Thread: Is this a Good Beginner Blade

dread::: have you gotten a complementary shave with straight razor anywhere??? look for one in your city. If there is Art of Shaving store you can go and get one. I got my fist st8 razor shave there and started doin research. I got a feather razor first before jumpin on the real thing.

Ask questions and perhaps end up buying one from them . AOS razors max go up to 270 usd price wise.
... I'm looking at a Iwasaki jpns razor from the same store.
But if you have decided on the 'real' st8 razor then dont stop just get it. dont forget to get a strop + strop balm to horn.

Hello and Welcome. Any razor you buy from srd will be great and ready to shave.

I keep repeating the words that somebody else posted in another thread:

To a shaver, there are two kinds of razor:

. . . a sharp razor, and

. . . a dull razor.

Anything else is just fine tuning.

I find the notion of a "beginner's razor" meaningless. Barbers -- who are professionals -- used the same common makes as everyone else. If it's made of decent steel, and it's sharp, it'll shave well.

Charles

Thanks for all your advice, so far I've decided to get two vintage razors from the classifieds for a cheaper price. When I get better I'll probably drop more money on a nicer razor

As long as you live! You will never need a $300 razor!!!!!!!!!!!!! Yes they are nice to have and to beable to brag about, But I use a Dovo "best" and it shaves just fine. You may be saying to yourself how does he know if he doesn't own a $300 razor? I do. I like the dovo best.......JR

Originally Posted by dreadlocks1221

I am not personally set on a stainless steel blade, I'm just not sure if I should go vintage for my first blade, but could be open to getting one with a strong enough recommendation for a particular model.

To be frank, if you have the means, I would highly recommend buying a brand new blade with a professionally honed edge. In doing so, you will always have a benchmark to compare other blades against.

With a new, professionally honed blade, you'll never wonder how tight the pivot pin should be, how centered the blade should close in the scales, how shave-ready it truly is, etc. This would allow you to judge for yourself the condition of the vintage blades you acquire in the future.

In addition, new Bokers are great razors. You can't go wrong with either choice.

After long and exhausted deliberation and searching as well as asking for advice, hubby and I both have decided on getting a Boker Edelweiss...one for each of us. More or less because there reputable and have a good price tag on them, and there not all frills and so we wont be worrying about keeping them polished like med cabinet queens lol keep them clean and sharp and they will serve as work horses for learning and as a go to razor.

Later on we might get some thing fancy

But yes I would say Boker is a safe bet, as well as any TI or Dovo. Can't go wrong.

My personal opinion:
$350 may be a bit much to spend on a beginner razor. Those Boker extra Hollows are amazing once you have your technique down. Many beginners who start this journey, yours truly included, find it easier to shave with a stiffer grind (1/4 hollow to wedge-ish). In other words, something that has little feedback and flex. The hollow and extra hollow blade flex a lot and, if your technique is not quite up to par yet, you may find it frustrating.

I suggest looking around for a stiffer grind in the 5/8 to 6/8 size range. Once you get your technique polished up, you will be able to enjoy (and appreciate) the Boker Extra Hollow more. That is purely my opinion though

Welcome to SRP! I'd agree with everything that's been said so far...even the parts that might seem conflicting!

Then I'll add this; buying a couple cheaper (price point, not quality) razors to start with means you can replace them if you rap them against the sink or faucet, drop one, etc., and have a back up if you roll the edge, blunt, or otherwise prematurely wear the razor.

An alternative to the classifieds here (nothing against them) is whippeddog.com the proprieter of which is also a member here and sells good shavers on the bottom end of the price range. The don't have fancy scales, etching, or high polished blades (usually anyway), but like SRD they are honed and made shave ready, specifically for guys starting out.

I have no affiliation with whippeddog, and would include a promotion for the classifieds if it hadn't already been done.

Best of luck!

Jim