Cheap razor vs. pricey razor???

Greetings all! I am new to this and had a couple questions. I bought a straight razor at a cowboy event for $15. It was brand new and made in China. I have been doing some searching on different razor sites and I am seeing a pattern. On average of $110 for one. The razor I bought is extremly dull, so I need to have it sharpened. Would it be worth having it sharpened or should I keep it as a novilty and buy the more exspensive one? Another questions I have is on the difference between a 6/8 and a 5/8 razor? I do have more questions but I will not overload you all at this time.... Thanks gang!

well in general the cheap razors have cheap steel that wont take and hold a good edge, What brand of razor is it? Chances are you are gonna have to get a more expensive razor, i reocmmend whipeddog.com he has razors for around 30$ that arnt to pretty but they are good quality shavers.

It is Maxim... I thought it was a good deal so I bought 2. I started looking at razors online at them and got concerned about what I paid. Are all his razors at that site good quality?

Hello Jamey, I can understand the pattern you are seeing. As a general rule, you get what you pay for. Razors are not so cheap, good steel and a lot of craftsmanship went into them - usually. Quality straight razors have been made all over the world, but some places stand out: Sheffield England, Solingen Germany, Eskilstuna Sweden, and also France and USA. These places have all been manufacturing quality razors for a long time. I'd consider getting a vintage razor if I were you, you can get quality razors for a lot less than a hundred if you check out the classifieds here, or some of the vendors on this site.
Oh, and China - I'm sure there were quality razors made there as well, but I have not come across any. I'd save that one for display and get one from a trusted source.

The size of the razor really doesn't matter much. As long as your razor is of sufficient quality, it will work fine. The differences all boil down to personal preference. Both 4/8, 5/8 and 6/8 make fine razors. Get a size that suits you, and one that feel well in your hand.
Best of luck.

Welcome to SRP. Like anything else, you get what you pay for. The SRP Wiki seen here, has a list of "razors to avoid." In general if the razor has a made in wherever stamp but no name it is not going to be of a high quality. Check out the SRP classifieds. There are usually inexpensive razors listed of good quality along with the more costly. See if your made in China razor is on the avoid list. If it has no name chances are paying to have it honed would be a roll of the dice.

Was going to say, here on the Classifieds, but I also just saw Holli/Dylan put up some serious names in the under $35 range for sale

http://straightrazorpalace.com/vendo...er-razors.html

That is actually less then what you wasted on the Chinese one :) considering these are honed to shave ready

+1 to Glen!

Brand-new razors are like brand-new cars. Nice to have, but not necessary. I own one razor I bought brand-spankin' new, and several others varying in age - 150 years at the oldest, all very respectable shavers!

Don't get me wrong, I've got a couple Thiers Issard razors that I wholly intend on purchasing brand-new, but beginners need to know that you don't have to spend the money on a new blade.

Also, don't be too cautious with the questions. Read the Wiki first, then ask away! That's one of the beauties of this site. With members all around the world, you can post a question at any time of the day and almost certainly have an answer within an hour, most times less!

buy a good classic razor and refurbish it! giving life to older razors is a good thing... at least Martha Stewart might say that.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by cjglancy

buy a good classic razor and refurbish it! giving life to older razors is a good thing... at least Martha Stewart might say that.

---

I was loving everything you said until Martha Stewart...

Chances are the Maxim is not going to take and hold a edge. I have a krieger that I use as a scraper somewhere, so don't feel bad about a newb purchase. These guys have covered the rest.

Dont hate on Martha Stewart... she lady scapes with a straight razor

Re-reading the OP's post it seems maybe you were confused about the /8 designation? I'm sure you've figured this out, but it is simply the width of the razor's blade in eighths of an inch. So a 4/8 razor 4 eights on an inch, or 1/2 inch wide, and a 6/8 razor is 6 eighths or 3/4 inch wide.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by cjglancy

Dont hate on Martha Stewart... she lady scapes with a straight razor

---

For real? I'm not even going to ask how you know!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by cjglancy

Dont hate on Martha Stewart... she lady scapes with a straight razor

---

I would think a wire brush like that would dull the edge pretty quick..