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Ok so after an evening of trawling the Internet reading reviews, forum posts and manufacturer specs I think I'm pretty sure my first straight razor is going to be a Boker :) but which one do I go for!?! I guess I'm torn between the stainless steel razor with olivewood scales and the 'Edelweiss' 5/8 straight razor... Is there any huge differences here apart from the obvious such as the scales etc?
Thanks for your help!
You can't go wrong with any of them. The Edelweiss scales are made out of bone, thus is a little heavier.
Thanks for the advice :) being a novice to straight razors, I can only assume a heavier razor has an effect whilst shaving?Quote:
Originally Posted by Skippy
Go for a shave ready vintage Boker from someone in the classifieds.
+1 To that simply for the ease and reliability of getting a razor that you know is ready to shave as opposed to "shave ready" (see wiki). Just save you some headache as you get into shaving, then pick up all the Bokers you want...and if you get tired of them or end up with duplicates and want to give them away let me know. I will "Hold on to them" for you. ;)Quote:
Originally Posted by whitebar
Something I've told quite a few folks that are looking to get into SR shaving is to get your first straight from the Classifieds. You get a razor that's ready to go out of the box and, if for some reason this turns out to not be your cup of tea, you haven't invested a huge sum of $$. That being said, a stainless steel blade is a little harder to put an edge on (not that you have to worry about that at this stage), but will keep that edge longer.
The stainless steel Boker is featured on the straight razor designs website who claim all their blades our proffesionally honed... How true is this?Quote:
Originally Posted by LAsoxfan
SRD is as legit as they come. Ran by some of our own here. Their main "honemeister" knows his stuff. ;)Quote:
Originally Posted by YachtManDan
I COULD be mistaken, as I'm still pretty new here, but I believe that SRD is owned by Lynn, the founder of SRP (this forum), and I've read a lot of testimonies of guys here on SRP who got their razors from Lynn, or sent them to him to be restored/honed and were very happy. I'd say you could trust their razors to truly be shave ready.Quote:
Originally Posted by YachtManDan
*I have not personally done any business with SRD or Lynn, but I have read a lot of positive things about their razors/services.
Well I'm thinking of treating myself as I turn 21 this Saturday so a Boker razor from SRD might be in order :D still not sure which one to go with though... Seeming as I'm new to straight razor shaving, I like the idea of stainless holding it's edge better... Wouldn't want to worry about honing it anytime soon being a novice and all! I also understand bone scales can prove troublesome to maintain?
Everybody always says go for the classifieds, but not all of the razors there are ideal for a beginner. I went with SRD for two reasons.
1) New razor so I didn't have to worry about sanding/buffing changing the original grind or any other unknown ailments. It's taken me a while to determine who from this group I'd freely buy from, and my list may be different than yours.
2) It came honed by Lynn AND with a coupon for a free second honing. I'm convinced Lynn could put an edge on a brick that would remove whiskers from your face. You might experience some burn, but man up, Nancy.
No matter how good you think you are, you will mess up your edge at some point with poor stropping and/or bad shaving technique. I thought that comment was always directed towards every other newbie on this list, but not me. Wrong! I think my shaving technique was harder on my razor when I first started than my stropping, and together they both killed my edge.
I can't tell you how nice it was to have a new Dovo ebony to learn with and then, as soon as I realized the edge was off from 100%, I dropped it in the mail to Lynn and it came back better than new in two weeks. My confidence went up a little with that and my shaves improved by leaps and bounds.
Well worth the $125 price, in my opinion. Your not going to beat the SRD price on the Dovo Best Quality ($68 at last check) by enough with a purchase from the classifieds to make up for the free honing that everyone will agree you will need in a matter of months. I'm not sure why more newbies aren't pointed in that direction.
No financial interest; your mileage may vary; no warranties stated or implied; careful, the coffee is hot.
--David
I'm very new to straight razor shaving so take this for what you will.
The other big difference is that the Edelweiss is carbon steel where as you other option was stainless. It is my understanding that stainless is harder and thus will hold its edge somewhat longer, but will also require more work to re-hone. Carbon will be easier to hone, but will have to be done more often. You need to take care to keep either type from rusting.
I got my Boker Edelweiss from SRD and am very pleased with it. The bone scales are gorgeous and it is well constructed. I was also impressed by my experience with SRD.
Be happy knowing you can't really go wrong with your choice. Just pick whichever floats your boat.
+1 raneydays imput on SRD the second free honing was one of the major factors I went with them.
How often would a carbon steel razor such as the one featured in the Boker edelweiss have to be honed? Also how would I prevent the blade from rusting? SRD offer a nice wet shave set including the edelweiss... Very tempting :D
Someone more experienced and/or wiser will have to answer you about how much more often carbon needs to be honed vs stainless steel. It also varies on frequency of shaving and beard toughness. I've read it can be for a few weeks to a month or two between honings, this can be extended somewhat through using abrasive pastes.
As for keeping the blade from rusting the process is the same regardless of metal type. After shaving clean the blade and then inspect the blade and scales to ensure they are dry. I use a Q-tip if any moisture gets between the scales. I then will wipe one a thin layer of mineral oil on the meal. I don't know if that is me being type-A or not, but I can sleep soundly knowing I won't have to worry about rust.
How often you need to hone depends on the quality of your edge, toughness of your beard etc.
One advantage of buying a vintage razor is that it will its value. If you buy new and it turns out you don't like it you cannot sell it for the same price you bought it for. With vintage you can. If needed you can get them honed for about 20 USD.
You may also quickly find it is good to have at least 2 razors for when you need to send one in for honing. Or for sharpness comparison.
I bought my new boker edelweiss so I'd have my shiny edge I could be proud of and I also went to Whipped Dog Straight Razor Sales to get an inexpensive vintage that is expertly honed. If you look around Larry has pretty good rep for honing on this site.
This way I can shave with my new Boker until it needs to be sent in for honing. Then I have a razor to shave with while it is gone, and once I get my Boker back from SRD I can learn to hone on my cheap vintage blade.
I am typically in the buying a vintage blade block for your first SR for the reason of you just don't know if your going to like this form of shaving.
If you are going to go new either of your picks will work great for you and really you won't notice any of the differences in the razor as it is your first razor, Its the second one where you start to understand the differences between razors. I started with a 4/8 lightweight razor with a spike point and my favorite razor ended up being a 6/8 heavy weight round point so you just never know what you are going to like till you take the plunge.
If you do have the money buying a whole set is nice also as when it comes your good to get started on the day and not have to wait. Just one bit of advice when you get your shave ready razor don't strop it just shave with it the first time as it will have been stropped to its sharpest point by the honemiester who put the edge on the blade for you.
YachtManDan,
Have you had a peek at the vintage razors from:
Mr Neil Miller (Straight Razors / Open Razors / Cut-throat Razors for Sale)
and Mr Steve Dempster (Shave-Ready Vintage Razors)
Mr Miller & Mr Dempster also do most excellent honing work.
Good luck in your quest !
Have fun !
Best regards
Russ