Hello all,

My boyfriend has sensitive skin, and he always complains about shaving with his disposable razor. His birthday's coming up and I thought a straight razor would be a great gift. I've read a bunch of stuff in the forums here, but now I'm feeling more hesitant to buy one, so I need some advice.

Mainly, is this a good gift idea for a guy who's never used a straight razor in his life? It looks like any decent razor is going to cost me at least $75-$100, plus I'd have to buy a brush, and if you count shipping and taxes, I'm probably looking at minimum $150. That's more than I anticipated spending, especially if it's something he may not use.

However, he's really into cooking so he knows a lot about knives and how to care for them. Also, again, he complains about his disposable razor.

Thoughts? Advice? What brand and/or type of razor would be good for a newbie? Also, I live in NYC--does anyone know of stores that sell shaving supplies? I might be able to save some cash if I'm not paying shipping and I'd love to find a shop in which I can talk to a real person.

Thanks for your help!