Calling Ozzie Straight Razor Users

I am only two months into this new art and have not looked back. In fact, I am starting to look around for some vintage blades to have a go at...

But, the reason for this post is because I want to hear from any other straight razor shavers who live in Australia. Since I began this, I have been looking all over the place for stores that supply brushes, strops, soaps and blades. I travel a fair bit for work and have found some half-decent stores, but would love to hear from anyone that can offer for some more advice.

My list so far is this:
- The Razor Shop in Brisbane has a decent range of soaps (got my Truefitt and Hill from here), brushes and stands, and usually has a few Dovos in stock. They also have a range of shave mugs.
- There is an excellent shave shop (whose name I don't know) in a little arcade in Perth CBD. They stocked a range of blades and strops, and next time I'm back there I will check it out again, as I hadn't taken the plunge and started with str8's when I was there last
- Sydney, and the only shops I could find with anything was The Shaver Shop franchises. The one in the CBD and the one at Eastgardens have the odd Dovo and maybe a strop. They also have a limited range of soaps.
- Melbourne, and I haven't found anywhere yet that stocks the above.

If anyone has any more ideas and information about where to go in Australian cities for this stuff I would love to hear from you, as I'm pretty sure I have run out of ways to find them with Google! I appreciate there are also some good online retailers (where I got my blade from).

I am about 2 hours out of Melbourne in the country. The only place I found in Melbourne that is even remotely related to straight razor shaving is the Melbourne Barber Shop (The Melbourne Barber Shop from memory). If you take a razor there, you can get a shave - requires booking in advance.

I have been using straight razor for a while, but never really had all the other stuff (decent strop, alum block, etc), but I just placed an order with Straight Razor Designs and got a bunch of stuff. Cost about $40 shipping, but with the aussie dollar up at the moment, and the complimentary honing and shave-ready delivery of a razor, it was well worth it - best shave I ever had this evening.

If you are after vintage razors, either ebay or Op shops would be the way to go. Some antique stores have razors on the odd occasion, but they are usually well overpriced.

Also, I highly recommend picking up a copy of Lynn Abrams DVD which has tips for how to buy razors on ebay - my first couple purchases were good razors but crappy for restoration, but I didnt know that at the time.

If you happen to find somewhere decent in Melbourne, let me know.

Hey Mate.

Proud Australian here based in Adelaide. I have found there is no real savvy retail scene for straights in Australia at all. eBay is always great and antique stores good yet overpriced as mentioned. In this globalised day and age online purchasing is the only way to go! Visit John @ shavingshop.com for awesome razors and all related stuff. Just received in the post today an 8/8 Henckels Friodur Spanish Point which is SUBLIME!

I wish you great shaves.:)

MDR

Have you checked the classifieds here?
SRP Classifieds
I've bought a few razors from here, and everyone I've done business with has been rather helpful. I started with a Ruprazor kit from Ken (there's a thread in the vendors corner section on his kits)
Postage isn't that bad most times.
Now my shaves are getting better, and I'm losing less blood! (fingers crossed)

Good luck,
Gary

Thanks guys.

Good to see some Aussies using straights. Just as I suspected - there's not a lot here on the retail scene, so online is the way to go. I also intend to go to a regional swap meet where I here there are some bargains to be had on vintage straights... I'll let people know how I go.

Appreciate the feedback and happy nick-less shaving!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Bagman

I am only two months into this new art and have not looked back. In fact, I am starting to look around for some vintage blades to have a go at...

But, the reason for this post is because I want to hear from any other straight razor shavers who live in Australia. Since I began this, I have been looking all over the place for stores that supply brushes, strops, soaps and blades. I travel a fair bit for work and have found some half-decent stores, but would love to hear from anyone that can offer for some more advice.

My list so far is this:
- The Razor Shop in Brisbane has a decent range of soaps (got my Truefitt and Hill from here), brushes and stands, and usually has a few Dovos in stock. They also have a range of shave mugs.
- There is an excellent shave shop (whose name I don't know) in a little arcade in Perth CBD. They stocked a range of blades and strops, and next time I'm back there I will check it out again, as I hadn't taken the plunge and started with str8's when I was there last
- Sydney, and the only shops I could find with anything was The Shaver Shop franchises. The one in the CBD and the one at Eastgardens have the odd Dovo and maybe a strop. They also have a limited range of soaps.
- Melbourne, and I haven't found anywhere yet that stocks the above.

If anyone has any more ideas and information about where to go in Australian cities for this stuff I would love to hear from you, as I'm pretty sure I have run out of ways to find them with Google! I appreciate there are also some good online retailers (where I got my blade from).

