Thread: My new razor!

Okay, I know there are several places I can post about this, so I picked this one. This is what came in the mail yesterday - my first straight razor! It's a Boker King Cutter 5/8 with a 3" Latigo strop, and some oil.

Your off to a great start, Thats a nice looking Boker,

Congratulations! I know how excited I was to get my first straight and start shaving with it. Good luck!

Nice razor. Enjoy!

Nice first choice, have fun and enjoy

Good choice, I love my king cutter.

Looks like you have enough oil in that bottle for a life time of oil changes on the Boker. Seriously nice razor and happy shaving. You will certainly, "Look sharp and smell nice for the ladies."

Great choice and a great looking razor!

You chose wisely. I have a Boker 6/8 silver steel extra hollow. It is a well-made razor one of my top shavers. I hope your King Cutter gives you as much pleasure as my Boker gives me.

You did not mention whether you had the razor professionally honed before you received it. Most of the better vendors will hone razors, either routinely or upon request. When you are new to straight razors, it is best to get the razor honed by someone who knows what they are doing. Few new razors come truly shave ready from the factory, but some are pretty close. I believe Boker does a better job that most in honing razors at the factory. If the blade is professionally honed, you will learn what a well honed edge feels like. Otherwise, if you have a poor shave, you won't know whether the issue is with the razor, or your shaving technique. When you are new, you are just developing your shaving skills, so starting with a good razor edge eliminates some of the variables.

I am glad to see you got a strop. Trying to maintain a razor edge is difficult without one. Stropping is a skill you need to master, just as you must master the skills of lathering and shaving. It is quite common for new shavers to either nick the leather of their strop, or to roll the edge of the razor due to improper stropping techniques.

If you have not already done so, look at some of the excellent videos on stropping, shaving, lathering, etc. However, be aware that not every video on YouTube is recorded by an individual who knows what they are talking about. Anyone with a video camera can post a video and claim to be an expert. Videos from senior members, mentors and moderators on this this forum are likely to impart wisdom and experience, so seek them out.

My first choice also, I have 4 or 5 of them. Used of course.