Thread: New Hoffritz!

Well, I've wanted to make the move to straights for some time now. My neck is very irritated everyday from the 3896 bladed razor I currently use and it doesn't ever even feel close. I have never shaved with a straight before and have been shopping for one for awhile. Finally I just decided to get it over with and make a purchase and pray for the best. Enter the Hoffritz. Does anybody have anything good to say about these razors? Guess I should have asked before I bought it huh. It should be on it's way, but I don't have a strop yet. Any recommendations for a first timer on purchasing one? Money isn't the issue, but I also don't want purchase a "name". I just want a good quality one that I won't be disappointed with. I don't want to have a ton of stuff lying around that makes me shake my head when I see it. I am a one razor kind of guy and plan on sticking with the Hoffritz for awhile, or until I'm out of blood.

Nice looking blade. Welcome to the ranks of straight shavers! You will find it rewarding on a number of levels.

As far as a strop goes... Even if money isn't an issue I still recommend the Filly from ruprazors.com. It is basically a single strip of leather with a smooth front and a back pasted with Chromium Oxide to touch up your blades, all for $20. It is a quality piece of work, and regardless of money, you are very likely to put some decent nicks up and down your first strop.

No one wants to ruin a high dollar strop because they don't know what they are doing yet.

And that razor looks beautiful.

Thanks for the suggestion. Now for a honing setup? Got to buy a junker blade to screw around with.

Welcome to SRP. Hoffritz had stores around the world and IME had high quality cutlery of all types made for them with the Hoffritz brand name. So your razor would probably have been made by one of the better Solingen companies and ought to be a good one.

If you haven't checked out the SRP Wiki here already then take a look for tutorials on shaving, honing and all things related to straight razors.

I read it earlier. It led me to believe that all I really need is a norton 4/8k stone (lapped) and maybe something higher to polish. What I'm really looking for is a tried and trusted setup.

A couple more pics

Originally Posted by heathmanc

Thanks for the suggestion. Now for a honing setup? Got to buy a junker blade to screw around with.

Most people on here will recommend the Norton 4k/8k for a beginner. I know that is what I will be getting as soon as I can afford it.

There is also a lot of debate on the value of a barbers hone. One wouldn't be any good for setting a bevel or anything complex like that, but they are intended to maintain an edge when its sharpness starts to fade. I actually traded for one last night, and am looking forward to trying it out.

Drew

+1 to what JimmyHAD said. That Norton set it decent to start on if you've never used sharpening stones before. The lapping stone that comes with it, is ok, but it won't stay flat forever, especially is you're lapping the 220/1000 stone much.

Do what he says and pick up the DMT D8C! And make sure you lap with lots of running water, or you might flake off the diamond coating, and that would be bad

Nice looking razor! Welcome to addiction

Trying to order a Filly from Ken right now, but I am in the Air Force stationed in Japan and his site doesn't list APO as an option. I sent him an e-mail to try to work something out.