Thread: Newbie Help

I bought a Krieger straight razor because I thought it would be interesting to learn to shave with a straight razor. IMO they are junk- I can get a better edge on my hunting knife- in fact I've shaved a couple of times with it just to see if I could.
so...I don't want to waste any more $$$. What would be a good set up, brands, etc. for a beginner? Thanks

Most razors do not come shave ready from the box; they need to be honed to proper sharpness by a professional. Razor and knife sharpening are different beasts, so don't attempt to hone your razor up (at first). Shaving with a knife is possible, as you've seen, but a proper honing on a razor makes it more comfortable, as it is honed to a finer edge than is needed on a knife and at a different angle.

To answer your specific question, Straight Razor Designs has great strop/razor combos where the strop is nearly free, and they hone the razor to shave readiness before shipping it to you. Plus, they give you a certificate to have the razor honed once more for free.

Try something in 5/8 or 6/8 with a round tip as a beginner. Any brand carried by SRD is reputable; avoid shopping on Amazon or places where you find razors that are very inexpensive; quality for some brands is poor, and others are more like knives that are shaped like a razor and aren't really meant for shaving.

There has been a bunch of online shops that have not panned out for a lot of people. As mentioned Straight Razor Designs has a good reputation as well as Classic Edge. There are many shops that do have excellent products at reasonable prices. A red flag for me would be what they have in their inventory. A Gold Dollar razor for sale always makes me run the other way. If all you want is a good razor, there are frequently very good values in shopping in the classifieds here.

Read the do not buy list in our library , it would have saved you the time , money and effort on the crap razor .. SRD is a good choice and the Classic Edge too, also just look In the classifieds here. Tc

There are many reputable places to buy and price and location play a part. Check out the threads in the beginners forum and the site vendors. If unsure just ask

I got a 6/8ths Ralf Aust from SRD and can say it is a great and comfortable shave. It has a Spanish point and although people recommend the round to beginners I find the Spanish point very comfortable and easy to use as well. Also I would suggest some chromium oxide as it is very useful to refresh a blade with.

I'm a newbie too. Ultimately I decided on a feather ss shavette with professional blades. I highly recommend the feather ss. That said, I've also decided to buy a couple of straights. I got a steal on a F.W. Engels Lucky straight on Craigslist, which is apparently a good blade. In terms of brands, you will find in the library as well as multiple, multiple posts to purchase your straight razor from someone in the Classifieds, and that is probably very good advice. Anything from Solingen Germany or Sheffield England is probably a good choice IMO. I doubt anyone here with a passion for shaving is gonna pawn a crappy blade on you, especially if they know you are a newbie. Ask the seller questions, and ask for additional pics if necessary.

I got a $12.00 boar hair brush on eBay, some Sterling Soap (highly recommend), and had a strop made for me by a local leather smith. You could easily get a piece of bridle leather and tack it to a board and save a few $$. You could be all in for $100.00 or less.

I definately second that you get your blade honed by an expert.
I really pays off to klnow what your starting point is.
If you set out without any knowledge, it's hard to figure out when you're razor is truly 'shave ready'.

I know from experience

Originally Posted by toonboog

I definately second that you get your blade honed by an expert.

Just to be clear though, "expert" honing will not help with a Kriegar or any of the other razors on the Do Not Buy list.

Originally Posted by Utopian

Just to be clear though, "expert" honing will not help with a Kriegar or any of the other razors on the Do Not Buy list.

So true, Utopian.

So, for the record:

1. get a decent razor
2. get in shave ready
3. shave with it
4. keep it as sharp as you recieved it from your 'honemeister'.
5. ENJOY!!!