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Vintage Gillette vs. Modern Razors

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?
 
So, if I understood this correctly, you're assuming that the devette users (and aggressive razors in general) don't shave every day?

And you called them hipsters? :lol:
 
My first two razors were new 3 piece zamak heads. My third razor was won in a PIF, a vintage Gillette NEW. The difference is like night and day. That PIF dropped me into the rabbit hole. I have not purchased another newly manufactured razor but have amassed a grand (to me) correction of vintage razors, Gillette's, schicks, Gem's, and others. I like the history behind them, and the fact that they are still Serviceable after all this time.
 
I am a vintage guy also. Don't own any modern razors for the reasons outlined above. To each his own and YMMV!

I find the Gillette razors to be as efficient as moderns, though.
 
So, if I understood this correctly, you're assuming that the devette users (and aggressive razors in general) don't shave every day?

And you called them hipsters? :lol:

You are clearly joking. But I think the emphasis of the two groups is quite different for sure. And yes, some may shave everyday, but many don't. Or else they have unusually coarse hair that is difficult to shave. And mostly men in the old days rarely went for BBS.
 
I agree for the most part. Really like the vintage razors, and I don't see any pressing need to try something more aggressive than a NEW (at least for now). Utility is better than novelty.
 
You can shave with a Merkur, Parker, Maggard, EJ, Muhle, Weishi, Feather and I'm sure many others on a daily basis. It all comes down to personal preference.
 
Your thoughts?
Sounds like you're trying to extrapolate trends based on your preferences to me. If you prefer vintage then use them. However there are mild modern DE's and people do shave every day with modern DE's. Aesthetic preferences are certainly subjective.
 

TexLaw

Fussy Evil Genius
I also love the vintage razors. I shave with a vintage razor nearly every day and own (far too) many of them. They are beautiful intersections of form and function and I treasure them.

I'll agree with you 100% about the pot metal razors, too. However, I have a couple of recently manufactured razors that I quite enjoy--the Wolfman WR1-OC, and the Razorock Baby Smooth. While personal taste is important, these razors are hardly "inelegant, clunky things." Far from it, as a matter of fact.

The Wolfman WR1-OC is quite minimal in its design, but it is beyond merely "tool-like." The head profile made me think a little bit about Frank Lloyd Wright (a bit of a stretch, but it did). It also has a nice, low profile head like the vintage, three-piece, Gillette open combs. As far as "aggressive," it's like all the other razors out there in that, while it might be more aggressive, it's not at all playing with fire. It's quite a naturally easy razor to use, and the only reason I would steer a new shaver away from it would be because of the price point. I'll agree that, if you go with a Wolfman handle, you have one heavy razor in your hand--anywhere from about 110-130g--but it's never felt clunky.

The other I use from time to time is the Razorock Baby Smooth. While it's head profile is taller than that of the Wolfman and the vintage Gillettes, it's hardly more so than the TTOs. With it's aluminum construction, it's hardly clunky. The thing almost feels like I'm waving a magic wand and making whiskers disappear. The design is the epitome of simple elegance, as well. I'd use it more often, but I'm actually afraid to get into a rut with it.

And, of course, YMMV :thumbup:
 
I would add an twist to your conjecture that:
"the Gillette's were designed for an era in which millions of men were expected to show up to work clean shaven"
While that might have been true for 60's Mad Men I believe in contrast that the earlier Gillettes, the Old and the New , were designed for a culture now a hundred years past and distorted by TV and Hollywood images. I think they were designed in a time when most men did NOT shave every day, when a close shave was valued for longevity not its prepubescent look and when shaving could be arduous, or luxurious,, depending on where you were in the socio-economic ladder. A truly 'clean shaven man' might have been more of a rarity than we think.
Gillette did make things faster, easier and 'safer' with each new model. I love my Old Single Rings, but my daily drivers are Techs. The times did change.
 
I agree, AT&T products are a bit clunky.:tongue_sm

On the other hand, ATT's products seem pretty elegant to me, although most of my favorite razors are vintage ...

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I agree, AT&T products are a bit clunky.:tongue_sm

On the other hand, ATT's products seem pretty elegant to me, although most of my favorite razors are vintage ...

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:001_smile
You are an oldie, aren't you Ed?

Actually, I have a green one of those in the basement to check my ATT outside connection.
 
My first two quality DE razors were made of zamak. I used these for quite a while. One day I found someone selling a vintage Gillette razor. For the most part my vintage Gillette is my daily shaver. I still use my zamak razors but my vintage Gillette is my favorite. All of my DE razors are in a somewhat regular rotation.
 
I love the old Gillette razors myself. I have 20+ in my collection. Actually thinking about thinning it down a bit.
 
I too would like to prefer the vintage Gillette stuff over anything, however though, no matter how much I truly love the Tech, there is just something in the base plate for some reason that seems to not 'work' for me. I was ready to not go modern after trying the Weishi and Mission razors for awhile, but then I got a Merkur! Now I can't imagine shaving with anything else, and even though I get the urge to grab one of my many razors sometimes, I'll end up just grabbing the Merkur anyway. The one thing I will say though, is that the Merkur does shave very nice with an Old Type combed plate under the head!
 
Razor design reached it's zenith with the NEW Deluxe (or perhaps with the RFB NEW).
I have nothing against new razors and have several of them in the fold. It's just that there a only so many ways to design something whose only function is holding a razor blade against your skin, and it can't be done better than it was by Gillette with the aforementioned razors.
 
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?

And your question was . . . ?
 
And your question was . . . ?

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?

^^^^ Right there!
 
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