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Hello all,
I'm looking for a straight razor that is not too expensive. How much should I expect to pay for a quality razor? I already paid for one on the inferior quality list wiki. That was before I stumbled on to this site. Any info. would help....Thanks.
-cla
I really don't see much of a reason to buy razors anywhere but the classifieds here. IMO, current production blades (new blades) are all over priced. You can get a great quality blade, shave ready, for about $40 from a member here. You'll spend at least twice that on a new shave ready blade.
the quality is not the dominant cost factor. usually it's the cosmetic condition and brand name that increase the desirability of a given razor and transferring into the cost.
if you want a razor to shave with the best option is to purchase it from a person who has shaved with that razor already. the more experience that person has, better the chances that they know what that razor should be like.
so, it really is up to what your priorities are.
You can always post on the Classifieds with a WTB (Want to Buy) and give the specs. that you want and see what turns up. That way you can ask for one you like and might get a good offer. It is difficult sometimes to pick up what you want on the Classifieds that are for sale because they do get snatched up.
Richard
Its true. We're all vultures circling the classifieds waiting for the juicy carcass to show up. *cough* err, razor.Quote:
Originally Posted by riooso
You can pretty much count on the fact that any razor listed on the classifieds here is a good deal for what it is. I can't remember the last time I saw one listed and thought "geez, that price is too high." The prices are always just right for what the item is, IMO. Figure on at least $40, but if you plan on spending more (around $60-70 or so), you will find one much easier, and probably in better condition. Just wait for the first one in that price range that is marked "shave ready" and strikes your fancy, and pull the trigger!
I know, the classifieds, Everytime I see a razor that's nice, it's also SOLD. The only Ducks or W&B's I ever see, are sold. The only stuff that's left, is the stuff no one really wants. It's all about timing with the classifieds. Plus, you really need to know what your looking at. Could you imagine being new to Str8's and looking in the classifieds? It would be overwhelming. Let alone, not knowing who you buying from, No Disrespect to our wonderful members, On this forum, you need only be a member to post an add. You don't need any amount of time, or rep or anything.
At least with one of our Vendors, if your not happy for any reason, You get your money back.
Oh, and PJ, See that's my point. If your going to spend 70 bucks on the classifieds, Why not spend it a SRD. for 70 you can get a new dovo honed by Lynn.
What could be better. You know it's going to be top draw, a great shaver, and by the slim chance, your not happy. Lynn and Don will fix it....
i'm not so sure about this, i hope it's not true, since it translates to significant overhead.Quote:
Originally Posted by zib
actually there are some excellent razors which have not sold because people just aren't paying attention. as far as the entry level dovos i'd rather have a vintage one. lynn's honing is of course great, but it's much better on a great razor.Quote:
Originally Posted by zib
And that stuff is quite often the cheap stuff.Quote:
Originally Posted by zib
On page one there's a wapi for $40 and Ellevas for $46 on page two there's a Genco for $40, a Bresnick which would need honing for $28 and a Bengall for $65 - all unsold and they've all been on their for a couple of days.
if you knock off the $20 you would pay for honing on some new and most vintage razors from other sources - that's a hell of a deal.
Check the "vendors corner" of the forum too. I know Ken of RupRazor has starter packages that offer Wapis. There are a lot of great vendors on SRP. In any case, once you catch the RAD "bug" you may have several razors sooner than you may think!:w
Tom
I beg to differ. I found them to be excellent shavers (I like hollow blades with a hefty ridge). Personally, I believe them to be among the best value for money as far as new razors are concerned.Quote:
Originally Posted by gugi
And yes, their scales are not the prettiest in the world.
Quote:
Originally Posted by gugi
I respectfully disagree. I've purchased from just about every vendor here in the US, Vintage, Classic, SRD, Bill Ellis, Philadelph, Bob Keyes to name a few. Every one want's YOU to be happy. They offer returns provided the item is in the same condition, which usually means, "No Honing".....You can't buy one, practice on it, and send it back...:nono:
P.S. That Wapi is in Israel, Our new friend is in the States...That's another consideration. Our members are worldwide, You must consider your shipping costs.
Gugi, Maybe you'd rather have a Vintage blade, but for a new guy, A new Dovo is nice razor. They're great shavers, True, they'r not Vintage, but for a new guy, At least he's getting something new, nicely honed, with no issues. I'm sure if they weren't any good Lynn and Don wouldn't sell them. Other than the scales, What is wrong with the 74.00 Dovo's on SRD?
As far as returns go, I don't know about Europe, but vendors in the States, take returns from guys in the states. I know this first hand. Maybe when they ship to Europe, the cost is too great. This makes sense to me.
