Thread: a beginner's razor

I got the Boker King Cutter. It's a 5/8 and retails for around $110. I got mine at SRD because I suspected it would be honed well enough that I could eliminate that variable. I didn't make a mistake on that one. Great razor from what little experience I have. I've failed it and my face many more times than it has failed me. Razors from SRD will definitely allow you to eliminate the razor from the equation. If I had to do it again, I would still get a 5/8 or 6/8 razor from SRD, but I would get a Dovo Best Quality or a Ralf Aust because of the jimps on the underside of the tang...the Boker is really nice, but was a little slippery when I first started and looked like a monkey trying to shave. I works just fine for me now though.

+1 to K37. You can get a Dovo best quality and upgrade to 3inch strop (easier to use) and be within you budget. Could get a whole starter set from there, but would go over budget. You can get a VDH soap, mug and brush set from Walmart, Target, or pharmacy for 20 bucks. Not great, but will serve the purpose. Razor and Strop I think is most important. There are lots of expensive soaps, creams, and brushes, but something like VDH or CM Bigelow are much less expensive but still functional. A beginners opinion...

I would check the classifieds here, last time I checked there were some great deals there on shave ready razors that looked to be in nice shape. That saves you a little money you can put into a decent brush, soap, and strop. The 5/8 or 6/8 are a good size to start with as stated above.

Thanks for all the pointers, I appreciate them and I now have a better idea of what to look for. I will hopefully be a part of the straight razor community soon.