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Hey guys,
I'm looking for a recommendation for a first straight razor off the classified section. I'm not sure what to look for, but my budget is around about $150USD (some flexibility) and I need a trusted seller who will ship to Australia. :)
I'm also after a decent cream and strop from a site that will ship here, since most of what's available to Australians is awful quality. :(
Cheers,
Ben
All the sponsors of this site are great as well as the classifieds.... check out the seller rspe7027 from Australia on eBay, they've always got beautiful blades...
Oh hey, an Australian ebay seller! That's super convenient!
I'm having a look at their stuff now, but I'm kind of overwhelmed by all the options. I think I'm supposed to look for a 6/8 blade, but that's as much as I know to narrow it down. Any suggestions for which might be best for a beginner?
I'm fairly new to this as well, but I would recommend a 5/8 with rounded point full or extra hallow. The 5/8 are middle of the road (6/8 and bigger can take a little getting used to), the rounded point is a little more forgiving as is a thin grind.
Hi,
$150ish for the blade only, I'm thinking. Do I need anything else besides strop, brush and cream? I feel like I'm forgetting something...
Unfortunately, that Dovo one is sold out, but I think buying from that Australian ebay seller might be a better option for me anyway. :) Do you guys reckon you could take a look at these 5/8 blades of theirs and tell me which ones stand out from the pack? I narrowed it down to the full hollow ones, but I don't know what to look for to tell if it's a 'rounded point' or 'thin grind'
Cheers!
Vintage 5 8 Beau Brummel 'THE Popular' NO 35 Straight Razor | eBay
Vintage 5 8 C MON 'Special' Straight Razor | eBay
Vintage 5 8 C MON Stainless Straight Razor | eBay
Vintage 5 8 Henckels NO 50 1 2 Straight Razor | eBay
Vintage 5 8 Heljestrand Straight Razor | eBay
Vintage 5 8 Otto Deutsch 'Hans' Straight Razor | eBay
Vintage 5 8 Dorko NO 444 Straight Razor | eBay
Vintage 5 8 Friedrich Moog Straight Razor | eBay
Vintage 5 8 Wester Bros 'Yankee' Straight Razor | eBay
EDIT: Unless it would be better for me to buy something different from Dovo's site?
Lots of great razors listed there to choose from!
I'd go with Beau Brummel (I believe pretty much the same as Dubl Ducks, right?!?) ( I was going to say the Dorko, because that's still one missing from my collection, but I'm not crazy about the look of it....
no wait, the Beau has a point.... you should leave that for me to bid on, I don't have a BB yet :)
Haha, all yours!
What do you think of the 'Hans'? I think I like that one from a purely aesthetic view.
Also is it just my inexperience or is the blade of the Dorko a bit uneven/thin?
beautiful razor, and no problem starting on it, but I will warn you: you ALWAYS need to be watching that point.... my first shave with a point like that, and I put a nice little slice in my mug .... I was thinking about the middle of the blade when I felt the 'bite' .... it wasn't bad though, I just hit it up with alum and toilet paper :)
But now the sharper that point, the more I like a blade.... it means you can really get into tight corners and pop one hair at a time, if you so wish
No can do, my credit card has been over for 2 months now .... I have to learn to stop buying razors.... damn this habit.... heheQuote:
Originally Posted by AusNewbie
Thanks, I wouldn't have known to be so careful of it otherwise. Is there anything a beginner can put over the tip to reduce the likelihood of nicking themselves with it? Like a piece of chewie, without, you know, actually being a piece of chewie haha ;)
nah, you'll be fine, you are going to nick yourself one way or another sooner or later.... sooner just means you learn focus quicker
G'day AusNewbie
Yes I am another Aussie here at SRP
My vote from your razor list goes to the Henckels 5/8"
It has the round point you're looking for and it's a good quality brand of razor as are all the razors you listed.
My experience with the Henckels razors has been very satisfying, I find they hold an edge well and give a smooth shave.
It's entirely your choice at the end of the day.