A razor from SRD is 100% safe IMHO. :) I bet Lynn will even fix it for you if you mess it up honing it. He's also very nice and answers his emails. Big thumbsup for SRD and Lynn. You can shop there with no worries.
As a new guy I was in the market for a vintage razor for the cost effectiveness. I know most guys in here will say it won't happen, but let's say you just can't get into straight shaving? Worst case is you spent $40 on a Wapi or Geneva and you can probably just re-list it for the same price. It beats dropping 120 bucks on a top shelf razor and having to be worried about turning that around.
I like the idea of shaving with classics, even though I haven't done it yet. Stay tuned for how that works out... :)
Straight razors are not the cheapest way to shave in the initial stages. Strops, hones, soaps, and other things add up in cost. THe good news is that a good razor will hold its value. A vintage razor that is well restored and honed will shave as good or better than anything you can buy new. This is the main reason I prefer English made blades over Solingen made blades. The key is what fits you. If you want something that you can shave with for generations and will be more valuable in years to come, then go vintage from one of the restorers here on SRP. If you want something new that you will be the only one to use, then by from Straight Razor Designs. Some people swear by Dovo, Double Duck, Dorko and many other Solingen blades and many of these can be purchased new. You can even go to your local Art of Shaving store(if you have that) and purchase a Theirs- Issard that they will tell you is shave ready when it is not. Buy one shave ready form someone knowing what that means. For me is was the basic carbon 5/8 Dovo from Classic Shaving pre-honed. Just don't get hung up on one brand or age, a good vintage blade will shave equally with any new, it all depends on the honer.
Good Luck!
That hadn't passed me by. However, the razor that came to me from the states cost about $4 to ship - they're not exactly heavy. I actually think that $40 is maybe a little steep for a S/H wapi - it's perhaps not a great deal - but it's not a lot of money either.Quote:
Originally Posted by zib
The point was that there are razors on the classifieds that are cheap to buy.
Cla???? What kind of razor are you looking for ???? and what kind of price range are you willing to pay????
These are the only two questions you need to answer to yourself...
Once you have that nailed down then go shop....
As to the title of your thread, heck cost and quality don't even go hand in hand on new razors, look at the TI's for example cost a ton and still have QC issues... I would love to own a TI but I know I will get the warped one :mad: of the bunch....
Just make sure regardless of where you get it that it is shave ready.....
Quote:
Originally Posted by Oglethorpe
A top shelf razor my friend goes for well over 1000.00, Spending 120 for a razor is modest....
In any case, I agree with the fact that you can turn around and sell it on the classifieds. A Zowada, or Top Shelf Livi and the like, you may not get the 1200.00 you spent on it.
Ok you caught me in all my noobish glory... but spending that kind of money on a razor is wild. I did see that "damascus" blade on the classifieds going for a cool grand... I guess I just misused the term "top shelf".
Quote:
Originally Posted by zib
WHAT !!!!! :eek:
I know a lot of people find the current production Dovo great, and I must say you're lucky because these are plentiful and inexpensive (almost any vintage razor costs more in brand new condition).
I don't consider them great razors by any stretch of imagination. Now the vintage Dovos are a different story, and I don't know why the current production is not on par with them.
Perhaps this is just my subjective evaluation, but if you look at the razors I have you'll know I'm not making it up.
Now on vendors taking back razors for 'any' reason - this is just not true. Yes, they will go a long way to make their customers happy, but that's not even close to say 'Satisfaction guaranteed, or your money back' policy. A policy of this kind adds a large overhead to the cost of doing business. I don't want to turn this into another economic discussion, but it's good to stick to the facts - some things are just unfeasible.
There is a big advantage to purchasing a new Dovo and it's consistency. It may not be the greatest razor ever made, but there is plenty of people who have shaved with one of those, and unless you are a special exception you should be able to get a good shave with it as well.
The bottom line is it's not all that difficult and Glen summed it up quite well. Figure out your parameters and go find something that fits in there.
I concur :)Quote:
Originally Posted by gssixgun
What they said :hmmm:Quote:
Originally Posted by gugi
I'll let Zib speak for himself, but my guess is he's saying that someone new to shaving won't clearly experience the results of a TZ, for instance, for some time along the learning curve. I think I have to agree. Although it took me about a month of shaving before I appreciated the better made "top shelf" razors.Quote:
Originally Posted by Leighton
That said, I appreciated the craftmanship very soon after I began.
That brings up a discussion of what exactly transforms a good razor into a fantastic razor. While I have promised to have a chat with Hawkeye about what my thoughts are, I decline to delve into this discussion at the present time.
Yes, I believe in the beginning the razor makes very little difference as the technique is the dominating factor that dwarfs everything else.Quote:
Originally Posted by bpave777
Quality aside, I really like shaving with an old blade myself. The fact that most vintage/antique blades are at least as good quality, and in some cases even better quality is great too.
