Need advice/guidance to buying razors on eBay

Before I begin I should clarify that ive never shaved with a straight razor before and so am a complete beginner at this. I did get a Bismarck leather strop and shaving soap plus a brush. The only thing I really need now is a better razor.

I shaved twice with the Kreiger razor I had bought over ebay before I thought of checking on here for advice. It wasnt quite doing what I wanted, and unfortunately read that the brand was listed as one of the poorly performing blades. So now I need to look for a new razor or two but I'm unsure of what to trust. Or to be more exact, I know I should look for "shaving ready" blades and I've seen the recommended brands of razors but I'm still confused about how to make sure if the ones I find are actually useable. I had entered "shaving ready straight razor" to find a few but with how my face feels right now I dont know if I can trust them.

Any advice you guys can give me would be appreciated, I'm willing to put as much effort as necessary to get a smooth shave from a straight razor, starting with getting the right one.

Check the classifieds here on SRP and if you absolutely must have a new razor most of the websites advertised here offer shave ready razors.

Arock

What "Arock" said, just make sure you order one shave ready.

After you do get a good razor & shave with it a few times you'll see what it's all about & why some razors are on a not recommended list.

Welcome to SRP. Obviously you've found the SRP Wiki and have read the beginner's guide. I would suggest a new straight razor from one of the vendors that support SRP and whose ads appear in the side bars. An entry level Dovo or better if you want to spend more. Absolutely must be pro honed and a strop/razor kit is a good idea too. Just IMHO. :gl:

The classifieds and the vendor ads on the sides will provide you with reputable folks that will get you a razor you can shave with. Be sure to check the wiki for all sorts of fun stuff to occupy your mind while your straight is in transit

Oh...and welcome to SRP

My first advice is to stay away from ebay this early in the str8 razor shaving game. There is more than enough time for you to go bottom fishing on the bay--after you gain some knowldge about str8 razors.

My second piece of advice is to follow the advice offered in the previous posts. Explore the websites of the vendors who advertise here at SRP are check out the ads in the SRP "Classifieds." New or vintage, those are better places for a person new to str8 razor shaving to look first for a good quality, honed razor than ebay.

Just my 2 cents.

wow, some of these are pretty expensive.

I assume that if i want a quality one I should expect the 100+ dollar price as I see on some of the Classifieds and the pro website items?

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Originally Posted by Roamer

wow, some of these are pretty expensive.

I assume that if i want a quality one I should expect the 100+ dollar price as I see on some of the Classifieds and the pro website items?

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That depends. Some of the razors are not only shave ready, but very collectable.

Many have started with a DOVO Best Quality 5/8 or 6/8. I personally started with a 6/8 and had very good luck with it. Here is a link, and less than $100.00, and definatley shave ready.

Vintage Blades LLC::Dovo Straight Razors::Dovo Carbon Steel Straight Razors::Dovo "Best Quality", 6/8" Carbon Steel Straight Razor - "Black" - Professionally Honed

For any razor you find on ebay, add another $20 for getting it honed by a professional, then shipping both ways. That is assuming that the scales are straight and there is no rust to deal with. Then there's the razors you run across that have deceptive ads and you get snookered. Bad pics, poor lighting and misleading descriptions can mask some real dogs.

Are you sure you want to do do that, or would you rather spend $50 on the classifieds and get one you know you can trust? I got a fabulous one here for only $30 recently.

Goog

I'd stay away from eBay until you know what you're looking for. Its really easy to see something, think its a good buy and then find out that its no good once you get it in your hands.

I'd go for a shave ready razor from the classifieds, or one of the vendors already mentioned here.

Have a look at Joed's thread eBay 101 for what to look for:http://straightrazorpalace.com/aucti...bay-101-a.html

If you're going through this thread and not picking up the problems with the razors shown, then its probably a risky idea to start bidding on eBay.

Besides which, by the time you've added in postage and sending the razor out to be honed (and I've yet to get a shave ready razor from eBay, despite what the sellers often say) and any other work that needs to be done, it may end up costing you nearly as much as getting a new DOVO.

Roamer, here's another option for you, I don't think it's the best option, but I have better luck with it than ebay.

Visit your local antique stores and look for straights. I often find nice ones between $10 & $20 with only superficial tarnish on them that is easily cleaned. Understand that they will need to be cleaned and sent off to be honed by a pro (another $20 or so). If you are unsure if the razor is decent, take a pic before you buy and show us, we will be glad to tell you if it's a keeper. Things to look out for are corrosion/rust, especially around the edge. Look very closely for cracks, they can be tiny sometimes and they render the blade useless (probably the single worst reason to buy on ebay). Tiny chips and nicks can be corrected for additional cost but avoid any with big chips in the edge. Blades should close nicely into the scales and not be loose. A little tight is OK, but real loose is a problem when stropping.

The bottom line is...best recommendation is to buy a shave ready razor from a reputable vendor. You can go other routes to try to save some cash there is risk involved until you gain experience.

Marc

The straight razor - Straight Razor Place Wiki

In addition to these, you need also to watch out for cell rot (chemical process in the handle), tempering damages caused by inexpert make-it-look-shinier-attempts, razors that are unable to take/hold shaving edge, excessive hone wear, excessive price, excessive postage, frankenrazors, inexpert sellers, less-than-honest sellers, bad/misleading/missing pictures etc

In short, it really is a jungle out there. Same applies to antique stores, fleamarkets etc except you see the item much better than on ebay.

If you're on a budget, buying off from classifieds, reputable vendors or members' websites is your best bet in getting a shave ready blade without a false start. And you have to take postage (a strop is mandatory, shaving soap/cream/brush is a huge plus, stypic is nice) and freebies (shave readiness, free honings) in account. It all adds up.

I do hope that this explains to you and other beginners why newbies are warned to stay off ebay until they have the experience to properly evaluate what they're buying into and understand the risks involved.

Until you are more familiar with razors I would advise you to stay away from ebay and get a razor from either a reliable vendor or someone here on the SRP classifieds, there are way too many negative variables on ebay.