Thread: Newby Questions

Hi All,

I am thinking of buying a straight razor and have done a bit of research and found this forum. It is great! I have read all the beginners sticky's and got lots of good information. What I am still wondering is what price range I should be looking in for a beginners straight razor? I am a Timber Framer and Carver and understand that a good blade and good steel is of utmost importance for good results. I don't want spend too much to find out that this style of shaving is not for me, but at the same time I don't want to end up with a crap razor. I am willing to spend the money to get a good quality razor. Also, what do the number 6/8, 7/8 etc. mean? Is it better to go with a Vintage razor or new?

Thanks in advance to everyone's opinions

Tim

Hello, Tim, and welcome to SRP. There are no simple, definitive answers to your questions. But I strongly suggest that you read these two documents:

1. Frequently Asked Questions - Straight Razor Place Wiki
2. Straight Razor Place Wiki:Books/Beginners Guide - Straight Razor Place Wiki

The numbers describe the width of the blade, cf. The straight razor - Straight Razor Place Wiki.

Good luck,
Robin

Welcome to SRP. Either a new or a vintage razor will serve you well if it is a good one and shave ready. You will also need a strop and a decent brush and quality shaving soap greatly enhance the shave. The vendors seen on the side of the screen are all trustworthy and sell quality products. There are also classifieds where members sell razors and other stuff.

hey Tim and welcome
vintage will almost always give more bang for buck
4/8 5/8 6/8 7/8 is parts of an inch (the widt of the blade)
i would suggest starting at 5/8 size
gold dollars is cheap good steel but may be a bit big to start with
entry level dovo is not much different from the expensive ones
any shave ready vintage from the classefieds should be good too

look around and ask questions if you see something you like but are not sure

Originally Posted by TRC

Hi All,

I am thinking of buying a straight razor and have done a bit of research and found this forum. It is great! I have read all the beginners sticky's and got lots of good information. What I am still wondering is what price range I should be looking in for a beginners straight razor? I am a Timber Framer and Carver and understand that a good blade and good steel is of utmost importance for good results. I don't want spend too much to find out that this style of shaving is not for me, but at the same time I don't want to end up with a crap razor. I am willing to spend the money to get a good quality razor. Also, what do the number 6/8, 7/8 etc. mean? Is it better to go with a Vintage razor or new?

Thanks in advance to everyone's opinions

Tim

The numbers refer to the width of the blade. I.E. 7/8 is a wider blade than a 5/8. It's said that a wide blade is harder to work into the tight spaces on your face, but a small blade like a 4/8 wont hold a lot of shaving lather so it needs to be rinsed frequently. 5/8 seems to be a pretty standard starting size blade.

Vintage v. new is a matter of preference. I have one of each, and I have to say, there's something about the vintage I like better. Although the quality of a new razor can be very good, when a company is manufacturing thousands of blades, you have to assume that some of the finer details are overlooked. Where as many of the vintage razors you will find, certainly the ones on this site, have been worked on by an individual who has taken the time to address those finer details.

The biggest benefit I found in buying new is that you can buy a full beginners set, which takes the guess work out of it. choosing which strop, brush, mug, soap, and razor out of the thousands of choice can be a bit overwhelming when you start out. With a complete set, it's pretty safe to say that you will get all that you need in that package to start shaving.

I would think between 70 to 80 bucks is good for a decent razor and for in terms of width of the blade(the 6/8 or 7/8) i think 5/8 is really comfortable especially for beginners but it is all preference. If you go to ruprazor.com they have a great deal on a razor and strop combo for 65 bucks i think, good luck!!!

TRC, Welcome to SRP and straight shaving.

Lots of choices on this one. There are a few variables to a great shave with a straight razor. I don't think you can go wrong with DOVO or TI's. There will be the learning curve of stropping and keeping them sharp.

The ones that seem to be crowd pleasers in the long run that are still being sold new:

TI LeGrelot
Dovo Bismark or the more expensive stainless steel blades.
Dovo BL

There are many more and higher priced ones. The bottom line is that most straight razors sold new will give a great shave if they are cared for properly. In the long run, you may prefer one more than the other. Most of us have several straight razors that we collected along the way and they are usually different from each other.

SRP classifieds is another great place to get straight razors at a discount from new.


Good Luck!

Pabster

Totally agree with Robin. Think about what he says before buying.

Nothing wrong with bargain hunting. If you have the funds and are a busy person and want a sure thing to get off to a sure start is where I was coming from. No knock on new here.

If you want to go inexpensive and get started with straight shaving and take it one step at a time, then there are disposable straight razors as another option. I have 3 different types and they get used along with my 5 fixed straight razors. (2 bought new and 3 from SRP classifieds)

A great straight shave can come in many forms,

Pabster

Originally Posted by TRC

Hi All,

I am thinking of buying a straight razor and have done a bit of research and found this forum. It is great! I have read all the beginners sticky's and got lots of good information. What I am still wondering is what price range I should be looking in for a beginners straight razor? I am a Timber Framer and Carver and understand that a good blade and good steel is of utmost importance for good results. I don't want spend too much to find out that this style of shaving is not for me, but at the same time I don't want to end up with a crap razor. I am willing to spend the money to get a good quality razor. Also, what do the number 6/8, 7/8 etc. mean? Is it better to go with a Vintage razor or new?

Thanks in advance to everyone's opinions

Tim

Welcome....
Please tell us what you shave with now.
I ask because a good brush and a great
soap and lather can improve the shave
from the most common and mundane
shaving tools 200%.

You are unlikely to end up with a crap razor
from the sponsors or folk associated with
this group. Look at some of the beginner kits:
strop and professionally honed blade (old or new).