It might not make sense, but I don't have a Dovo/TI/etc and I have no interest in owning one any time soon either. For me, if just anyone off the street can go and buy the blade it's not that special. This whole shaving thing is a hobby for me... it isn't just about shaving simply to get the job done because I have to. It's something that I really enjoy. If I just wanted a tool to get the job done I probably would grab an entry level dovo that is shave ready from one of the vendors and be done with it. And not to put that down, I'm sure that works perfectly for a lot of people, it's just not for me personally.
Even still, old blade preference aside, I guess another thing for me is that I don't hear people in hear ranting and raving about how the new dovos/tis are the best blades. If I did, I would already own one. In fact, I hear way more buzz for Double Arrows and Wapis, which I'm sure is just because they are inexpensive and a good value, but still, there's more mention of how great they are than how great dovos and tis are, from what I've seen lately. (Just to be clear, I'm NOT claiming wapis or DAs are better quality than a new dovo/ti/etc).
I think this topic is akin to the natural vs synthetic hone thing preference. With a synthetic, there is no mystery, no strange allure. Everyone who buys one gets the same thing and it's just a tool to get the job done. With a natural, since they all vary and you're not really sure what you have until you try it, there is a very attractive mystery there (for me at least) to try them all and find the "best" one. Some people really like that challenge and search. Similar to synthetic hones, with a brand new razor, you know exactly what you're getting from the get-go. You don't have to search high and low for one - anyone who wants one can have one. There's no mystery (well, save for the anomolous defects, which we can hopefully assume are weeded out by a good vendor). With a vintage razor, they are all a little different, can sometimes be hard to track down a specific one, and you never really know exactly what you've got until you try it, and chances are, you are one of few who actually have that particular razor. I love that. Customs fit into this category as well, since they are, well, custom made one-offs.
Anyway, I much prefer shaving with an old blade. The older the better. And preferably one that I've cleaned up and honed myself :shrug: I guess it depends on why you are getting into shaving with a straight in the first place. Is it because you think that you can save money in the long run? Is it just to find a more effective/comfortable/closer method of shaving, and you could really care less about all the different types of razors, hones, strops, soaps, brushes, etc, etc, -- you really just want shaving to be shaving? Or maybe you want to take part in an age old tradition and potentially start a new hobby? Or maybe I'm way off in left field by myself making no sense :p:thinking:;)
Well written PJ
I can relate to everything there, except the natural -vs- synthetic hones :rofl2::rofl2::rofl2: my OCD brain just can't wrap itself around unknown grit size :D
Well initially I was attracted to Straight Razor Shaving because I figured that it would save me money in the long run. Also, I think that there is a level of pride that comes with owning a razor and taking care of it instead of throwing them away left and right. And I do have to admit that it is pretty cool to know that I am shaving like they did back in the day. And I wouldn't mind picking it up as a hobby.
As for the price range I am looking at, well, I would prefer to get something for under $50. As many of you point out there is a learning curve and I would prefer to make as many mistakes as possible with a "starter" SR (making the mistakes less costly hopefully). Later on I may look for a higher end razor, but I don't ever see myself catching RAD.
I do appreciate everyone's comments. Thanks all.
well the cheapest new razor would be a double arrow, so if new is important to you that's the one to buy. the quality isn't very high, but apparently it takes a good edge.
It sounds like you are the perfect candidate for straight razor shaving! You're going to love it...Quote:
Originally Posted by cla
FWIW, unless you drop the razor and cause unrepairable damage (just as (un)likely when you are new as when you are experienced), or do something really stupid (I can't even think of what right now) you aren't going to ruin a "higher end" razor any more than a "starter" razor. The worst you can really do is nick the edge on the sink or just generally need the edge re-honed, and the quality of the razor won't matter much to the honemeister who is honing it (within reason). Now, if you are going to try to hone this razor yourself at some point, then yeah, you'd want something cheap to practice on.
Where you really should be careful how "good" of an item you get at this point, because you're new, is with your strop. You don't want to get a great, expensive strop right off the bat, because you WILL nick that and ruin it's aesthetics. And if it's a really nice strop, nicking it hurts worse than nicking your face, lol.
You'll nick your face too, but that won't hurt the razor :roflmao
I'm not saying which razor to get or how much to spend, I'm just mentioning that you shouldn't be worried about damaging a razor just because you're new. Unless you are particularly clumsy :p
Around $50 should be very reasonable to get a nice starter razor. Put up a WTB in the classifieds if you're in a hurry, otherwise, keep those classifieds hawked :tu
Oh yeah, "I don't ever see myself catching RAD" ... famous last words. But we'll see :)
Good luck!