said, the new ones are also geared to people who want super efficient shaves. The only partial exception to this is the mild Feather ASD series which is a refined Tech that combines the Japanese obsession with detail plus catering to a population with sparser facial hair who are, like Westerners in the 1960s, still supposed to show up to work clean shaven and in matching suits.
Your thoughts?
This is obviously very much a matter of personal taste, but I've observed the following. For me the great Gillette razors from the 1940s to the early 70s were marked by elegance of design, convenience in use, and a mildness suitable for regular usage. Today's top products -- especially the AT&T or Wolfman -- seem to me geared towards enthusiasts and to men who want more aggressive shaves. Just look at how many try to experiment with razors like the devette to find an even more aggressive shaver. Or the fact that Merkur adjustables -- especially the big TTO -- are clunkier and much more aggressive at the top settings.
I think this is partly due to the fact that many people use these to shave off heavy growth. In contrast the Gillette's were designed for an era in which millions of men were expected to show up to work clean shaven, often shaved twice a day when going out at night, and would likely have been fired for trying the hipster look. I like to shave everyday, and only rarely skip a day. I also hate the idea of facial hair and agree with the 1960s view on this. At the same time men didn't have to go for BBS which was also consistent with shaving often.
In addition -- and this is very very subjective -- I find most modern designs to be inelegant, clunky things. I will pass over the Zamak compromises whoses head snap off with a simple drop. But even the AT&T is well finished but seems more working class -- "tool-like" than refined. The Slim or the Tech are more Cary Grant, Mad Men, and old IBM corporate. The new ones seem more like Ice Truckers meet How Things are Made. Super high grade products from people not at the cutting edge of design but proud of their manly tools which are big and heavy. Some of this is because the top razors are no longer backed by millions of dollars of R&D and tooling and industrial design. And as I said, the new ones are also geared to people who want super efficient shaves. The only partial exception to this is the mild Feather ASD series which is a refined Tech that combines the Japanese obsession with detail plus catering to a population with sparser facial hair who are, like Westerners in the 1960s, still supposed to show up to work clean shaven and in matching suits.
Your thoughts?