Thread: horrible first straight razor shave experience

From your post i really dont know what to say to help you, except to keep trying to hone the gold dollar, if you dont want to put anything into it financially you are not going to get a lot out.
Majors offer is a kind one, i suggest taking it up, if however you decide it isnt for you then pass it on in the same manner as it was given.
The other option is to look at a double edge razor, they can be had fairly cheaply and blades are $15 for 100, or close to a years worth of shaving potentially, with a decent sharp blade.

I took Major up on his offer. Again...Thank you Major.

I think what i am going to do is learn to shave with this razor/blades Major is giving me and learn to hone this gold dollar. While at the same time researching good $100 dollar straight razors that i can buy in the future. What are some of the qualities that i would be looking for? Do you need anything higher than an 8K grit stone for straight razors? Would would be the decent grit for finishing a straight razor?

Again thanks.

wow 110....

Yes i do have a strop.

I can wonder, though, why would you, in the past, spend tens of $$ on stones, and not on a razor...

I bought the stones not for the razor, but for regular knives. At the time i had no idea i was going to eventually take interest in straight razor shaving.

I don't mean to be discouraging, and I'll be interested to see what you do with the fine Major's gear once you get and try it. However, there is a lot of combined experience on here (SRP), and I believe I can with some certainty tell you that SR shaving may just not be for you. Decent double edge safety razors and a years supply of blades can be had for closer to $20 than anything you will ever get in the SR world AND give you a closer and more comfortable shave than you'll get with any disposable. Think about going that direction and read the posts in the "shaving with a DE razor" section of the forum. This is supposed to be enjoyable and comfortable for you, not dangerous and aggravating. Buying a decent 8K stone and getting your current stones to a usable (lapped flat) condition to handle rehab work on the Gold Dollar you have will cost more (and continue to be more aggravating) than the path I am suggesting UNLESS you fall in love with the shavette that the Major sends you and stick with it.

For instance, if you decide to go this route, look here: http://www.maggardrazors.com/product...safety-razors/

One major thing. You keep quoting $100 as the price for a good razor. This is not so. You can get a dovo best quality for 8 if you want brand spanking new. Or you can go the vintage route. I have 12 razors. 4 of them free and 7 were anywhere from 10-30 dollars and one (my first) was a dovo pearlex (170). I sometimes regret buying that razor because if I was smart then that money could have turned into at least 5 other razors. I know a lot of us suggest people to stay away from vintage ebay razors as they don't know what to look out for but I have some good experience with finding good razors for cheap and I can keep an eye for something that would suit your budget. Or I can suggest some good razors to keep an eye out. Genco's are what I suggest a lot of newer people buy if going the vintage route. They are great blades and can be had for quite cheaply while still being in great condition. Heck I got a Genco for 20 and it was never used. A friend of mine was also able to get a similar deal. I believe his was NOS too.

Why don't one of you razor hoarders ,do a Pay it forward !!! And get this guy up and running !!!! It's a win -win......I have done it 3 times...no brag ..just fact..LOL

Welcome metulburr to SRP: take up cosperryan on his razor offer. There are good twenty dollar razors on ebay. Also visit YouTube and search for lapping film. The least expensive route for maintaining and honing razors. No stone lapping required if your granite floor or countertop base is level.

very good point Harold, if the money is the issue , stones will cost a bunch ,, even cheap stones are well out of his budget,, and you really don't need to use your knife stones on your razors I guess you can , but they will need to be lapped smooth after the knives and paying to have it honed is much cheaper than buying a hone,, you don't need to hone all the time just concentrate on your stropping tc

Here are some if you can manage to score them

Robeson Sure Edge Straight Razor | eBay

http://www.ebay.com/itm/5-8-Square-W...item2a45ef76b4

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Supp...item2c8f6495a9

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Wade...item3397033e00

This last one is absolutely great and I am tempted to buy it myself but will for go doing so, so you might have a chance a winning. You see this one is under safety razors, which it is not. Mislabels can grant great deals on the bay.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Wilb...item4ade0f1b9c