Thread: Want advice in shopping for first razor

I'm looking to buy my first straight razor. I've been reading information on the Wiki, but still would appreciate some help.

I phoned a few antique shops today and found a number of them had razors. A lot of the stores I'm not sure what brands they are, so I'll have to go and take a look. One store told me that he had a number called Solingen. I read the article "Good Straight Razor Brands", which said that razors actually forged in Solingen were good blades. How would I know this? Some of the other brands he had were Bower and Sons, another Stevens or Stevenson, one with Hamburg on it.

As someone suggested I'll be trying for a 6/8 half hollow. Is there any way to tell the grind of the razor?

There are a number of razors I can get for $25 to $50 and higher. Can I expect something good for a starter for this? I would appreciate any advice in things to think about when purchasing a razor?

Thanks

I would suggest that if you are looking to spend between $25 and $50, you check the classifieds here as you will probably get a shave ready razor for that price. "Shave Ready" is key as a beginner. Plus, the razor grind is usually listed in the ad.

You will also need a strop, brush and some soap so what are you waiting for?

In my opinion, make sure that you get something that isn't too nice. You will have a lot of fun with your first razor and a lot of curiosity will motivate you to try some different things with it. Stay away from something stainless and get something that is truly "shave ready".

It would probably be best to avoid buying from antique stores (or eBay for that matter) until you have a little more experience with razors and know what you are looking at.

I would suggest that you leave the antique stores alone for your first straight. You are best buying one off the classifieds here or from somewhere like whippeddog.com. You will get a good, quality, shave ready straight.

Everyone rightly steers you away from the 'project' blades. This will come, but for now, it will be counterproductive. Used from a senior restorer/seller is VERY hard to beat. I have opinions on size/grind for a beginner (with all of 4+ mo. experience), but so does everyone else. What really made me nuts was that there is no way to determine your preferences without trying one of each size/grind. I don't know what area you are in, but I would encourage you to find other noob-friendly members that would allow you to try their gear. That way you don't go broke trying everything and get the AD's in the process.

FWIW - the 1/2 hollow recommendation is aimed at avoiding the flex of the full or extra hollow. That gave me fits also for about 6 wks. The 1/2 is sorta neither fish nor foul. The first 1/4 hollow grind I tried was a radical game changer for me - 'thought I was in heaven. What I could do w/ the 1/4 hollow enabled me to learn to learn w/ the full hollow. I get wonderful shaves from flexy full hollows now, but that 1/4 hol. is still my #1 fav blade.

I'd love to recommend specific sellers on the board, but that would be unjust to others I don't know about. Your price range will afford some truly wonderful blades from these guys, and you can enjoy them immediately.

Welcome, and keep learning. Attitudes and the quality of help here has been incredible. 'Some wonderful guys here. I'm grateful to each one that's helped me, and I have alot of learning to do still.

You've had some good advice above. If you haven't seen it already (it's a sticky in the Beginners forum) this is a great read for you.

Thanks for the advice.
I took a look at Whipped Dog and the classifieds.
Some of the ads mentioned the grind, some I couldn't tell by the pictures. I guess I'll
have to contact the sellers.

I have a few questions:
Will a square or french point be the same as a round if it is blunted or muted?

If there are things like patina, black rust or pitting will these things be hard to fix?

Is there much difference between a 2 or 3 pin razor? As far as I know the 3rd pin is for
the tang to rest on. I'm assuming this is to protect the edge of the razor. Would this be
a problem for the 2 pin razor?

According to the barber textbook I found:
http://straightrazorpalace.com/srpwiki/images/c/cb/Help_Files_Permanent_Archive_Barbering_Textbooks_1 961_Barbering_Text_-_Honing.pdf
on page 24 I says the edge should have a slight curve. Can someone comment on this, and
how does a person maintain this when honing?

Thanks

Will a square or french point be the same as a round if it is blunted or muted?

- No, it won't, really. But for the purpose of learning to use a straight razor they can be just fine. An unmuted square can bite a little, and takes more practice. A round point is considered the easiest to use.

If there are things like patina, black rust or pitting will these things be hard to fix?

- Patina can be a good thing, it can look good and help protect the blade from rust. Rust and pitting are not so good, they should be sanded out and this is neither a small nor easy task. There is lots of info on this site about the procedures on how to do so, but beware it's probably not an easy fix.

Is there much difference between a 2 or 3 pin razor?

- No. It is perfectly fine to think of the 3rd pin as an embellishment, even if they do serve some purpose. It will not affect your razor or the quality of your shave.

According to the barber textbook I found:
http://straightrazorpalace.com/srpwi...ng_Textbooks_1 961_Barbering_Text_-_Honing.pdf
on page 24 I says the edge should have a slight curve. Can someone comment on this, and
how does a person maintain this when honing?

- A smile can be a good thing, the opposite (a frown) is a rather bad thing. Perfectly straight razors without a smile or a frown are perhaps the easiest to hone, at least from a learning perspective. Honing is covered in the wiki, there is much information to be found. For the early days it may be a good idea to have your razor honed by some of the skilled honemeisters on this site, tho.

Best of luck!

From personal experience:

1. For a "low-risk" experience, either buy from the SRP Classifieds, or from
Whipped Dog Straight Razor Sales

or from somebody else who _knows razors_ and will sell you one which is honest-to-God "shave ready".

2. Antique store razors _can_ be bargains, but they can also be rip-offs. You probably don't know enough to tell the difference. Prices can be set way higher than "fair value". [My first razor came from an antique store. I figure I paid 3x what it was worth, and spent many happy hours honing it into decent condition.]

3. The basic Dovo "Best Quality" ($80 new from Straight Razor Designs, hand-honed) is a "known-good" standard.

4. The best comment I've heard about eBay and razors, here, was:

. . . . If you have to ask "Was this a good buy?", don't purchase a razor on eBay.

It holds for antique shops, too.

Charles