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G'day mate, next time you are in Perth, come out to Mens' Bitz, they have quite a range of straight razor gear, Dovo strops,new razors of various qualities,soaps, eg Col Ichabod Conks, and some Aussie manufactured soaps as well. Some nice badger hair brushes. You should be able to look them up on Google. They supply the Pearce airbase lads, it is pilot training and lots of them use straights.I reckon I saw a couple of lads when I was in Adelaide in the Army Res years ago using them as well. Suspect there are quite a few servicemen who currently use them. interesting to see who pops out of the woodwork here down under, I have a mate in Adelaide who is not part of this club.

Cheers

Gordon

G'day Bagman. Not much to add as the list of shops is pretty minimal here in Oz but wishing you good shaves & an enjoyable stay with SRP. What part of Sydney ? I'm on the North side.

G'day Onimaru55,

I'm northside also - Mosman. Happy shaving.

Welcome to SRP! :)

Yeah, there is not a lot available here in terms of shops. The Razor Shop here in Brissy is one of the best I have come across - if you ever have time, and get to know the bloke who owns the shop, he might show you his collection of old straights and shaving gear. It is pretty cool!

Other good places are the rural antiques shops - you can pick up some nice old vintage razors, strops, and sometimes hones that the old farmers etc used to use.

But you are in the right place now - SRP will keep you in touch with straight razor-related stuff all over the world. Shaving nirvana is only a click of a mouse away :D

James.

Thanks Jimbo. I have got talking to (I presume) the owner of the shop a couple of times. Very friendly and helpful chap he was too. I recall he said he had someone who would do a professional hone on the blade if ever I needed it. As it turns out, I bought a stone and have honed myself, but will keep that one tucked away in case...

I am in Brisbane also.. I totally agree antique stores are well over priced.. Found most of mine in the country. I am lucky to have received some from customers and old barbers I know.I suppose that is a perk of my job..

Best check country antique shops.. Once picked up a huge bleckman chopper for $10 at an old servo in Manilla NSW...Had a little table out the front with a heap of junk on it.. One of my favourites..

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Bagman

Thanks Jimbo. I have got talking to (I presume) the owner of the shop a couple of times. Very friendly and helpful chap he was too. I recall he said he had someone who would do a professional hone on the blade if ever I needed it. As it turns out, I bought a stone and have honed myself, but will keep that one tucked away in case...

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lol! Well, I do not know about professional, but if you do want your razor honed any time drop me a line rather than going via him. I have moved house and do not think he has my proper number any more. Free honing for Aussie SRP members, btw.... :D

James.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Jimbo

lol! Well, I do not know about professional, but if you do want your razor honed any time drop me a line rather than going via him. I have moved house and do not think he has my proper number any more. Free honing for Aussie SRP members, btw.... :D

James.

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James that is a fantastic offer and one I am certain to take you up on in the near future. Great stuff. I'm actually into Brissie for the first time ever to visit my brother at the start of August and will make a point of visiting the Razor Shop. Sounds well worth it. Thanks again.:tu

Mykel

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Bagman

G'day Onimaru55,

I'm northside also - Mosman. Happy shaving.

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Kewl. SRP has a few members in Sydney now. We must have a get together.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by thebaldbarber

Best check country antique shops.. Once picked up a huge bleckman chopper for $10 at an old servo in Manilla NSW...Had a little table out the front with a heap of junk on it.. One of my favourites..

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Plan to do the same shortly. A weekend away with my wife with the sneaky ulterior motive of attending a country swap meet and antique shops...mwah hah hah hah hah haaaaah.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Bagman

Plan to do the same shortly. A weekend away with my wife with the sneaky ulterior motive of attending a country swap meet and antique shops...mwah hah hah hah hah haaaaah.

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Country NSW is gold.The smaller the town the better the find.

Don't forget vinnies and the salvos..

Good luck with the hunt...

I'm in Ferntree Gully, Melbourne - don't know any local straight razor users.
I'm new to the whole thing, and am only just holding off the whole RAD thing - gotta get used to using what I have first!


Got a Shaver Shop at the local shopping centre, but I've only bought a DE from them. I'm still using my $2 shave brush from Safeway /Woolworths. (Though I recently got some Bodyshop shavecream to try instead of my $2 shave soap stick).


Catchya,
Michael.

