Would it be worthwhile to see if I can get a vintage straight razor for cheap, and send it in to have it professionally restored?
Printable View
Would it be worthwhile to see if I can get a vintage straight razor for cheap, and send it in to have it professionally restored?
hello paxaddict and welcome to srp!
i dont know about the brush, but i can tell you that the soap and strop are good choices. as for the razor, it really would be recommended to go with a 6/8 as with a budget of $150 for a razor, i really think it is hard to find a 7/8 or 8/8. and if you do feel a change of mind and go for a 6/8, it would be wise to go for a wet shaving kit from straight razor designs as the wet shaving kit is significantly cheaper than each item bought individually (but it won't offer you a mitchell's wool fat, i think it only offers srd soaps). anyways options are endless!
oh, and i just remembered, if you want to take a look at larger blades, go here:
7/8
prices will be around 170 euros, i dont know i haven't checked all of them, but they do have larger blades.
i hope this was atleast some help...but dont worry, many are coming to help you!
goodluck and happy shaving!
edit: sorry, didnt read this part!
Quote:
Originally Posted by paxaddict
I think your best bet is find a vintage piece in good condition and send it out for honing. Check out our classifieds and our vendors too.
Your other choices look good. For the brush read our brush forum and you'll see who the independent makers are most of the guys have experience with.
I clicked the link to that brush. The handle looks okay but the hair looks like stained boar bristle to my eye (the color gradients are too defined). Dubious that it's real silver-tip especially at that price. If you have your heart set on badger hair, I would keep looking.
MWF is a great soap but can be difficult to lather. But, if you've been using cheap dept. store kit for awhile you may have no trouble. I find MWF lather very forgiving but I've never used a straight. I'm mostly a DE shaver. Tabac soap is just about as cheap with the opaline jar and very easy to create mounds of cushiony lather. It's strongly scented though.
Thanks, detailman for your eye on the brush. I really, sincerely like that handle, so I might contact them and see if I can buy the handle from them on the cheap, and pick up a NiB knot or something.
Of course, I could make my own handle if I'm really feeling uppity, but I'm in the middle of a move. Getting stationed in Korea, so I don't have access to my tools.
Maybe there's a wood craft shop at Camp Humphries and I can make one out there, but that still leaves me sitting without until then.
Well, I decided to spend sometime looking at silvertip knots to get a feel for what they -should- look like, and you're right. The ones on the etsy shop are far too.. clean looking? Silvertip is almost dirty, gritty looking. Natural. The tips on these brushes are white, like they've been bleached. There's no mistaking the difference.
Yes on the strop, no on the brush, 8/8 to start is fine if you can afford one. I think you're desire for the "cool" is outpacing your budget.
I suggest looking at SRD for everything you want, bundle your shipping costs and get started. Then look for cooler stuff later.
Hunt around SRD and see if you can find more that you like than just the strop.
Just a suggestion.
Second general vote is to check out classicshaving.com
IF you have in fact decided to go vintage I would get one shave ready from the classifieds here or go to Larry over at whipped dog and get one of his site unseen deals. His blades are vintage, shave ready, and the blades are guaranteed to be sound. He's pretty cheap too. If you are looking for a new one did you check out any of the package deals at SRD or Vintage Blades LLC? You can get a complete package of quality stuff new for under what you are looking to spend.
Well, just as an update, I've found a razor here on the classifieds that I've decided to go with. It's a 6/8 half hollow ground, for $75, comes shave ready.
I'll probably buy Strop and Soap/Bowl from SRD, maybe just pick up some sandalwood scented stuff, and it looks like I'll be picking up a golden nib knot and and a handle separately. Still considering making a handle myself.
You're right though, Style has tripped me up. I'm very particular about what I use, and I'd rather spend a little more for something that looks nice. Now I have to get my soon-to-be new razor rescaled.
Anyways! So I'm looking at Soap/bowl, new brush, strop and razor. Anything else a newbie should be looking for?
Wow! This guy is talking himself out of a sale.
So the guy with the bocote handled "silvertip badger" shaving brush? Well, I sent him a message saying that I'm looking for a new brush, and I like his work, but he should check his supplier. I'm fair certain that's not true Silvertip Badger, then requested a price check on a bocote without knot.
Well, here's his response:
"Hi there, I got a bunch if knots from my old man as a gift. It's been a good while since he bought them, and the vendor he used to buy them from doesn't exist anymore. I posted silver tip and not silvertip badger hair because they are incredibly different. I don't know exactly what creature they come from, but they're not synthetic as far as I can tell. I can make you a pure silvertip badger cocobolo brush like you mentioned, but i will have to charge $75 dollars plus $6.00 shipping and handling. We get our silvertip badger hair from Penn state industries.
And if not i can just make you a handle and you could put the knot on yourself to keep the cost down. For just the handle I would only charge $30.00 plus $6.00 for shipping and handling.
Would you like to place an order? "
AND! Here's a quote from the listing:
"Silvertip hair is considered to be one of the best when it comes to shaving brush knots. This is the only type of badger hair I use in my brushes. This particular brush is the 24mm Silvertip Badger hair."
Also, he's charging more for a brush with no knot? I'll just make my own, thanks.
After talking a bit more with the guy, and I couldn't help it, I really like his handles. I've decided to buy one of his large handles for 30, and buy a knot from golden nib. Overall, with shipping, it'll come to like $60, and I'll get a handle I really like, so I'm considering this one a win.
So that leaves a strop and soap/bowl
Welcome to SRP. The guys have given you sage advice. If you have not done so already, sign up for the Monthly give-away in the Beginners' section. You never know, you could end up with some more "new" gear.
If it weren't for that sage advice, I'd probably be the proud owner of a "Silvertip" brush. I'm glad I sought help, and thanks to everyone's input. I might not be following your advice to the letter, but trust me, it's sunk in.
Also, I just signed up for the give-away today. Fingers crossed but I'm not going to put any weight on it, when the 15th comes, I still need to shave.
So a question: Aside from putting long term wear on a single blade, what's the benefit of having a rotation? Do I need to focus on having 7 razors?
I plan on getting a few different sizes and shapes, but if I find one that stands above the rest, is there any reason not to put the rest up on the classifieds?
Razor's on it's way!
I took a step and picked up a RupRazor "filly" strop, figured I can spend a couple months butchering it and then pick up a nice one. 22 bucks for a cheap strop with free shipping? Deal.
The guy with the brush handles had a few made just sitting in his shop, and he sent me a picture of what he had so far so I could pick one out, which I have. That should be paid for and pending shipment later today, so now I need a knot.
And onward now to pick out a soap. I've decided to hold off on a custom wooden bowl, so I'll probably just pick up tabac with a bowl. I'll let you know what I decide on.