Welcome to the world of Straight Razor shaving and SRP
You listed links to lots of nice auctions. quite likely they will go for more than the opening bids. they look like well restored and polished blades and are from a respected seller.
of the lot I would go for the Heljestrand it looks like the tip has already been muted so it would be less prone to nick you.
the only one of the group that I do not like is the Dorko. the mirror finish is off-putting I personally dislike blades that have been buffed to that high of a polish mainly because the crisp lines the maker envisioned get rounded and softened.
a good razor, strop, brush and some good soap is all you need.
there are even some members here that offer kangaroo hide strops
enjoy,
jim
Well, it looks like you've already received any advice I would have given anyway so welcome to the forum mate. What's your location in Oz? Never know who might be nearby that can offer hands on help with anything you need to know. As to strops, I suggest you just make your own. I can help you out with the how to's if you like.
Mick
Hi and welcome. The henckels is my vote as it's the round point. Maybe look at SRD kits. I got a strop and razor kit and the quality is great. Got the Ralf Aust and the English Bridle and a Latigo strop. good luck. Ed
Hey man, check mensbiz.com.au for soaps and stuff. Not always the lowest prices, but the free shipping cutoff is pretty low, the selection is great and they are aussie. I've been very happy with the few orders I've done from them. The few dollars extra is worth it to me anyway, and I like to support local retailers. And they are fast, they ship with Toll, and I think I've had all my orders within three days.
Quote:
Originally Posted by GadgetGeek
I 2nd that
My first shavette and straight were from there, be aware you will most likely need to get the blade honed as well if buying new. The international shipping has always been the killer for me.
Let us know which part of Oz ya from and there may be something local.
All I can add is welcome SRP and ask where are you at in Oz, if you update your location, others maybe nearby to help you out also
Hey guys,
Sorry about the delay in getting back to you. I went ahead and bought the 'Hans' below before I saw any of the other posts, but I figure I'll just be extra careful of the tip when I start off
Vintage 5 8 Otto Deutsch 'Hans' Straight Razor | eBay
Anyway the razor came in the mail today and really struggles to cut a hair when I try to do the hanging hair test. I actually have to apply a reasonable amount of pressure to cut a tense hair at all. Does this mean it isn't honed properly? The ebay auction said it was honed and stropped and the seller was recommended to me on here, so I hesitate to think it might not be properly honed. I've noticed there's a layer of oil on it as specified in the ebay auction ('It will be given a light coat of oil prior to being shipped'); do I need to wash the oil off or something before it will cut properly? Or is it just not honed at all and I need to send it off for honing?
Mick, that would be great if you could point me in the direction of a good guide to making my own strop. I wouldn't mind giving it a go if it's not too tricky, since I haven't ordered one yet.
I'm a bit confused about pre-shave balms, creams, after-shave lotions and stuff too. At the moment when I shave with a cartridge razor, I've been applying a layer of coconut oil and just using that, but I don't know if this is enough for straight razor shaving. If I need other creams and stuff, could somebody point me towards decent ones on mensbiz.com.au?
EDIT: Just nicked myself within a minute practising with a junky disposable straight from DAISO. Good start :D
Should be a good razor. Mine's very smooth, dublduck-like. I'd have suggested the c-mon since it looks virtually not restored (also the point is slightly muted), but you liked this one better and they should be pretty comparable. Or the heljestrand because I can't get enough of them.
You should try shaving and not waste time and get confused with hair test. Keep the spine about 1.5-2 spine widths from your skin and shave just the flat part of your face from the sideburns down. That should be fairly straightforward. If the razor doesn't shave increase the angle just little bit but don't push it - if it doesn't stop.
If all goes well then you expand the area you shave with each shave and gradually tackle the curves of your face. It may seem slow and methodological but that's the shortest way to getting proficient.
You need to strop the razor between shaves though, so until you get a strop you can only do one shave presuming that the razor was stropped before it was sent.
