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New to the wet shaving world, and can't decide on a set to get. I am in a good position, I think, in that I have $200-$300 to drop on a quality set-up.
I have been looking at the sets on Vintage Blades, LLC, and on Classic Shaving. Which set would you guys recomend? I am probably going to buy a pre-honed set so that I know what 'shave-ready' really feels like.
This doesn't really answer your question, but with that kind of money I'd be more tempted to buy a quality strop (Tony Miller with cheap practice strop or SRD), a good brush and soap, and a few vintage blades from the classifieds here. If you're set on a set with anew blade link to the ones that you're thinking about. There are lots on offer. Getting the blade truly shave ready is obligatory.
In terms of new stuff, I can only speak to the Dovo Bismarck 6/8 from SRD, and it is a find piece of work. If you picked that up, you'd still have over 150 bucks to spend on a strop and brush.
Tabac can be had from SRD for 16 bucks and IMO, that's about as good as it gets. So there's your good startup kit!
Welcome aboard Van :beer:
There's Straight Razor Place Wiki
It's been recommended to start with 5/8 or 6/8. Also pick them up in roundpoint style instead of squarepoint or barber's notch. The latter isn't bad. People have been known to nick themselves more compared to rounded style. It's not to say that you won't with roundpoint, it's just more forgiving that way. Once you've become accustomed to it then you can make that step.
Based on what I've seen majority of people pick up Boker, Dovo
When in doubt use this:
Good Straight Razor Brands - Straight Razor Place Wiki
The main Wiki section
Straight Razor Place Wiki
Believe me I'm still reading as we speak. There's a great amount of info here.
Create these folders in your subscription list. It makes everything easier:
Honing
Stropping
Shaving
Soaps
Workshop
Video
Bookmarked these threads:
Honing
Need Bevel Tip - Straight Razor Place Forums
Buying a New Set of Hones - Straight Razor Place Forums
Norton Flattening Stone - Straight Razor Place Forums
Naniwa 12k Superstone - Straight Razor Place Forums
Honing woes - Straight Razor Place Forums
Why tape the spine? - Straight Razor Place Forums
Taping the spine and barber hones for touch up - Straight Razor Place Forums
Would a Norton 4/8K and 0.5 chromium be enough? - Straight Razor Place Forums
Norton Razor Hone - Straight Razor Place Forums
QUESTIONS ABOUT NORTON 4000/8000 - Straight Razor Place Forums
How Bevel is Affected by Taping - Straight Razor Place Forums
Absolutely, positively the last word on spine taping - Straight Razor Place Forums
Naniwa Chosera 10,000 Grit Synthetic Hone. - Straight Razor Place Forums
The REAL holy grail of hones? - Straight Razor Place Forums
What Hone(s) do I need ???? - Straight Razor Place Forums
Japanese stone grit levels: Suita, Narutaki, Nakayama - Straight Razor Place Forums
Hone lapping 101 - Straight Razor Place Forums
Honing on the Norton - Straight Razor Place Forums
Stropping
Common stropping mistakes? - Straight Razor Place Forums
Strop Advice - Straight Razor Place Forums
Pink dust on razor after stropping - Straight Razor Place Forums
Passes on the strop - Straight Razor Place Forums
Stropping is King - Straight Razor Place Forums
Horsehide vs latigo - Straight Razor Place Forums
Wrinkled strop - Straight Razor Place Forums
how essential is strop paste? - Straight Razor Place Forums
TONY MILLER!!!! - Straight Razor Place Forums
Horsehide vs. Latigo? - Straight Razor Place Forums
Strop purchasing suggestions. - Straight Razor Place Forums
Lather in strop - Straight Razor Place Forums
How and where do you hang your strop - Straight Razor Place Forums
How do you hang your strop? - Straight Razor Place Forums
My new Tony Miller real linen strop - Straight Razor Place Forums
Shaving
Why Shave Straight - Straight Razor Place Forums
Nick Relief - Straight Razor Place Forums
Soak the Brush - It's worth it! - Straight Razor Place Forums
Lynn's Tips # 7 - Straight Razor Place Forums
Lynn's Tips #3 - Straight Razor Place Forums
Lynn's Tips #4 - Straight Razor Place Forums
Soaps
Colleen's Soap - Straight Razor Place Forums
English Shaving Soaps - Straight Razor Place Forums
Workshop
wedge shape and scale fit - Straight Razor Place Forums
Rust Remover for restoring razors? - Straight Razor Place Forums
How to clean blade between scales - Straight Razor Place Forums
Restoration hardware?? - Straight Razor Place Forums
Video
Honing and stropping demonstrations - Straight Razor Place Forums
Amazing Superlather !!! - Straight Razor Place Forums
Here's more:
Mastro Livi videos - Straight Razor Place Forums
YouTube - Straight Razor Place '09 Convention. Lynn Honing #1
Only that's left is to apply awesome knowledge these guys provided!
