Thread: Introduction

So I bought my first razor from a site named vintagestraightrazor.com. I spent the extra money to get a Damascus steel blade because I like the way it looks. It came as part of a package deal that included soap, a brush, a strop, and the razor. It was advertised as shave ready, so I didn't expect to need to do any honing right away.

I've watched countless you tube videos and read all the FAQs and How-Tos I could find. In other words I feel like I've done my research but I am inexperienced.

When I got the package I stropped it and tried to shave with the blade and found it not to be shave ready. It cut my beard, but it was very uncomfortable, pulling quite a lot. So I figured it had not been honed at as high a grit as I would like.

I purchased a norton super stone (12000 grit) and tried honing the blade. I quickly discovered that the bevel was not in line with the spine of the blade. I had to step down to a 325 grit diamond hone and go at it for hours to set the bevel properly. I also purchased a 4000/8000 norton stone. I used those and the super stone and I have the bevel on that blade at a mirror polish.
Unfortunately even with all that very careful honing the blade is still not sharp. At this point I can't even shave the hair on my arm, and if I run my fingernail lightly along the edge of the blade I can feel fine chips. I know I'm inexperienced but right now I think I got taken by this vendor. I think the blade is made from inferior steel and I'll never get it sharp, no matter how careful I am.

Has anyone purchased from them before? Are they known to run scams or is it just me?

Welcome to SRP! Good to have you with us.
If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask.

welcome, what did you get????

Originally Posted by kbailey

So I bought my first razor from a site named vintagestraightrazor.com. I spent the extra money to get a Damascus steel blade because I like the way it looks. It came as part of a package deal that included soap, a brush, a strop, and the razor. It was advertised as shave ready, so I didn't expect to need to do any honing right away.

Hi, and welcome to SRP.

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but there is a good chance that you purchase what is referred to around here as a razor-shaped object. See this thread for example:

http://straightrazorpalace.com/razor...eel-blade.html

Everything with straight razor shaving begins and ends with the blade. You will find all sorts of advice regarding maintenance, care, honing, etc., but the one fundamental truth is that one cannot make a good razor from bad steel. And from what I have read about these blades, I suspect that you may never be satisfied with it.

If you are intent on getting that particular blade to shave, my advice at this point would be to send it to a pro to have it honed. If you have never used a truly shave-ready blade, then you'll be chasing an invisible target when honing yourself. *However* there is a very good chance that you would be spending good money after bad to get this one honed. Also, I know that some honing pros may simply refuse to hone one of these razors as it will be a waste of their time as well as your money.

Your best bet may be to cut your losses, and look for a *quality* blade such as those sold in the Classifieds. It will likely be truly shave-ready (be sure to ask the vendor), it can be relatively inexpensive, and it will work as a razor should.

Take a look at this article in the Wiki - it should help:
Purchasing straight razors - Straight Razor Place Wiki

Good luck.

Son of a bitch! That was the one I bought. I guess I'm too new to realize to-good-to-be-true vs. a-decent-deal.

At at least now I know it's not just me.

Oh man, that's too bad. But look on the bright side - you have found the best place around to learn about straights, how to buy them, how to use them, and how to maintain them.

Do some reading both in the Wiki and here in the forum. And when you have questions - just ask. There are lots of great people here who are happy to help.

A couple more links for you:

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

First straight razor shave - Straight Razor Place Wiki

Thanks for the recommendations. I did read all of those before purchasing. My fault was in not memorizing the do-not-buy and in not checking it before I bought. It is quickly becoming apparent that, like most hobbies I'd like to get involved in, this is much more expensive than I'd prefer. After getting ripped off, then spending money on hones, I might be tapped for a bit. It might be a few more weeks before I can drop another $150 on a blade.

Is that a reasonable budget? It looks like that's about the minimum to spend on something that will be decent quality. I wish someone would just lay out a selection of good blades in front of me and tell me what they cost! It is very frustrating having to figure out not only the quality of the blade, but also the trustworthiness of the vendor. Argh.

I was looking through SRD and seemed to find almost everything out of stock. Especially the affordable stuff.

Originally Posted by kbailey

I was looking through SRD and seemed to find almost everything out of stock. Especially the affordable stuff.

You can probably blame James Bond for that... Ever since that straight razor scene in the last movie, suppliers have been struggling to keep up. I don't know if that's *really* the cause, but it's a good story so I'm sticking to it.

SRD has been posting updates on facebook lately that they have been getting some razors back in stock, so hopefully availability will start improving soon.

For $150 I think you should be able to get a new razor, and a cheapish vintage one from the classifieds, and you might even get a bit.of.change. provided the vintage one you.buy is advertised as shave ready you.should be right, it doesn't need to be pretty, or a renowned name.