Thread: starting out cheap

As $100 for startup isn't feasible, should I be able to get a workable setup with

10-$15 old ebay razor
$5 worth of high grit (2k, 2.5k) sandpaper + a flat surface
$10 old used strop from ebay

This is doable as a set up, but you're going to need even higher grit than that. 8k really is the minimum for a finishing hone.

Scrap leather can be had cheep or free and makes for a good abrasive free finishing strop as well as a material for abrasive pastes. A Chromium Oxide (roughly 10k) stick should run you $5-$10 and would likely do you as a finisher. I think you'll still need something between that and the 2,500 (wet/dry automotive I assume?) sandpaper for honing.

I got my first razor from eBay. $15 Dubl Duck Special No. 1. It's still a great shaver.

You can even go without a brush on some creams like Lush Ambrosia. I did that for months. Great stuff. Really slick. I still have a bottle for travel.

X

I am not current on our giveaways but maybe you should check those.

Otherwise:
Burma shave brush $5
Burma shave soap <$2 (and / or get free samples)
A member could donate a somewhat beater shave ready razor (yes, I can do that for you if you are really hard pressed, and if nobody else more experienced than me is willing - I just would need some time to hone one of the beaters I have lying around and it won't be pretty for sure but it should shave well)
use an old belt for stropping (but much better if you can spring $20 or so for a Tony Miller "second")
balsa wood piece from craft store (maybe even one of those free sticks from Home Depot to stir paint) w/ CrO2 from Hand American for fine finishing

The total would be low. It can work for you quite well. Should you roll / dull the edge, though - you'd be unable to get it back on track... Is there a senior member near you? He might help you w/ free incidental / accidental honing if necessary.

Keep us updated
Cheers
Ivo

You've gotten good advice. It's much cheaper to keep a razor running than it is to get it running in the first place. A daily strop and a pasted strop are really all you need for day-to-day maintenance - there's a reason we don't see hordes of vintage nortons on ebay .

I think a burma brush is definitey all you need to start. I think for their price, Honeybee soaps can't be beat (as far as I know). I guess the idea is to not to be so "cheap" as to make the whole experience pure agony and cause you to giveup without seeing any of the benefits. Use a cereal bowl to produce lather in. A side benefit of starting on the cheap (but reasonable) is that if you learn your chops well and learn how to do with less, then you will greatly appreciate any nicer gear you add later. I think people here at the forum are a nice bunch and I wouldn't be surprised if more people would be willing to help you out. Good luck


Justin

Thanks for the tips so far guys.

I have a brush and some soaps already as I started shaving with a safety razor last fall so I'm good on that front.

Paint sticks sound like a great idea.

Would an old belt be about as good as a $5 old strop?

Depending on the condition of the strop - I say the belt may actually be better

An old belt MAY do the trick, but it has to be a smooth soft leather surface. For about $60 you can buy a pasted bench strop from Tony Miller to maintain the edge, a beginner hanging strop and a $30-40 shave ready piece (shipped) can always be found here. Therefore you can sneak in under the $100 mark. However, if you want to start honing on a budget, look into the Japanese slip stones (search threads started by me in the ¨hones¨section), you can get 4k and 8k for like $20 together.

Ilija,

I may be wrong but I thought he canNOT spend $100 on an initial setup and just wants to shave, not hone initially

Otherwise, if I thought he can spend ~100 my advice would have been a bit different

Hope your vaca is going great!

Cheers
Ivo

You are absolutely correct, Ivo. SRPing and watching a football match (Maracaibo vs. Parana) before going out may not be such a great idea