This is great news. Best of luck for the future and keep up the good work.
Welcome to SRP.
I would resist the temptation to invest heavily into hardware you might break, and use that money for things you will keep. I.e. a good brush, good creams or soaps, and good aftershaves. You will be fine with two bottom line razors, or razors from the Classifieds, and either a cheap strop, or an SRD strop whose nicked leather you can replace at a later stage. Added bonus: You can easily get 3-5 razors for USD 150 from the Classifieds, thus trying which blade widths, grinds, and points suit you best.
Good luck, and keep us posted on your progress.
Robin
I couldn't agree more with AlanII and BeBerlin.
Buy a good quality brush, a couple of really great soaps and/or cremes (maybe both), an SRD strop that is high quality and can be easily repaired with replacement leather or replacement fabric WHEN (not if) you make a mistake and damage it, and buy 2 or 3 good solid vintage razors from the classifieds.
IMO, The very very best of new razors are as good as a well honed vintage in good condition, but in terms of the shave they'll give, not any better. There are MANY $50-$75 vintage razors right now that would be every bit as good as a new razor that cost 3 times as much, if not better, and buying them would let you try a couple of different razors, and spend more money on the accessories that make using a straight more enjoyable.
Nothing to add,just a hardy Welcome and enjoy :beer2:
welcome to the forum.
As far as I can tell, Dovo uses same steel for the carbon blades and same steel (INOX) for the stainless lines. The price difference comes in handle material (and possibly the etch patterns on the blade, but I am suspicious of that) mostly. Thiers Izard is from what I can deduce considered bigger brand than Dovo so most of their razors are more expensive, that does not mean better overall razors.
Imo get a good set strop+razor from SRD and you will be fine.
I got Dovo Ebony spike point with SRD red latigo strop and I have zero complaints. You must be prepared to do some light honing, at least in my case a CrO loaded leather strop helped improve the razor sharpnes and the shave feel.
As far as soaps well there is tens if not hundreds possibilities just get Proraso and go from there.
Hope this helps
I also recommend getting vintage razors over new ones. My post above is only if your heart is set on a new one (for whatever reason).
I have a (maybe slightly under) 5/8 W&B near-wedge with a barber's notch that I'll let go for cheap to the OP as a welcome to SRP, if he so desires. PM me.
http://straightrazorpalace.com/membe...otch-5-8-2.jpg
http://straightrazorpalace.com/membe...otch-5-8-1.jpg
Best of luck.
Welcome to SRP. You will find a lot of good information here. Dovos are good razors and you can get a decent one for around $100.00. Make sure you purchase a shave ready razor. You might not want to get a too nice of a strop for your first one. I speak from experience, if your like the rest of us newbies you will probably nick up the first one while learning to strop correctly. You can get a decent strop though for about $50.00 that comes also with a linen strop as well as a leather strop. Their are alot of videos as well as Lynn's DVD that will help you to learn this important skill. You will need some strop paste as well to condition your strop, strop paste helps keep the leather conditioned and will help to keep the razor sharp. Be sure to get a badger hair brush, cost around $60.00. Get a nice soap, don't get the $5.00 stuff, get one for around $15.00-$20.00 or even get a good cream for around $50.00. I did not purchase a soap cup, I just found a big old now ex-coffee cup that works just fine. All of this is well within your budget.
I feel I must give credit to the many guys who use this forum, they have helped so much to learn this wonderful skill as you will find out. Much of what I have stated comes from them and some of it is just my short experience. Don't get discouraged, if you have a problem, come back here and ask, someone will have an answer.
Enjoy learning, I still am.:)
Welcome, I would defiantly go with a pre honed razor. Both sites your looking at are great sites. Your really going to enjoy this all, Good luck
The razor is easy.. just pm Lynn and accept what ever he suggests. You'll get a shave ready blade. You'll need a strop to keep the blade in good condition, after the razor the strop is next.. Then prep, get this wrong and the sharpest blade will only cut skin!!
Cheers