Based on my experience, the two biggest factors are the shaving forums themselves and the availability of modern de razors. I had first tried de shaving many years ago, probably sometime in the 80's, maybe 90's. No internet to help. I found a couple of razors at garage sales or thrift shops and bought the only available "new' razor (I think it was Gilette but I'm not sure, those razors are somewhere but I haven't found them yet). I did not have much success and gave up after a while. Late last year I tried again but this time it's a different, information and guidance is available, there are multiple brands of new razors available and forums where you can research them. Choosing and getting a new de razor with a good reputation is now much easier than getting any particular vintage de. I'm very fortunate in that I live in New York and was able to go to a store that had a good selection of de's, which I only knew about because it was discussed on the forums but there are also a multitude of online places to get new de's, so when you're starting out it's so much easier to go "new" and look into vintage after you've gotten started and been infected with the AD's.
eBay seems to be getting chancier and chancier of late. I've also noticed that over the past few months that quality vintage Gillettes are harder to find. From reading different sites, it also seems that new shavers are uncomfortable buying 'used razors' with the price of good vintage being the same or higher that new. Why worry about disinfecting and the chance of getting a lemon.
Especially injectors, local to me. Which lends weight to what I long suspected: more than a few guys were hunting down (to use, presumably) injectors because they tended to be as scarce as DEs, if not more so. But a few years ago, when inj. blades became pretty much a mail order only proposition, they gave them up and demand died. Now injectors are every - and I mean EVERY - where, gathering dust. DEs? They still move but seem to cycle. SEs are always laying about. There's probably a simple explanation I'm not seeing but what I've always found odd is the relative bounty of old carbon blades available lots of places vs. the relative rarity of any brand or number of vintage stainless blades. They do show up, but it ain't often.
Just F.Y.I. Star a good, inexpensive intro to vintage is the "Gillette Fat Handle tech". They are still plentiful, inexpensive ones can still be found on ebay and they are considered a "mild" well made razor..... The lack of aggression is a plus, if you find the razor to mild you can easily shim the blade for more aggression.
Thank bplatoon. So far the best combination I've been able to find for me is the DE89L (my only razor) and Feather blades. So long as I take my time, the feather blade in my EJ give me a perfectly smooth shave with very little to no irritation whatsoever, even when the day calls for a shirt and tie. I think the sharp blades are probably the way to go for me. I've ordered the 100 pack of Atra's so if the word on the street holds true that they are almost as sharp then they should work great for me. I think the Feather blades could stand to lose a little of their sharpness and still work well.
Cost of the razor $14.00 finding a '53 President PRICELESS! LOL. Probably the only find like this for me. I just couldn't believe what I was seeing.
I have 300 Astra SP's myself. They work well for me and the price can't be beat. I think you'll like them. Another blade I'm finding works really well for me is the PolSilver Super Iridium's. Great shave, same longevity as the Astra's for me, but at 4 times the price of the Astra's. Suffice it to say the Astra SP's are my go-to blades of choice, with SI's a once in a while blade....
It didn't help. I switch to a Canadian vendor and started staring at brushes that cost WAAAAY too much money. Then ordered one. *facepalm*
I chose a new razor simply because I pretty much knew what I was going to get. I could look at the reviews and recommendations, and find one in stock at a good price. I didn't feel I knew enough about vintage razors to make a vintage razor my first (i.e., what to look for, what brands, what to avoid, what I should pay, etc.). With a new razor, it was a choice amongst few, rather than a choice amongst an infinite number of choices. As my experience and knowledge grows, I might feel more comfortable getting into a quality, vintage product.
That's an interesting viewpoint, and it makes a lot of sense. I think you will find that once you get past all the fancy names and handle designs, there isn't as much variety among the vintage razors as one might think. I doubt that there are as many as 20 Gillette DE razor head styles across the nearly 100 years they produced DE razors. The same goes for Schick injectors. The selection becomes even more limited when you look at SE razors. It's the rare oddball razors that may or may not take modern blades that really throws a wrench into the gears for the new shaver browsing eBay for a "safety razor."
Personally I think that vintage razors are hard too find in the wild and I also see a decrease in offerings on the bay. There is now influx of cheaper new razors of fairly good quality available. I also see that guys are disgusted with the high cost of cartridges and are looking for a better alternative.
The internet certainly has been a game changer! It's amazing how far a little knowledge can take you.
