Thread: New guy considering moving from DE to straight

Hey all, I've been looking around for a cheap way to get into straight shaving as I don't have alot of money to throw into it and I'm not certain I'm ready to put away my DE razor just yet so I've been thinking about shavettes. Something like a parker sr1 or ptw. While I like idea of not having to worry about stroping and honing etc... they seem to just be missing that style and allure I think I'd enjoy from a straight. As far as straights go they definitely seem to be more pricey than the shavettes, along with needing to have the strop etc... So I'm torn on which way to go. I was looking at a Misaki straight online tonight that is a nice looking piece and definitely cheap enough (though I'd probably need to send it off to get honed as I'm sure it's no wheres near shave ready for $10) but not sure if a $10 razor is worth the effort.

Guess where I'm going with this is has anyone ever see/tried a misaki straight? Or a parker shavette?

thanks

I'd personally recommend heading over to Whipped Dog and having a look around. Larry can set you up for everything you'll need to get started. You'll be looking at spending around $60 though if I am up to date on his prices. I know you said you don't like the idea of stropping your own razor but I think you'll have a much greater experience if you do. There are also plenty of people here that are willing to freshen up your razor for more than fair prices. Sorry if I didn't help any. I'm just speaking from my personal experience. Whatever path you take I hope it sails smoothly for you!

I would say that for 10 bucks you are likley to get a rso (razor shaped object) that likley won't hold a edge. Many have used parker and dovo shavettes. Do a search using the box top right and you should be able to find plenty of info. Larry is a good way to start cheaply until you can afford better. Good luck

You could also look at the classifieds here. There is a crown and sword shave ready for $45, that's just an example but recently I have seen quite a few well priced razors come through. Sometimes for as little as $30.

You don't want cheap gear, you want cheap quality gear. Look around and select wisely and you can put together a nice shaving kit for a good price. Check our classifieds and check the usual online stores and read our discussions about all the soaps and brushes and strops etc. Then after you are informed make your buying decision.

Look before you leap. If you buy poor quality gear you experience will be clouded by what you have.

I've decided to just grab a cheap shavette to use when I'm not in the mood for my DE. I still love my DE and figure until I can stash enough aside to grab a real straight the cheap shavette will give me something to start with. Thanks all for the replies