How durable is an Aluminum razor ?

I recently purchased 3 Henson Aluminum razors to test them out. I bought a mild, medium and aggressive. 

For the same money I could have bought a Henson Titanium razor, a razor that will last for many many years, but I chose to get all 3 aggression levels of the lighter Aluminium razor instead. 

I own many dozens of razors and will over the next few years continue to add more razors to my Collection, so I will probably not use my 3 Henson razors more than 10-12 times a year each. 

But how durable can I expect a Henson Aluminium razor to be if I take good care of it ?

It will last forever under normal use.

You should get five generations out of it minimum.

Folks want Titanium because it's the current fad, or bling factor, you're somebody if you have it, you're trash if you don't. There is no need for it in a razor, it's like building your house out of diamonds instead of bricks.

Someone had once told me (can't recall who, wonder if it's in my message history still) that I'd likely get 10 years. Seemed low for 'aircraft grade' aluminum. I subsequently sold my aluminium Henson and bought the Titanium. I should have stayed with the aluminum, as it was lighter and more to my liking.

I do consider, from time to time, grabbing a Henson Alum in Mild (I had the medium, previously). I might add it back to the bucket list if they really should last lifetimes.

Looks like you made a good choice CHSeifert . Congrats!

Don’t think of a coke can when you hear aluminum. Aluminum is highly corrosion resistant and durable. It is used on planes, construction materials, and all sorts of uses it the automotive industry.

In the early part of my wet shaving journey, I extensively used a RazoRock aluminum Hawk, over many years. I still have it out of nostalgia. To my eye, it appears to be in the same condition from when I originally purchased it.

There are other characteristics that some like about Titanium which is more than following a fad...

There could be a metal allergy that precipitates folks not being able to use one type or another. Just off the top of my head. According to the prevailing experts (or Googles interpretation thereof) Aluminum and Brass are the least likely to cause such reactions. The cheapest metals. Kinda funny, imo.

There is also the obvious weight issue... brass ($$) is heavier than steel ($$$) which is heavier than titanium ($$$$) which is heavier than aluminum ($). That's going to impact the shave, I'd think.

There is also something that I saw a few people post, including Shane himself, about one of the Blackland razors being sizably smoother in titanium. I don't think Shane does Alum, so maybe that's the same situation... Weight (vs his Stainless)? But I recall a few folks being surprised at how much nicer the shave was. Titanium definitely has it's uses... If you can stomach the cost.

That brings me to my next point... I have a hard time justifying spending $200, $300, $800 on a razor. So, I'm absolutely happy with Brass or Aluminum (or stainless - plenty of those in the budget range, too). Nonetheless, I agree, use what you like.

I'm also just happy to hear a different opinion than I originally got... That Aluminum will last a lifetime. That made my morning. Lol. See how simple my life is?

EDIT: I couldn't find the message, but I clearly recall that I was told 10 years if I took good care of it. It was a vendor and the more I think of it, I now recall who said it. As it's obviously a falsehood, I won't talk about those details. But I will surmise they might have been trying to scare me into "upgrading" to Titanium. Regardless, everything works out one way or another. Heck, in 30ish years I'll be dead and won't have to shave at all. Lol.

I quite prefer aluminum razors.  They take up most of my very small collection, including the v1 of the Henson.  A Wolfman, the Calypso, Standard, and Lupo are all equally excellent. The Karve Overlander is next on my want list. 

I don't abuse them, but hardly baby any of them either.  None of which show any signs of wear.  I wouldn't worry about durability at all.

Folks want Titanium because it's the current fad, or bling factor, you're somebody if you have it, you're trash if you don't. There is no need for it in a razor, it's like building your house out of diamonds instead of bricks.

I would respectfully disagree with this statement, based on my personal experiences and numerous testimonies of other shavers. I think the Blackland Blackbird is a great example of this. You can find on other forums many individuals who saw titanium as a fad or trend only to be shocked, and in some cases dumbfounded, that the Ti version of the Blackbird was significantly better in terms of shave experience and outcomes. Shane from Blackland runs through his various reasons for this. Personally, I find that Ti provides a goldilocks weight in a razor, with a nice balance between heft and maneuverability. I also find the weight regime provides a small amount of  in built "adjustability" by allowing added pressure application, without irritation, when traversing demanding parts of the beard.

But in some cases I prefer stainless steel. For example in the Carbon CX I wrote up numerous reviews on the Ti and SS versions. I ultimately preferred the SS and I believe that is because of the lightening of the head with the webbed plate design placed it in the weight class I preferred. The Ti version, along with the very light carbon fiber handle made it too light for my taste. I also recently reviewed and compared Atelier DURDAN's La Faulx razor in SS and Ti. Here the difference was less significant but I had a slight preference for the Ti version. Because of that smaller difference, I went with the SS. However, I like that razor so much I am going to purchase a Ti version at some point and keep the SS version as a backup or for travel.

I personally could care less what someone else thinks of my razor metal/material choices, so it would definitely not drive my decision to purchase Ti razors, especially given their premium price point. And I also have used and own aluminum, bakelite, and plastic based razors as well. All I care about is can I get the best shave possible for my beard profile and technique with a given razor.