Thread: Need second opinion

A friend of mine is interested in SR shaving. I'd like to get him a razor to begin with but I don't want to spend a lot. I found a 5/8 on ebay for $20 that looks in okay condition to me (besides needing honed and some light sanding), but I thought I'd see what you all think. Anything I'm missing?

Thanks in advance!

Badwolf,

Spend extra money and buy your friend a good razor. Give him a good start. A $20 razor on eBay will almost always need work, and especially honing, and by the time you're done, you've already spent quite a bit of money. I suggest buying him a 5/8 Ralf Aust. You will not go wrong with that. Or find a good vintage razor in the classified section here.

Thanks! I will keep an eye on the classifieds. Thats where I got my first. I'm just afraid that if I buy him something nice I'll want to just keep it for myself lol

I agree with Obie.

Whilst that razor doesn't look bad and can be restored, it's better to either immediately buy a new shave-ready one (I would also suggest either an Aust, or a Revisor) or buy a vintage one prepared by someone who knows what he's doing.
If you're buying a new razor, buy it off a reputable vendor like SRD who know what they're doing, do NOT buy anything new on the likes of eBay or amazon.

In fact, I would advise you to browse the "frequently asked questions" section: it's gold for beginners.

edit: but I see you use straights yourself, you won't need the FAQ then probably

Decraew, I lucked into a $20 Klas in the classifieds earlier this year and a few months ago I bought a Wester bros. at a garage sale for $4 that only needed honing.... which is why I was bargain hunting for my friend lol Maybe I buy something nice for myself and let one of my finds go...hmmm

Well, give him one of your razors, then you can buy a totally awesome new one

I was going to say to give him one of your cheapies and buy yourself something new, that way if he doesn't stick with it you won't have dropped a load, will have a razor you like and (hopefully) get your razor back.

+1 to the comments above - starting with Obie.

I recently gave my brother a few razors to make the transition from DE (last years start that I sponsored) to straight.

One was my SRD BQ, one a nice 6/8 Henkels that I had pro-honed.
The other was one of my project razors - a HM Christensn that required very little work and honed up beautifly. The later was our Italian Barber Grandfathers favorite brand.

Good for you for helping him get started...

Perhaps something from Whipped Dog might be in order. They are fairly inexpensive, come shave ready, and for a few extra $, he can also have the whole kit with basic strop and balsa for a few little touch-ups. This is where I got my start and though the razor certainly is not the prettiest thing out there, it shaves wonderfully and I still use it from time to time.

Originally Posted by decraew

Well, give him one of your razors, then you can buy a totally awesome new one

This is the way to get him into it. Bring him over, show him the ropes by shaving in front of him, ask him if he would like to try and go from there. Gifting him one from your rotation will cover several things: He will appreciate you giving him a razor you use, you will know it's a shave ready razor, and the greatest of all is knowing you gave a friend a quality razor.