Some of the most classic scents...

Azzaro Pour Homme

Welcome to basenotes!

Welcome! Green Irish Tweed

Welcome! IMO The most memorable masculines are from the past (60's/70's/80's). Here are a few suggestions you might want to check. I personally don't know your taste but the following are all very classic fragrances and part of different types of families (fougere, orientals, chypre, eau de cologne ecc ecc.)...

Eau Sauvage
Eau D'Hermes
Knize Ten
Tuscany Per Uomo
Gucci Pour Homme (vintage)
Parfums De Nicolai New York
Caron Pour Un Homme
Yatagan
Grey Flannel
Derby
Guerlain Vetiver
Givenchy Vetyver
Esencia De Loewe
Lauder For Men
Azzaro Pour Homme
Paco Rabanne Pour Homme
Egoiste
Antaeus
Quorum
Equipage
Bel Ami

alfarom has provided a very good list...I would add Acqua di Parma Colonia and Tiffany for Men to it.

Old Spice

Tabac Original

Already mentioned by alfarom and others, my favorite in the category would be New York by Parfums de Nicolai. It's an orange amber; not expensive, but difficult to find in the US. Caron pour un homme is a lavender vanilla from the 20's 30's, as classic as it gets. From the same era, Knize Ten (leathery amber).

Easier to find, pretty much everything from the Aramis range (Aramis, Aramis 900, Tuscany, Devin).

cacio

I think this may be your best starting point...go to a dept store that has these, JHL, Havana, New West...all the ones in the "gentlemen's collection", which is basically all their earlier ones reissued but not reformulated (supposedly).

What? No recommendation for Polo (the classic green bottle)? Nothing says 1980 more than that.

Great list so far.

Some additional recommendations:
Loewe para Hombre
Guerlain Mouchoir de Monsieur
Givenchy Gentleman
Gucci Nobile

Alfa Rom has you off to an excellent start, leaving only we following posters to underline one or another of his choices.
I am an older man too and do not like alot of the more modern scents. And I have not sampled near even a majority of Alfa's recommends, but of those I have, I cast my vote for New York by Patricia de Nicolaï. Eau Sauvage is a good bet too as it is a cologne type and will not linger past its welcome point in time if you don't happen to like it. That's important for me as I am testing my samples. Lastly Knize Ten is quite different/interesting too!

How about......

Lalique pour Homme
Xeryus
Safari, or
Polo Crest (which I haven't actually tried but want to very much!)

New York is great, very versatile and just smells good.

Fougere Royale is among the oldest (1882) as well as Knize Ten which was released in the early 20's. Other BNers will surely give you more examples...

The oldest perfume in continuous production and in a state resembling the original one is often considered Jicky by Guerlain (1889, if I remember correctly). Fougere Royale, as mentioned by alfarom, has recently been reissued but according to perfume critic Tania Sanchez, it is a joke in no way resembling the original (I have not smelled the original, so I cannot say. I don't find the current one particularly interesting).

I'd say Guerlain is the house that's been around the most and still has many old scents. As you say, though, the classic scents are not the ones that occupy most of the space in department stores, where more modern ones by the house take precedence. However, for Guerlain, you can still find here and there things like Apres l'ondee (1906), l'Heure Bleue (1912) and Mitsouko (1919).

Then there are houses like Caron; most masculines are excellent but more modern, but it still carries Caron pour un homme (1934). And of course Knize Ten, which has managed to heroically survive since the 1920s despite changing tastes, when all its leathery companions disappeared.

cacio

The cologne 4711 must be mentioned at near the top of any list. Has been around since 18th century, apparently with little change. Was used by such fellows as Napoleon and Wagner.

Penhaligon's Hammam Bouquet dates from 1872. I'm certain it hasn't been as faithful to its original formulation as Jicky has. Still, it smells like a very classic, non-modern scent.

EDIT: Guerlain's Mouchoir de Monsieur is from 1904. I think that's still reasonably faithful to the original formulation. It's broadly similar to Jicky. (Which is to say, it's wonderful!)

You might be interested in the stylistic recreations that Scents of Time has developed. I'm not sure how far Histoire de Parfums goes in recreating period styles, as opposed to creating modern style scents inspired by the periods.

There is some question on the introduction dates of Royal Prastara (Douglas Hopkins, 1682), Royal English Leather (Creed, 1781) and Number Six (Caswell-Massey, 1789). But those are some of the oldest listed in the Basenotes directory when searched for masculine fragrances still in production.



All at the same time, and across the line? Not really. Most long-established houses include casual and contemporary fragrances, and all with a variable longevity depending on the style and how the fragrance is worn.

For example, I find Knize Ten to be relatively elegant, traditional in a number of respects, and very long-lasting. The other three masculines produced for/by Knize are nothing like it. Czech & Speake No. 88 does have a Victorian/Edwardian elegance and lasts all day in the office ... but I can't say the entire line is like that, except for maybe Dark Rose. As others have noted, while Caron has a fairly elegant reputation, they also produce Yatagan and L'Anarchiste - I'd rather wear 2 Man (from the more avant-garde Comme des Garcons) with a suit or tuxedo.

Really, the BEST way to proceed is to sample widely enough to pin down the notes, accords, and styles you really like, really don't like, and/or can't wear. Be prepared for surprises along the way.

Aramis by Aramis, masculine and a classic.

Approved by Vatican: Carthusia (some say dating from 14th century...)

http://www.carthusia.it/CarthusiaWeb/showpage/2

New York +3
Guerlain Derby +1 (not that old but smells very very traditional)

- Chanel pour Monsieur

Old Spice (new) smells too cheap for a clergyman, and Yatagan, Aramis, Paco Rabanne, and Quorum will probably be too bold for you imo

Welcome!

I also recommend Tiffany for Men.

Oh! indeed you do! But at least we've narrowed the field somewhat for you. The above recommendations might look like alot, but when you consider all the ones we didn't mention...good luck.