Hello all,

My father has been interested in obtaining a straight razor for shaving, after quite a bit of searching around, I stumbled across this forum. I would like to get him one for Christmas this year. While I have seen the multitude of FAQ's as well as other postings on the topic, I would also like to post the question myself (forgive the repetitive nature of the question).

He has no experience at all with straight razors, someone gave him (what I assume to be) a fairly nice shave set (brush, lather cup, etc) which spurred his interest in the topic. I don't believe this would be a daily occurrence for him, probably only on the weekends, or so. He does have some experience with blades, from growing up an outdoors-man, but nothing as precise as a straight razor. While I would like to get him a quality blade, my budget is going to be fairly restrictive, I would like to keep my costs under $100.

I am certain I have missed answering several pertinent questions, however I will check back regularly and answer them as they come. I would appreciate any and all advice you all could give, as well as any recommendations.

Also, I am looking for an inexpensive lather brush for myself, nothing of quality, as I will be using it to lather saddle soap for my boots, any advice as to where I can find this?

Thank you,

Zack