Help me understand the allure of a vintage DE razor over a modern DE razor.

This is something I don't understand. I find the quality, depth, and variety in modern, current production DE razors to be very impressive. Surely, with more advanced machining, materials, and design, wouldn't current day artisans be able to take the best from the past and innovate and improve on it? If you prefer vintage razors, why do you like them more and which are your favorite models? If you prefer modern DE's I'm interested in your opinion also. Thanks in advance for educating me on this.

I use only modern razors now, but there is a sort of romance and nostalgia to using an 80 or more year old razor. A way of connecting to an older generation, many of the soaps used in decades past are still around as well. I have my Grandfather's 1964 Slim and my dad and I both use it occasionally as a nod to him, he passed a couple years ago.

I use only modern razors now, but there is a sort of romance and nostalgia to using an 80 or more year old razor. A way of connecting to an older generation, many of the soaps used in decades past are still around as well. I have my Grandfather's 1964 Slim and my dad and I both use it occasionally as a nod to him, he passed a couple years ago.

+1

I only use modern stainless steel razors, i had a vintage gillette and it felt super cheap to me (probably cause lighter weight, etc) and will never own any vintage razor, does not interest me at all. I have reducen my den overall too, and only have timeless 95, blackbird and wolfman wr2.

Neither is better, there are great vintage designs and great modern ones. Vintage tend to be a lot cheaper. And to me more interesting. There is no modern equivalent to the Gem Micromatic Open Comb, or Shake Sharp, or Dehaven, or Stahly, or Schick F...and I doubt there ever will be.

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Neither is better, there are great vintage designs and great modern ones. Vintage tend to be a lot cheaper. And to me more interesting. There is no modern equivalent to the Gem Micromatic Open Comb, or Shake Sharp, or Dehaven, or Stahly, or Schick F...and I doubt there ever will be.

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I like my GEM MMOC (Best Gem) and my Schick Type F (Best Injector razor), too. 

I have a collection of straight razors, DE razors and a couple of SE razors. Nearly all of them are modern razors. I do have a couple of vintage straight razors I like: a Wade and Butcher I bought on eBay and a Wostenholm that once belonged to my uncle. I also have a NOS Kropp razor. All my DE razors are modern. I recently purchased a NOS Schick Type L injector razor as that was one of the first razors I used when I began shaving. However, you can purchase a similar copy made in China.

Most of the low and moderately priced modern razors are clones of earlier Gillette razors, although the new ones may have plated ZAMAC heads rather than plated brass as found in some of the older Gillettes. There are some modern razors that have some design features not found in vintage razors. Use whichever you prefer, or follow the standard advice of shaving forums and include both types in your den.

Just an interesting vision of who may have shaved with this the very first time 80 or so years ago. I agree that modern day technology is far superior to yesterdays machining, but there seems to be an aura of history in using something like this. The same could be said for brushes and bowls. It's much easier and quick to press a button and out comes the lather, but where is the feeling of nostalgia. I believe that this may be a little more important to "older" gentlemen (me included), and in time, may become part of your reminiscing about times gone by. Don't forget that what we have today, is only because of what transpired in the past.....

I have a bunch of vintage razors and for me it isn't nostalgia because I grew up in a time when people were using cartridges. For me, vintage razors can be used with less attention and with less exacting care than modern aggressive stainless steel razors and can get great/almost identical shaves.
My favorite vintages are: Gillette Tech(can almost do a BBS in 3 minutes with it eyes closed), Red tip, Raised flat bottom OC England, and Milady Decollete. I have used the all 3 adjustables(slim, fat, and super) but they are not my favorits.

I reject the idea that modern methods of manufacture are better and therefore modern razors are better. Tell that to Eric, who spent the better part of two years working on trying to make a modern toggle, with a modicum of success, depending on who you are speaking with. Ask Rockwell hlw easy it is, using modern technology and know-how, to make a tto adjustable razor.
Gillette made the Toggle and then the Fatboy and the Slim, and made them well enough that many of them still function perfectly to this day. These were actually pretty sophisticated designs, and they work great. Even the humble and inexpensive Tech is a fantastic example of razor design that is, in my opinion, as good as any modern razor out there at any price.
If you have given a legitimate try to vintage razors and then modern and have decided you prefer modern, that's great. I think there are some people out there who reject vintage razors without really giving them a try, or who tried one when they were just learning and had bad technique, and then blamed the poor shave on the razor.

I have nothing against modern razors and have several of them in my den, so this is not an anti-modern razor diatribe. I feel that both modern and vintage razors can be wonderful.