Hello, I thought it would be nice to go looking for a good vintage safety razor to buy. Trouble is I don't know where to start and for what brands to look for? What are the most sought after vintage razors and why? And also a second question is which of the vintage razors are the most common out there? Thanks!
Your first question would take too long to answer right now. I'll try to give a more detailed answer in the morning. Basically though, the rarer the razor the more it's worth. Some Gillette's, Darwin's, and Apollo red rings command high prices. So do Tiffany and Co. razors. The most common razors are Gillette Super Speeds and Techs. Gem Micromatics. Gillette Old and New type 3 piece razors. I would start with a Gillette Slim adjustable or a Gillette Super adjustable razor.
I agree with Ryan. I was looking at ebay a little and there are a bunch of Slim adjustables available at pretty reasonable prices. They're great razors and have a nice heft to them that I like. Since they're adjustable, you can change the agressivness to suit your blade, beard or mood. If you think you'd like something a little lighter, a Super Speed or Tech works well and is cheaper.
First... Hi! Welcome to the Den. Be sure to sign up for the February Newbie Give-Away! The short answer to what brand, most sought after, and most common is Gillette. I don't think they put out a razor that at least someone around here doesn't like. (Mind you, I am talking vintage, as that what Habib asked about!)
I would say the Gillette Slim is the way to go. That way you can use it as a marker for how aggressive of a razor you can comfortably use. Then when you get the aggressiveness level down, you can branch out from there.
Maybe is a little biased but I LOVE my 1950's Super Speed so much that it's generally my go-to razor. By the way, Welcome to TSD!
I agree with the others here. Assuming it is to be used for shaving (and not just as a collectible, for show) a Gillette adjustable is a great way to go.
Welcome aboard. Start simple and cheap - same with blades. Say, a Tech and whatever stainless blade you can find. Do the 30 day test before moving on/up, mainly to get your technique down better (honed technique will mean far more to shave quality than any particular razor or blade you will ever buy). Be patient at this point - there is a bit of learning and muscle memory training involved. Besides...unless you've already tried old style wetshaving, you could end up being one of the very rare guys who just don't like it. You just never know until you try. Then decide which direction you want to go next...you'll be better off than buying whatever you see right now only to be unhappy with most of it later. Besides, a cornucopia of razor varieties, old and new, isn't going anywhere anytime soon. 30 days of waiting, you won't miss anything. Just an opinion, take it for whatever it's worth. Did I say welcome aboard?
Gorgo has brought up the 30 day rule which really is a major issue for DE shaving with so many blade choices. That was the advice I received when I started with a DE and so I freely give it to new users. The most important things in shaving are, your skin and technique. All other things fall in line behind those two things and to support them. Since the skin is a given fixed item, the next major item is technique. THE 30 DAY RULE is as follows: Find a razor, then a blade that will not cause issues with your skin (that may take a few different blades in a sampler pack to find a suitable choice or it maybe the first out of the gate) and select a soap or cream that is easy to generate good lather. Once you find those, and it may take a couple of weeks to find this combination, order a quantity of that blade enough for 30 days, and then spend 30 days using nothing else until you build up your technique. (Note that only one brand blade is used for 30 days after each blade in the sampler pack is tested to make the decision on the blade brand to use for 30 days.) The 30 day clock starts when you have the right blade for you. After 30 days, change one and only one variable and work for another week then change another after another week. At that point you should be able to make better decisions because your technique is now in place. This will help you to avoid buying too much gear and stuff too soon without having the technique down to enjoy it all. This really does work. Oh and one more thing ... Welcome to the Den. We know you'll fit right in. So grab yourself a comfy chair, and give our threads a spin! Burma Shave
