Thread: Looking for razor for my boyfriend

My boyfriend has recently decided he wants to try to shave with a straight razor and has hinted that is what he would like for Christmas. I know close to nothing about straight razors and have been looking around for bundles, hoping to get a good deal. I have found a few but I want the razor I get him to be nice.
I've found these:
Star Buffalo Horn Straight Razor and Shaving Set - Vintage Straight Razor

Full Straight Razor Shaving Set For Under $65 Dollars - Vintage Straight Razor

I don't know if these are good razors or if I should shy away. Would it be better to buy a nicer, pricier razor here(or somewhere else), and try and gather the brush and other accessories else where? I'm not in a position to go over 100 dollars. Being a university student leaves my bank account rather dry. If I could get any help or suggestions, I would love you all forever.

Thank you so much!

Those are not such great deals in my humble opinion. I fell for the great deal thing when I started out and it didn't last 2 shaves. If you want to go inexpensive Google up whipped Dog. The sight unseen may be ugly as all get out but it will work. Nice razors(are shave ready) run around a 100 new but you can find some great ones right here in the classifieds. You will need a strop and brush and soap. Brush and soap you can get at wall mart or cvs. Strop is the smoothest leather you can find. Go inexpensive here because he will cut it up learning. More will come to add their 2 cents .
:<0)

Also I don't know where your at but there maybe someone close that can give you a hands on look and greqat advice. There are a lot more of us out there than you would think .

I have to second what 10Pups has said.
And he speaks the truth,
Larry at whippedog is good bet and will take the time to communicate with you.
10Pups also hit on that you may be close to someone which is a great point,
you could also PM a senior member, moderator, or mentor here and have many questions answered via a phone call.
There is a bit more to this sport than one may realize and I will say good for you for doing a bit of leg work first.

Regards
Pat

Originally Posted by pfries

I have to second what 10Pups has said.
And he speaks the truth,
Larry at whippedog is good bet and will take the time to communicate with you.
10Pups also hit on that you may be close to someone which is a great point,
you could also PM a senior member, moderator, or mentor here and have many questions answered via a phone call.
There is a bit more to this sport than one may realize and I will say good for you for doing a bit of leg work first.

Regards
Pat

I am just going to second Pat/ third 10 pups.
I would not get either of those based on all the threads about packages that sound suspiciously like those ones.
Regards ed

Originally Posted by edhewitt

I am just going to second Pat/ third 10 pups.
I would not get either of those based on all the threads about packages that sound suspiciously like those ones.
Regards ed

My experience comes straight from that sight :<0)

If you're pushed for budget I'd spend it on the razor. Great soap and a good brush do make a big difference, but you can compromise these and still get a decent shave. Not so much with the razor and honing. When I first started I used a broad soft paint brush straight out of the garage and some very cheap soap. Not the best, but did the job and what a great feeling it was to get a good brush and soap for a birthday.

A strop is another question. After leaving my admittedly cheap and narrow strop in a hotel room (top tip, don't hang them on the back of a door...) I made one out of string and a leather scrap for next to nothing and it's even better than the old one. So you don't have to spend a lot, but the razor is where to really invest in my view.

Yeah I would also have to say avoid that sight you first linked, and definitely avoid ebay; it would be too easy to get a bad deal from there. I also agree Whipped Dog is a great site for getting a starter set without spending a lot of money. There are also some really nice vendors that advertise on this site (Straight Razor Design and Vintage Blades are the 2 I've used almost exclusively fr me shaving needs) that have some really nice beginner sets, but are a bit more expensive than Whipped Dog.

I would suggest a completely different approach.

There is a Japanese made disposable straight razor, call Feather artist club http://www.italianbarber.com/feather...g-handle-black, that come with interchangeable/disposable high quality blades that shave almost exactly like a regular straight and last many shaves (10-20) and at about a dollar a blade it makes for very economical shaving (at least compare to any catridge system).

My two college sons have learned on them and after some time have now started using and maintaining (stropping) full metal straight razors.
There is no stropping to learn, no edge to mantain, only hold, angle and pressure (all essentials for a good straight razor shave) that takes a while to learn. With no edge to maintain or refresh, they get very good and pleasant shaves all the time. Feather have several different blades to suit the needs of barbers. I recommend to start with the pro-guard. http://www.italianbarber.com/feather...blades-15-pack

Then a boar brush and a nice soap like this ones. http://www.italianbarber.com/italian...-semogue-brush (very capable and well constructed brush that doesn't break the bank)

http://www.italianbarber.com/tabac-s...oap-stick-100g (one of the best soaps for the money)

I guarantee he will be getting better and smoother shaves than what he is getting now. And he can share with his friend without fear of getting the edge damage and paying $20-$25 for a re-hone.

Please don't confuse this system with "shevette's" a term use to describe a barber disposable razors that uses half of a double edge razors as their edge. Shevette's are less forgiving and don't shave like regular straights. Feathers are the closes thing to a straight, and the skill learn on them are 100% transferable to a full metal straight! Hope I didn't confuse you more. Double O