Thread: Straight Razor Questions

Hey all, I joined this forum for the express purpose of getting information on straight razors. I'm a lady looking for a nice straight razor for my husband for Christmas. I've done a little research, but I'm sure you all here can help me a lot faster! I'm looking for something good quality that won't break the bank. I understand Boker, Thiers-Issard, Dovo, and (when they can be found) Wapienica are decent for their prices. My husband wants to learn to shave with a straight razor, but we can't afford much (if I could find something under $60, that would be amazing, but...hey). So, any leads and information is much appreciated.

Also, I came across these on Ebay and was intrigued. I love damascus steel, but don't know anything about the maker of these, etc. If I had them professionally honed, would they be worth it?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Hand-Made-Da...item3f3a5be5c8

Thanks in advance!

Welcome to SRP
You are off to a good start by asking before buying
The link is not working right
But if it is what I think it is,
It may be a razor shaped object ( looks like a razor but poor quality steel that will not hold an edge well)
Not good quality at all and you will be disappointed
I would recommend a razor from one of the vendors on the SRP Home page list or look in the classifieds section here also some nice razors and true shave ready and reputable brands
A bad razor will certainly deter him rather than encourage him to use it

Also were abouts are you located, as there are many members who could help you alone with this if close enough also

Thank you both. I fixed the Ebay link. My husband originally found a file spined razor for under $20 and said that was what he wanted, but I always do my research on things, and I'm glad I did - I'm sure he would have hated it and it would have done no good. He said he wanted the file spine for grip. I live in Wichita, KS.

The ebay listing is junk made out of poor quality pakistani steel, he will not enjoy straight razor shaving starting off with that.

I believe you mean filed shank ? The ralf aust razor has jimps on the shank for better grip.

Jimps are parallel groves filed across the tang( skinny part) of the razor to improve the grip.
I'm glad you stopped here before buying. If the razor your husband bought is not sharp enough, very common, it would be a nice idea to buy him a professional honing for it. There are a few guys here that do a great job for a pittance. Having spent the last two hours sorting an edge on one I highly respect the work they do.
Look in the Classified for some name. Then check for forum posts by them to get an idea of their background in the art.
~Richard

I'm already learning a lot from you guys. I didn't know what the texture on the back of the blade was called at all. Thank you for explaining that.

Richard, what is "sorting an edge"?

How do you determine what a good strop is?

In the library on this site you'll find a wealth of information. Here is the link to information on purchasing a razor under the beginners guide. Read to the bottom for reference to better razors and razors to avoid.

This will enable you to find a used razor in you price range. Also Larry at whippeddog.com has a good reputation for his sight unseen razors.

Good luck.

I hope I'm not putting words in his mouth, but from the context I think Richard meant he was honing a blade.

It's probably easier to describe a bad strop to be honest. Really, a good strop is a nice piece of leather (cow, horse etc) with some decent hardware on one end for attaching it to doors etc. and usually a handle for holding it on the other end. They vary a lot in price but the main determinants are leather quality, hardware quality, size of the strop and craftsmanship (fit and finish).

A 2 inch wide by maybe 15 - 20 inch long strop with decent horse or cow leather makes a good starting strop - most people will nick their first strop so you don't want anything too flash to start with. Again, unless you know what you are looking for I'd avoid ebay for strops - lots of things look OK but aren't on there.

James.

I would pretty much have said what Jimbo did regarding a starter set, considering that you will get a shave ready edge, and a free re hone that's money saved that you would have spent if you buy a cheap razor that doesn't come shave ready (if indeed the cheap razor could successfully be honed).
it is more than possible to make a strop yourself if you are reasonably handy, in fact plenty of us have, i am told the VDH starter set is ok from a soap and brush perspective, and then you could look for a nice vintage shave ready razor through our classifieds, and you may save a few dollars on the price of equipment.