Thread: First Razor (Australia)

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