Thread: Hello All

So to be honest i am on here as i want to buy my first straight razor. For the last year i have been using a Kent brush and soap that my wife got me for fathers day off my wee lad now i love it but i doubt my mach 3 does it justice. I like a good shave the military has beat that into me for years. Since movember i have been sporting a rather nice/terrible tash (depends on wether you speak to me or my wife) and the blades just can't give me the accuracy i require to keep the thing looking proper. I had originally looked at a brand new Dovo blade from invisible edge but the more i read the more i feel i want a classic blade and having actual TEW blades in my kitchen i was thinking of finding an original but which one there is so much to look out for in a bad and good blade thickness length handle quality (god I'm a novice). I won't say money is no object i have budgeted £120 for a sharpened razor and basic necessities to keep it sharp/well looked after. What i think i prefer is a shorter blade i have a small face anyway. Well here begins probably 3 months of research before i commit to my first. I would stray away d=from the make but i definitely want a sheffield steel blade at this point.

I had seen these as a reference starting point

Taylors1000 Straight Razor Sales page. Vintage Razors Cased Taylor Witness Pair. No 40

Welcome aboard! Biggest thing on those razors is they're not honed. Not sure if the seller offers that service or not, I didn't dig too deeply.

Edit: the classifieds here is a safe bet for buying a used razor. As for eBay or other similar places, buyer beware. A razor that looks ok in the photos could still require a lot of work to get to up to shave ready.

Being in the UK I'm sure there are many vintage Sheffield made razors around. I would suggest you contact celticcrusader via PM and see if he knows of or has one or two good razors for a beginner. He is a great source of information on wet shaving.

I would also consider the fact that at this point honing your own razors is the last thing you want to do. The learning curve on shaving alone requires full and rapt attention. Even if you have sharpened knives honing a razor is as different as apples and oranges. Razor honing picks up where knife sharpening ends and can get very involved.

Give him a write, you won't be disappointed.

Since you linked to it, I would say Tony with Taylor's 1000 is quite reliable.
IF you know what you are looking at. Honest man, FME

Sir Richard also give some EXCELLENT advise......as usual!

Originally Posted by sharptonn

Since you linked to it, I would say Tony with Taylor's 1000 is quite reliable.
IF you know what you are looking at. Honest man, FME

Sir Richard also give some EXCELLENT advise......as usual!

That's good to know. The copyright at the bottom of the page still says 2014 so I didn't know if the site was still active & updated.

Originally Posted by KenWeir

That's good to know. The copyright at the bottom of the page still says 2014 so I didn't know if the site was still active & updated.

TBH, the bulk of my purchases from that seller was prior to that, but I know he is a member here, yet does not post much of late.
I can say I feel he will send what he sells up until today. Lots of us have razors from him.
I think I can say that with confidence.

Welcome to the forum.

Thx for the welcome guys I'm quite excited and scared by the whole experience of buying my first straight razor. I'll be spending a few days/weeks researching. I doubt I will be honing for a while but as a man who hand bulls his own shoes/boots I know I have the patience to learn but I'm not daft enough to do it on a blade I use for a while. I'm going to search the forum for honing in my area.

Welcome to SRP, there are great folks and information here.

What these guys tell you is the straight up truth. So take your tim and get a razor you want.
As to the classifieds here Ken is right. I have bought a few razors from members and they are shave ready and in great shape

Hi and welcome aboard. Maybe update your profile so show more where you are. There are a lot of us round the place that happily help new folks out and give one on one lessons dor honing etc. Best way to learn and a lot quicker. If you can't find anyone local then mentoring by pm/email from someone like Jamie is the next best thing and sure to see you starting on the right track.