Thread: Beginner purchase (suggestions and criticism needed):

Wait!

May I suggest a somewhat different direction for your first foray into the SR shaving world? While you may jump into the deep end with the excellent suggestions provided here, you would do better to buy a Feather Artist Club SS SR for ~$125, including a package of Pro disposable blades. The beauty of this solution is that is removes all the other variables so you can focus on first learning to shave. The Feather will always be useful, especially when traveling, even after you purchase your kit. By then, you will be an excellent judge of sharpness and what a SR shave is supposed to feel like, before trying to maintain your own.

Good luck, and welcome the “club” – pun intended.

Originally Posted by Headcrowny

If they tickle your fancy, then perhaps that's how you should jump. Aesthetics are a personal choice and if you know you want a stamp, then you won't be happy unless you have it.

Indeed. The stampled text somehow just gives me this feeling of old school blade.

Originally Posted by Siguy

Hi Ymir,

Has anyone suggested that you may want/need to have a second straight razor on hand and why?

With your budget, this option is still on the table. You're wants list could be massaged slightly to accomplish this end.

Kind Regards,
Siguy

I will most likely buy a 2nd straight razor when I have the chance. I am not too willing to compromise the quality of other products in order to get second one.

Have you chosen a strop yet?

Originally Posted by kwlfca

Have you chosen a strop yet?

Not 100% sure yet. Been trying to contact the superior shave without results so far.
Going to order the razor first, then all the accessories.

Hi again!

I have now ordered my first razor from thesuperiorshave like I said in the other thread I started. Now I am about to buy me rest of the shaving equipment and a DE, brush and a soap for my father as a supprice present. I know how he too is sick and tired of the Gilette stuff he has (switched from DE to Gilette M3 few years back as he couldnt find blades for his DE from shops anymore).

I made price comparison with Straight Razor Designs vs. shaving.ie and I have to say the latter's prices are rather competitive remembering I won' have to pay toll for purchases made from companies in EU. Also shipment cost to Sweden is rather absurd in Straight Razor Designs, 45-50$ for shipment when the competitors ship either free and up to 15$. I would love to make purchases from SRD, but as I already have bought my razor from a shop that professionally hones my blade I might as well do a raw price comparison.

I made a shopping cart in both of the companies and given the items I buy I will save some 60-80$ AND toll if I make the puchase from Shaving.ie. The toll can be up to 25% of the value of the purchase in my country.

Now the questions I have are; are these strops any good in comparison to what SRD offers:

Leather Strop for Maintaining Straight Razors between Shaving
Or
Leather Strop for Straight Razor
?

Also what is the actual difference between those two strops, excluding the price? I would also like to ask if anyone can vouch for shaving.ie?

Can't vouch for them but the difference is the first one has 2 sides one leather and the other is canvas. The second strop is only leather and is a little longer. Have a look at Whipped Dog web page for other inexpensive strop options. Better to use a cheaper strop to begin with because you are likely to cut it up as you learn.

Originally Posted by Ymir

Haha who knows, maybe ten years from now I will be trying a sharpened canoo paddle.

I want to be there to see that shave!

Hi Ymir,

I am a big fan of the SRD strops, good value for the money. However the shipping price seems to be an issue. That being said and this being your first strop I would go with the inexpensive Solingen strop. It doesn't have a fabric option but for someone new this isn't going to be an issue. And as you are learning you will eventually nick and cut your strop. Better to practice on a quality reasonably priced strop that you my have to replace in a year or two. And the width at 46mm (1.811 inches) is the perfect size to practice the x stroke which will give you better and more complex coverage of the razor edge. Also if you plan on honing your own razors at some point you will need to learn the x stroke.

Leather Strop for Straight Razor

You don't need to learn an x stroke on a strop to be able to do one on a hone...honing is completely different. I use 3 inch strops with no x stroke (although I could if I really wanted to) and am able to do an x stroke on a hone just fine. You can also get a lot of 3 inch hones too and not really have to do more than an abbreviated x stroke...in fact, an x stroke is just one tool among others

My point is, don't get caught up on getting a certain strop because you're worried that if you don't you won't be able to do an x stroke.
It's not hard. I personally find an x stroke on a hone far easier than on a strop.

Just pick a strop and if you're really that worried about the vendor (hint:do a SRP search to see what experiences other's have had with them), pick a different one. All else fails, pay with paypal so you can cover yourself if you get sent a bad product.