Quote Originally Posted by NoseWarmer View Post
That's what I'm afraid of... "Being Hooked"... If it's anything like my tobacco pipe buying.... I'm in trouble...
Oh boy !!! Have you heard of "razor acquisition disorder" (RAD) yet?

Your original question was "What am I looking for in my first straight razor?"

The objective answer is:

good steel
sharp, well-honed edge
little or no rust
tight pivot
blade centered in scales.

Any razor in the Classifieds probably qualifies on all counts, and will shave effectively. So will a new Dovo.

The subjective answer is:

something I find beautiful
something I enjoy shaving with

Finding what qualifies for that category can be a long (and expensive) process, and nobody else can decide it for you.

Yes, it's a lot like pipe buying.

Charles