Christmas Shopping for a first blade

I think I am on here more than my husband researching for this buy but I am now looking at some vintage straight razors. They say shave ready but I know I cannot depend on that. Right now I am looking at a Hessenbruch Cut Throat. It is stamped as Full Hollow with buffalo horn handle. Its plain but looks to be in nice condition. The only size information given is that the blade's total width measures just under 3/4". What else should I be looking at. Is this an appropriate beginning blade?

I also went a little nutty and purchased him a VINTAGE WADE & BUTCHER SHEFFIELD RAZOR for restoring. It is stamped as Full concave.CLOSED IT'S ABOUT 6 1/4 INCHES LONG. OPEN ABOUT 9 3/4. I paid very little for it and it will need work but since he loves little projects when its colder I thought for an $8 investment on ebay he might try to learn a bit of restoring and sharpening on this one without me freaking out about messing up an expensive piece. I still hope he might get to try to use this one though.

Welcome to SRP. Your husband is a lucky man. :) The measurement I am always interested is the depth of the blade. They are pretty much all close to the same in length and as long as the blade hasn't been shortened the depth is what I concern myself with. If it is less than 5/8 it ain't for me.

I take it your husband is already shaving with straight razors ? Another alternative is a new razor from one of the vendors that support SRP. They have ads popping up on the margins of the screen and you can buy a known quantity and you can specify that you want it shave ready.

Welcome to SRP. I would think that it depends on the person who labels it 'shave-ready', you should be able to trust them, if not send it to one of the guys who can be trusted.

Welcome to SRP! You can say that again Jimmy, He's a lucky man! You can also check the classifieds here on SRP in the Straight razor section. There are alot of razors for sale at reasonable prices.

It's true. If you are looking for both vintage AND shave ready, then the classifieds are a gold mine. If price isn't an issues, then I'm sure some of the guys on here are in the same boat will point you in the right direction.

If I might be so bold, might I suggest that you go with a known reliable source for a razor. Choosing a known, commercial source for a new or vintage razor is probably more reliable than choosing a used razor out of a classified section, mostly because you, yourself,may not be, due to your limited knowledge, the best judge as to what is or isn't suitable as a "shave ready" razor intended as a gift.

I would suggest that you select a "known" reputable dealer who can supply a new or vintage razor to suit your budget/needs including it being "shave ready".

Places such as, but not limited to, "straightrazordesigns", "classicshaving", "vintagebladesLLC" and the "shavingshop" to just name a few, can provide you with new or old/new razors that are shave ready and well worth their cost. There are many individuals in our shopping section that can also provide excellent restored or even new custom made razors, but weeding through all these options may be more than you bargained for. Choosing a commercial shop makes it a simple and reliable solution for yourself though I do not know your level of knowledge and would not presume to *tell* you what to do but rather only wish to suggest that the use of a "reputable dealer" might be a better solution in your case based on your original post.

Regards,

Christian

I have been searching through the classifieds on there and looking at some of the store links. I also have been searching ebay, although I am very hesitant on bidding on anything more than his practice at restoring blade so far.

Budget is always an issue but I am looking at this as an investment. Just on the razor and replacement blades he uses now we are looking at well over $100 for just one year. There really are some very nice looking ones on the classifieds.