Hello,

I'm in Brisbane. I agree that cut throat related supplies out here are pretty expensive. When the dollar was around the same as the US dollar last year, it was still cheaper for me to buy razors, a 4k/8k, rooney brush and dovo strop from the US, than it was to buy them out here (I couldn't even get the dovo razor and brush here). Although the dollar has dropped a bit, I'm still buying from the US at the moment. I've been grabbing razors off the SRP classifieds, as I've found them very reasonably priced, particularly when I'm experimenting with different types of blades.

Last year I found this post on Badger and Blade:-

Australian Shaving Supplies - Badger & Blade

It's got info about a number of Australian shaving supply places. I've checked them out, and it's still the case that there's no-where near the variety out here. I use the Floris Elite shave soap, which you can buy out here from Ivy House. It's so bloody expensive I'm half tempted to give it up though (but it's very nice). I was using Crabtree and Evelyn Sandalwood soap before that (you can get it at some David Jones), but the Floris was certainly better.

I haven't seen any razors around in my local antique stores, and the ones I've seen on Ebay weren't much chop. I've been given a couple of old Bengals by a mate of mine, so I'm going to have a go at restoring them. Another mate of mine has seen quite a few razors at estate sales, so I might have to start sending feelers out if I'm going to get them locally.

regards,

craby

:tu

Hey, another Sydneysider onboard. Just starting my research before making the plunge and doing the straight razor thing.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Sly712

:tu

Hey, another Sydneysider onboard. Just starting my research before making the plunge and doing the straight razor thing.

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G'day & welcome Sly712. Shoot me a PM if you need any help on the quest.

Welcome Sly712. Can seem a bit daunting at first, but it's pretty easy once you get the hang of it. After all, millions of men around the world were shaving this way before the safety razor took hold...

Also available to help. Started in April this year with one razor, now shaving with that and two restoration jobs, and a couple more restorations to go. Onimaru55 can put an edge like a light sabre on any blades you might come across, especially with his new Japanese hones...

dredging up a ye olde thread....
I am just new to looking into straight edge shaving so doing lots of lurking for the past couple of weeks
I am from Narangba Queensland (just north of Brisbane)
hoping to snag a blade and accessories off friends or relatives thus far(putting the feelers out there as you never know what people might have lurking in their cupboards)
hope to talk to you guys more in the future and get started on the journey that is..well...shaving haha!

Check out the Down Under Forum as well Brendan. We have a thread there listing all the suppliers we can think of withim Australia. Feel free to add to it anytime you find a new one.


Mick

cheers mate , will check it out

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Bagman

I am only two months into this new art and have not looked back. In fact, I am starting to look around for some vintage blades to have a go at...

But, the reason for this post is because I want to hear from any other straight razor shavers who live in Australia. Since I began this, I have been looking all over the place for stores that supply brushes, strops, soaps and blades. I travel a fair bit for work and have found some half-decent stores, but would love to hear from anyone that can offer for some more advice.

My list so far is this:
- The Razor Shop in Brisbane has a decent range of soaps (got my Truefitt and Hill from here), brushes and stands, and usually has a few Dovos in stock. They also have a range of shave mugs.
- There is an excellent shave shop (whose name I don't know) in a little arcade in Perth CBD. They stocked a range of blades and strops, and next time I'm back there I will check it out again, as I hadn't taken the plunge and started with str8's when I was there last
- Sydney, and the only shops I could find with anything was The Shaver Shop franchises. The one in the CBD and the one at Eastgardens have the odd Dovo and maybe a strop. They also have a limited range of soaps.
- Melbourne, and I haven't found anywhere yet that stocks the above.

If anyone has any more ideas and information about where to go in Australian cities for this stuff I would love to hear from you, as I'm pretty sure I have run out of ways to find them with Google! I appreciate there are also some good online retailers (where I got my blade from).

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Hi Bagman,

I'm based in Melbourne and only been straight shaving since Dec 1st. I've found Mensbiz both on line and at their distribution store in Richmond (Nathan) are good, quick turnarounds and helpful. They have a pretty good range of most things shaving. For local stores, so far The Shaver Shop (Eastland) has some Dovo straights, strops, brushes, DE's, soaps, creams etc, in a nicely presented glass cabinet, but only a small range of each. (although an unusual sales approach of "I discourage selling cut throats to the younger crowd who enquire about getting into it".??!!

I bought a lovely scuttle from HG Pottery in Upwey, just east of Melbourne, which I'll take some pics of and post soon. Finally, bought (about to be delivered) a chinese 12k hone and holder and a 45 power magnifier all from ebay at great prices, but don't know about vintage razors.

hope this helps..
Kev