Are vintage razors good velue for money?

Merkurologist said:
Aesthetic reasons are very important to me, I wouldn't shave with a razor that is in need of replating (OCD)...everytime I thought about a vintage razor, the ones in mint condition were too expensive.

I'm sure there are some great razors for some people but not for me.

Also, I'm not going to live another 100 years so I couldn't care less if in 100 years my SS razors are only good for paperweight :giggle:
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Based on this, I'd probably be inclined to say that a vintage razor wouldn't be good value for you. By the time you've sourced a mint one, or refurbished, you're potentially in to mid-top level artisan territory (having recently seen Carbon Shaving razors on Bests for £150). You're not going to get a better shave from a vintage razor, only the history which isn't worth the money if that's not what you're interested in.
 
Some modern razors are good value, and so are some vintage ones. A pre-WW2 Tech I picked up for about £5 at an antique market definitely was. The plating is good, if not perfect, and my son enjoys shaving with it. However, the rhodium plated Aristocrats you see on the bay for £200+ probably aren't for most people.
On the other hand some of the modern SS razors also seem madly expensive to me. I know they have the potential to last for hundreds of years, and survive a nuclear war, but that really doesn't add much to their value in my eyes.
 
I like the old razors, but just cant quite get my head around the idea of using an old one or worrying about the plating.

The modern ones at £50 or less are just a tool to be used - I don't find myself worrying about how long they will last beyond any warranty period - you could easily spend that much on a meal or a night out which would soon be forgotten and its still way less than i would spend on cartridges / electric shavers in that period of time.

I might one day buy a razor thats a work of engineering art, like the Feather, but it would just be an impulse buy
 
Rohleder said:
Whether the razor is old or new is irrelevant, they are just blade holders. For me the real question is will DE blades still be manufactured in 100 years? If not then they will all be paperweights.
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I was considering the fact that there seem to be a greater choice of DE blades on the market than there are modern disposable plastic razors. I had wondered whether many of the DE blades are mostly the same in different packaging. It is possible there is a bigger market for them that we realise?
 
It's all personal choice. One thing I do know, vintage razors have shot up in price the last few years. It was common to obtain a decent slim or BB for not a lot of money.
 
NatJag said:
I was considering the fact that there seem to be a greater choice of DE blades on the market than there are modern disposable plastic razors. I had wondered whether many of the DE blades are mostly the same in different packaging. It is possible there is a bigger market for them that we realise?
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India, Russia and China are huge markets for de blades. If people weren't buying them in huge numbers in these countries nobody would still be making them.
 
NatJag said:
I was considering the fact that there seem to be a greater choice of DE blades on the market than there are modern disposable plastic razors. I had wondered whether many of the DE blades are mostly the same in different packaging. It is possible there is a bigger market for them that we realise?
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The Gillette blades at least are not all the same as experience will show. They alter the hone angles at minimum and I personally believe the better ones have a slightly better sputtering/coating for duration. Just my opinion however.
 
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