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.