Thread: Newbie with $125. Recommendations?

[quote=TstebinsB;320397]The issue is that he's not really sure about straight razors yet. He wants the bare minimum so he can gauge his interest. I suggested 1000 grit sandpaper. I use it and it works well. If he gets the Norton 4K/8K, should he add a Coticule or a Thuringian or a pasted strop?

If he is not sure yet I would have him wait at least the average of 3 months for his first shave ready razor to get to the stage of even needing honing before he thinks about getting into buying hones... By that time he can decide which direction to take his hobby....

Buying hones, is really the next to the last stop, on the straight razor train schedule....

Originally Posted by TstebinsB

The issue is that he's not really sure about straight razors yet. He wants the bare minimum so he can gauge his interest. I suggested 1000 grit sandpaper. I use it and it works well. If he gets the Norton 4K/8K, should he add a Coticule or a Thuringian or a pasted strop?



Craftsman Studio sells the set for $104 + shipping.

I would suggest a barbers hone at most, until he is sure he is going to stick with it. The barbers hone will keep a good blade sharp indefinately. Once he is sure he wants to continue, then he can start thinking about more hones.

If he's going to be honing up ebay/antique store razors, my suggestion would be a 1K waterstone (I got my King 220/1K for about $20 at woodcrafters) and a BBW/Coticule (6 x 2 should be large enough I think). I use the same setup; it works very well and won't break the bank.

If he's just going to be maintaining, I'd say Nun is on the right track; just a barber hone and maybe some paste on balsa to give it a try.

If its for a new razor, why not get a four sided/two sided paddle strop with different pastes.Its an easier way for a newb to keep it sharp anyway.

Kristoffer.

$125 should be enough to buy one new small coticule at todays prices, but he might be hooped for shipping costs

I say a DMT D8EE, a Chinese 12k, and make a paddle strop and put some CroOx on it. This setup is well within his price limit and is all he'll ever really need.