Good Lord I am overwhelmed!

I am brand new to SRP and have learned just enough from all of the beginner wiki articles to know that I have no idea how to choose my first straight razor and essentials. I find myself perilously close to giving up entirely but I refuse to be dissuaded, so instead, I am hoping for some guidance from the aficionados who frequent this site.

I am looking for a blade primarily for shaving my head and am a college student, so relatively low priced is a must. However, I am afraid to lean too far toward the inexpensive side and cheat myself out of a usable blade.

Could someone please recommend a good starter set (blade, brush and strop) that is inexpensive (as far as these things go) but serviceable? Please be specific if you can (links are especially appreciated)
Thank you so very much all!

-Claire

Having been a starving college student just a few years ago, I would recommend that you buy a vintage razor from the classifieds.

As far as which razor to buy....

• If it's less than $25, there's something wrong with it
• More money usually means nicer looking or more collectible. New name brand razors are great, but only the very best (and most expensive) of them will shave better than a $50 vintage razor that has been well honed
• 5/8 is a good size for beginners, but 4/8 and 6/8 are okay too
• Be sure the ad says the razor is shave ready
• If you've considered all of the above, and still found more than one razor that would work, buy the one that you most like the look of

Just realized I didn't answer your question about other stuff.

Go to wal*mart and look for the VDH set. The logo reads VHD.

It includes a bowl, a puck of cheap but servicable shaving soap, and a cheap but serviceable brush. You will want to upgrade all of them later, but that will get you started for $9.

The only other thing you need is a strop. If you have access to a saddle shop, just go in and ask for a 30" long piece of 2" latigo leather. Punch a hole in one end and use a leather thong or some other heavy chord to tie it up. If the leather isn't as smooth as you'd like, just hand sand it a bit. Seriously. This is the cheapest way to get a strop, and will work great.

If there isn't a saddle shop available, I'd order a philly from... crud. I can't remember who sells the philly stop, but if you search the forums you'll find it quickly. That, or see if you can buy just a practice strop from Tony Miller.

Rup Razor selling the Filly strop

RupRazor - The Filly

I wouldn't feel too over whelmed, there is a lot of information but you can forget about most of it for now. Basically the advice above will see you ok.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by gregs656

Rup Razor selling the Filly strop

RupRazor - The Filly

I wouldn't feel too over whelmed, there is a lot of information but you can forget about most of it for now. Basically the advice above will see you ok.

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See? What did I tell you. Everybody around here knows where to buy the filly, except apparently, me...

There are better strops, but as far as 'bang for your buck' the filly is the tops.

Welcome to SRP! You might find this wiki helpful if you haven't seen it yet.

Buying a beginner's set on a budget - Straight Razor Place Wiki

A couple threads you might want to read about head shaving.

shaving head? - Straight Razor Place Forums

http://straightrazorpalace.com/shavi...ving-head.html

http://straightrazorpalace.com/newbi...beautiful.html

If you're going to primarily shave your head, I think I would look for a 1/4 hollow or a wedge, at least for the initial shave. But that's just me. I find a wedge or 1/4 hollow easier to handle at this stage. Hopefully someone who shaves their head will put forth some advice.

+1 on all info given. Don't let yourself be overwhelmed just take it slow, besides being the best shave you can get (with practice due to the learning curve) there is also a satisfaction in the art itself. Everyone starts somewhere. The important thing is to get started. Welcome to SRP and looking forward to hearing more from you.

All good advice. I'm a newbie myself, so I'd recommend spending as much as you can up to about $150 for a new razor or go the classifieds route as recommended. The newer, the longer it'll last. Don't forget to avoid cheating yourself out of a good shave by buying an inferior cream/soap and brush. You don't need to spend a lot, just make sure you get a soap which makes a good lather and a brush which holds water well. A strop which will do you well is the filly or even a Dovo strop. You'll probably nick it a lot for a while, so I would strongly advise against a pricey model for now.

Good luck finding something which works for you! I use a 6/8" Dovo, a short Dovo strop and a Palmolive shave stick (available for no more than a quid here).

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Originally Posted by Unruhe

The newer, the longer it'll last.

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I hope you're not referring to the razor - I've got two pre-1850 straights that look good and shave great. Granted, they were restos and didn't come shave ready but the point is that a quality straight's life expectancy is in the hundreds of years unless it's abused.

Don't be intimidated, Claire. More links. Head shaving with a straight is just a question of practice/persistence, much like face shaving. Make sure it's shave ready, ie sharpened by hand, by someone who knows what they're doing. The links you've been given conform to this. Good luck and enjoy yourself.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by clrobert60

I hope you're not referring to the razor - I've got two pre-1850 straights that look good and shave great. Granted, they were restos and didn't come shave ready but the point is that a quality straight's life expectancy is in the hundreds of years unless it's abused.

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+1 and ditto to that statement. I have a razor, circa late 1800's, that shaves great and will probably be around long after I am gone.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by clrobert60

I hope you're not referring to the razor - I've got two pre-1850 straights that look good and shave great. Granted, they were restos and didn't come shave ready but the point is that a quality straight's life expectancy is in the hundreds of years unless it's abused.

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Of course, quality is also important. A pricey razor in 1850 would last longer than an inexpensive razor today. Ceteris paribus, a razor bought today would last longer than an old one. Depends on the amount of honing, of course.

I wonder if I should have my name inscribed on my razor so that somebody will remember me in a hundred years. Wouldn't that be cool?

if maintained properly razors last at least few lifetimes of regular use.