Thread: What makes a good shaver?

Since I brand new to the worls of SR's, what are some of the characteristics that make a "good shaver?" I see that term used a lot in many ad's and reviews. I'm sure everyone has their own preferences, but are there some things about certain SR's that make them really stand out? Cheers! mpp

You could get hundreds of different replies to this from our experienced members.
Good steel that is properly honed is ,IMO, the only answer to to it.

I have about 40 different brands in my collection from all the major countries that used to produce razors, and there are phenomenal shavers from the vast majority of them.

Originally Posted by Birnando

You could get hundreds of different replies to this from our experienced members.
Good steel that is properly honed is ,IMO, the only answer to to it.

I have about 40 different brands in my collection from all the major countries that used to produce razors, and there are phenomenal shavers from the vast majority of them.

+1 Good steel and properly honed perfect answer. If it shaves well its a good shaver.

Yep, I agree with the folks above me!

As long as you get a decent make of razor and it's honed by someone who knows what they're doing you should be fine.

Yep, good steel, good forging, good tempering, good grinding, good finishing and of course a highly competent worker.

I like to shave with one that is really interesting or attractive. It has to cut whiskers, of course, but the look of the razor adds to the fun of the shave.

Lots of good replies in this thread. All of the replies go into a good razor but from an end user it would be a razor that holds it edge over numerous shaves, gives a smooth shave and is easy to hone. The honing part would depend on who is honing it but the easier it is to hone the more consistent the edge will be.

Originally Posted by mpukas

Since I brand new to the worls of SR's, what are some of the characteristics that make a "good shaver?" mpp

Origin of the razor makes a "good shaver". There is a wide list of good respected producers, mainly from the past. Buy razor from this list and you never fail with good shave. There is one thread on the site where everybody express personal preferences. A lot of posts, but only 25-30 names as a total.

"good shaver" is very subjective. For example, I think wedges blow. Others would classifiy them as "good shavers" though.

I think just about any vintage straight can be made into a "good shaver".

Originally Posted by Birnando

You could get hundreds of different replies to this from our experienced members.
Good steel that is properly honed is ,IMO, the only answer to to it.

I have about 40 different brands in my collection from all the major countries that used to produce razors, and there are phenomenal shavers from the vast majority of them.

+1 yep, properly honed