If you gently rub just the tip of the razor on a piece of glass a couple of times it will take the point off while you learn. Very nice razor BTWQuote:
Originally Posted by AusNewbie
This is easier than me trying to explain it. I made mine a little differently to this, but I've got some more dedicated tools for leatherwork than my good friend James, and it was his ideas that gave me my ideas anyway.Quote:
Originally Posted by AusNewbie
Making a (very) home-made strop - Straight Razor Place Wiki
As to balms and stuff, use whatever aftershave balm you currently use. With regards to the shave cream, you can do it cheap with a trip to Coles or Woolworths and pick up a shave soap stick or tube of 'SHAVE' cream by Fauldings or Palmolive shave cream, also in a tube. You'll need a shave brush (I forgot whether or not you said you had the gear or not), razor, which you have, and a strop. That is essentially all you need for a decent shave. Everything else is just icing on the cake.
Mick
G'Day Ben and welcome to the fold.
Sorry I'm a bit late saying 'Hi' but, as Mick will tell you, I'm a bit slow.....hehehe.
Glad to see things are going well
Hi AusNewbie, welcome to the forum. You know, a year from now you'll wish you picked another name :)Quote:
Originally Posted by AusNewbie
Don't rely on the HHT to determine if the razor is shave ready, IMMHO the only test is to shave with it.
The oil won't really make much of a difference, but you would probably want to wipe it off gently on a hand towel anyway.
You can't really shave with just a layer of coconut oil; you need a nice lather which will give glide and cushion. It's the tiny bubbles that provides cushion. You can use a pre-shave cream (I highly recommend Proraso pre/post cream). You can buy that from Men's Biz, the Shaver Shop or Himage. I found the Proraso pre/post cream really helped me as a beginner in providing extra glide (slickness).
Be sure to read the forum posts and Wiki (library) articles on the first shave. Ensure you prepare well, go VERY lightly and don't try and have a full shave on the first go (though it's hard not to, I know I did!).
That's a very nice razor you have there, remember (as others have said) to respect that spike point!
Good luck.
Carl
HI I'm in Queensland.
May I suggest a sight unseen razor from Larry at Whipped Dog Straight Razor Shaving Equipment as well as a poor mans strop kit. Very cheap start and lots of included information. Fast delivery and great communication from him too. It may not be the worlds prettiest razor but it will be sharp and it will give you a good shave straight out of the box.
Getting a professionally honed blade from a professional is the best way to start as you will understand what a sharp blade feels like.
Guaranteed you will cut your strop, I did several times, but it doesn't matter so much while your learning. An expensive strop will end up damaged so start cheap, Larrys strop is a great starter strop (which I'm still using) I have also managed to maintain a sharp edge with all the information he initially sent.
I have just had a new DOVO Bismarch razor for Christmas, I was able to bring it to shave ready using a cheap 12K barbers hone also from Larry which I subsequently ordered within a few weeks of practice.
I can really recommend Larry from personal experience, and he really helped minimise the learning curve.
If I can be of any more help, please feel free to PM me.
hey ausnewbie
im from melbourne too. mensbiz is a good place to get shave supplies, they are really helpful and have a good range.
im pretty new too and they help me a lot.
Cheers, guys!
Just tried a first shave today and I'm convinced the razor isn't sharp at all. Every time I try to pick off a hair with it, it feels like it catches on the hair and pulls it instead of cleanly cutting through. I can also run the blade across my skin softly without any sort of cut. Surely that isn't right? Does that sound like it's not correctly honed or just not correctly stropped? Should I talk to the ebay seller about it? :S
Well the auction description did say it was honed and stropped, so I suppose you could try contacting them.
If that doesn't pan out, send me a PM.
James.
It's hard to know if the razor isn't sharp, but shaving should never feel like pulling hairs. In fact, with a well honed razor you shouldn't hardly feel hairs cutting. However, I'm considering your use of the words 'pick off a hair'. You should use even, short strokes. When you say 'run the blade across my skin softly' do you mean like a slicing motion? That would certainly cut if you were using a sharp razor.Quote:
Originally Posted by AusNewbie
I wonder if there's another member in Melbourne you could meet up with so he could evaluate your razor's sharpness, and maybe hone it for you?
johnmrson is down that way. Could give him a hoy via PM. Otherwise James can set you right with it if you post it to him and include a return postage in the post pack.Quote:
Originally Posted by carlmaloschneider
Mick