Thread: Newbee here

To All,

I am ready to take the plunge into straight razor shaving. I am willing to invest in it and have a driving spirit that helps me learn new things. And I wanted to know the best place to start for equipment. I don't want to spend a ton up front until I get the hang of shaving with a straight razor. Yet I want good quality , enough so to not get discouraged . I understand there is a long learning curve but I am willing to go for it . I am patient and have done many pastime/hobbies in the past with great success through patience and determination. I have printed out a free E book on straight razor shaving and have seen a few video's . So, where do I start ? What razor to buy from whom ?

I love the idea of not constantly buying multi blade disposables .

David

Welcome. There are several vendors that advertise on the sight. I believe that all the vendors here sell their razors shave ready. You don't have a location listed so I'm not going to suggest any. Basically what you are going to look for is something very medium. Medium width being a 5/8 and a medium ground being a half hollow. Any of the current production razors are a great start. You will probably going to want to get two razors, a strop, a brush and some quality soap. Two razors is so you can always have a sharp one on hand even while your other razor is out for sharpening. There is a member services list in the classifieds section, as well as several vendor that you can send razors to to get sharpened. It is generally not recommended that new shavers start honing right away. In the classifieds section is one of the few great places to shop for great vintage razors. Read the ads though as not all of them are shave ready. So go window shopping and ask away on any specific question about shave gear.

welcome to the forum.
That really depends on what you consider a ton of money to be, if your budget is around $100, you should be able to get a reasonable strop, cheapish brush, some soap and a cheaper shave ready razor from the classifieds.
If you want a new razor, the vendors who advertise here should be able to supply you with an entry level dovo or Ralf Aust for around $100 (dont quote me, I have never bought a new.razor), then you will have the other goodies, I believe they will all offer kits that you can change parts out with different stuff for a price variation.
If you dont buy a hand honed shave ready razor, you will most likely end up paying for honing on top of thr initial price.
Check out the list of brands to avoid, you can find it in the wiki I think.
Also steer clear of ebay for now, as the vintage razors there may or may not be all they appear.
You will find a lot of good information here just by reading through some.of the other threads in the begginers section.
All the best
Ed

thank you both for the insight . I am in Massachusetts by the way. Don't know if that helps. ? a 100 dollar initial investment sounds reasonable. then once I become accustomed to shaving with a straight razor I would look at investing more as time and money allows. I will window shop for sure and take all advice given into account.

regards , David

Welcome to SRP, this is the place to learn and share about all aspects of Straight Razors.
You will find a lot of us here enjoy finding antique and vintage Razors restoring them our selves (or having them restored). Ask questions when you have them there are many here always will to help.

David,
I think many of us here, myself included, started down this road because of the ever increasing cost of of cartridges.
I have to say, as more time goes by, I've extended the recoup time of investment by more months/years than I like to admit.
That being said I'd much rather spend $$ on me and this amazing endeavor than give it to King Gillette.

The vendors/sponsors here are top notch. I don't think I'm breaking any rules by saying I bought my first set from Straight Razor Designs. It came in a complete set that I added some goodies to. Then I picked up 3 more razors from the classifieds here from known sellers with great ratings and I couldn't have been happier.
This is an amazing forum that will support you every step of the way. It is populated by true gentlemen who will assist you in learning the art of the Gentleman's Shave [not to discount the ladies that also populate this site].

For now, I'll leave you with a comment that was left to me when I entered the site saying I was tired of spending massive amounts of money on cartridges: "Go ahead and put the down payment on that boat you've been eyeing"

Good luck.

Welcome, David
My two cents would be to prepare to replace your strop after the learning curve starts to subside. The first strop generally suffers from the zeal and inexperience of youth.

David

Originally Posted by rolodave

Welcome, David
My two cents would be to prepare to replace your strop after the learning curve starts to subside. The first strop generally suffers from the zeal and inexperience of youth.

David

I just like to think of it as character .
Mine hasn't really suffered too badly, just one area that has got pretty much all of the damage, and even then it's only really cosmetic, but yes I have seen plenty of threads about chopped up strops.

Welcome to the most friendly, helpful and informative site on the web!!

You will find members here of all different backgrounds, ages and occupations from all corners of the world and all with a quest for more knowledge about using and maintaining a straight razor!

If you take the time to search, 99.9% of your questions can be found in the Library (WIKI) however feel free to ask us about whatever it is that you are wondering about or having a problem with. It does help if you’ve done some research before hand so it narrows the problem down a bit.

You’ve been getting some good counsel! One thing that I might add is to remember that there is always a chance that you will find that this lifestyle and the art of using a straight razor isn’t for everyone.

I would keep to a modest starting budget of $100- $150 including a vintage razor, beginners strop and brush kit.

The razor you can find here at SRP in the classifieds or I have a friend who usually has affordable beginners razors that are shave ready. (He does an excellent job) PM me if your interested.

For a strop I like the Illinois 827. You can purchase it at Amazon for about $35 delivered here in the states. While I have other strops, this is the one that I use right after honing and it does a nice job!

Amazon.com: Fromm Razor Strop 2 1/2" X 23": Health & Personal Care

While there are other much better shaving soaps and brushes you can find a decent one either at Rite Aid or Wal-Mart it’s by Van der Hagen.
Again, Welcome!!

Welcome! +1 to finding a shave ready vintage for cheap from the classifieds or one of the reputable folks on the forum and a very basic brush, strop, and soap.