Thread: Looking to buy my first Straight Razor!

What Marshal says above IS your best bet!

I think we've all been there with Gold Dollars. Regrind this, reshape that, reset the bevel because whoever did it at the factory was WAY off, then maybe you can get it to shave right. And of course we watch new guys get suckered in by the 'Pro honed and shave ready!' adverts on them all the time.

Buying a Gold Dollar - $20

Finding out 'shave ready' is a lie - free, but the process sucks because the shave is awful and the razor tugs like an old rusty Gillette.

Having it pro-honed: $8 shipping one way. $25 for honing services (if the honemeister is feeling generous and doesn't charge for the work necessary to bring it to %100 shave ready). Return shipping - another $8.

And then when they get it, it'll last 2 weeks before their stropping technique dulls the edge and they have to send it out again.

So at the end of that process they're out $102 approx. Meanwhile if they bought a Dovo from Straight Razor Design it's $103 for a 5/8 half hollow, free shipping on anything over $75, comes hand honed to shaving sharp and with a free certificate for their first re-honing.

If it's gonna cost the same at the end of the day, give me the Dovo. Like everything else it's the hidden fees that get you.

All im going to say is you have heard it many times now. Dont buy the junk razor, i mean gold dollar. Buy from one of use on the forum. Take your time. It takes a couple months of shaving every day before it starts to come together. Dont worry about learning to hone for a while after that. Learn the shave, learn how the lather works best with water and learn to strop. Then buy something really nice that wipes out your wallet, all the hones in the world and start honing away the CHEEPER/first razor.
Good luck.

Thank you everyone for the advice, I think I will go with buying a vintage blade form the classifieds, up my budget, and buy everything separate. I really appreciate the advice from everyone. I had heard that these communities are super helpful and they were right. I will share where my straight razor adventures take me.

Thanks again.

Originally Posted by Nicolas0103

Thank you everyone for the advice, I think I will go with buying a vintage blade form the classifieds, up my budget, and buy everything separate. I really appreciate the advice from everyone. I had heard that these communities are super helpful and they were right. I will share where my straight razor adventures take me.

Thanks again.

Looking forward to seeing what you get. Have fun!

Greetings Nicolas & Welcome to SRP.
I just joined here recently and all the fellas have been very helpful with advice. I did a lot of research too before buying a razor and the first thing I learned was stay away from the gold dollar razors! I did see a bunch of people talking about Larry at Whipped Dog Razors and checked his site out. I bought a "site un-seen razor" from him for $43 and he sent me an old shave ready Union Razor Cutlery Co razor which I absolutely enjoy shaving with. I also bought a cheap Van Der Hagen brush, soap, mug and stand for $20 on amazon. Throw the soap in the garbage!!! and keep everything else. Spend $23.99 on amazon for "Baume be" shaving soap it is amazing and lasts a long time. By then you will have the "itch" and will be looking to buy something nice from one of the guys on this site, which I just did last week. Good Luck and have fun!!!

Originally Posted by Utopian

You can buy that gold dollar set for about $70.

You will be buying a razor available on ebay for $4. It will be honed and it will shave. It's not great, but it's not bad.

I have no first hand experience with anything else in that set, but my impression from the opinions of others is that most of it will end up being replaced if you stick with this and discarded if you don't.

If you really want a gold dollar, I'll sell you one for the cost of its honing. It will cost you less, but I still don't recommend it. There are many better options in the Buy/Sell/Trade. If you find that straight shaving is not for you, then you always can sell it there again.

Thank you for the offer and the advice, I'm going to buy a razor from the classifieds.

Originally Posted by DupreesDiamond

Greetings Nicolas & Welcome to SRP.
I just joined here recently and all the fellas have been very helpful with advice. I did a lot of research too before buying a razor and the first thing I learned was stay away from the gold dollar razors! I did see a bunch of people talking about Larry at Whipped Dog Razors and checked his site out. I bought a "site un-seen razor" from him for $43 and he sent me an old shave ready Union Razor Cutlery Co razor which I absolutely enjoy shaving with. I also bought a cheap Van Der Hagen brush, soap, mug and stand for $20 on amazon. Throw the soap in the garbage!!! and keep everything else. Spend $23.99 on amazon for "Baume be" shaving soap it is amazing and lasts a long time. By then you will have the "itch" and will be looking to buy something nice from one of the guys on this site, which I just did last week. Good Luck and have fun!!!

How is the Van Der Hagen set? is it a good place to start out? This is the one I found on amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Van-Hagen-Men...agen+shave+set

Originally Posted by tcrideshd

you need to just pick a beginner razor from the classifieds, there are some deals there at times, or go to Straight Razor Designs and get one of their sets. it will be more than your 70$ price range but sets in that range will be with crap razors. and you cant learn to shave with a bad razor. strops can be had reasonably an Illinois 827 is about 35$, soap is cheap get an Arko stick and a cheap boar brush.

maybe put your location in your profile you might get more help that way. Tc

How is whipped Dogs' poor man strop in comparison to the Illinois? I was thinking of getting the poor mans to start off since I will probably cut it up

Originally Posted by Nicolas0103

How is the Van Der Hagen set? is it a good place to start out? This is the one I found on amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Van-Hagen-Men...agen+shave+set

That is not a bad starter set for the price. I have a VDH Badger brush which I like quite a bit (after I glued the knot back in). The soap is OK, not great but just fine for starting out and you need a mug anyway. I'd say, go for it.