Thread: new member, new to shaving

Hey all,

I'm new to this and was looking for advice. I want to find a decent razor that won't break the bank. I'm not too concerned about it's appearance, only whether it will shave well. In addition to the classifieds on this site, anyone got a suggestion on where to get one? I'm thinking my max is around $50.

-Culper

Hello and welcome.
$50 is not enough to buy a new one, then you must go vintage that is not bad at all. Most old razors are great shavers.
As you probably read it's very important that you get a perfectly honed and shave ready razor and the classifieds to me looks as the safest and easiest way to get it.

I'm fine with a vintage razor from classifieds. I saw this one on etsy...Straight razor and travel pouch Maple red by UrsusRazor on Etsy

What do you think? It has good reviews. How do you know when a vintage razor is good? Kinds of material? Brand name?

As you said the classifield is a good place to find a quality razor as is the whipped dog. THe razor in your link is Chinese and of bad quality, just stay away. When looking for a vintage straight razor be sure that there is no heavy pitting or spine wear on the blade and that the razor is manufactured in any of the "big" cutlery countrys like England (Sheffield), Germany (Solingen), France (Thiers) and USA. Also I believe that vintage razor made out of swedish steel are of good quality. Also never buy a razor if the seller doesn't guarantee that it is "shave ready".

And of course WELCOME!!!

Classifieds all the way. Its hard to beat an old vintage straight. Best of all you can't beat a better group of wet shavers here on SRP.

So ya'll have purchased razors off the classifieds? I've sent out a few messages to sellers with no reply. I did see a Solingen for 65 on there, again no reply. Sounds like you had good experiences with classifieds.

Whipped Dog for beginner's items. Great help, too. The Filly from Ruprazor. Don't think Tony Miller has any starter strops.

Bother everyone with questions before you purchase.

I like the prices on whipped dog. The other posts have me worried about the prices though. Which of those on whipped dog would you recommend? There's a few in the 40 -50 range and a few over 100. Obviously you get what you pay for.

Originally Posted by elterrell

Obviously you get what you pay for.

This is the key part of it all right there when it comes to straights. There's a reason why you can buy blades on eBay from China for $15 or less just like there's a reason you can find other "cheaper deals" out there as well. The way I look at it is this...I am purchasing a tool that I could use for the rest of my life and it's something that touches my face, now is that something I want to worry about getting a deal on?
Do yourself a favour and get a blade from a reputable vendor or the classifieds, where you know what you'll be getting is shave ready and you can actually see and know what it is.

What cat said. It's fine, get a vintage. Sight unseen razor, a poor man's strop kit (or The Filly from Ken; ruprazors), a badger/boar brush, some cream/soap, aftershave, and bam. It's already shave ready if you get it from Whippeddog/Larry. Larry's good, price isn't a factor since you're just starting out.

I prefer prettier, so I'd suggest a vintage sight unseen.