Thread: First Razor Suggestions

The bottom line is it's a quality piece and a basic piece and if taken care of will outlive you no matter your age.

i just got my first razor a few days ago. its a Hart Steel 7/8 square point with jimps. im very impressed with it. craftsmanship looks superb. had my first shave wth it today, and im very happy. buy what you like, and what feels natural in ur hand.

This is sounding like an (almost) broken record . . .

I have a Dovo BQ (from SRD) and a bunch of vintage straights, none of them expensive. They all shave nicely, and will do so for decades.

Stop over-thinking the question, and either get the Dovo or (if money is tight) a blade from Whipped Dog or the Classifieds on this website.

Charles

The only thing I might add would be to tailor to your face/beard, hand size. 'Take a size XL glove? The 6/8 will have a larger grip surface on the shank and be a bit more comfortable to hold and articulate. Brutal heavy beard? Maybe consider a heavier grind. If your hands/beard are avg, there's almost no bad choice. I've shaved w/ the 5/8 and the 6/8 BQ. I liked them both, though my large hands are more comfortable w/ the 6/8. Going vintage would keep the prices low and usually be an upgrade in quality.

Thank you to all replies. I've contacted the gentleman at whipped dog.

Originally Posted by geauxtig3rs

Thank you to all replies. I've contacted the gentleman at whipped dog.

You won't be dissapointed. I went with the sight unseen deal with full sized barbers hone. Larry is a really good guy to do business with and will answer all of your questions, no matter how dumb. The razors aren't the pretteist, but thats not the point. They come shave ready and the one I got gives an exceptional shave.

I think there is a lot of nice stuff on the classifieds here. Lots of helpful folks. Whipped Dog is obviously a hero, but I wouldn't be shy about buying something you see on the classifieds. All of mine are older Swedish straights now and they have all worked well for me. The real key is finding someone to hone for you during the first few months. You will kill the shave ready quality in a couple weeks with your newb stropping (if you are anything like me). And once the blade is not sharp, no amount of technique is going to produce a good shave.