Thread: used straight razorquestions help needed

Whipped dog is a great site to get a start in wet shaving. Another great option is the Main Index - Straight Razor Place Classifieds where a lot of members will post shave ready straight razors for VERY good prices. Let us know how it progresses.

I think Larry at whippeddog is The Man, and can be relied upon to send you a completely shave ready razor. If you get a sight unseen, or a flawed sight unseen (which I did), it is just that. You pay a little to have a razor that may be ugly, but will have an edge that you can learn with, and use as a base for future razors' edges. You'll know what a shave ready blade feels like. When you get good at it, invest in a better one from him, or go to the Classifieds here, or to SRD. These are my thoughts.

Yeah, the razor needs to be 'completely reedged' as you put it. The edge of a razor is pretty much the sharpest object in every day life and it's very precise and delicate. Any defect that you can see with your eyes is really bad.

It's not rocket science - just rubbing the blade on progressively finer media to remove metal beyond any damage and create a fresh edge - but it takes some experience, and to do it effectively and efficiently a lot more experience.
In principle it can be done on sandpaper or small hones, but the more you deviate in your abrasives from flat hones of at least 1.5"x7" with known grit rating (1k->4k->8k), the harder your job will be and the more skill is required.

Besides well honed razor you also need good quality strop to use between shaves.