Thread: Awaiting My First Razor: Boker King Cutter

I purchased my very first straight razor a few days back. SRD was out of stock, so I got it from somewhere else. It's the Boker King Cutter 5/8, $107 before tax.

Reviews were amazing, and the blade was chosen over the Dovo Best Quality 5/8 for aesthetics mostly. I have no experience with blades so splurging on my first razor was not a problem. If I am going to put something like that against my face to learn how to cut stuff off of it, I want to know that I have a solid example of the tool I will be working with.

If anyone had any experience with the razor, I welcome any experiences shared. I would not like to screw up a razor that could otherwise last a lifetime. I do, however, have a reputation for putting enough planning and research into my activities to meet success on round one, so hopes are high that this razor will be the only one I ever 'need' to buy.

One question... is "shave ready" always doubtful? Despite reviews and claims, should I assume the need to at least strop this razor, or does enough positive feedback about it warrant trying it out of the box?

If you are uncertain, when it arrives check to see if it will waft off a little arm hair. If it will take it off easily above the skin there is a good chance it is shave ready, if not it is time to send to someone to hone. I never strop a shave ready razor. If it is suppose to be shave ready then I should be able to shave right out of the box. You can kill a good edge with a bad stropping too. Best to eliminate that one right off the bat.

Not all vendors prep/hone their razors, so unless we know who (and someone might comment) we can't guess as to status - re: Shave Ready.

If not (and you will know soon enough) the resources to help are close at hand.
Finding a mentor nearby will also help speed the process.

Good luck and Smooth Shaving...

I recently acquired the same razor and I did not consider it shave ready, but I probably could have shaved with it. I only had to give it 40 or so passss on the Escher and it was ready so it may have been around the 8k level, which you CAN shave with. I just choose not to ☺. It's a very fine shaver. They are using some good steel in the new razors.

Originally Posted by MJC

Not all vendors prep/hone their razors, so unless we know who (and someone might comment) we can't guess as to status - re: Shave Ready.

If not (and you will know soon enough) the resources to help are close at hand.
Finding a mentor nearby will also help speed the process.

Good luck and Smooth Shaving...

Yes, of course. Here's the link, bought it from Knife Center:

http://www2.knifecenter.com/item/BO1...nthetic-Handle

Originally Posted by Sirnanigans

Yes, of course. Here's the link, bought it from Knife Center:

Boker King Cutter Straight Razor 5/8" Carbon Steel Blade, Black Synthetic Handle - KnifeCenter

I love the fact that the URL shows it as a "58-inch-Carbon-Steel-Blade" . . . I read that in the address bar as it was loading and was thinking "Who the hell needs a 5 foot long blade?"

Rejoice! The blade just arrived. Pics in a few, perhaps in a new thread. I ak impatient, have unboxed it, examined it, and barely resisted the urge the feel the edge with my thumb.

Gonna do a HHT when I return home. The blade didn't get through my arm hair above the skin, but I do have very fine arm hair.

Originally Posted by Sirnanigans

Rejoice! The blade just arrived. Pics in a few, perhaps in a new thread. I ak impatient, have unboxed it, examined it, and barely resisted the urge the feel the edge with my thumb.

Gonna do a HHT when I return home. The blade didn't get through my arm hair above the skin, but I do have very fine arm hair.

Bokers can be a crap shoot; some are very close out of the box. Others are not. Regardless, none of mine were what I could call "shave ready" but some were much easier to bring around than others. None of them were "bad"...maybe a 7 out of 10 and really that can be OK. Depends on your personal tastes.

Here it is!

Hanging hair test has failed! This is not too surprising, but mildly disappointing. I decided to judge the sharpness a little more subjectively by attempting a plain, short stroke next to my side burn where I have already shaved the day before, so very short whiskers indeed. Not sure exactly how it's supposed to feel, but it was a bit clingy. It seemed to pluck at the hairs, grabbing them a bit and letting out little ringing sounds as it got through them. I assume this is too dull, but perhaps I am wrong, and just need to add more confidence into the stroke.

As for preparing for a true shave, I have everything I should need to make a simple working strop. My knife honing/stropping skills as well as my various blade intensive craft skills (e.g. skiving leather, carving wood, etc.), should get me through a slow and steady stropping without messing up the blade - if need be. If the blade needs a honing first, then I will be finding a professional, because the investment in a stone will take just as long and just as much money. I do have polishing compounds (chromium and aluminum oxide pastes), and I miiiiiiight give that a shot on a pasted strop to avoid the expense of honing if I can.

First priority should be a, "shave ready" razor, out of the box is not shave ready.

If you don't get it properly honed, your will not have a great experience. Send it out, for a first time on the stones, it will need the works, from bevel setting all the way through...you won't be disappointed.

Beauty blade by the way, you'll be very happy with it! Congrats!