-
I am by no means an expert, not being any further along than you are in this new endeavour/hobby. I will tell you a couple things that I've learned while lurking:
1/ If you can, find someone local who can help you. I was fortunate enough to locate someone within the province of Nova Scotia who is on this website, and who hones and restores/repairs straight razors (as well as regularly shaving with them), and he has been quite helpful to me. He also had a few razors for sale, and was able to combine a razor and strop together as a package deal. Thanks to IronsideGNR. I plan to get a second razor from him so I can rotate them (as well as protect my silly a$$ from beginners stropping mistakes).
2/ From my knowledge and experience, the first three listed are all reputable brands. The others... are questionable simply because *I* don't know them, and as such I'd steer clear. If you buy new, you will probably still need to have the razor honed as it usually doesn't ship ready to shave... at least not shave well.
3/ Many on here will direct you to either the SRD website/store or to a gentleman named Larry at whippeddog.com, who can get you a shave ready razor and strop for a good price.
4/ It's strongly recommended that newbies avoid eBay as there are things that you may not see as a problem that REALLY are. There's a post here called "eBay 101" that you might want to browse before going eBay-ing.
5/ It's also advisable to look over the list of "Razor Brands To Avoid" so you don't buy something that looks really good, but is only nice to look at, something the community here refers to as a RSO or Razor Shaped Object.
I think that just about exhaust my limited knowledge and advice. Others will post more information to correct me if I'm wrong.
Hope this helps a little.
-
-
The one thing you'll need to master right of the get go is stropping. Stropping is going to be the key, to maintain the edge on the razor. I don't know what you're experience is but I recommend once you've acquired a razor, sending it out to a pro for a proper honing. The classifieds here has a list of many guys, up to the task. Once the razor has its edge, your technique in stropping is going to dictate how long the edge will last, among other small variables as well.
Any of the 4 razor brands you have listed are great manufacturers, and will provide many years of great shaving. If I would make a suggestion, for me when I strop, a bigger razor always feels nicer when stropping. I find it easier to keep flat on the strop, YMMV. Maybe look at a 6/8 instead of a smaller 5/8.
Hopefully some of the others will give you more information to help you as well, make a decision. Hope this helps.
-
Shave ready is key for the first razor you get. That being said, you should definitely start with a blade from a reputable vendor like SRD, vintageblades, whippeddog, or any of the others people recommend. Another great option is that you can also check out the classifieds here for a nice, used vintage blade that will shave just as well, if not better, as a new blade.
I have a Ralf Aust razor and love it as do a lot of other members here (link to a review). All of the brands you mentioned are all great, reputable razor manufacturers so all it will come down to will be personal preference on looks, razor type and how much $$$ you are willing to shell out ;). The key is to ensure that whatever razor you get is "shave ready"
EDIT: You mentioned a lot of razors are out of stock which is true for a lot of vendors right now. Shoot the guys at SRD an email inquiring about a specific razor you are interested in that is out of stock and they will at least let you know when they might expect some fresh stock
-
I'm looking at these models from Boker:
Boker Straight razor stainless black: Boker offers Straight razor Boker Straight razor stainless black.
Boker Straight Razor Edelweiss: Boker offers Straight razor Boker Straight Razor Edelweiss.
they look very similar but they don't say which material is the Edelweiss except it contains silver...
-
Out of the two you listed, I'd be inclined to go with the first one. This is for two reasons. First, as much as I like the looks of the Edelweiss, the fact that you don't know exactly what metal is being used is a concern. Not a major concern as I'm sure it is a viable metal for shaving, I think I would prefer to know what it is though. Second, the black on the Edelweiss may make it difficult to see damage (rust, pitting, etc) on the blade.
-
Not to beat a dead horse from my other post haha but you'll probably want to get whichever you choose honed by a professional to start off with if you order direct from the manufacturer. Factory edge and a true shave ready edge a very different (so I've heard :)). There have been many posts about this very issue in this forum and it'll make a huge difference starting out.
-
I would advise you to get the least expensive Dovo, or Boker you can...buy from a reputable dealer that will hone it for you. For the most part, when you pay for the more expensive razors, you're not buying a better shave, just a fancier razor. As to your question about which brand is better, that is purely a personal preference. I have 4 razors from 4 different brands, and they all shave well when properly honed. Every one of my razors is a different width and grind, and I can get the same shave from each. I would also advise you to use a bench or paddle strop in the beginning, as I find them easier to use, and you'll be less likely to round the edge of the razor.
-
I made a final decision and have just bought the Boker Straight razor stainless black for $133,44 including shipping.
I hope it will be shipped with no problems, it's a long journey to my country :boohoo:
Now I need to buy the hones, the leather and everything else :rolleyes: I already searched for all these items and preselected them.
When I receive my razor and everything else I will post my results and experiences.
THANK you for all the help I received.
-
I forgot to say that I contacted Boker and asked about the Boker Edelweiss:
I asked:
I'd like to know more about the Boker Straight Razor Edelweiss.
In the website it says it's made with a special alloy, but is it based on Stainless Steel or Carbon Steel?
How does it compare to the Boker Straight razor stainless?
Answer:
Sir,
It is a carbon steel blade, and has a finer grain structure than the stainless blades.
