Thread: what should i get for a starter's razor?

hmm, what to do what to do??

Originally Posted by travelwell72

hmm, what to do what to do??

Ok, heres a basic newbie razor.

Hollow ground for feedback. Round point so you don't stick your cheek. 5/8 for eases of maneuvreability.

This list is not exhaustive nor is it a newbie razor. There is no such thing. (well maybe a razor under $80 so if you drop it, you won't feel too bad). Spike point and round each require caution, the razor is...a razor. 5/8 is just easier to maneuvre, this is probably the best advice as to newbie razorness. Hollow ground gives more feedback, but doesn't really matter too much.

Originally Posted by travelwell72

hmm, what to do what to do??

You can't go wrong either way. Well actually I take this back, actually you can go wrong either way
Buying from straightrazordesigns would ensure your new razor is pretty much as good as it can ever get. But of course me being partial to vintage razors I'd rather trade the newness and may be accept a couple of spots for a great vintage one. Or may be two different once if I'm willing to ignore some pitting which most certainly is immaterial to the shave. The quality of the razor and its cosmetic condition are two different things and not always related (see the razor brands to avoid in the wiki for examples of brand new razors of terrible quality).

Since you are not shopping for the lowest possible price I think you'll have quite a few good options. Most vendors are not going to ship before Monday, so you may want to check the classifieds over the weekend as there are sure to be few more listings.

Originally Posted by Stephen436

I invested in a Thiers-Issard Sheffield Silver Steel, Sicilian Olivewood, 5/8 Fully Hollowed to start with.

Yeah, me too, it's a goody but I made the mistake of non-shave ready not having visited this site at that point. No regrets really, it's a lovely blade (now I've got it up to speed) though if I were starting out again I'd go vintage, 6/8 or 5/8, 3/4 to 1/2 hollow. Having said that, a Wapi's good too. With a mid-sized blade that is shave ready, all reference bases are covered. The real key though is shave ready, ie dont do what I did, but what the hey? All turned out OK.

looked at the classified already and everything is as Rich said,,, it's either sold, n/a, or reserved but those are usually $600 razors.
i looked at a Cyril Salter blade and that runs $42, that's not bad to see if i like straight razor shaving..
is that an alright blade or is that a blade to stay away from?
also Leighton i went and had a look at your web site and saw your blades for sale but they don't have any prices written down?

Originally Posted by travelwell72

looked at the classified already and everything is as Rich said,,, it's either sold, n/a, or reserved but those are usually $600 razors.
i looked at a Cyril Salter blade and that runs $42, that's not bad to see if i like straight razor shaving..
is that an alright blade or is that a blade to stay away from?

I don't know but it's probably not a spectacular one, perhaps somebody has tried them. It'll need honing as well.

Originally Posted by travelwell72

also Leighton i went and had a look at your web site and saw your blades for sale but they don't have any prices written down?

This is not a place to conduct business - the PM system is great for these things.

The only places where members are allowed to advertise are the Classifieds and the Vendors section. I will therefore clean up this thread from the improper posts.

Here's a thread on one example of these razors

http://straightrazorpalace.com/razor...get-sharp.html

thanks for that... very interesting reading, didn't understand that much of the language but enough NOT to go for a cyril salter razor
if i'm armed only with a strop and not bother with a hone, then how long 'til the edge gets dull that i'll eventually need a hone? i thought that people honed their razors once every 1-2 months?

I was exactly where you are just one month ago. After reading lots of threads on the site here, I contacted Glen at Gem Star Customs. He's a regular on the forum and I'd say viewed as one of the senior statesmen of straight razor shaving.

Fortunately for me, he had a used Gong which he'd completely treated, including bringing it to shave ready. I suspect if he didn't have a way of helping you himself, he'd know where to turn.

What I'm learning is that there are a limitless number of variables to this art - and it's helpful to start at the top for guidance and your first shaving tool.

That's my opinion. Here's Glen's website address

:Gem Star Customs - Welcome GemStar Customs

Originally Posted by travelwell72

thanks guys for all the info... i'll check on the classified but as Rich said , if i don't know what i'm really looking for then i could be asking for trouble.
may go and pick up that classic dovo 5/8 shave ready razor for around $100, i don't think that prices will vary dramatically all that much in the classifies?? will they ?
i mean maybe i'll save $10-$20, but having a razor that's honed only once and trouble free is worth the little cost.

I used to recommend buying used from the classifieds, but unless you get one from one of the honemeisters, shave readyness is subjective and varies widely. For your first razor, I'd recommend ponying up the extra $10-20 and buying a prehoned dovo 5/8 or 6/8 from SRD or Classic. Then, at least, you'd have a benchmark for what truly is shave ready.