Thread: A bit of research finding me still clueless

The $55 dollar deal and the $46 dollar deal are basically the same.

With $55 dollar deal you will get a razor that is not a show piece but if in the future you wanted to make it so it would not be that hard.

With $46 dollar one you get a razor that is pretty beat up but is still a shaver. If you later decide to make it a show piece it would take a lot of work.

Personally I would go with the 55 dollar one. But ether will get you where you want to be.

I purchased the $46 kit from Whippeddog. The scales were perfect and the whole razor was in excellent working condition. The blade was not a pretty mirror finish, but it shaves great. I just took it in to get it honed from a fellow shaving gent, and he said the razor is in great condition, it's just not a pretty or as sexy as a new one. When I bought my razor I went as cheap as I could to see if I liked it. And I like it. My advice is get the $46 kit and get the extra strop. I nicked my first strop up pretty quick until I got my technique down.

I can wholeheartedly recommend whipped dog. Larry is great and will answer any question you have and is eagar to communicate. The razors are cheap but good quality and professionally honed. I have made 4 purchases through him and could not be more happy. As long as you get an idea of the size and steel you need in my opinion looks dont really matter as long as they shave well. All of Larrys razors are vintage which I like. Perfect start for a beginner. I also recommend an extra strop as you will probably nick yours up a bit at first.

As a beginner the only issue you should be worried about is this: Is the razor shave ready and done by a competent honer? If you purchase a non-shave-ready razor, you will have to invest substantial sums into hones, lapping stones or lapping hones, learn the techniques of honing and then learn how to strop. Or, for $25 to $30, you can send the razor out for honing. So add those costs into to your calculations. Also, you will have to wait for the razor to get to you, send it off for honing and wait for its return.

With a shave ready razor you are up and running the day it arrives. Of course, you need a brush, shaving soap/cream and the likes which can be cheap or expensive. I have heard nothing but favorable things about Whipped Dog. But here is my recommendation: Lynn, the founder of SRP, sells complete shave ready razor kits that includes everything you need. I do not have the link for his site but maybe another member will jump in and post it. Since you are fretting over $9 between two different options, I doubt you will take my advice to consider spending $125 dollars. I will honestly like to hear back about the path you took and see what you actually invested in the long run.

All the best with your decision,
Randy

Larry is awesome!
I'm gonna get my first "shave ready" razor in the mail from him soon (i've bought like 9 others on ebay coz I want to have lots of honing practise when my naniwa stones arrive) and Larry has been very helpful in getting me started. He's always happy to answer any questions I have whether they are to do with his business or not, I always get a prompt response from him. He clearly does not run the site whippeddog.com for the money and this is obvious when you see that he says "Do not hesitate to tell me that I have charged you too much I am more concerned with your satisfaction than making profit"
will post pics of the razor when it arrives probably this week sometime.

Also tell us what part of the world you're in. I've found a few local members already and I'm meeting up with one of them who's going to be showing me how to hone razors.

[QUOTE=saitou;1072709Also tell us what part of the world you're in. I've found a few local members already and I'm meeting up with one of them who's going to be showing me how to hone razors.[/QUOTE]

I live in Sarnia, Ontario, Canada. (:

Originally Posted by kolyanovech

I live in Sarnia, Ontario, Canada. (:

Welcome to SRP Canuck (from another Canuck in KS)! You are going to love using a straight. Make sure you figure out a way to warm your suds too! It's lovely in the dead of winter...

Just to throw another variable into the mix.

Shipping your blade to the states for whatever work you would wish isn't a big deal but can take forever. Hence you need two razors!