Thread: Assistance would be much appreciated.

First off I'm sorry if there is a better place to post this. I've looked and this seems to be were to post.

Ok so I'm wanting to start shaving with a straight razor. The only problem is I don't want to spend $100 dollars. But I also don't want one with the disposable blades. I kind of want the whole experience. So I was wondering if any of you fine ladies or gentlemen could point me in the right direction. If it's even possible.

Your budget is tight but doable. Have a look at this site. You can pick up a shave ready sight unseen razor and strop for less than $100. He has a good reputation.

Whipped Dog Straight Razor Shaving Equipment

Are antique razors worth the time and money?

Originally Posted by Bccjjkrj

Are antique razors worth the time and money?

A bit of a double edge sword that

For good quality shave ready vintage / antique try the classifieds here. Ebay is hit and miss, for the newbie more miss than hit. Best option is get something from the classifieds here and in the future if you dare after a lot of research you may try eBay or other auction sites.

If you can hook up with someone local as it will save you months in research on razors

Excellent advice about finding some local advice. Where are you located?

Antique razors can be fantastic, but they come with a) risk and b) cost.

Risk because depending on where you buy them you may not be able to spot all the flaws. This is particularly the case on things like ebay. Some excellent buys can be found on ebay, but if you don't know what you're looking for it is easy to get burned by a razor suffering from things like excessive or uneven hone wear, cracks, pitting, rust, and the killer of killers cell rot. You can alleviate much of that risk by shopping in the classifieds here. WHile you still won't have the razor in-hand, you'll at least be dealing with a member here and not some anonymous ebay seller.

Cost because you should assume that an antique razor will not be shave-ready and therefore will need to be honed before use. Don't do this yourself - send it to a pro or find a local mentor to help. Honing your first blade yourself is problematic because you won't know what shave-ready sharp is. Professional honing isn't expensive and is worth every penny, but it is a cost you'll have to factor in. Once again the classifieds can be an exception to this rule: look for a blade described as shave-ready.

Personally, I love antique razors (the average age of the ones I use every day is probably about 140-150 years) but they cna be problematic until you know what to look for.

So my advice would be to check out the classifieds. There are several there now for less than $100.

Whippeddog has been mentioned and is another great low-cost entry into straight shaving. BUT only buy from Larry if you don't really care what your razor looks like. It may be less than pretty, but will arrive shave-ready. He's a good guy to deal with, but if you want something shiny, look elsewhere.

You know of course your going to need a strop , a brush, and some soap, besides just the razor ? You can grab a brush and soap at your local drug store or Walmart. Cheap but cheap. Strop is another major purchase besides the razor but a must have if your going to shave more than once. Watch out for VERY cheap sets as you will not get something you can actually use unless you try whipped dog.
All great advice above and especially the find someone close to help you. Post your location and you may be surprised :<0)

I'm ok with buying all that stuff I just don't want to be broke after. Haha

Vincennes, Indiana

Whipped Dog also has the CrOx-coated balsa that you can use for touch-ups. It's a very cheap alternative to a hone or pasted strop, but it will only touch up an edge that has not deteriorated too far. Even so, you can "never" go wrong with CrOx on balsa, so I would suggest that. Buy a cheap (but real leather) strop to begin with, as you'll nick it inevitably. And keep in mind that the initial investment may be high, but not as high as the amound you'd pay for disposables for a few years!

Welcome to SRP and good luck!

100 just for the razor? Or is that your whole budget?

Michael

I don't really have a budget I was just wonder if there any razors less than $100