First Razor... Wapi or vintage?

I switched from the 'modern' shave world about a year ago and started DE shaving with a Merkur HD. I would like to take it to the next level.

I am debating whether to get a shave ready Wapi, or to get a more vintage Dubl Duck, W&B, or some other Solingen quality razor.

I'm stubborn enough to stick with it and learn it, so I'm not worried about the trial period of seeing whether I want to do it or not. I don't have a strop or anything for straight razor shaving yet so I am starting from scratch.

I was at the flea market today and although there weren't any straights to be found, the one vendor said he has a pile of vintage ones at home that he doesn't bother bringing, but will bring them for me to look at next week. I realize though that whatever he has more than likely isn't shave-ready and even if I buy one it will probably sit on the shelf until I'm ready to hone it myself.

If I get the Wapi, I'd probably rescale it, maybe have my initials engraved on the blade, and make it 'my' razor, something I wouldn't do to a vintage.

What's best for a beginner like me to do?

Buy from the SRP classifieds to get a good shave ready razor for personal use. Buy all the good ones the guy is going to bring in next week and learn to hone on those.

Welcome to SRP, mddittman! I know some members would advocate the Wapi, but I think you would be better off buying from the classifieds here. You can get great vintage razors that are shave-ready for a good price, and if you feel that straight shaving isn't for you, you can always sell it back. The members here have reputations to uphold so you shouldn't have to worry about getting ripped off. You can however get ripped off with flea market specials. Though the price might be right there is a lot of junk out there, and if you don't know what you are looking for you could end up with a worthless piece of metal. You should read the Wiki section on reputable razor brands to look out for, and it will also tell you the other essential supplies required to start up. Good luck.

Ryan

The wapi can be a bit unbalanced, as it has a heavy scales.I have the wapi II, wich in my opinion is a great entry level razor.However, it has a very narrow spine, and therefore doesn't suit everyone.A razor I have that I would really recomend as a starter, is the DOVO special 5/8 tortoise.It is a fantastic shaver, and not to expencive.You will also be able to find it in a set with all the shave kit you need, from one of the vendors here.Good luck.

Kristoffer

Kenrup's special for the shave-ready original Wapi bundled with the Filly strop for $75 was tempting but I suppose something more vintage and quality may be better...

Is the 5/8 pretty much the set-in-stone beginner's blade?

The best "Beginners" razor out there, is the one that you get from a reputable seller/Honemiester that you do not have to worry about the shave readiness of said razor....
The "Brand" should fall into the price range that you want to spend...

We all have our own opinions about what we find to be the best shavers but yer face is not the same as mine so my opinion is not always correct for you...

My recommendations as the attributes of a first razor never change:

6/8 = dead center size wise
Roundpoint = it is a little safer
1/2 hollow = dead center grind wise

Get as close to that as possible and then figure out what direction you want to move....

BTW: You will get the Dovo special in 6/8 to.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by gssixgun

The best "Beginners" razor out there, is the one that you get from a reputable seller/Honemiester that you do not have to worry about the shave readiness of said razor....
The "Brand" should fall into the price range that you want to spend...

We all have our own opinions about what we find to be the best shavers but yer face is not the same as mine so my opinion is not always correct for you...

My recommendations as the attributes of a first razor never change:

6/8 = dead center size wise
Roundpoint = it is a little safer
1/2 hollow = dead center grind wise

Get as close to that as possible and then figure out what direction you want to move....

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I really like the recommendation from six. Sometimes a 1/2 hollow grind is hard to find. If you can get a 1/4 hollow grind vice the full-hollow grind, I think you have a better beginner razor. YMMV and all of that...