Thread: What I'm considering for my SR starter pack. Comments?

Here's what I'm considering as a starting kit for my straight razor career. I've done absurd amounts of research and watched nearly every honing video on YouTube. I've been shaving with a DE for a few weeks (I know, pretty soon to go to a str8, but I've seriously got a bad case of RAD.) . I'd just like to move on to something that may be more fun and give me a smoother WTG shave (ATG tends to give me ingrown hairs.)

- Dovo best quality carbon steel 5/8" (either hollow ground or half hollow) (About $100)
- General Edge Natural Wood straight razor (costs $3.99 on Amazon) to practice stropping and honing... NOT to shave with.
- Fromm Razor Strop 2 1/2" X 23"
- Norton 4000/8000 combo waterstone
- 320 grit wet/dry sandpaper for lapping said waterstone (maybe some higher grit sandpaper to smooth out the stone)
- Fromm strop dressing

Any suggestions?

okay, The dovo your looking at is great, i have the same. Its easy to hone, give a great shave, and because it has a round point it is less dangerous. For a strop i would use The Filly, its like 22 bucks, its for fresh starters. The norton combo stone is also great and i have the same.

oh and for you i would might want to start is a half hallowhttp://ruprazor.com/store/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=shop.f lypage&product_id=22&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid= 32
also which site are you looking at for the razor?

Also your very smart, on the 3.99 razor to practice with. When i first started i got a crappy razor, and strop, and after 3 weeks of honing i sent it to a pro honer. Then i came to SRP and found out it was a crap blade. I lost about 80 bucks, but i got very good at honing

MisterSensitive,

The Dovo "Best Quality" is a great starter razor.

If I were in your shoes, I would opt for a straight razor/3" strop set from one of the online vendors who advertises here at SRP. The combined cost probably will be equal to or perhaps slightly less than buying these items a la carte.

Forget the General Edge razor for practice. You can get a dinner knife from the kitchen drawer to practice stropping. Use the money you save to invest in the razor/strop set.

I would also postpone purchasing the Norton 4k/8k and the strop dressing for now. You won't need either of them for awhile. In fact, you may never need them if you can get a barber's hone, such as a Swatty, to refresh your razor every 6 months or so. Barber's hones can be found either in the SRP Classifieds or on ebay at a relatively low price.

I've been shaving with a straight razor for nearly two years. I didn't purchase any stropping paste or diamond spray for over a year. I only recently purchased a set of waterstones for honing. Use the money to buy a decent brush and some good shaving soap and/or cream instead.

Just my 2 cents.

Originally Posted by jhenry

MisterSensitive,

The Dovo "Best Quality" is a great starter razor.

If I were in your shoes, I would opt for a straight razor/3" strop set from one of the online vendors who advertises here at SRP. The combined cost probably will be equal to or perhaps slightly less than buying these items a la carte.

Forget the General Edge razor for practice. You can get a dinner knife from the kitchen drawer to practice stropping. Use the money you save to invest in the razor/strop set.

I would also postpone purchasing the Norton 4k/8k and the strop dressing for now. You won't need either of them for awhile. In fact, you may never need them if you can get a barber's hone, such as a Swatty, to refresh your razor every 6 months or so. Barber's hones can be found either in the SRP Classifieds or on ebay at a relatively low price.

I've been shaving with a straight razor for nearly two years. I didn't purchase any stropping paste or diamond spray for over a year. I only recently purchased a set of waterstones for honing. Use the money to buy a decent brush and some good shaving soap and/or cream instead.

Just my 2 cents.

Sounds like good advice. Thank you. It might be easier for me to make the decision to jump in if I don't have to fork over as much dough at once.

Forget the General Edge razor for practice. You can get a dinner knife from the kitchen drawer to practice stropping. Use the money you save to invest in the razor/strop set.

+1.

It's easy to get a "practice razor" that's too dull to shave with, but is sharp enough to nick a strop.

Either practice with a really dull knife, or accept that your first strop will get nicked. [I'm in the second category, FWIW.]

Charles