Thread: How Many Razors Do Newbies have?

I now have 5 straight razors. The first is a Dovo I got from SRD and I still love it. The second is a Gold Dollar I got to compare against the Dovo and to have another in rotation. The third is a cheap one from Amazon that's supposed to be a good shaver with some work. Haven't gotten around to working on it yet. The last two I got off eBay. Both are high-end razors that need some work and should make good shavers. Haven't gotten around to those either.

I also have a cheap DE that does a very good job for the money. I also use it on my head when I have the time, otherwise I use an electric on my head.

I am about two months in so very much a newbie. I was immediately stricken with RAD. So far I have 12. A couple of Dovos, three Henckels, an Anchor Wester Bros, a Faour, a Boker, an Engels, a Maher and Grosh, a Wade & Butcher, and a no name with a cool handle I bought to practice my skills getting a razor shave ready. I have enjoyed shaving with each of them but at the moment I seem to have a slight preference for the Faour and the Boker. I am pumping the brakes on acquisitions for awhile so I can spend some quality time with each of the razors I have so far. Could I be getting along just fine with any one of these razors? Of course. It is just really fun exploring a small bit of the variety out there.

How many licks does it take to get to the center of a Tootsie Pop???



Lynn

Lazarus, you sound like me! We seem to have about the same taste in razors as well.

H. Boker "King Cutter", Freidr., Baurman & Sohne "Comfort", Landers Frary & Clark "222", Levering Razor Co. "Artist", Geo. Savage and Sons 8/8, Geo Wostenholm and Sons "IXL", Friedmann and Lauterjung "Electric Cutlery Co.", Wester Bro. "Anchor" 5/8, Wester Bro. "Anchor" 3/16. Not shown are a George Wostenholm and Sons "IXL" Celebrated, Genco Lincoln, "Cast Steel" 6/8 Wedge. The last three need new scales, as does the Savage. Now I am starting in on the old strops... A few old Illinois, a nice old loom and a few that I am making myself... What's next, brushes?

Crap. I forgot. I picked up an old Bismarck yesterday. And I have a Wade and Butcher and another Wosty in the works. The wife is going to flip.

I've lost count...I started with four, but best as I can remember I've gotten at least four and maybe more since Christmas of last year. Just can't stop.

I've got RAD--and I've got it bad...

A Dovo Best from SRD , TI I got at Art of Shaving, Boker from a local antique shop, JR Torrey I got on ebay, 2 Dubl Ducks I got on ebay, and last but not least a Sheffield I got at a local antique store.

So far I've used the Dovo, the TI, one of the Ducks.

I shaved with a straight for the first time on 24 January 2010. Things are going well and I am enjoying it very much.

Cheers to all!!
Randy

blockhead

Similar tastes indeed. You say you are getting ready to work on some strops? Get this, I have a beautiful old belting leather briefcase I never use anymore and I have been eying it and thinking "hey that old belting leather might make some nice strops". So basically I am thinking about destroying a briefcase that cost around $800 twenty years ago to make some strops that could be purchased for around $50-$60. It concerns me a bit that this strikes me as perfectly reasonable. I welcome opinions as to the lunacy or brilliance of such a course of action.

New guy here. I have a Wester from Bob Keyes that now has 5 shaves on it...and coincidentally, that's the same number of days shaving with a straight! I have a W.H. Samples & Sons (eBay purchase), just finished by Mr. Keyes and soon to be on its return trip to me. There is a dubl duck dwarf that just arrived and needs to be sent off for a buff & hone. And now there's a dubl duck special # 1 enroute from a seller. And soon to be shipped another dubl duck, but a satinedge. sheesh!
5th day shaving with a straight, and now I'm the owner of 5! There's a name for this that escapes me at the moment.

I agree with the others: most newbies start with two razors, including me. I admit I started with two because of a buying blunder on my part, but it worked out for the best.

Starting with two is a neat way of seeing how razors can take on "personalities", in addition to holding off any honing for a longer period of time if rotated regularly.