Thread: New to Straight razors

Hi and welcome. I would advise against buying from eBay unless you know what you are looking for as it is easy to get a poor quality blade or one in poor condition or with issues that will affect performance. Whipped dog might be a good place for you to start cheaply and you can upgrade as your skill and wallet allow. The advice to read for a while before making purchases od a good idea and after a few weeks you will have a lot better idea of what and where to buy. Good luck and any questions feel free to ask.

Welcome to SRP! I agree with the posts that say to skip the Shavette; they are a bit dicier than real straights. The edges are crazy crazy crazy sharp, and to shave you only need crazy sharp. There are good blades for ~$100--Dovo Best, Ralf Aust, and don't be afraid of used razors, as long as you buy one from someone who actually understands "Shave-ready." Whipped Dog is a good vendor--or see if anything strikes you in our Classifieds. Some of the best blades ever made are also among the most affordable--if you can find an old Genco without too much hone wear, you'll be off to a great start. They're affordable because Genco made a zillion of them. Barbacide will kill anything. Also consider that you can polish the blade, and that will remove everything from its surface. If you insist on autoclaving, either get one that's all-stainless or follow the advice about removing the scales first.

Best wishes and happy shaving!

Welcome to SRP!

Although I didn't have the concerns with the initial costs, I never realized that a cheap Dovo (was my first) would start at $100 + s/h. But I dove in with both feet and had it honed professionally (another $20) by an SRP member.

I got a inexpensive brush/soap/stand kit off Amazon for $22. Not the greatest but it worked while I saved for a better brush.

The point I want to get to however, is I wanted to learn to hone my own razors. I bought two Gold Dollar SRs off ebay. I figured for $12, even if I screwed them up, oh well.

Well, I honed them, and now use them regularly. They work well and are a little heavier than my other two form Germany (carbon steel). I love them all. Folks even commented how I might end up enjoying my GD more than the more expensive ones (probably due to the fact I honed them myself). I can't speak to the longevity of the Gold Dollars either (yet). I do have a 12,000 grit stone for touching them up when it comes to that (I've only been at this for about 2 months) but most folks have a fine stone even for their higher end razors as stropping will only keep an edge for so long depending on certain factors.

Perhaps, just to get one in your hands this might be the route you take. Heck, I'd sell you one of mine cheap-o's but I'm not a vendor on SRP.

Try that route. Contact one of the Vendors and see if they'll hone a stainless steel Gold Dollar SR for you.

Your total investment would be around $26-$28 but for that amount, as suggested, you could go with a nice DE razor for a while perhaps.

I wish you all the luck. And must warn, once smitten, it's all down hill. But it's a fun ride brother.