Thread: a beginner's razor

I would like to know what a good starter razor would be. I don't want anything too expensive because I'm not sure if I will like it, but I don't want a cheap razor that would give me a bad experience. Please help so I can hopefully start the straight razor life-style. Any and all help is needed and will be appreciated, thanks.

If you give a $$$ range it would help

You also need a Strop so budget that too

Brush??

Soap/Cream ???

Hello Glenn,
Welcome, there are many options to choose from, take a little time & read through this section.
This should help answer a few question,it tells you what razors to avoid.
Enjoy the ride.

Beginner's guide to straight razor shaving - Straight Razor Place Wiki

Something from $50-$125. If thats reasonable.

Your budget is fine. As a beginner, you should look for something between 5/8 and 6/8 in size and get a round point. Much easier to learn when you're not worried about a sharp point taking a bite out of you.

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.

Sennfein has good advise for a starter razor. Round tip is safer to start with. 5/8ths wide, hollow ground. It's moderate in all aspects and a good place to start. I would buy a vintage razor from one of the forum members. I'm only a couple of months into straight razor shaving, but have tried a variety of razors and found razors such as the above, but with only a moderate hollow grind, (say 1/2 hollow) to be very forgiving and good to learn on.

Best of luck,
Bruce

+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.