Thread: Need Some Advice on Buying a Razor

Hi!
I just joined this site, and I could desperately use some advice. My boyfriend has been talking about wanting to buy a straight razor for awhile, but he doesn't really have the money to spend on something that isn't a necessity right now. Because of this, I've been planning on getting him one for Christmas this year. The only problem is that I have no idea where to start looking. I'd like to get him a nice razor, but I'm a college student so I can't spend an outrageous amount on one. If anyone could give me some advice on brands or types of razors or anything really, that'd be a huge help to me! Right now, I'm just kind of lost haha
Thank you!!

Welcome aboard,,,,,,,
You can start your search here;
Purchasing straight razors - Straight Razor Place Library

a little reading there will give you a good idea on nhow to choose.

Also our "Classified" section is a good place to buy, we don't allow junk to be listed there.

Main Index - Straight Razor Place Classifieds

Also click on the sponsor links that are on our site.

Good searching,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

As a fairly new member I wish I had made my first purchase of a razor from one of the members of SRP forums from the classified section mentioned by Hirlau.

Originally Posted by willi963

Hi!
I just joined this site, and I could desperately use some advice. My boyfriend has been talking about wanting to buy a straight razor for awhile, but he doesn't really have the money to spend on something that isn't a necessity right now. Because of this, I've been planning on getting him one for Christmas this year. The only problem is that I have no idea where to start looking. I'd like to get him a nice razor, but I'm a college student so I can't spend an outrageous amount on one. If anyone could give me some advice on brands or types of razors or anything really, that'd be a huge help to me! Right now, I'm just kind of lost haha
Thank you!!

Get something from the classifieds section.
If you want a new razor , let us know what your budget is so we can give you more focused advise. I would avoid custom razors for a beginner.
You will also need a strop to go with the razor.

Welcome on board,
A big consideration would be your budget, that would help us to point you at something that will provide good value for what you want to spend.

As gugi says, you WILL need a strop or the razor will quickly become unusable without sending it away to a professional for honing.

Does your boyfriend tend to stick with things? The reason I ask Is that learning to use a straight razor generally takes around 100 shaves (3 months of daily shaving, exponentially more if he only shaves once a week), and the learning can be frustrating at times.

Are you planning this as a surprise or are you going to tell him? If you are going to tell him then it might be worth getting him some soap and a brush ($20 all in if you don't go fancy) in advance so he can get lathering under control, it isn't particularly difficult to master but it is one less thing to need to get right whilst he is learning to shave. The same would go for stopping, learning good technique takes a while so being able to practice in advance would probably be beneficial, just a strip of newspaper and a butter knife will work for this, all he needs to do is master the flip, pressure and motion, I would definitely suggest watching a few videos for technique AFDavis11 has some very good ones.

Obviously he can do all of this at once (like most of us) but having some idea of the extraneous skills will make the actual shaving that much easier.

Oh wow! Thank you all for responding so quickly! He usually sticks to all his new habits, so I'm not too concerned about him quitting. He also already has a brush and soap that he uses with his current razor. After looking at things on the internet, I'm looking to spend around $100 for the razor, but definitely not more than $150 with the strop. I'll check out the classifieds on here!

I'm not 100% sure how much it cost to have a razor restored these days but you might want to try ebay for for a vintage razor and send it out for restoration. I've picked up some very good razors this way. Just pay attention to hone wear, rust, and chips. My razor budget it's $50 and I own some really nice wade and butchers.

Originally Posted by aaron1234

I'm not 100% sure how much it cost to have a razor restored these days but you might want to try ebay for for a vintage razor and send it out for restoration. I've picked up some very good razors this way. Just pay attention to hone wear, rust, and chips. My razor budget it's $50 and I own some really nice wade and butchers.

Sorry for reviving a thread that seems to be past its "fresh by..." date. But considering the experience level (or lack thereof) by both the OP & her boyfriend, eBay is NOT the route I would suggest. Insert the train of thought "WOW! This one looks nice, and it's only $15!?!! 'Gold Dollar'? Sounds fancy! And I don't even need to have it restored!" here...

And when he gleefully tries to shave with the Chinese ripoff of a "razor", and emerges from the shave with hamburger where his face used to be, it will have soured his view of this wonderful hobby.

Moral of the story is this: Straight Razor Designs is a great way to go for the $150~ish range for a razor & strop. You can shave some of that cost by picking out a round point razor here in the classifieds. The vast majority are shave ready, and the ad usually specifies if it isn't.

Btw, as you may be able to gleem from my profile, I'm in N.E. Indiana. I am still learning the nuances myself, but may be able to give some hands-on advice & tips. Had I had the opportunity, it would have likely helped quite a bit in the beginning .

I'm necroposting here, so maybe I should also send a message via pm or email...

I got a Gold Dollar for Christmas this year. It definitely didn't leave my face as hamburger and it definitely didn't harm my enjoyment of the hobby. Quite the contrary. I picked it out because we didn't have much money and for a cheap new razor it had a lot of proponents. I bought it from a store with good reviews and was happy. They knew how to properly finish it. I would agree that buying it for a boyfriend as a surprise may not be the best bet (not that he would care really it would be the thought that counts and these are kids from the sound of it that can't and don't need to be dropping big money on a shaving razor). The plastic scales kind of scream cheap but if the blade is finished properly it isn't bad at all.

All I am saying is let's not unnecessarily set up straw men to be knocked down. There are better options out there but I'm pretty happy with my Gold Dollar Christmas gift so far. Probably replace it in 6 months or a year but it got me started and for now shaves pretty darn well. When I replace it that will mostly be getting different scales and maybe a smaller blade not hamburger face.

Fair enough. And I don't mean to say that EVERY Gold Dollar razor is junk... just most of them. Sadly. I didn't elaborate on what I said previously because I tend to write novels in order to rule out any misunderstandings .

As manufacturers of good quality products sometimes let a "fluke" out the door; so, too, does Gold Dollar let the occasional usable razor out into the world. I congratulate you on your luck.

Please don't take my words as insults, that is not my intention. It comes from my experiences of growing up watching the difference in how my parents made purchases after they split. My dad did not buy things (non-consumables) often, and evaluated the options before he did. My mother generally bought whatever was cheapest, and often had to replace these things when they broke quickly (or was in general dissatisfied with the results achieved).

Thanks to the internet, I can now look up reviews on perspective products to find out if the money and/or savings is worth it. Accordingly, I gleam more useful information from negative reviews.

I hope this was helpful.