Thread: The Starter Set Dilemma

Group,

Firstly - this is just my opinion.

I beleive from my past experience, and from reading many of the posts from beginners, there are a number of elements that are interplaying when a beginner is trying to select their starter set and I believe through the experience of SRP we can help.

Here is what I believe is happening.

Many, including myself when I started, like the way straight razor shaving equipment looks, but do to lack of experience, don't understand how the equipment will function. And, additionally, if you buy a complete starter set (razor, brush, strop, soap etc.) the cost is such that a beginner considers:

"If I really like this, how far will the equipment take me before I want to upgrade, and what is the cost difference between what I am about to spend for starter equipment and an upgrade".

In addition, because we are susceptable to being distracted by shiny objects and the desire to posess scarce commodities, people see the really nice old razors senior members have, and would like to be part of "the club" that owns them.

All of these elements go through a beginner's mind and adds to the starter equipment purchase dilemma.

Almost without fail, every time a beginner asks what set to start with, it results the following from the senior shavers:

1. Read the beginner shaver Wiki.
2. Yes, that DOVO Best or Special is a very good starter razor.
3. That set looks good, but upgrade the strop to a 3".
4. Don't worry about hones at this point.
5. Buy Shave Ready
6. Stay away from e-bay at this point - you don't know enough.
7. Buy a Shave Ready razor from one of the members here in the classified.
8. At this point, as a beginner, you will not notice the difference between an $80.00 Dovo and a $750.00 Livi.

There are probably others, but these are about 99% of the responses given to the new folks. I have no idea how many people ingore the advice, but people being what people are, I'm sure there are more than a few.

So, I think we can help. Maybe publish these responses. Maybe have a SRP "Club Kit" or "Starter Kit". I understand that cost is still a factor here, but if the goal is to keep this art alive and have as many people participate as possible. This might be a way to help.

Any other ideas?

David

So..You are saying that SRP should become a vendor and sell a kit?

I think you missed this: Shopping list for beginners - Straight Razor Place Wiki this: http://straightrazorpalace.com/begin...beginners.html and this: Frequently Asked Questions - Straight Razor Place Wiki.

The thing about the wiki pages is that it still recommends types of stuff, not specific items. Having a kit would be really nice - maybe 3 of them, at 3 different prices - so that people avoid the obvious stuff (the 3" strop vs another), and don't have to go hunting for this vs. that.

I'm brand new, and I'm the kind of person that gets into something and reads and researches things like crazy. I must have watched 50 youtube videos in the last 2-3 days, going back and forth between just getting like 2 things all the way out getting multiple hones and sharpening and etc. Getting carried away, then coming back to reality, etc.

And there is the nagging feeling of paying too little now for one of the 2-3 critical parts (presuming razor, strop, and basic hone) and having to pay more latter, to an aggregate more than if we had gotten a good kit from the get-go.

There are too many variables involved to give a recommendation that will suit everybody. We give rather specific recommendations for shaving on a budget, but beyond that, there is only personal preference, experience, and budgets.

Seeing as there are only a few vendors, and these are all one-stop-shops so-to-speak... and these all offer pre-assembled kits...

...why should SRP spoon-feed people by making a kit for them? If people have a hard time putting together their first kit it is only because they fail to take the advice already present- ergo they would not buy a kit we advised them to anyway. They want a Filly strop and a Fili razor... and to hone it themselves.

I think we would be getting into some murky waters if SRP started endorsing specific brands/vendors...

Originally Posted by Slartibartfast

So..You are saying that SRP should become a vendor and sell a kit?

No, I'm not saying SRP should become a vendor. I'm asking if there is a way to help the beginners. That is all.

I'm not even suggesting that my ramblings have merit. It was an observation that an engineer that has to "fix" everything made.

Originally Posted by Alembic

No, I'm not saying SRP should become a vendor. I'm asking if there is a way to help the beginners. That is all.

I am sorry, but I cannot see any question marks in your original post.

Originally Posted by Alembic

I'm not even suggesting that my ramblings have merit. It was an observation that an engineer that has to "fix" everything made.

That would require something to be broken in the first place. However, what you are trying to do goes beyond simple breakage. You are trying to fix common misconceptions. That endeavour is bound to fail, though, for the reasons I gave above. Which is, incidentally, why we came up with the shopping list: it is specific enough for a beginner to make informed buying decision, but generic enough to also allow for diversity.

Originally Posted by BeBerlin

I think you missed this: Shopping list for beginners - Straight Razor Place Wiki this: http://straightrazorpalace.com/begin...beginners.html and this: Frequently Asked Questions - Straight Razor Place Wiki.

No, I did not miss this. I'm not even sure if the beginners do. But the same questions get asked constantly.