Thread: What was your first straight razor? (if you can remember....lol)

I'm not sure if this topic has been posted or not (I searched and didn't see anything.... I know someone will find one....lol)


What was the very first straight razor you bought? Do you still have it? Do you use it? Any regrets in getting it?


My very fist straight razor was a Dovo INOX. I still have it and haven't used it in ages (Still shave ready and properly stored). I prefer to use other straight razors now, I love my Sheffields!!! For the amount of money it cost me at the time, I wish I would have known more about straight razors. I would have went vintage verses new and saved some cash. But when a person is new at something, it is better to get something new, unless you know someone well enough to trust them in guiding you to a great vintage straight razor for a first time user......

I think I spent $14 for an old Clauss Special 47, 5/8" and it was kinda rough looking. I taught myself to hone on that razor, and it became my favorite test bed for new hones as well as my most reliable day in, day out, razor. After dropping it and dinging the edge, it requiring some real serious honing on the 1K, but at least it didn't break.

I have not used it since that last incident, another old razor took it's place and I've grown attached to it too (Red Diamond 5/8"). Naturally, it had to fall off the ledge and rattle down into the bathtub..... So it's in the middle of getting a serious hone job too..... But, the Special 47 was my very first razor and still has a special place in my collection AND my rotation.

Regards

Christian

The first one was a 4/8 Lindell Razor that I recieved from my wife's great grandfather after his dead. This was about 20 years ago. Was stored away for a long time.
15 years ago I started to shave with it. I was so frustrated about the shave with the Gillette, it gave me 1 - 2 shaves with the blade, then tossed away.
This was due to my work. No matter how careful I washed my face after work, When welding with stainless steel and hard welding payloader buckets it was ruining my blades faster than a hen shits. I was thinking maybe I should try the straight. And I did. My friends and brothers all said " don´t do it". I didn´t listen and went on. I did cut myself some times but it got better and better.
Then one day coming home after shopping with the mrs I found it tucked away in it´s box, big chip in the edge. Big as a thumb nail. My son had to test it while we were away and had dropped it on the countersink. Took me 5 years to find a similar blade with warped scales. It now rests in the have to do box.

I bought my first straight razor 8 years ago, a 5/8 John Williams Damascus Steel Sheffield Round Point, I think it cost me $21.00 shipped. It needed scales and had a frown so it was what I used to learn to makes scales, remove a frown and hone. Still have it, plan to pass it down to my grandson. Shaved with it again the other day after not using it for 3 years and it still shaves great.

I too love those Sheffield razors, very smooth shaving when properly honed.

My first razor was a JA Henckels 78½ that I purchased from Michael (Zulu Grey).

It had some light rust and patina which I sanded out, fortunately without removing the scales.

Before


From yesterday's SOTD

My first razor was a 5/8 dovo prima silver steel that I purchased from a member of the forum, back when it was only a Yahoo group.

It came with a wide dovo strop and a barber hone which kept me going for a couple of years until I discovered larger razors, which I prefer. I ended up selling it to another member of this forum a few years later.

A 3/8 Torrey...well it was a 4/8, 30 yrs. ago when I found it in a ol fruit celler of a small farm house. It was where the farmhand lived I came to find out. Cleaned it up, and used it up to a year and half ago.

She's wore out!!
Blade is so thin... That the edge flexes along the whole length of the blade. Kinda like extra stiff foil.
It sits on the shelf now, since I've found RAD a little over a year ago.

October 2013 I was looking for a better stone to sharpen hunting knives and stumbled upon straight razor designs. I bought a 5/8 full hollow Dovo Best which was about the only razor in stock that day. Took me about a month to get the courage to use it not having used anything but carts and electrics my entire adult life. Once I did, RAD quickly grabbed hold and I have been a straight razor shaver ever since.

IIRC it was a 4/8 Maltesor Solingen bought at a Sally Ann auction. Still have and it shaves well, just don't care for a 4/8 all that much.

Bob

My first razor was a Boker King Kutter 5/8, Full Hollow, Round Point that I purchased new. I promptly proceeded to roll the edge while stropping with too much pressure. LOL This was back in 2010 and right after that I purchased a new DOVO 6/8, Half Hollow, Round Point that worked out much better for learning to strop and shave. Still have both razors and use them in my rotation about once a month. Both give a good shave, but I've come to really appreciate the Boker now that I know what I'm doing.

Lou